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Jarvez Hall A program to create opportunity for minority-owned small businesses in the Portland metro area was launched Tuesday by Kaiser Permanente. Jarvez Hall, East Metro Economic Alliance executive director, and Gale Castillo, president of the Hispanic Metro Chamber are helping organize the effort. Called Inner City Capital Connections, the program is like a tuition-free “mini-MBA” that provides 40 hours of training and a chance to go to a national event where the businesses can practice their capital pitches in front of investors. The program is meant to improve not only the health prospects of the business owners and their employees, but of their entire communities. Access to capital is a key component to economic vitality, and increasing opportunities for underrepresented business owners helps them on a path to economic vitality and economic equity. “Programs like this help to revitalize communities and create growth from the inside, with businesses who hire people in their local communities,” Hall said. “The economic multiplier effect is tremendous, and we are not only investing in business, but we are investing in communities.” Applications are open to nominate a small business by visiting nominate.iccapitalconnections.org, or a business can apply themselves at apply.iccapitalconnections.org.

Warriors open best of seven with win Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry shoots between Portland Trail Blazers' Maurice Harkless (4), Enes Kanter and Damian Lillard (right) during Game 1 of the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals Tuesdayin Oakland, Calif. (AP photo) (AP) — Stephen Curry had all kinds of room for a change and capitalized, finding his shooting touch in a hurry to get Golden State on a roll. Portland's defenders were too far back in the paint or a step behind all night. "Practice shots," Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard said of Curry's wide-open chances. So far, the Warriors are showing they can keep winning until Kevin Durant gets healthy. Making it look easy again, Curry knocked down nine 3-pointers on his way to 36 points, leading the two-time defending champions past the Trail Blazers 116-94 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. "I know what I'm capable of on the floor. The situation calls for me to be a little bit more aggressive and hopefully that'll continue," said Curry, who came in shooting 37.1% on 3s this postseason. "Obviously it's nice to see the ball go in. I didn't shoot the ball well for 4 1/2 games the last series and got off to a good start tonight. I want to maintain that. Every game is different, you've got to re-establish yourself. That's my perspective no matter how I play." Curry shot 12 for 23 in his fourth 30-point performance this postseason, finding far more open looks than he had in the last round against Houston. The two-time NBA MVP outplayed the Portland duo of Lillard and CJ McCollum, who combined to go 11 for 31 against a strong Golden State defense. "It's good to see Steph have a game like that at a time that obviously we need him most," Draymond Green said. Klay Thompson had 26 points, including a late one-handed slam. Green established the energy on both ends early for the well-rested Warriors, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals. Lillard scored 19 points back home in Oakland, just miles away from where he grew up. He appreciated all the support but wants to stick to basketball. "That's part of what makes it special, I'm from here," Lillard said. "I could walk home from here if I wanted to, that tells you how close it is." McCollum had 17 and missed five of his six 3s as the cold-shooting Blazers went just 7 for 28 from long range. Game 2 is Thursday night, and the Warriors are unlikely to have Durant back from a strained right calf. An update on Durant's status is expected that day once the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP is re-examined. "I think we played a terrible game and we still had a chance going into the fourth quarter," McCollum said, "so we need to tighten some things up and look forward to the game on Thursday." Curry came off screens with authority and matched his postseason career high for 3s, also accomplished in Game 1 of last year's finals against Cleveland. He found his groove far earlier than in the Game 6 clincher at Houston on Friday night, when he scored all 33 of his points in the second half. Little brother Seth struggled with three points for Portland, which shot 36.1% overall. "It's not one-and-done. We've got a series, it's one loss," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "We've got to play better, particularly at the offensive end, but we've got to be better at both ends." Lillard hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds remaining in overtime Dec. 27 in his last regular-season game at Oracle Arena. He averaged 28.3 points and 6.5 assists in four regular-season games against Golden State this season. He arrived for Game 1 in a custom Oakland Athletics baseball jersey having averaged 30 points in his nine previous playoff matchups against the Warriors. Green has at least 10 rebounds in six straight playoff games, matching his postseason career-best streak of six also done last year. "This series is going to get tougher and tougher," Green said. FAMILY AFFAIR Between warmup shots, Seth Curry stole a glance to the other end as his big brother went through his own pregame routine. Back in the locker room, Stephen Curry said, "That was wild." Then, he joked, "Only me and Seth are going to score, the whole series." The Currys became the first brothers to ever face off in a conference final and the first in any round since Marc Gasol for the Grizzlies against Pau Gasol and the Spurs in the first round of the 2017 playoffs. "I caught myself a couple times looking up in the stands at my parents," Stephen Curry said. Coach Steve Kerr certainly thought the rest benefited the Warriors. "The schedule favored us but I thought we took advantage of the situation and got off to a good start," Kerr said. The Blazers traveled straight to the Bay Area from Denver after winning Game 7 on Sunday rather than return to Portland. "Denver seems like a week ago now," Stotts said. Trail Blazers: Portland committed four quick turnovers and finished with 21 for 31 Golden State points. ... G Rodney Hood, who suffered a bone bruise in his left knee Sunday against the Nuggets, scored 17 points. ... Portland is 1-9 all-time against Golden State in the playoffs. Warriors: Damian Jones, who began the season as starting center, returned from a torn left pectoral muscle to play in his first game since Dec. 1. ... Golden State is 18-1 in Game 1 of a playoff series dating to the 2015 title run, having won the last 12 postseason openers.

