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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (May 24, 2017)
May 24, 2017 The Skanner Page 3 News cont’d from pg 1 “ five police chiefs, Sean Whent was brought in to implement tough re- forms and regain the public’s trust, while working to change the perception of OPD. And perception is what Nicks examines through his storytelling. As a young man, the director was sent to federal pris- After the decision came down not to indict Officer Darren Wilson, the tone of the protests changed. The focus shifted from this par- ticular case, to the larger systemic issues at play ture of the role and per- ception of law enforce- ment today in a deeply divided America. Nicks – who won the Best Director prize at the Sundance Film Fes- tival for his documen- tary – spent two years (2014 – 2016) submerged in Oakland’s force, film- ing officers in training, on patrol, in front of the press and behind closed doors. The documentary is the second in a trilogy that Oakland-native Nicks is working on about his city, which carries one of the highest crime rates in the nation. In the opening minutes of the film, we see police officers huddled togeth- er like athletes in the locker room: “Who are we? OPD!” they chant in unison. The scene rep- resents vital teambuild- ing after the department was placed on federal oversight in 2003 for police misconduct and civil rights abuses, and was since teetering on the verge of federal take- over. After cycling through Williams on for a year on drug charges. But his benevo- lent experience with one particular cop at the time of his arrest helped him explore a more human side of law enforcement in his film. “I want the African American communi- ty to understand on a deeper level what police face on the day-to-day, and I want the police to understand on a deeper level the narratives that African Americans have been carrying with them for generations that lead to them being distrustful and angry and upset,” Nicks told the Berkeley Graduate School of Jour- nalism, of which he is an alum, shortly after his win at Sundance. “But as a value propo- sition, we felt that there was something damag- ing happening in this dialogue, around this relationship between the police and the communi- ty, and we were hoping that the film could help reframe that discussion.” Read the full story at TheSkanner.com Dr. George J. Brown Retires After nine years of leading Legacy Health, George J. Brown, M.D., FACP, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Legacy Health since 2008, has announced his retirement to the Legacy Health board of directors. Dr. Brown will remain president and CEO through the transition, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2017. Dr. Brown came to Legacy Health in 2008 from MultiCare Health System (MHS) in Tacoma, Wash., as the organization’s chief operating officer. Prior to joining MHS in 1999, Dr. Brown had a lengthy and decorated career in the military. He began his service in 1972 as First Lieutenant in the United States Army and after rising through the ranks, Dr. Brown retired from active duty service in February 1999 as Brigadier General in the U.S. Army. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Boston University School of Medicine in 1973 and was a practicing gastroenterologist until 2006. Pioneers PHOTO COURTESY OF LEGACY HEALTH with the new Trump ad- ministration,” SIFF pro- grammer Megan Leon- ard told The Skanner. Though “The Force” and “Whose Streets?” over- lap in subject matter, “I think both films show a different side of the is- sue,” she added. Together, the films give us a more complete pic- cont’d from pg 1 the state of Oregon. The Oregon Black Pioneers are the first organization to receive the prestigious honor. Former First Lady of Oregon Mary Oberst, who nominated the organization, wrote in her recommendation letter: “Oregon Black Pioneers is a group of trail- blazers – illuminating corners of Oregon history that have never seen the light.” George McMath is remembered as Portland’s “father of preserva- tion” for his countless efforts in the preservation and restoration of the city’s historic buildings. During the 1960s and ‘70s, Mc- Math drafted protection laws, surveyed Portland’s architectur- al landscape, worked on numer- ous restoration projects, and sat as the chairman for several orga- nizations and committees. In 1981, he was elected into the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows for his leader- ship in the field of architectural preservation. Recipients of the McMath Award work to build partner- ships between professional and academic communities to further the field of preservation; the Ore- gon Black Pioneers have worked tirelessly on such endeavors. Since the all-volunteer nonprof- it was founded in 1993 in Salem, its researchers have been docu- menting areas around the state – historic sites, burials, build- ings, and monuments – while educating professionals and the “ at the same time, it’s nice for your work to be recognized and have value and importance placed on the story you have to tell.” Among numerous educational projects, the group developed a resource booklet and study guide on Oregon’s Black history and distrib- uted the materials throughout the Sa- lem-Keizer school district. Moreover, their work has been recognized by historic and public affairs orga- nizations across Oregon, includ- ing American Legacy magazine, which granted the organization the Heritage Award in 2010; and the Marion County Historical Society which, in 2009, present- ed them with the David Duniway Award for Historic Preservation. The Pioneers have also part- nered with museums around the state, such as the Linn County Historical Museum, to highlight the stories of Oregon’s Black Pi- oneers. In addition, the group is currently working with The End of the Oregon Trail Museum to add to the legacy of those Black pioneers who crossed the trail. Oregon Black Pioneers is a group of trailblazers – illuminating corners of Oregon history that have never seen the light public alike on the contributions of Black Oregonians to the state’s history. Furthermore, the Pioneers have continued to share their research and story gathering through lec- tures and presentations, exhibi- tions, publications and sponsored conferences. “It is a prestigious award to come from your home state,” board president Willie Richard- son told The Skanner. “For us, it was truly an honor in recogni- tion of the work that we do, in try- ing to make the Oregon African American story more known and more inclusive in Oregon story.” “You’re not dependent upon recognition when you are vested, committed and passionate about what you do,” she continued. “But Read more at TheSkanner.com cont’d from pg 1 publicly unveiled June 3. Members of the public are invited to participate in a walk to view the art, which leaves at noon from Dawson Park that day. ‘That was the spot’ One sign pays tribute to the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Another describes the history of Jefferson High School. Some refer- ence specific institutions, businesses or people, where others describe how broader concepts — like mentoring or worship — played out in the lives of Black Portlanders. Talton Davis told the crowd the proj- ect places a particular emphasis on businesses in the area. “We wanted to get into the economics of things,” she said. For most of the 20th Century, Wil- liams Avenue was the heart of Port- land’s Black business district. “I need to mention the corner of Wil- liams and Russell, because that was the spot,” community member and busi- ness owner Paul Knauls, often called the “Mayor of Northeast Portland,” said Saturday after community members were invited to stand up and talk about “ [Redlining] gave me an opportunity to see our people could do whatever we wanted to do their memories of the street. The street was known, in the 1960s and ‘70s, for thriving nightlife — in- cluding Knauls’ Cotton Club — and was home to grocery stores, restaurants and soda fountains, a majority of which were Black-owned. Those who talked at the event described a small-town en- vironment where no one locked their doors or bicycles and where everyone felt looked after and cared for. Gahlena Maxey Easterly told The Skanner that redlining — overlapping practices by banks, real estate associa- tions and the city that limited African Americans’ options for buying homes or doing business outside the Albina neighborhood — had the likely-unin- tended effect of creating a close-knit community where Black people of all economic classes lived side by side. “That gave me an opportunity to see our people could do whatever we want- ed to do,” Easterly told The Skanner. Top-down and after the fact The art project was funded by PBOT and administered by the Regional Arts and Culture Council, usomg a $100,000 grant from the $1.5 million-dollar Wil- liams Safety Project — a street redesign project that became a flashpoint for dis- cussion about transportation and gen- trification in the Albina neighborhood. Read the full story at TheSkanner.com PHOTO BY CHRISTEN MCCURDY SIFF Signs like the one shown above will soon be installed on North Williams Avenue. The public is invited to an unveiling and walk departing from Dawson Park at noon June 3.
