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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (April 25, 2018)
APRIL 25, 2018 Portland and Seattle Volume XL No. 30 CHALLENGING PEOPLE TO SHAPE A BETTER FUTURE NOW 25 CENTS News ...............................3,9,10 A & E .....................................6-7 Election Endorsements ..2 World News Briefs ..............10 Calendars ........................... 4-5 Bids/Classifieds ....................11 PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. CENSUS BUREAU CAROLYN DOWNS 50TH ANNIVERSARY Advocates are concerned about a proposed change to the U.S. Census questionnaire that would ask respondents if they are citizens. Advocates Eye 2020 Census Question E arlier this month Oregon joined a coalition of states and cities in suing to block the Trump admin- istration from demanding citizen- ship information on 2020 census forms — and local advocates worry that the proposed change will stoke fears of in- teracting with the federal government. Amanda Manjarrez, a policy advisor for the Latino Network of Oregon, said the organization’s concerns are three- See CENSUS on page 3 Elmer Dixon, one of the original founders of the Seattle Chapter of the Black Panther Party, describes how the Carolyn Downs Family Medical Center was originally founded by the Seattle Black Panther Party as the Sidney Miller Free Medical Clinic back in 1969. It eventually changed the name to Carolyn Downs Family Medical Center, to honor a young Black Panther who died of breast cancer in her late 20s. The Carolyn Downs Family Medical Center is the only community health center in the nation that was founded by the Black Panther Party. The SCBPP holds its 50th Anniversary conference and celebration April 26-28 with a variety of events at Washington Hall and Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. For more information visit https:// www.seattlebpp50.com. Portland Resident Launches ‘Backyard Night’ Clarence Thompson will open up his backyard to remember Stephon Clark The Skanner News WADE PAYN/THE TENNESSEAN VIA AP I Hero James Shaw holds back tears during a press conference on the Waffle House shooting Sunday, April 22, 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. Behind Shaw is Nashville Metro Mayor David Briley. Waffle House Hero page 10 Poll Finds Grim Outlook on U.S. page 9 Relations n recent years, Clarence Thompson has gotten angry with his coun- try — from the election of Donald Trump to the persistent police brutality against African Ameri- cans. “It’s the kind of angry that’s not going to be ap- peased,” said Thompson, who is an electrical engi- neer by trade. “But it can be expressed in ways that are productive.” Instead of responding with a “Black Lives Matter” sign, Thompson is looking for what he sees as a more positive and proactive al- ternative — starting in his East Portland backyard. On April 27, Thompson is hosting friends, families, neighbors and anyone in- terested for a night of cel- ebration, hospitality and fellowship. The ‘Backyard Night’ is to honor the life of Stephon Clark — a 22-year- old unarmed Black man who was shot and killed by the Sacramento Police on the night of March 18. Looking for a suspect who was allegedly break- ing car windows in the area, police pursued Clark, who then ran into the yard of his grandmother’s house where he resided. He was hit by eight of the 20 rounds fired by two offi- cers. Six of those bullets he took in the back. “We’ve seen the direction our county has taken in the last six years, and it’s part of a larger pattern of an environment made de- liberately unhealthy for historically marginalized See BACKYARD on page 3 PPS Announces Plan to Eliminate 65 Jobs District released plans for major central office reorganization Monday afternoon The Skanner News Staff O n Monday Portland Public Schools superintendent announced the district would eliminate about 35 current positions, close previously open positions and reorganize several de- partments within the district. According to records released by The Oregonian Monday, 31 people were laid off and 30 vacant positions were eliminat- ed as part of a major reorganization by Su- perintendent Guadalupe Guerrero, who stepped into his new role last October. The newspaper also reported that four additional employees resigned, retired or transferred to other positions within the district. The list of cut or cancelled positions mostly includes high-level administrative staff, with cuts in communication, infor- mation technology, human relations and operations and system performance. PHOTO BY By Christen McCurdy Of The Skanner News PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED Question about citizenship stokes existing unease See PPS on page 3 Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero