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By The Skanner News | The Skanner News
Published: 14 January 2010
Black Catholics Sponsor MLK Mass

The African American Catholic Community of Oregon will sponsor the Archdiocese of Portland's Annual Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Vigil Mass at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception  located on the corner of NW 18th and Couch St. Presiding at the 5:30 p.m. mass will be Archbishop John Vlazny and Msgr. Charles Lienert. The St. Andrew and  De La Salle North Catholic high school gospel choirs will sing. This Afro-centric mass is dedicated to the memory of Dr. King's inclusion of all faiths in his quest for equality and freedom. All parishes and the public are encouraged to attend..

Days of Service

Close to 100 volunteers will devote time and talents to neighboring projects on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Members from Northwest Service Academy (NWSA) will lend their helping hands to nine local organizations on Jan. 18.
Since Congress designated it a national day of service in 1994, the holiday has provided the opportunity for communities to address the social needs of their neighbors. AmeriCorps members serve the community through environmental projects on a daily basis, said Ernie Guerrero, director of NWSA's Lower Columbia Center.
Members will roll up their sleeves for the following projects in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area:

Organizing food and supply donations at Animal Aid;
Painting and repair work at the Lotus Seed yoga and arts center;
Mulching an area of the historic Clark County Poor Farm;
Sorting and organizing recycled building materials at The Rebuilding Center;
Cleaning the fitness room at the Northeast Community Center;
Cleanup at the Portland Memory Garden;
Starting a learning garden at the Vestal School;
Working with Janus Youth to perform garden clean up and composting at Village Gardens, located at the St. Johns Woods Public Housing development;
Painting homes at a low income housing unit established by QUAD, Inc.

For nonprofit organizations like the Rebuilding Center, operations rest almost solely on voluntary help.
This is NWSA's 15th year contributing its diverse workforce to MLK Day projects, and its largest number of participating volunteers yet.
For more information on NWSA's involvement, call Fayer Hutchins at 971-678-0191, or Emily Logan at 805-878-8602. Information on MLK Day of Service can be found at www.mlkday.gov.

Oregon Food Bank in Need

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service, Monday, Jan. 18, Oregon Food Bank invites you to help fight hunger at its facility in northeast Portland and at its soon-to-be facility in Washington County.
Due to a tough economy, distribution of emergency food throughout the Oregon Food Bank Network skyrocketed to historic highs during the last fiscal year and remains at alarming high levels. Each month, an estimated 240,000 people in Oregon and Clark County eat meals from emergency food boxes provided by OFB Network food pantries. That's a 20 percent increase over the previous year.
Here are a few ways to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jan. 18, while helping to fight hunger:
• Close to 300 volunteers, including 150 Kaiser-Permanente employees, will repack bulk food into family-size packages at Oregon Food Food's northeast Portland site. (All volunteer positions have been filled.)
• Visit the future home of Oregon Food Bank West, 1870 N.W. 173rd Ave., Beaverton, and see how you can share OFB's dream of providing more emergency food for people who are hungry in Washington County. The free open house, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., features tours, art projects for children and refreshments.
• Create your own service project. Host a food and fund drive on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. Oregon Food Bank, 7900 N.E. 33rd Drive, Portland, will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Jan. 18, to accept donations of food and funds. Visit www.oregonfoodbank.org.
• Special appeal. Support the work of students in their fight against hunger. Many children won't receive school breakfast or lunch on this holiday. To help, college students, through Campus Compact, are organizing a special, one-day distribution of emergency food for 300 families in northeast Portland. OFB has the Campus Compact volunteer power but needs your help raising $3,000 to cover the cost of food for this special distribution The college students will also distribute information about SNAP (food stamps). For more information visit www.oregonfoodbank.org.

Living the Dream Awards

Vancouver Avenue 1st Baptist Church, with J.W Matt Hennessee as Senior Pastor is proud to announce the winners of the 2010 Fourth Annual Drum Major Awards. The winners are presented their award in person at the Fourth Annual Ecumenical Service: Living The Dream, being held on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010 at 3 p.m. at Vancouver Avenue 1st Baptist Church, 3138 Vancouver Ave. in Portland.
• Rosa Parks Award: (A tie between) Noell Webb and Brenda Braxton
• Yolanda Denise King Award (new this year): Steven Gonzales
•Coretta Scott King Award: Former Gov. Barbara Roberts
• Legacy Award: The Portland Community College System
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Award: Lou Boston (Posthumously)
In addition to the award ceremony, the program also features a key note address from Oregon Attorney General John Kroger, remarks from other dignitaries and performances by local musicians.

Award-Winning Documentary on Oregon's KKK

The award-winning documentary The Klu Klux Klan in Oregon: 1920-1923 will be shown at two events this month as part of area Martin Luther King Jr. Day tributes. Korean-born American producer and director Thomas Coulter recently won Best Regional Film award for the documentary at the 3rd annual 2009 Astoria International Film Festival.
The film details why the Klan was successful in recruiting members in Oregon and how it was able to promote its racial and religious agenda as its ranks grew to 5,000 members from Tillamook to La Grande.
The documentary will be shown Friday, Jan. 22, 6 to 8 p.m., at Portland State University's Multicultural Center in Smith Memorial Student Union, room 228, 1825 SW Broadway. An audience discussion with Coulter follows the screening.
The Klu Klux Klan in Oregon: 1920-1923 covers the group's demise, aftermath and the reasons why it could not maintain its leadership and power over local businesses and politics. Powerful movie clips, interviews and photos culled from local, state and national archives also are included in the 60-minute film.
"People ask me why produce a documentary on the Klan back in the 1920s when they either don't exist or their numbers and influence have dwindled considerably," Coulter said. "I tell them I'm reminded of a quote by King, who said, 'Many of the ugly pages of American history have been obscured and forgotten ... America owes a debt of justice which it has only begun to pay."
He said it took him more than four years, while balancing a full-time job, to complete the film. Communications Concepts, of Salem, Oregon, provided production assistance.

Portland State Hosts Week of Events

Portland State University and the Multicultural Center will host a full week of events, from Jan. 18 to 22, celebrating and commemorating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. "Chronicling his international influence" is this year's theme, with lectures, service projects, films and forums all dedicated to his lasting memory. PSU also welcomes Public Broadcasting Service's Foreign Exchange host/producer Daljit Dhaliwal, as the "Living Legacy" guest lecturer. A veteran broadcaster of 15 years, Ms. Dhaliwal is a familiar face to television viewers across the world, including the United States and Britain. Among other prestigious positions, she has worked as an anchor for CNN International and as a reporter and host for BBC World News.
Events Include:

"A Day On, Not a Day Off"

Monday, Jan. 18, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Concordia University
This is a longstanding PSU Student Leaders for Service recognition of Dr. King's civic-mindedness through a series of volunteer community service projects. This year, join over 1,000 students from 11 colleges and universities in the Portland metropolitan region for the first collaborative day of service celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A morning rally at 9 at Concordia University will be followed by service projects from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout North and Northeast Portland. Lunch and transportation from PSU to Concordia (and back) will be provided. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pdx.edu/cae/slsevents.html

A Conversation with Oregon Black Leaders

Tuesday, Jan. 19, noon, Portland State Multicultural Center (MCC) 228 Smith Memorial Student Union
This roundtable brings together a representative panel of the state's African American leaders in politics, business and higher education for much-needed face time with students and staff. The gathering will consist of a mix of retrospectives around civil rights and new pathways for reason and social equity.

Black Male Collegians: Networking for Success

Wednesday, Jan. 20, time TBA, Portland State Multicultural Center (MCC) 228 Smith Memorial Student Union
Join Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. as they present a vital and timely opportunity for African American males attending PSU or a local sister college to meet and confer about transitions and campus climate issues. This event will also examine the critical shortage of college-bound males of color and explore ways to help remedy this imbalance.

Student Interactive Session

Thursday, Jan. 21, noon, Portland State Multicultural Center (MCC) 228 Smith Memorial Student Union
An open forum for PSU students to discuss the impact of citizen action and volunteer service on local, national, and international issues. Join Public Broadcasting's Daljit Dhaliwal, PSU's Student Leaders for Service, Portland community members, and PSU students for a discussion of the possibility of global solidarity through service.

Evening Lecture and Performance

Thursday, Jan. 21, 7 p.m., Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom (1825 SW Broadway)
The traditional marquee event of the week features our distinguished keynote speaker, Public Broadcasting's anchorwoman Daljit Dhaliwal. Highlighting Dr. King's international pedigree, this lecture will also chronicle his many influences and impact on people and nations beyond the US. A choral and music performance will add luster to the evening's proceedings. Admission is $10 for the general public, free with any valid student ID.

Documentary Film Series

Friday, Jan. 22, 6 p.m., Portland State Multicultural Center (MCC) 228 Smith Memorial Student Union.
From producer/director Thomas Coulter, The Ku Klux Klan in Oregon: 1920-1923, this film exposes the brief period when the Klan influenced politics in the State as their membership grew to more than 5,000 members from Tillamook to La Grande. The documentary explains in detail why the Klan was successful in recruiting members, and how the group was able to promote its racial and religious agenda. The film also covers the group's demise, the aftermath, and reasons why it could not also maintain its power and direction over local business and politics.


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