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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 2017)
NOVEMBER 15, 2017 Portland and Seattle Volume XL No. 7 25 CENTS News .............................. 3,8-10 A & E .....................................6-7 Opinion ...................................2 Local Authors ..................7 Calendars ........................... 4-5 Bids/Classifieds ....................11 CHALLENGING PEOPLE TO SHAPE A BETTER FUTURE NOW PHOTO BY SEAN CARTER PHOTOGRAPHY YOUTH FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS Ta-Nehisi Coates The award-winning author delved into his new book ‘We Were Eight Years in Power’ during Wordstock By Melanie Sevcenko Of The Skanner News T o kick off Portland’s annual liter- ary festival Wordstock, acclaimed author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates shared with a sold-out au- dience at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall his take on culture and politics – and particularly how they pertain to Black America — which he’s become See COATES on page 3 PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED Ta-Nehisi Coates Speaks on the Reward of Resistance The West Seattle Bengals receive their medals after losing to the Renton Rangers in the Greater Seattle Youth Football & Cheer League 89ers Championship game. In the three other division championship games, the Pac Hwy Chargers won 7 to 6 in a close one over the Renton Rangers in the Peewee division, the Kent Cobras won in a hard-fought game against the Tulalip Jr. Hawks winning the GSYFC Juniors Championship and the Beach Boys won the 14 and under championship over the Renton Rangers in the final game of the day. Alexander Hired as OSU Diversity Chair New vice president and diversity chair has background in counseling By Christen McCurdy Of The Skanner News AP PHOTO/TSVANGIRAYI MUKWAZHI, FILE G In this Sept. 1 file photo, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe addresses party supporters at a rally in Gweru, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s army said Wednesday it has Mugabe and his wife in custody and is securing government offices and patrolling the capital’s streets following a night of unrest that included a military takeover. World News Briefs page 10 Kam Previews New Movies Opening This Week page 6 rowing up in Trini- dad, Charlene Alex- ander never thought there was anything she couldn’t do. “I grew up in a culture where I was part of the majority. I saw examples of women, including my mother, in leadership roles in every area of society. I never had this perspective that I couldn’t do whatever I wanted to do,” she said. Only when she emigrat- ed to the United States at 17 did Alexander start to see and think about how oppressive structures can hold individuals back. Alexander, the new vice president and chief diver- sity officer at Oregon State University, moved to Cor- vallis in July and started her new job — a position that is itself newly created — July 1. There’s no typical work week, she said, but she’s spent her first weeks at OSU meeting with stake- holders — including facul- ty, students and members of the administration -- and listening. “My work is to educate students to advocate as leaders. It’s their respon- sibility in schools to see the power that’s within them, to make sure they have all the resources they need to be successful in school. These are socially constructed barriers for a whole host of reasons, obviously, given the whole history of the country,” Al- exander told The Skanner. Alexander comes to OSU from Indiana’s Ball State University, where she worked in a variety of positions over the course of 20 years. Most recently, Alexander served as Ball State’s associate provost for diversity and the direc- tor of its Office for Institu- tional Diversity. There she helped the school establish its first diversity adviso- ry committee and develop its first diversity strategic plan. “Charlene was an out- See ALEXANDER on page 3 Library Partners to Offer Open Enrollment Assistance Oregonians can apply for health insurance between Nov. 1 and Dec. 15 The Skanner News I n support of open enrollment season for health insurance, the Multnomah County Library has partnered with the health depart- ment to spread the word. Open enrollment runs for 45 days, from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. County res- idents can visit any branch of the Multnomah County Library with questions and resources. In addition, the library is hosting a series of public sessions across the county to offer information on the application and enrollment process. Residents can call (503) 988-5841 to register for a session, or visit the library’s website for dates and loca- tions. “We are here to connect people with information and resources,” Shawn Cunningham, director of See INSURANCE on page 3 Open enrollment for health insurance runs for 45 days, from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15.