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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 2017)
January 11, 2017 The Skanner Page 3 News Eviction cont’d from pg 1 county-wide issues. “The library really wanted to approach this from a solutions-based perspective,” explained Cunningham. “So start- ing with the question: Everybody Reads 2017 is us- ing ‘Evicted’ to initiate a com- munity dialogue how do we create a thriv- ing community for ev- eryone?” To encourage partic- ipation, Multnomah County Libraries are of- fering a lengthy program of discussions, lectures and meetings, which in- cludes reading parties, renters’ rights work- shops, personal housing stories, a poverty simula- tion, and more. “Homelessness in Port- land is a critical and acute issue, but that’s also bringing new peo- Bynum ward to make important statements: we want eco- nomic diversity in our neighborhoods, we want to make livable commu- nities and we’re willing to give a bit up personal- ly so that families know what ‘home’ means.” Matthew Desmond will present a talk on March 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Ar- lene Schnitzer Concert Hall. This event is pre- sented by Literary Arts, which will provide ticket information. —Melanie Sevcenko Mitchell S. Jackson Visits Clark College Jan. 17 During the 2017 winter quarter installment of its renowned Columbia Writers Series, Clark College will welcome back former student Mitchell S. Jackson, award-winning author of the novel The Residue Years. Mitchell will read from and discuss his writing from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Jan. 17, in room PUB 258 on Clark’s main campus. The event is free and open to the public. Directions and maps are available online. Individuals who need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services (DSS) Office at (360) 992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP) or visit room PUB 013. The Columbia Writers Series was launched at Clark College in 1988, bringing local, national and international authors to the college and the region. Information about the Columbia Writers Series is available at www.clark.edu/cc/cws. cont’d from pg 1 trained to be an electrical engineer. She then spent several years globe-trot- ting for General Motors, before settling in Oregon with her husband, Mark. The couple now owns two McDonald’s fran- chises and they live in Happy Valley with their four children. The Skanner sat down with Bynum to discuss her path to politics and how she plans to tackle the job of representing her district, which en- compasses the cities of Happy Valley, Damascus and Boring in Clacka- mas County, Gresham in Multnomah County, and unincorporated parts of both counties, including East Portland. This interview has been edited for space and clarity. The Skanner News: You trained as an electri- cal engineer. So how did you get into the restau- rant business, and from there into politics? Janelle Bynum: I don’t think it’s much differ- Breakfast ent. I’m super analytical, very data-driven, I like to solve problems. But I’m also one of those people that like to have life fit in with the laws, wheth- er it’s the laws of nature, or the laws that men and women make. So I like to look at the 30-thou- sand-foot view and then break it down into bite- sized pieces. I grew up in Washing- ton D.C., and we don’t make anything in D.C. but laws -- or chaos, de- pending on how you view it. In high school I had an opportunity to work on Capitol Hill. I worked for Senator Ar- len Specter. The reason I chose him was because when Clarence Thomas was having his hearings for his confirmation to the Supreme Court, I didn’t really like how Ar- len Specter treated Anita Hill. I came from a very Democratic family and so I thought that I should find out what the Repub- lican thought process is, what the other side was like. Even throughout my professional career I’ve always been involved civically. Especially here in my community, I’m in- volved with the schools, because I really feel passionate about mak- ing sure the educational system supports the fam- ilies and the kids, and supports what we need as a state. “ have a more in-depth conversation about what businesses need from the students, I think that’s where I’ll be able to con- tribute a lot. TSK: What inspired you to run for State Rep- resentative? JB: I’ve been on our owner-operator PAC board for a couple of years, and through that process I’ve invited leg- things that people don’t think can be done – and this is one of them, after being an engineer and a McDonald’s restaurant owner. But I went to busi- ness school too, so I’ve al- ways been interested in how money moves. TSK: What was the pro- cess of forming a cam- paign? JB: The first part is asking your family for ‘[My mother] told me that my generation wasn’t standing up, so that was kind of the kick in the pants. She said, “You all are too comfortable, you’ve been given a lot.”’ TSK: How would you like to see education im- proved in District 51? JB: My home district is North Clackamas, but what I felt was particu- larly acute was the needs of the students of color. But also, in general, as an employer in the area, I’m seeing what skills kids are coming out of school with. So if we can islators into my restau- rants. Having met Speak- er Tina Kotek and Rep. Shemia Fagan, they were kind of kick-ass women (laughs). Rep. Fagan and I con- tinued to cross paths, and she had represent- ed the district, so maybe that’s where the seed was planted. But I’m kind of a maverick and will do support, so I asked my mother what she thought of the idea. She told me that my generation wasn’t standing up, so that was kind of the kick in the pants. She said, “You all are too comfort- able, you’ve been given a lot.” She came from a segregated environment and she graduated from the last segregated high school in South Carolina. I also talked to my hus- band, who claims I never asked him (laughs). What I found very in- teresting was you had to have access to capital, and I think that is a barri- er to good people enter- ing government. That’s where I felt fortunate, because I’m a good fund- raiser. I don’t like that it takes so much money to win, but you have to be willing to ask. It was also a good opportunity for people who hadn’t tradi- tionally participated in campaigns to really be a part of it. So I looked at it as kind of a community thing, and it was energiz- ing. And it was the most expensive campaign for a House seat ever in Or- egon. You have to buy broadcast commercials, and there’s not a lot of cable penetration, so you end up in more expen- sive markets. It’s mostly advertising. You’ve got to get people’s attention. Read more of the interview at TheSkanner.com cont’d from pg 1 in law) from Boston University’s School of Law in 1960. Moore served as a clerk for United States District Court Judge Charles E. Wyzanski, Jr. and was admitted to prac- tice law in Massachusetts in 1961. He returned to Atlanta in 1962, where he “ THE SKANNER ARCHIVES “ ple to the table for real conversations,” said Matthew Desmond, in an interview with Mult- nomah County Library. “Communities like Port- land are coming for- ald Hallowell and A.T. Walden, Moore worked to promote anti-discrimination laws such as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, as well as two court cases – City of Greenwood v. Peacock and Georgia v. Rachel – which used federal civil action to counterattack against unconsti- tutional attempts to use state law against citizens exercising their rights. In 1966 Moore represented Julian Bond in his fight to take seat in the Georgia House of Representatives, and he was part of the NAACP team in the 1970 Supreme Traditional civil rights organiza- tions, and the left as a whole, have lacked political imagination was one of 10 African American attor- neys in the state of Georgia. He traveled with civil rights activist Vernon Jordan on Sundays. Alongside attorneys Don- Court Deci- sion of Turn- er v. Fouche. After mov- ing to the West Coast, Moore became part of the legal team that represented Angela Davis between 1971 and 1977. Howard Moore Moore said traditional civil rights organizations, and the left as a whole, have lacked po- litical imagination – failing to predict, for instance, that Hillary Clinton’s pri- mary wins among Black voters in states where Democrats rarely win would not translate to a decisive win in the gener- al election. To purchase tickets for this year’s breakfast, please visit www.theskan- ner.com/mlk-breakfast-tickets. For more information about The Skanner Foundation’s scholarships, awarded at the breakfast, visit www. theskanner.com/foundation/scholar- ship. For more information about The Skanner Foundation, please visit www.theskanner.com/foundation/in- fo/20224-the-skanner-foundation.