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The debts we owe Haitians By Oscar H. Blayton More than 500 Haitian soldiers fought alongside French troops on Oct. 9, 1779 to aid the Americans in trying to force the British out of Savannah, Ga. in order to open its port for the colonists’ use. The attack was unsuccessful, but it has been noted that the Haitians played a significant role in providing cover for the French soldiers who had to retreat from their positions on the battlefield. But even though Haitians shed blood for American independence, the United States in its foreign policy has always held a deep-seated hostility towards Haiti, despite denials to the contrary. Haiti was born of a slave revolt that began on the French half of the island of Hispaniola and resulted in a revolution costing 200,000 Black lives. When the Haitians threw off the French yoke of oppression to become the independent Republic of Haiti, France demanded recompense for the loss of its slaves. This demand for payment was backed up by the threat of an invasion, with the French navy laying off the Haitian coast. This forced payment, totaling more than $21 billion over the years, began Haiti’s slide from being France’s wealthiest colony to one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere. When Haiti gained its independence, Southern slaveholders in the United States were horrified by the liberation of enslaved black people by their own efforts. And in response, the U.S. government did not recognize the black nation until 1862, when the United States was in the throes of its own brutal and bloody war over the perpetuation of slavery and the Southern states had seceded from the Union. But recognition never meant respect. And ever since its creation, Haiti has had to battle against American hostility, with the United States keeping its heel on Haiti’s economy and domestic politics. This included a U.S. invasion in 1914 that precipitated a military occupation lasting until 1934. The U.S. military occupied Haiti again in 1994, the year Haiti’s democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, returned from exile after fleeing from a coup by the Haitian military. When Aristide was re-elected in 2000, the U.S. military, in combination with the Haitian military, forcibly removed him from the country and sent him into exile again, this time in South Africa. It is important to point out the irony of how badly the United States has treated Haiti, given the presence of a statue standing in Savannah’s Franklin Square. This statue was erected in 2007 to honor the Haitian soldiers that came to the aid of American revolutionaries 240 years ago in 1779. But this statue is not the first recognition of America’s debt to Haitians. In April 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had Secretary of State Cordell Hull deliver a commemorative plaque to a cathedral in Haiti that reads, “Today we pay tribute to the courage and spirit of those Haitian Volunteers who in 1779 risked their lives for the cause of American Liberty." The placement of Roosevelt’s plaque and the assistance given by the Haitians is unknown to most Americans. And even a 10-foot monument standing in a busy downtown square of a major U.S. city does not bring this piece of our history to the attention of most Americans. Haiti’s contributions to the United States are not widely known because, throughout our country’s history, America has shown itself to be hostile towards Haiti and Haitians. On Oct. 30, 2018, the British newspaper, The Guardian, ran the headline, “Flee or hide: Haitian immigrants face difficult decisions under Trump.” This headline, curious to most Americans, has a back story. After a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, the U.S. government offered Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to thousands of Haitians whose lives had been destroyed. But now, Donald J. Trump has decided that their imminent deportation is best for America. Haitians who have made new lives in this country are now on the verge of becoming “illegal aliens” by the stroke of Trump’s pen. But a monster like Trump has neither empathy for, nor any sense of obligation to, people of color whose ancestors helped to birth and build this nation. People of color can expect no consideration from this despicable, disgusting bully who wants to “make America white again.” The White House also is planning to terminate TPS for people of color from other countries whose conditions have necessitated our compassion and offers of refuge because hostility towards Haitians is simply a part of the pattern of widespread American hostility towards people of color. Just as ancient barbaric people created narratives that gave animals human form and characteristics in an anthropomorphic attempt to conform them to the familiar, Trump and his supporters are pursuing a europomorphic attempt to mold America into a European form that is familiar to them. In short, he is attempting to make all Americans look as much like European Americans as possible. As ancient barbarians wanted to conform their world to their own image, these present-day barbarians want to conform America to their own image. It is up to right-thinking Americans to stand up to Trump and the cynical, cowardly senators and congressional representatives who cater to his attempts at despotism. It is time to stand up and say “No!” to the deportation of Haitians and others living in the United States with Temporary Protected Status. We must have compassion for our fellow human beings, even if the disgusting tenant in the White House does not. Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and human rights activist who practices law in Virginia.

