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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 2018)
February 21, 2018 The Skanner BLACK HISTORY EDITION Page 11 Black History Black History News Briefs appreciation of the Black culture and experience, and to commemorate the life and legacy of Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her courage and determina- tion in supporting the work of her hus- band, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., for peace and world brotherhood. NAACP Portland Branch Opens “Can You Hear Us?” Exhibit at Lloyd Center Feb. 24 August Wilson Monologue Competition Takes Place Feb. 26 The NAACP Portland Branch’s his- tory exhibit, “Can You Hear Us?” cele- brates some of the Portland branch’s history over their 104 years of service. The NAACP Portland Branch is the lon- gest-running branch west of the Mis- sissippi. The display presents some of the organization’s most pivotal mo- ments through historic photographs as well as video footage of some of our mo- ments that speak to the African Ameri- can experience in America. NAACP members and students from Roosevelt High School will be present at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 24 for an official opening of the exhibit. Stu- dents will share their poetry and spo- ken word while guests can learn more about the history of the NAACP Port- land Branch and how you can get in- volved. “Can You Hear Us” can be found on the first Floor of the Lloyd Center Mall, next to Starbucks, Verizon and Stanford’s Restaurant. This event is free and open to the pub- lic! Donations help the NAACP Port- land Branch continue their cultural programming. Bill Fletcher to Lecture on Race and Labor Feb. 21 Bill Fletcher, Jr., one of the country’s most prominent theorists and leaders in the struggle for economic justice, whose columns frequently run in The Skanner News, will lecture from 4 to 6 p.m. Feb. 21 at UO Campus Eugene in Straub Hall Room 145. This event is free. Fletcher has been at the forefront of both the labor and anti-racist move- ments for four decades. Fletcher has served as Education Director for the national AFL-CIO and as senior staff for a number of national labor unions. He has also served as president of Tran- sAfrica Forum, as Senior Scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies, and as an editorial board member of Black- Commentator.com. He is author or co-author of multiple books, including “Solidarity Divided: The crisis in organized labor and a new path toward social justice” (University of California press, 2009). Hollywood Theatre Hosts ‘Black Power Mixed Tape 1967-1975’ Feb. 26 The ACLU of Oregon’s Resistance Book Club presents a 35mm print of “The Black Power Mix Tape 1967-1975” from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at 4122 North- east Sandy Boulevard, from $7 to $9. All proceeds from this screening will go to the ACLU of Oregon. “The Black Power Mix Tape” is a trea- sure trove of intimate moments and re- markably unguarded interviews with many of the leaders of the Black Power movement, including Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, and Eldridge Cleaver. This footage lan- guished in the basement of Swedish Television for 30 years, until director Göran Olsson and co-producer Danny Glover brought it to light in a mosaic of images, music, and narration chroni- cling one of our nation’s most indelible turning points: the Black Power move- ment. Music by Questlove and Om’Mas Keith and commentary from Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, and Melvin Van Pee- bles give the historical footage a fresh, contemporary resonance and make the film an exhilarating, unprecedented account of an American revolution. The ACLU of Oregon will present a post-screening talkback exploring the Black Power movement, the influence of movements on political resistance in today’s world, and Angela Davis’ enduring legacy. Join the talkback dis- cussion by reading selected excerpts, including work by Angela Davis and other writers, that explores criminal justice policy and racism, among other topics. For more information, visit https:// hollywoodtheatre.org/booking/tick- ets/1-351798/. Portland Author Renée Watson to Read From ‘Betty Before X’ at North Portland Library Feb. 24 Portland readers interested in Black history will have the chance to meet local author Renée Watson and win copies of her new middle-grade novel, “Betty Before X,” co-authored my Ilya- sah Shabazz, at an intergenerational tea from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 24. The event includes a reading, book discussion, Q&A, and book signing with Renée. Conversations will center on girlhood, women’s empowerment, and the inspiring legacy of Dr. Betty Shabazz. This is a free event open to the public and space is limited. The first 50 guests 18 years old and under will receive a free, signed copy of the book. “Betty Before X” is a middle-grade, historical fiction novel inspired by the real life of Betty Shabazz, later known as Betty X. The book illuminates four poignant years in Betty’s childhood and paints an inspiring portrait of a girl over- coming the challenges of self-accep- tance and belonging that will resonate with young readers today. The book has received starred reviews and high acclaim, including praise from Con- gresswoman Maxine Waters, who said, “Today is a time when fearless and uncompromising leadership is need- ed, and this story answers the call. It should be an inspiration and playbook to all women today, both young and old, who, like Betty, are paving their own path of strength. Earlier this week Watson’s previ- ous book, “Piecing Me Together,” was named American Library Association’s 2018 Coretta Scott King Book Awards “Piecing Me Together” as well a New- bery Honor Book. The awards were announced this week at the American Library Associ- ation (ALA) Midwinter Meeting & Ex- hibits, held Feb. 9–13, 2018, in Denver, Colorado, and presented in New Orle- ans at the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition in June. The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are presented annually by the Coret- ta Scott King Book Awards Committee of the ALA’s Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT) to encourage the artistic ex- pression of the African American ex- perience via literature and the graphic arts; to promote an understanding and The August Wilson Red Door Proj- ect presents the fourth August Wilson Monologue Competition showcasing Portland area high school students from 7 to 10 p.m. Feb. 26. This year’s theme is “Emerge” and the show at the Newmark Theatre includes emerging and acclaimed performers in theatre, dance, and music. The event takes place at Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broad- way. It is free but reservations are re- quired. Pre-sale tickets are no longer available, but you can still register for standby tickets. For more information visit reddoorproject.org/awmc. The mission of the August Wilson Red Door Project is to change the racial ecology of Portland through the arts. The monologue competition is one of the ways that the Red Door highlights cultural and ethnic diversity in the next generation of theatre artists and the growing cultural arts movement in Portland. Following a recruitment campaign that put the Red Door in front of over 1,000 students in Portland area high schools, and a challenging two-day audition process, 12 young women have emerged as this year’s semi-final- ists. This talented, diverse cohort has been working in master classes with Kevin Jones and Victor Mack, both award-winning theatre artists and fa- vorites on Portland stages. On the big night, they will bring their newly deep- ened “acting chops” and understanding of Wilson’s themes, characters and lyr- ical language to the stage. Professional judges will select two of them to com- pete nationally at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway. Former competition participants de- scribe their experiences as life-chang- ing. Portland’s finalists have gone on to success ranging from schooling at Jul- liard to the starring role in a Broadway play. This year’s musical headliners rep- resent a rich cultural mix of style and genre: • Darrell Grant, Jazz Pianist, Compos- er, and Educator • Bobby Torres, Latin Jazz Percussion- ist • Redray Frazier, Rock and Soul Trou- bador • Mic Crenshaw, World class MC and poet • DJ David vanOvereem, Portland’s Master of “Turntablism” • Oluyinka Akinjiola, Founder/Ar- tistic Director of Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater NAACP Announces Key Partnerships During its annual public board meet- ing in New York City, the NAACP an- nounced several key partnerships de- signed to expand the reach, impact and effectiveness of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organizations. See BRIEFS on page 12