May vote a choice for school board direction Michelle DePass (left) is compassionate about making a difference in a Portland school system that fails kids of color. Shanice Clarke (right) identifies with the value of doing holistic work with students to overcome obstacles and improve outcomes for disadvantaged students. Both are running for the Portland School Board in a May 21 vote-by-mail election. Two well qualified African American candidates are vying for the Portland School Board in a vote-by-mail election on May 21. It means that for the first time in more than a decade, at least one black member of the community will be represented on the seven-member governing panel when the district begins its new fiscal year in July. Michelle DePass and Shanice Clarke are both running from Zone 2, representing the cluster of schools that historically have feed into Jefferson and Cleveland high schools from inner north, northeast and southeast Portland. The geographic area also includes Benson High School. The incumbent Paul Anthony is not running for re-election after one term. DePass and Clarke promise to improve outcomes for students of color. Both candidates point to a recent audit by the Oregon Secretary of State’s office and a report from the Oregon Legislature that shows Portland has dramatically failed black and other students of color. Despite their similar goals, backgrounds and experiences, both candidates are distinct. Read more about each candidates’ backgrounds, experiences, and qualifications in the Portland Observer’s in-depth profiles in our May 8 issue out this week or at portlandobserver.com.

A disregard for the humanity of students By Gloria Oladipo The school year may be winding to a close, but the tired argument about “attacks on free speech” on college campuses is alive as ever. According to Donald Trump, liberal universities like Berkeley are allowing conservative students to be “assaulted” for sharing their beliefs on campus. To combat such violations, Trump signed an executive order requiring colleges to “protect free speech” or risk losing federal education funding. I’m delighted to alert Trump and all those with similar concerns that free speech on campus, on both sides of the political aisle, is doing just fine — to a point. College campuses, now more than ever, are home to a variety of organizations with differing political views: pro-Democratic and pro-Republican organizations, Students for Justice in Palestine and Students Supporting Israel, as well as other organizations with conflicting viewpoints. More specifically, college campuses are fairly accommodating spaces for conservative students. To date, no campus has banned any form of Trump paraphernalia, nor has any college persecuted a student for wearing pro-Trump symbols. College campuses routinely host conservative speakers: Cornell hosted Dick Cheney, while the University of Baltimore had Betsy DeVos speak at their commencement ceremony, among other examples. Outside organizations actively use their influence to make sure conservative students have their perspectives represented. Many conservative organizations are well funded by Republican politicians and wealthy Republican families. Additionally, conservative news outlets such as Breitbart and the National Review regularly publish articles demonizing universities they say aren’t doing enough to protect their version of “free speech,” which appears to mean shielding campus conservatives from any kind of criticism or protest. When the president and other conservatives talk about the precarious state of free speech, they’re often referring to efforts to stop hateful speech on campuses. They’re angry that Milo Yiannopoulos wasn’t allowed to speak at Berkeley when he was planning to out undocumented students, putting them at risk of deportation. They’re angry that a student organization from Cornell University canceled conservative speaker Jannique Stewart because of her blatant homophobia. College campuses have always been willing to host dialogue, even when it’s difficult. However, the president’s and other conservatives’ demand that outside speakers be permitted to freely antagonize the most marginalized students on their own college campuses shows a complete disregard for the safety and humanity of students. So is free speech in jeopardy? Yes, but not in the way that conservatives traditionally conceive it. Contrary to the usual story, many leftists within universities are persecuted for their beliefs. Lisa Durden, a black professor formerly at Essex Community College, was fired after defending a black-only Black Lives Matter event on Fox News. Jim Stump, a former professor at Bethel College, was fired for defending evolution compared to the university’s predominantly creationist beliefs. Trump’s executive order itself — and the outside intimidation that conservative publications exert on students — represents an actual attack free speech. Student groups, often made up of people of color and other marginalized demographics, are constantly demonized for organizing to stop hate in their communities. While conservative students speak freely, those in opposition to homophobes and racists are silenced. Free speech, including hateful speech, has consequences — including freely spoken responses of anger and protest from others. Students shouldn’t be expected to be idle in response to hate speech. Instead of shaming and censoring progressive students, more should be done to protect those who protest, fighting against hate and for their own humanity. Gloria Oladipo is a sophomore at Cornell University and a permanent resident of Chicago. She can be found writing and fighting @gaoladipo on Twitter.