Chadwick Boseman in a scene from the Marvel superhero juggernaut "Black Panther" (Photo courtesy Marvel Studios-Disney) (AP) – “Black Panther” took the top award at Sunday's 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards, giving Ryan Coogler's superhero sensation its most significant awards-season honor yet and potentially setting up Wakanda for a major role at next month's Academy Awards. The two leading Oscar nominees – “Roma” and “The Favourite” - were bypassed by the actors guild for a best ensemble field that also included “BlacKkKlansman,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “A Star Is Born.” Although “Black Panther” wasn't nominated for any individual SAG Awards, it took home the final award at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Before a stage full of actors, Chadwick Boseman tried to put into context the moment for the trailblazing “Black Panther,” which also won for its stunt performer ensemble. “To be young, gifted and black,” he said, quoting the Nina Simone song. “We know what it's like to be told there isn't a screen for you to be featured on, a stage for you to be featured on. ... We know what's like to be beneath and not above. And that is what we went to work with every day,” said Boseman. “We knew that we could create a world that exemplified a world we wanted to see. We knew that we had something to give.”

Apology not enough for Parkrose girls Members of the Parkrose girls basketball team faced racist taunts during a recent game at St. Helens. (KPTV photo) An apology wasn’t enough for members of the Parkrose High School girls basketball team which faced racist taunts during a game at St. Helens High School. The Parkrose girls and coach spoke out last week after a letter was sent out to parents by the Parkrose superintendent, saying that an “unfortunate incident” happened to the girls during a Jan. 15 game in St. Helens. The Parkrose coaches and players say while the team was playing, the St. Helens fans were making monkey noises and calling them the n-word. The fans started yelling slurs during the junior varsity games and then it trickled into the varsity game, Parkrose Coach Krystal Fortham told KPTV. The students said it wasn’t the first time it’s happened. A statement issued by the St. Helens superintendent apologized for the incident and said the school district would take “appropriate action." The Oregon Schools Activities Association released a statement saying, “This type of behavior is unacceptable at high school events.” The Parkrose girls, however, feel too little is being done and want St. Helens High School sports to face disciplinary action. The Parkrose superintendent says he’s also asked the St. Helens School District to provide more security, including school resource officers at games.

Recognizing historic firsts by local leaders From left: Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw, OHSU President Dr. Danny Jacobs, Linfield College President Miles Davis, Meyer Memorial Trust President/CEO Michelle J. DePass, Oregon Supreme Court Justice Adrienne Nelson, and Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty The Portland Trail Blazers will recognize six leaders from the African American community when it celebrates Black History Month during pregame and halftime activities, Tuesday, Feb. 5 in game against the Miami Heat at the Moda Center. The individuals are Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw; Oregon Health & Sciences University President Dr. Danny Jacobs; Linfield College President Dr. Miles Davis; Meyer Memorial Trust President and Chief Executive Officer Michelle J. DePass; Oregon Supreme Court Justice Adrienne Nelson and Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty. With impressive accomplishments and credentials, these leaders have ushered in a new era of historic firsts for Portland and for Oregon, the Trail Blazer organization announced. A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to iUrbanTeen, a group whose mission is to expose and inspire underrepresented youth to become tomorrow’s business and technology leaders.

Benson High School Principal Curtis Wilson Jr. (top, center) is joined by his wife Yushonna, and son Andrew, as he receives a Lifetime Achievement Award at The World Arts Foundation’s annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. held last Monday at the Highland Center on Northeast Glisan Street. Portland Observer Publisher Mark Washington (bottom, second from right) enjoys the festivities of the 34th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute with his children and grandchildren, where he received a Lifetime Achievement Award. TOP PHOTO BY BETH CONYERS Two longtime members of the African American community, Portland Observer Publisher Mark Washington and Benson High School Principal Curtis Wilson Jr., were among the over a dozen individuals and organizations to receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 34th consecutive Tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Wilson was recognized during the MLK holiday celebration for his efforts of achieving a high graduation rate and low dropout rate at the majority-black Benson High School. Washington was recognized for carrying the torch of Oregon’s oldest, continuous minority publication, the Portland Observer, now in its 49th year of operation. The program, which was held at Highland Center at 7600 N.E. Glisan St., also honored former Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith, former City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, Dr. Rosa Colquitt, Bill Deiz, Mary Harvey, Aneesah Furqan-Peace, Laverne Davis, Angela Jenkins, Stefana Berceanu, Michael Sweeney, Bernard Brian Quinn, Calvin Walker, and Jimmy “Bang Bang” Walker (posthumously).

