Portland values: Another voice
More from the massive visionPDX response book....
The outreach questionnaire asked how Portland can be improved. Going through hundreds of pages of responses, I came across this "voice."
I think there is a serious split in the community along racial lines, and that more emphasis needs to be placed on making sure those who aren’t white and middle-class get more attention paid to issues of educational excellence and opportunity for their children as well as support services for their communities. There need to be more sincere outreach to the city’s black community, to bring people into the public discourse and decision-making positions in the city.
This was not a lone voice. Many others underscore the importance of educational opportunity and complained about inequity in the schools.
Your turn: How can Portland improve? How can Hillsdale improve?
The outreach questionnaire asked how Portland can be improved. Going through hundreds of pages of responses, I came across this "voice."
I think there is a serious split in the community along racial lines, and that more emphasis needs to be placed on making sure those who aren’t white and middle-class get more attention paid to issues of educational excellence and opportunity for their children as well as support services for their communities. There need to be more sincere outreach to the city’s black community, to bring people into the public discourse and decision-making positions in the city.
This was not a lone voice. Many others underscore the importance of educational opportunity and complained about inequity in the schools.
Your turn: How can Portland improve? How can Hillsdale improve?
posted by Rick Seifert at
7:41 AM
3 Comments:
How about some renewed effort among the property owners concerned to remove the fence around part of the parking on North side of Hillsdale shopping center? I have heard that the fence is there because of some spiteful relations between some folks and that certainly doesn't provide a good advertisement for the merchants in the area. The fence also prevents there being enough room for a mail box in front of the Hillsdale contract postal station. It's pretty silly -- a Post Office where you can't mail a letter before or after office hours.
I've taken several runs at this one, but with no luck. I have even gone so far as to obtain estimates on what planters and a low wood divider border would cost.
John Braidwood, the owner of the lot, seems blind to the true ugliness of the lot. It surprises me because John has been so helpful in so many other community endeavors, including providing the original home for the Hillsdale Farmers Market.
It would take so very little to improve the parking lot's appearance.
After several attempts, I am weary of trying to get John to make it right.
If you are interested in pursuing this, John's address is:
John Braidwood
P.O. Box 4827
Portland, Or 97208-4827
Hello. My name is Daniel Ronan and I am a senior at Wilson High School. In my freshman year I helped to establish Wilson High School's Culture Night. If you are familiar with Robert Gray's Multicultural Fair, this is pretty much what we try to accomplish. An evening filled with diverse foods, performances and activities from around the world, we strive to be as inclusive as possible of the many distinct cultures found not only around Wilson High School, but the general SW Portland community. The event this year is on Saturday, April 21st, 2007 from 5 to 8pm and for the first time will be combined with the Wilson Art Extravaganza, (if you're interested in attending.)
One thing I believe that business leaders and residents of the Hillsdale Town Center would benefit from would be the organized outreach to these two neighboring schools where efforts are already being made to engage diverse community members.
For example, if Hillsdale Businesses were to donate some volunteers and/or services to help run the cultural events, perhaps event attendants would see Hillsdale's presence as willingness to want to become more open and accepting of people of different colors of skin, languages, religions, etc, promoting equity and understanding for all those living here in SW Portland.
Additionally, if Hillsdale were to promote some kind of Cultural "Celebration" or "Fair," the town center could be known as more accepting of ethnic, cultural, and social status differences among its residents.
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