Willie Kemp Jr. Sunrise: March 8, 1943 Sunset: April 28, 2019 Willie Kemp Jr., a resident of Portland since the 1970s was originally from Flint, Mich. He was an 18 wheeler truck driver for Portland General Electric for 40 years. He is survived by his wife Perry Wills Kemp; daughter Wendy Murchinson; sons Tommie (Kimberly) Kemp and Kevin (Stephanie) Kemp; three sisters, Fannie Smith, Louis Evans and Cora Kemp, all of Flint, Mich.; two brothers, James Kemp of Lansing, Mich. and Inell Kemp of Flint; eight grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, an aunt and uncle and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends. He was loved by many. He will be truly missed. He was preceded in death by his parents, Beatrice and Willie Kemp Sr.; grandparents, two sisters and two brothers; and a grandson, Calvin Richman Davis. Public Viewing will be held at Terry’s Family Funeral Home, 2337 N. Williams Ave., on Friday, May 10, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Services will be held Saturday, May 11 at 11 a.m. at Bethesda Baptist Church 1730 S.E. 117th Ave.

Blazers guard Damian Lillard shoots over Denver center Nikola Jokic Monday in the first game of the second round playoff series. The Nuggets won 121-113. (AP photo) (AP) —The Denver Nuggets rode a 37-point performance from center Nikola Jokic to a 121-113 win over the well-rested Portland Trail Blazers Monday night in the opener of their second-round playoff series, despite Damian Lillard’s strong 39-point effort and Enes Katner’s formative return. Lillard, who struck for 50 points, including a 37-footer at the buzzer to oust Oklahoma City in five games, missed 8 of 12 3-point attempts and Gary Harris blocked his 3 from behind in the closing minute to keep the Trail Blazers from closing in. Kanter separated his left shoulder in Game 5 against the Thunder but scored 26 points in his return to the lineup. Back-to-back layups by Lillard pulled Portland to within five points with nine minutes left, but Jokic sank a pair of free throws off CJ McCollum's flagrant foul sandwiched by a pair of dunks by Mason Plumlee as Denver pushed its lead back to double digits at 107-96. Game two in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Games three and four will be on Friday and Sunday in Portland.

Sandra Johnson Sandra Johnson (Chaney) died April18, 2019. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, May 14 at 11 a.m. at Mallory Avenue Church of Christ, 3908 N.E. Mallory Ave.

Shout it out for the Franklin High Lightning. The southeast Portland school has made a decision on the likely name for their new mascot. A selection committee has picked Lightning over two other finalists, the Ambassadors and the Thunderbolts. The school board is expected to vote on the nickname in June. Franklin had to cut its old nickname – Quakers – when the board updated school naming policies last year, forbidding names deemed discriminatory or too religious. The Lightning keeps a connection with Benjamin Franklin, the school’s namesake. “Something that we felt to be very important part of the process is the connection Ben Franklin to the mascot name, and so knowing the impact he’s had regards to his experiments, in particular with electricity and lightning, we thought it was a definite connection,” said Principal Chris Frazier.

2019 Rose Festival Court: (top row, from left) Sophia Zhang, Lincoln; Olivia Joy Keepes, La Salle; Tori Lopez, Tigard; Makenzie Espinoza, Roosevelt; and Aleena Thammavong, David Douglas. (middle row, from left) Lindsey Hausafus, Cleveland; Mya Brazile, St. Mary’s; Christina Liu, Franklin; Chloe Unflat, Wilson; and Ellie Hylland, Central Catholic; (bottom row, from left) Amy Bonilla, Parkrose; Gabby Ferroggiaro, Madison; Melissa Davila, Benson; Daria Stalions, Jefferson; and Stella Monteverde-Cakebread, Grant. Fifteen outstanding young women from Portland metro area high schools comprise the 2019 Rose Festival Court. With history and tradition at its center, the court program provides the students scholarships for higher education, promotes community outreach and volunteerism, and offers networking and mentoring opportunities.

Nathaniel “Big Nate” Griffin Jr. Nathaniel Griffin Jr., a longtime Portland resident, transitioned into peaceful rest Dec. 16, 2018. Nathaniel, known by many as “Big Nate,” provided years in service as a United States Marine Corpsman during the Korean War; as a Portland Police Officer during the 1960s and 1970s; and as a security patrol officer with the Kaiser Foundation. Nate was known for this love of cars and was a proud owner of a classic silver Corvette. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Leslie; children Nikki, Nate and Yaphet; grandchildren; and other family members and friends. Nate’s memorial services will be held Friday, May 3 at 11 a.m. the Willamette National Cemetery, 11800 S.E. Mt. Scott Blvd., with a final farewell celebration to be held Saturday, May 4 at 2 p.m. at the Billy Webb Elks Lodge, 6 N.Tillamook St.