A few white men think everything is about them By Jo Ann Hardesty Jo Ann Hardesty As I start my third week on the Portland City Council, I am concerned about how privilege and, specifically white male privilege, is limiting the public’s access to City Hall. These disruptions create a chilling effect on people who are unaccustomed to coming to our City Hall to have their voices heard. People are afraid to bring their children to our important civic meetings. These disruptions seem to be caused largely by a small group of white men who use their privilege to act disruptive, act disrespectful and act self-centered. This behavior limits access to those entering this building for the very first time or for those who are new to the political process. This is not the spirit of speaking up for civic change that is the heart of activism. I ran my campaign on a platform of creating One Portland. I promised a Portland where regardless of race, income, sexual orientation, or country of origin you will have a respectful interaction and reception when you enter City Hall and from city officials. We fail in our job when we don’t make access equal, accessible, and fair to all who seek a voice in our processes. We live in a state built on white supremacy and the legacies of that history linger on today. Many of the disruptors are people that I know personally and I respect their desire to be heard. I share their concerns and I, too, am passionate about many of the issues that they care about. However, their issues and concerns shouldn’t drown-out the voices of others who come to this building seeking the same access and opportunity. As someone who has spent time a lot of time on the other side of this podium demanding accountability, I find it chilling and disrespectful that there are a few white men who think that everything this council does is about them. It isn’t. I want to engage people from all walks of life in their local government, but I am very concerned about how they will experience their local government if their first, second or third experience at City Council consists of constant disruption. My open message to those who seek to disrupt this process is this: If you have a proposal to improve the outcomes for people in the city of Portland, you will find a welcoming ear and my office is ready to assist you. However, if this is simply about having footage for your YouTube channel or Facebook page, you should be aware that using your privilege in this way cannot continue. You have a right to have your voice heard, but not at the expense of other people. I am encouraging other white men and women to check the behavior of those who seek to drown out the voices of others. Civic discourse cannot thrive if it is not coupled with civility and respect for all others. Jo Ann Hardesty is a Portland City Commissioner.

A special events committee of the Miracles Club invites the community to join them during the presentation of college scholarships of $500 awarded to two Jefferson High School students while also supporting efforts to grow the program for other local high schools such as Grant, Benson and Roosevelt. The non-alcoholic and nonprofit social club named its scholarship fund is in honor of long-time recovery advocate Harry Watson. “We are proud to honor a great man who made a huge impact in the lives of people in recovery,” said Martin Rivers. The scholarships presentation will take place on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Miracles Club, located at 4200 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. For more information, email themiraclesclubsec@gmail.com or stop by the club.

Returns home for signing ceremony JaMartae Brown (center) returns to his roots at Portland’s Self Enhancement, Inc. to announce his signing of a contract to play professional football for the Bismark Bucks in the Indoor Football League. A former Jefferson High School athlete and student at Self Enhancement, Inc., was welcomed back to his roots in north Portland to announce his signing of a contract to play professional football. JaMartae Brown will play for the Bismark Bucks from North Dakota in the Indoor Football League. The contract offer follows his senior year at Peru State in Nebraska. Brown was joined by his friends and family and SEI students and administrators for last week’s signing ceremony. He said it was a struggle for him to find a good fit in college because his grades were not good coming out of high school, landing first at Phoenix College, a junior college program for two years before earning a scholarship to Mayville State University in North Dakota. But then when his coach got fired he transferred to Peru State in Nebraska where he finished his senior year while also studying English and Journalism. Brown said the key for him was never giving in. “It took hard work, Never giving up when it got tough. God, family, community and unity to get where I’m at right now. It’s just the beginning of something special,” he said.

