January 4, 2017 The Skanner Page 3 News cont’d from pg 1 of films that speaks to the complexity of the Black experience in America,” festival curator David F. Walker told The Skanner. “We have always worked to include films from the past and the present, to make sure people under- stand the rich history of African American cine- ma.” “ and his band during a live show at the Rotter- dam Music Hall; “Soul on Ice,” a new documentary that chronicles the vir- tually unknown contri- butions of Black athletes in ice hockey; “Maya An- gelou: And Still I Rise,” an intimate rendering of the prolific life of the storyteller and activist; ‘We...worked to include films from the past and the pres- ent, to make sure people un- derstand the rich history of African American cinema’ Walker, a comic book writer, filmmaker, jour- nalist and educator, will be presenting “Black Im- ages Matter,” an infor- mative and entertaining free lecture that explores how the perception of Blacks in America has been shaped by images in mass media. As 2017 breaches new political territory, Walk- er commented on the im- mediacy of having an au- dience for Black issues. “The Trump presiden- cy and the current polit- Pam Grier in Jack Hill’s 1973 classic, COFFY ical climate have merely reinforced the need for Black people to assert their humanity in a na- tion that has historically dehumanized us,” Walk- er said. Among the line-up is “Sign o’ the Times,” a 1987 concert film directed by Prince that brings to life the fervor of the artist Board the digital restoration of Spencer Williams’ 1941 masterpiece “The Blood of Jesus,” a tale of an atheist who accidentally shoots his Baptist wife; “The New Black,” which tells the story of gay mar- riage, homophobia and civil rights in the African American community; and the Samuel L. Jack- son-narrated “I Am Not Your Negro.” Director Raoul Peck’s new docu- mentary envisions the book that writer James Baldwin never finished, about the lives and suc- cessive assassinations of three of his close friends — Malcom X, Medgar Evers, and Martin Lu- ther King Jr. Yet perhaps the most anticipated event of the fest is a Q&A with 1970s Blaxploitation star, Pam Grier. Grier herself will be in attendance on Feb. 11 to present a 35mm screening of Jack Hill’s 1973 classic “Coffy,” the story of an unassuming nurse who moonlights as a one-woman avenger by night. Tickets for the festival will go on sale Jan. 6. Hol- lywood Theatre mem- bers will receive exclu- sive pre-sale ticket access to the Pam Grier event beginning on Jan. 4. The 2017 Portland Black Film Festival is made possible through the support of the Fred W. Fields Fund of the Or- egon Community Foun- dation. Wheeler Announces Bureau Assignments Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced temporary bureau assignments Tuesday. Under Portland’s commission form of government, the mayor has the responsibility of assigning bureaus to commissioners to manage. Wheeler will manage the Portland Police Bureau; Portland Housing Bureau; Bureau of Planning and Sustainability; Office of Equity and Human Rights; Portland Bureau of Emergency Management; City Budget Office; City Attorney; Government Relations; Office of Management & Finance; Portland Development Commission; Liaison Responsibilities; Travel Portland; Regional Emergency Management Group (REMG); Home Forward; A Home for Everyone (with Commissioner Eudaly); Local Public Safety Coordinating Council; Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission and Portland Community Media. Commissioner Chloe Eudaly will run the Office of Neighborhood Involvement; Bureau of Development Services and A Home for Everyone (with Mayor Wheeler). Commissioner Nick Fish will run the Bureau of Environmental Services; Portland Water Bureau; Regional Arts & Culture Council; Rose Festival Foundation and the Portland Utility Review Board. Commissioner Amanda Fritz was assigned Portland Parks & Recreation; Bureau of Emergency Communications; League of Cities (with Mayor Wheeler); Metro Policy Advisory Committee (MPAC); Portland Parks Foundation and Urban Forestry Commission. Commissioner Dan Saltzman was assigned Portland Fire & Rescue; Portland Bureau of Transportation; Fire & Police Disability & Retirement; Liaison Responsibilities; Portland Children’s Levy; Multnomah Youth Commission; Portland Streetcar, Inc.; Portland Mall Management, Inc.; Portland Aerial Tram Board and Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT). March cont’d from pg 1 although everyone sort of says that with an understanding that everyone is upset about the elec- tion,” said Constance Van Flan- dern, one of the state adminis- trators coordinating organizing efforts in Oregon. She said she is aware of at least 800 