By Oscar H. Blayton No person in his or her right mind will deny that America is a thicket of racism, misogyny, entitlement for the wealthy, dishonesty and a fictitious veneer of meritocracy. So, it is befitting that we have an occupant in the White House who exemplifies all these things. Donald Trump clearly displayed his many loathsome traits before being elected to the highest office in the land. He also proved that he had neither the knowledge nor the understanding necessary to competently lead a nuclear power. The only believable aptitude that his campaign presented to the American electorate was his abiding belief in white supremacy. And he rode that one trick pony all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. After occupying the Oval Office for more than two years, Trump has had his corrupt and illegal practices laid out in more than 400 pages of a government report produced by a team of investigators and lawyers led by Special Counsel, Robert Mueller. Political pundits have expressed their shock and surprise at the depth of Trump’s immorality. The legion of lies, his schemes to overthrow the rule of law and his constant efforts to obstruct justice were revealed in page after page of Mueller’s report. But the most surprising thing about this episode of America’s history is not Trump’s immortality, but the sense of surprise – real or pretended – expressed by members of the major media outlets. When you climb into a pigpen to kiss a hog, you should not be surprised by what winds up on your lips. And many Americans have been French kissing this swine for more than two years. The question now should not be “How did things come to this?” The answer is clear. We elected a villain to the White House. The question we must now answer is: “How do we rid the American body politic of this cancer?” Some Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives are counseling against impeaching Trump. Instead, they call for the American voters to turn him out of office in 2020. Fearful of losing their seats by angering conservatives, these shameful Congressmembers are asking voters to do the job they were elected to do. Cowering before small but vocal segments of their constituencies, these self-serving politicians are willing, for the sake of their own re-elections, to surrender the public good to the worst elements of our society. When these politicians make their next predictable pilgrimages to black churches and neighborhoods seeking what they believe are “guaranteed” Democratic votes, they should be pressed on why they did not see fit to protect the American people and move to impeach No. 45. Every day Trump remains in office is a threat to the well-being of people of color. His policies diminish our quality of life and the tone he sets in the White House gives license to those in America whose hateful, racist inner demons have waited decades for a chance to wreak havoc on their victims. For months, Robert Mueller was hailed as the hero who had ridden in on his white horse to make everything right in Washington. But his report disappoints by failing to call out Trump’s illegal actions for what they are. Anecdotes in the Mueller Report confirming already well-founded suspicions and widely known violations of law that had been reported in the media for months did little to further inform the public of Trump's wrongdoings. And in its present form, the report is subject to manipulation by Trump allies to normalize his behavior and anesthetize the American people to the abuse heaped upon us daily by this administration. Anyone who cannot see an attempted conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russian government is simply choosing not to look. Anyone who is not convinced that Trump clearly obstructed –and attempted to obstruct – justice is choosing to abandon the rule of law. Trump committed his many crimes in full view of the American public, so the facts laid out in the Mueller report should come as no surprise. Right-thinking Americans should not allow politicians to be surprised at the contents of the Mueller report. Any politician who expresses such surprise is either too dishonest or too stupid to be returned to office. Right-thinking Americans should not allow politicians to shirk from legitimate efforts to impeach Donald Trump. If they are too cowardly to weather the turmoil of an impeachment process, they should pack their bags, leave Washington and look for another line of work. Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and human rights activist who practices law in Virginia.

After blackface and other ‘unsettling’ events A chocolate cake decorated in blackface at Cleveland High School and posted on Twitter. Citing “deeply unsettling” events of “hate speech and racial insensitivity” at Cleveland High School, Principal Ayesha Freeman has assembled an after-school student-of-color-focused panel discussion about racism, for staff and students to participate in. The announcement follows an alleged incident where a group of white students at the school decorated a chocolate cake as blackface and sold it at a bake sale. Freeman emailed parents Thursday to relay “an event…that was hurtful to our staff and students of color.” A Cleveland student identified as white tweeted an image of the cake, saying “a bunch of white girls at my school made a blackface chocolate and we’re all pissed about it.” Four days before then, Freeman sent an email telling students and parents that a teacher had found a “string tied like a noose” hanging from an entrance to the school. At future panel discussions, topics such as “How is racism showing up at Cleveland?,” “What can we do about it? What can we do differently?” and “How can we come together as a community to heal?” will be discussed, according to Portland Public Schools’ website. An anti-hate assembly, specifically to honor the Native American Community will occur this Thursday, May 2 at the school. A Family Equity Council where concerns from parents will be heard will also be held on Tuesday, May 7 at 6 p.m. at school’s library, where “all families who wish to attend for a community discussion about how to move forward” are invited.