A barrier to seeing immigrants as people By Matthew Johnson My favorite album of all time is Pink Floyd’s The Wall. It should be re-released given the current (manufactured) crisis. I’m not surprised that Roger Waters is planning a show on the border to protest Trump’s continued government shutdown over funding for an ill-defined barrier that has come to represent everything wrong with his presidency: Lies, false promises, fear, racism and simplistic solutions. It’s important to emphasize that the wall is more symbol than reality. Setting aside the fact that the nearly-2,000-mile border is already teeming with armed men and barriers of various kinds, a Trumpian “wall” already exists: the (abstract) wall that blocks many Americans from seeing migrants from Central America and Mexico as people just like them. While Trump was rightly condemned for misappropriating the Game of Thrones slogan “Winter Is Coming” by taking the font and changing it to “The Wall Is Coming,” the underlying analogy is eerily correct. Although — spoiler alert — the (mythical) wall is destroyed by undead invaders (who only advance during winter) at the end of the show’s last season, for thousands of years it served to separate the living not only from the undead but also from each other. In a reversal of reality, those living south of the wall disparaged the northerners as “wildlings,” portraying them as amoral, violent, and uncivilized, while the northerners denounced their southern brethren for their cloistered arrogance. Sound familiar? The silver lining from Game of Thrones is that the north and south eventually (sort of) united against the undead, and, in return for their help in the war to come, the “wildlings” were permitted to settle south of the wall for safety. It remains to be seen (in season 8) whether this united force will prevail, but the mythical universe has nevertheless solved a timeless problem that those of us stuck here in reality are still struggling with: xenophobic nativism. Somehow it remains lost to millions of (especially) white Americans — even in the 21st century with all its forward-thinking innovations and popular culture — that their southern neighbors are not dangerous invaders but people with largely the same feelings, needs, and aspirations that they themselves possess. Meanwhile, it remains lost on many Israelis and American supporters of Israel (not to mention Trump) that the so-called “security fence” that illegally snakes through Palestinian land is not only hideous (I’ve seen it up close) but far more of a barrier to peace than to terrorism. Walls have been built for millennia, most notably the Great Wall of China and the Berlin Wall, with discouraging results. To conclude that this (still) nonexistent wall that Mexico will surely not pay for will be any different is just as absurd as concluding that the ascension of an unqualified, hate- and fear-mongering narcissist to the highest office in the land would be a reason to celebrate. It is as if we have learned nothing from history and have forgotten how to think critically. If a television show can get it right, then why can’t we? Matt Johnson, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is co-author of Trumpism.

District hit on achievement gap, fiscal order Rigler Elementary School in northeast Portland has endured high teacher turn around rates, a pattern that takes a toll on efforts to reduce the achievement gap between white and African American students, according to a new audit of Portland Public Schools from Oregon’s Secretary of State Dennis Richardson. PHOTO BY DANNY PETERSON A new audit of Portland Public Schools from Oregon’s Secretary of State Dennis Richardson revealed a staggering achievement gap in the district where African American students dramatically underperform their white counterparts, and where money is spent with little strategy or accountability. The audit, released Jan. 9, determined there is a 53 percent achievement gap between white and African-American students in Oregon’s largest school district versus the 29 percent state achievement gap average. A number of financial issues were cited in the report, including an insufficient oversight of contracts. The audit also determined that teachers at high-poverty schools had an average of one month of absences per year, they had a high turn-over rate, and that hiring rules gave high-poverty schools fewer qualified teachers to choose from than wealthier schools. The audit cited Rigler Elementary School, located at 5401 N.E. Prescott St., which has endured four new principals in the last five years and had some of the lowest scores for state assessments. Over the past four years, despite overall third-grade reading and writing test scores having improved slightly across the district, academic results for African-American and economically disadvantaged students have fallen in that same period, the audit found. All of this, despite Portland Public Schools having more funding-per-student than any other district in the state. State Sen. Jackie Winters, R-Salem, a longtime black lawmaker and business leader who attended Portland Public Schools in her youth, said the increase in racial discrepancies was a “a demand for change.” “I believe if we address the lack of financial transparency and monitoring of school spending, we will begin to see increases in teacher retention rates and focus spending on what matters-the children’s education,” Winters said. One day before the audit came out, Portland Public Schools officials held a press conference preemptively criticizing its findings, arguing the report’s analysis, which captured data from the 2017-18 school year, did not reflect the progress the district has made in its systemic issues since the hiring of Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero in October 2017. The district, however, agreed with the audit recommendations. "We are addressing each and every concern raised in the audit,” district leaders said in a statement. Guerrero told reporters it's important to provide extra training, support, and pay to principals and teams of strong teachers at high-needs schools so they will stick around. "This is going to take some work. But it's work we've already embarked on," he said.

