March 1, 2017 The Skanner Page 3
News
cont’d from pg 1
“
more likely to be sen-
tenced to prison than
Whites,” Commissioner
Loretta Smith told The
Skanner. “Creating a cul-
turally specific program
like Flip the Script for
our Black and Brown
men leaving prisons is
critical.”
A 2016 report from The
Sentencing Project ranks
Oregon as having the sev-
enth-highest incarcer-
ation rate for Blacks in
the nation, while African
Americans make up only
roughly 2 percent of the
population. For every
21 Black men in Oregon,
one is in prison.
Locally, in the tri-coun-
ty area, 30,000 at-risk
youths between the
ages 16 and 24 are not in
school and are without
jobs. “That’s why I have
been fighting so long and
hard to create a summer
jobs program to give
these kids a place to go,
‘You do your time, but you’re
continuing to pay for your
crime’
checks, she was continu-
ally turned down.
“You do your time, but
you’re continuing to pay
for your crime,” she said.
Eventually
Ceaser
walked through the doors
of Central City Concern,
which serves people im-
pacted by homelessness,
poverty and addiction in
the Portland metro area.
To her surprise she knew
the woman behind the
desk — they had served
time together in prison.
Inspired, Ceaser applied
for work.
Today Ceaser is the di-
rector of employment
services at Central City
Concern, and is behind
its transformative new
program called Flip the
Script, which aims to end
the cycle African Ameri-
cans face yon returning
from prison.
According to Central
City Concern’s data, an
African American has a
36 percent chance of re-
cidivism (or reoffending)
after being released. For
a White person, it’s 29
percent.
The organization and
its partners — Mult-
nomah County’s Depart-
ment of Community Jus-
tice, the city and county
Joint Office of Homeless
Services, and Meyer
Memorial Trust — are
hoping Flip the Script
can reduce recidivism
by helping Black parol-
ees get a leg up through
housing, job coaching
and culturally respon-
sive services.
“We know that here
in Multnomah County,
Blacks are seven times
to provide an alternative
to the street,” said Smith.
In Multnomah County,
African Americans who
are released from prison,
jail or treatment can be
recommended for Flip
the Script through their
corrections counselors
and DCJ parole officers.
The program is projected
to serve 150 people in its
first year.
Setting it apart from
other rehabilitation pro-
grams is Flip the Script’s
Afrocentric approach.
“Afrocentric therapy is
a self-actualization tool.
It’s about realizing your
own potential, tapping
into your ancestry, un-
derstanding your cul-
ture and exploring what
it means to be a Black
woman, what it means to
be a Black man, and how
that in itself creates in-
tersectionality through-
out a person’s life,” said
Ceaser. “We know our
traditional school sys-
tems have a very watered
down, strategic and in-
tentional way of educat-
ing us about ourselves
— and the information
is monetary, it’s from a
place of power.”
African
American
peer mentors, who have
first-hand
experience
with the criminal justice
system, will also be avail-
able on-site to Flip the
Script parolees.
“It’s important to have
people who look like us,
who can relate to those
circumstances,”
ex-
plained Ceaser.
Read the rest of the story at
TheSkanner.com
Larry Gossett’s Birthday
King County Council member Larry Gossett prepares to cut his cake at his 72nd Birthday Party and fundraiser Feb. 25 at Garfield
Community Center.
Washington
cont’d from pg 1
nies, Washington was interested
in taking the leap to the non-prof-
it sector.
“It was amazing what they
were doing,” Washington told
The Skanner. “And it was an op-
portunity for me to use what I’ve
learned to help other people out.
So I thought I’d give it a shot.”
Since 1966, Impact NW has been
serving individuals of all ages in
the Portland metro area by pro-
viding the skill set and resources
to help their communities pros-
per. Annually over 36,000 low-in-
come children, youth, families,
seniors and adults with disabil-
ities participate in Impact NW’s
comprehensive programs.
In 2016 Washington joined the
Impact NW team as the control-
ler, and said his recent promotion
was a natural progression.
As CFO Washington will help
manage the non-profit’s recent
growth while presiding over all
Ascent
“
“But thinking about it from that
aspect is somewhat new to Im-
pact NW,” Washington said. “Of
course, I have to keep in mind
that this is a social services agen-
cy for people in need, and a lot of
times you can’t treat everything
‘It was an opportunity for me to use
what I’ve learned to help other people’
as a business. However, you can
use efficient and effective pro-
cesses and technologies to keep
costs down. I think that’s not only
unique to for-profits.”
In addition to its numerous pro-
grams for early childhood, fam-
ilies and seniors, Impact NW’s
fiscal department performs all
the back office functions for the
YMCA of Greater Portland.
That’s a hefty amount of num-
bers. But for Washington, it’s
business as usual.
been here, how much my for-prof-
it experience comes to bear on
a daily basis at Impact NW,” said
Washington.
“From an operational and finan-
cial standpoint, I’d like to look
at the work that we do more as a
business.”
He cites the organization’s nu-
merous contacts, including with
Multnomah County and the city
of Portland, drawing compari-
sons between selling products
and providing services.
cont’d from pg 1
loan for his truck, the organiza-
tion has been able to help him
cover invoices to keep the busi-
ness afloat during months when
he may be running short — for
instance, if he’s expecting a check
from a contractor for a recent job
but it hasn’t come in yet.
“
its financial operations, including
communicating with the board,
the banks and various funders.
He’s also hoping to employ his
business prowess to the non-prof-
it workflow.
“I’m really surprised since I’ve
would remain the same. Accord-
ing to the organization’s website,
the rebrand was the result of a
seven-month process in which
dozens of community partners,
current and former clients and
others participated in focus
groups and discussions to pro-
The change reflects a shift in emphasis
from one neighborhood – Northeast
Portland’s historically Black Albina
district – to helping business owners
throughout the whole Portland area
Ascent’s press release an-
nouncing the name change said
the change reflects a shift in em-
phasis from one neighborhood –
Northeast Portland’s historically
Black Albina district — to help-
ing business owners through-
out the whole Portland area, but
emphasized that apart from the
name change, the organization’s
mission, focus and leadership
vide feedback on the shift.
“Rebranding forces you to
take a fresh look at your organi-
zation,” Robin Wang, Ascent’s
executive director, said in the
press statement. “In our case, we
learned that our community was
often just as valuable as our capi-
tal. Our clients tremendously val-
ued the community of support —
whether it is from our volunteer
PHOTO COURTESY OF BAILEY’S CONSTRUCTION
she was living in a hotel
with friends. Struggling
to make ends meet back
in 1998, they shoplifted
from a Nordstrom Rack
in Clackamas with the in-
tent to return the clothes
for cash.
When
they
were
caught, one of her co-de-
fendants engaged physi-
cally with the security on
duty, which resulted in a
second-degree robbery
charge for her friends
and herself.
Ceaser took a plea bar-
gain, but under Measure
11, the judge gave her a
mandatory sentence of
five years and 10 months.
The amount she stole was
less than $100.
After
serving
her
time, Ceaser was eager
to move forward with a
job and secured housing.
But re-entry was another
unforeseen challenge.
Through
numerous
routine
backgrounds
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
Flip
Tyrone Bailey said Ascent Funding – which
changed its name in February from Albina
Opportunities Corporation – has made
all the difference in keeping Bailey’s
Construction up and running.
advisors or partner organiza-
tions — that come with every loan
so that they can overcome their
challenges, better manage their
business, and ultimately become
bankable one day.”
