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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (April 5, 2017)
APRIL 5, 2017 Portland and Seattle Volume XXXIX No. 27 25 CENTS News .............................. 3,8-10 A & E .....................................6-7 Opinion ...................................2 Trump Undoing Obama ... 10 Calendars ........................... 4-5 Bids/Classifieds ....................11 CHALLENGING PEOPLE TO SHAPE A BETTER FUTURE NOW PHOTO COURTESY OF PCRI/ATOMIC SKY WE WANT IN Design, Beatrice Morrow Apartments. The affordable housing project will include mixed-units, from studios to 3-bedrooms, priced at area median incomes. Construction is slotted for May, 2017. Beatrice Morrow Apartments D isplaced victims of gentrification could be returning to their old Northeast neighborhood, if a new affordable housing project proves successful. Called Beatrice Morrow, the building is slotted for the site of the former Grant Warehouse, on NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, between Cook and Ivy Streets. Its name honors the Portland attor- ney and civil rights activist Beatrice Morrow Cannady, who ran for the state legislature in 1932 — becoming the first African American in state history to do See HOUSING on page 3 People gathered for a Mini-Block Party on the corner of 23rd and Union April 1 to rally for inclusion in the future of the Central District and to enjoy performances by local musicians and hip hop artists like Yirim Seck, Jamel Moxey, and Poesia. Oregon Assembly for Black Affairs Celebrates Since 1977, the OABA has been working to support Blacks in politics By Melanie Sevcenko Of The Skanner News I n 1970s Oregon, the out- look for Black residents was far from progres- sive. With a pattern of eco- nomic and political dis- crimination, a dwindling Black population, and rep- resentation in office almost non-existent, Calvin O. L. Henry couldn’t pervade a sense of powerlessness and frustration among young African Americans. It’s the reason Henry, a resident of Corvallis, es- tablished the Oregon As- sembly for Black Affairs. Since 1977, the statewide organization has been working to improve the po- litical, educational, social, legal, and economic status of Blacks in Oregon On April 9, the OABA cel- ebrates its 40th anniversa- ry in Salem. In a statement to com- memorate the OABA’s ac- complishments, Henry wrote on the conditions that were ripe for change: “In many ways, we were afraid to speak up for each other, or do business with each other. Our commu- nity often left the young Black children to fend for themselves in school set- tings. The percentage of Blacks in the Oregon pris- on population was, and still is, greater than the percentage of Blacks in Or- egon. Businesses in the Or- egon Black community had decreased.” For four decades, the OABA has been striving to lessen the disconnects among Black Oregonians, Bunny Advice the Green Rush from Dr. Jasmine Diversifying Advocacy group works to create a place for The Veterinarian talks about Easter bunnies page 9 Kam Reviews 'The Zookeeper's Wife' page 7 cannabis entrepreneurs of color By Christen McCurdy Of The Skanner News J esce Horton struggled in math classes growing up. While a stu- dent at Florida State University, though, he discovered a surpris- ing study aide: marijuana, which helped him earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering. After graduating, he worked as an energy consultant in a variety of U.S. cities and in Germany. When he moved to Portland in 2013, he be- came acquainted with two people who used marijuana to treat medical conditions: one had cancer, and one had chronic knee pain. He started growing medical marijuana at home, and at the same time, found himself losing interest in his day job. Horton went on to found a dispen- sary, Panacea, on Sandy Boulevard, and the Minority Cannabis Business Association — which provides tech- nical assistance for racial minorities trying to break into the legal mari- juana industry. The organization also advocates See CANNABIS on page 3 while promoting political engagement in their com- munities. The organization has been at the helm of lead- ership conferences and internship programs, has granted numerous awards, and continues to host the annual Oregon Black Po- litical Convention, which endorses candidates run- ning for offices during the Oregon primaries. While the OABA has al- ways maintained it non- See OABA on page 3 SONYA YRUEL/DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE (CC BY-NC 4.0) By Melanie Sevcenko Of The Skanner News PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED New project gives priority to displaced N/NE Portland residents The legalization movement and the legal cannabis industry has largely been dominated by White faces and voices. A Portland-based advocacy group is working to change that – while also redressing the harm done by the War on Drugs.