Agency focuses on culturally-specific care, services April Johnson (left), the chief executive and founder of Youth Unlimited, a foster care agency that is focused on supporting foster youth of color, and Denzel Davis, one of the agency’s foster dads, pose in front of the agency headquarters in Gresham. PHOTO BY DANNY PETERSON In response to African American children being overrepresented in Oregon’s child welfare system, a new foster care agency led by a black executive is working to close that gap by providing culturally specific foster care services and recruiting new foster parents of color. Incorporated in 2016, and licensed a year ago, Youth Unlimited, Inc. is working with some of the Portland black community’s most vulnerable kids, helping place black foster children into the hands of highly qualified foster homes of color. The agency considers itself a “treatment foster care” organization, where foster parents volunteer at least 10 hours each week to teaching life skills to their foster children. Many of the children come in with behavioral or health issues that need to be addressed, Youth Unlimited founder and chief executive officer April Johnson told the Portland Observer. The agency currently has five kids in their care, three for boys and two for girls. The five separate homes are located in Multnomah and Washington counties, but the agency is gearing up for an increased capacity and plans for a group home and shelter home. All of the foster parents are people of color, mostly black, and one Hispanic single mom. Last year, a landmark state audit on Oregon’s Child Welfare department found a number of systemic issues with the foster care system, most notably a larger number of foster kids than there are foster parents who can provide care. As a result, foster kids often end up experiencing longer stays at hotels than is considered normal and placement in out of state facilities. 83 kids in the system now live out of state, Johnson said, many of whom are kids of color, LGBTQ kids, and those with behavioral issues who are traditionally harder to place. In Oregon, 20 percent of the 8,000 kids in foster care are kids of color, according to state child welfare data from 2013. African American and Native American children, in particular, are in foster care at higher rates than other children, the report stated. Though African American children make up just 3.3 percent of Oregon’s total child population, they make up 7 percent of the children served in foster care. Johnson was a former program policy development specialist and later executive manager of the Oregon Health Authority. Her career has largely ebbed and flowed between child welfare, substance abuse services, and behavioral health. Johnson said problems in the child welfare system often result in a pipeline to a more disadvantaged life for the kids, with about 70 percent of folks in prison in Oregon having been in foster care, according to state prison data. “All these kids are being funneled through a system by no fault of their own,” she added. One child who came under the care of Youth Unlimited could not even spell his own name, at the age of 12. “I sat there and cried,” Johnson said. Now, that child can spell his name. One of the foster dads for Youth Unlimited, Denzel Davis, met Johnson by chance. They got to chatting and soon Davis was enlisted. Photo by Danny Peterson Assigning foster kids of color to quality foster families of color creates strong bonds, says parent Denzel Davis (left), a foster dad, and pictured with April Johnson, chief executive officer of Youth Unlimited, the Gresham foster agency that helped him become a foster parent and one that is dedicated to supporting youth of color. The new foster parent emphasized the importance of having culturally-specific resources to help children of color succeed. “I just feel like it’s a great way for them to know their culture, their traditions…so they can know who they truly are and their background…and where they come from,” Davis said. The certification process for foster parents of the agency involves multiple steps, including attending information sessions, applying to be a foster parent, passing a background check, attending 30 hours of foster parent training, and completing a home inspection. “What we have done is made sure that the families that we are recruiting are number one, high quality families, families who are responsible and productive members in the community,” Johnson said. “You don’t have to be rich. You just have to be wealthy in how you live your life,” she added. Once someone is accepted as a foster parent, they receive support from the agency such as a $60 per day stipend for each child in their care for reimbursement of expenses. The agency also pays for two nights of respite per week, coordinates birthday and back to school events where backpacks are provided, and 24/7 on call support for parents. The agency is also part of a state-supported foster agency collaborative, called Foster Plus, which includes 13 agencies total. Youth Unlimited is located in Gresham in order to better connect with the many displaced people of color from Portland that have moved there in the wake of gentrification in Portland, Johnson said. Though the staff and foster parents of Youth Unlimited total only about 20 people, Johnson has aspirations for opening a group home for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and a shelter home, as the agency expands. Though Davis has only been a foster parent for only a year, he said it has already been a rewarding experience. “The joy that I get from seeing the kids, knowing that I contribute to their happiness, that's really been a great part of being a foster dad,” he said. More information about Youth Unlimited can be found by visiting yuioregon.net.

Mobilizing for a MLK Weekend of Service Volunteers at the non-profit Rebuilding Center on North Mississippi Avenue honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy by preparing materials for home repairs that are affordable for everyone. Sponsored by the United Way, nearly 2,000 volunteer opportunities will be part of this weekend’s annual MLK Weekend of Service. To honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy, United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and partners will be mobilizing nearly 2,000 volunteer opportunities across 73 community projects as part of the 12th annual MLK Weekend of Service. From sprucing up libraries and school gardens to sorting books for kids to packaging donated food for families in need – MLK Weekend of Service offers countless opportunities for community members to give back and help build Dr. King’s vision throughout the Portland metro region. The event runs from Friday, Jan. 18 through Monday, Jan. 21 with volunteer projects each day. The public service tasks are seen an integral way United Way can promote its public service mission, including reducing childhood poverty and advancing racial equity. MLK Weekend of Service draws support from Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and supported by Bank of America, Comcast, Daimler Trucks North America, Intel, JPMorgan Chase, Umpqua Bank, Dunn Carney, with special thanks to U.S. Bank. For a full list of volunteer activities throughout the weekend, visit unitedway-pdx.org/mlk.