people in Or- egon who are planning to travel to Washington, D.C. for the march. “It’s a lot. Airlines booked up fast. We’ve been doing every- “ PHOTO COURTESY OF STATE OF OREGON Film ing to put together solidarity demonstrations. Each state has a team of volunteer administrators coordinating local efforts and dis- tributing information about trav- el to the nation’s capital. Portland’s march, which will take place at Tom McCall Water- front Park on the afternoon of Jan.21, was organized by Dara Glass, who told The Skanner she resides in eastern Oregon. She and her friends are “dots of blue in a sea of red,” she said. “The important thing is to make a showing worldwide because that’s what it’s turning out to be,” Glass told The Skanner. “We have 125 marches going on worldwide. It’s important to bring attention back to women’s rights and em- power women and let people know that we’re still here and we’re not going to stand down and that women’s rights are human rights. We need to bring it back to the forefront because it got lost somewhere along the way.” Organizers in Seattle are fund- raising for the event, to obtain permits (though permits aren’t required for free speech demon- strations) as well as portable toi- ‘It’s important to bring atten- tion back to women’s rights and empower women and let people know that we’re still here’ thing that we can to find spaces in churches and public buildings,” Van Flandern told The Skanner. Van Flandern has also been in contact with organizers in Port- land and Eugene who will host solidarity marches in those cities, but also with women in smaller, more conservative Oregon towns who want to demonstrate in sup- port of women’s rights. Once the national march — which was initially called the Million Woman March, and then changed after concerns the name appropriated the name of an ear- lier Civil Rights demonstration – was announced, concerned cit- izens in other states began work- lets and audio-visual materials to make sure speeches and presen- tations are visible. Funds for the Seattle demon- stration go to a social justice non- profit called Media Island, which has acted as its fiscal sponsor. “The response we’ve gotten from people has been incredi- bly varied but the one thing has been this strong, almost guttural desire to do something to help,” said Joy Gerhard, a spokesperson for the Seattle march. “For about a week after the election, I just sat around thinking, What do I do now? I needed to channel that desire into something, taking ac- tion.” For more information about the national march, visit: www.wom- ensmarch.com. For more information about the Oregon group traveling to D.C., vis- it: www.facebook.com/WMWOre- gon. For more information about the Portland demonstration, vis- it: www.facebook.com/Womens- MarchPDX. For more information about the Seattle demonstra- tion, visit: www.facebook.com/ events/905054526294975 or w w w. e v e n t b r i t e . c o m /e / w o m - x n s - m a rc h- o n- s e a t t l e - t i c k- ets-30595393646. cont’d from pg 1 prove to be the strength of the board. Hailing from the typically male-domi- nated technology sector, Pederson said entering politics marked a transition into working alongside empowered women. “I think it’s fantastic that Oregon is really leading the way in progressive government that has women in lead- ership positions, and is especially sup- portive of people of color in office,” she said. Looking towards a new year, the board is united in its efforts to make mental health care a top priority. Ac- cording to Commissioner Sharon Mei- eran, an emergency physician, address- ing the widely cast net of mental health “ cellent services, but our system isn’t working for those who need it the most, those who are most vulnerable,” said ‘I think it’s fantastic that Oregon is really lead- ing the way in progressive government that has women in leadership positions, and is es- pecially supportive of people of color in office’ issues means fixing holes in homeless- ness, addiction and the criminal justice system. “We have great people providing ex- Commissioner Meieran, who noted that working with all women presents a new opportunity for her. “We need to look at the system holistically and see where we can create a meaningful im- pact.” But moving beyond the board’s indi- vidual members, Commissioner Peder- son is relying on their collective values to serve the people best. “We are progressive and we know Multnomah County can be a positive solution to tackle the big problems that we have, like homelessness, affordable housing, and better access to mental health services,” said Pederson. “I think those things reflect what all the people of Multnomah County want, regardless of ethnicity and gender.”