A task force has found that, despite the number of sensational cases reported by Portland media over the past few years, the use of force by Portland police is fairly rare.
After analyzing use of force data from August 2004 to December 2006, Portland's Force Task Force released a report on April 24 that said Portland Police use force in 1 percent of calls and in 5 percent of arrests.
The data analyzed 4,579 Use of Force reports that included incidents in which officers used physical control (83 percent), taser (19 percent), blunt impact strike (17 percent), pepper spray (7 percent) and non-lethal impact munitions (2 percent)....

The producers of the television series "African American Lives 2" are seeking an African American to join Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and an all-new group of distinguished African Americans on an extraordinary journey of discovery. The series is tentatively scheduled to air on PBS in February 2008.
"What we find in doing this research is that even a regular person has extraordinary stories within his or her family," says Professor Gates. "In African American Lives 2, we'll work with one such person to show that the technology and resources for discovering these stories are available to all Americans, especially those of African descent."

The Alaska/Oregon/Washington State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, in conjunction with the Western Region I Office, would like to announce a special election for the Portland branch of the NAACP. This special election is designed to elect the executive committee of the branch.
The special election will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 28 in Terrell 122 of the Portland Community College, Cascade campus.....

"The Last King of Scotland" is a powerful historical film based on the award-winning novel by journalist Giles Foden. It tells the story of infamous Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and how a Scottish doctor becomes his confidante during an unusual time in Uganda.
Directed by Kevin Macdonald, "The Last King of Scotland" follows Dr. Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) who comes to Uganda in the early 1970s to work at a missionary clinic just as Amin (Forest Whitaker) takes control of the country in a military coup.
The two characters meet when Garrigan is rushed to help the injured Amin. Amin instantly takes a liking to Garrigan after learning that the young doctor is Scottish. Amin, who once served with the British Highland regiments, was familiar with Scottish customs and admired the culture – he even gave his son a Scottish name. The two became close and Amin makes Garrigan his personal doctor/advisor.

Mon April 30
 
STORY STOP. Children ages 0-6, and adults, will have story time. 2-2:15 p.m. Central Library, 801 S.W. 10th Ave.
 
NEW CRAFT. A knitting and crocheting class for beginners. Ages 8-adult. 4-5 p.m. Belmont Library, 1038 S.E. 39th Ave.
 

WASHINGTON -- A first-time crack-cocaine conviction should mean a lower federal minimum sentence…

SALEM -- With Democrats now in charge of the Legislature, lawmakers may try to soften a 1994…

 LOS ANGELES -- With rows of Afro-centric boutiques, cafes and soul food restaurants shaded by…

After months of letter writing, name-calling and hurt feelings, the simmering controversy over one North Portland business' sign may be cooling down.
Patty Earley, co-owner of The Florida Room at 435 N. Killingsworth Ave., says she will soon take down the "Church of the Bloody Mary" slogan that seems to have offended so many in the Black community.
"To me, this started off as a free speech issue, but it seems to have turned into a cultural issue," Earley said. "I want to be culturally sensitive, so I will take down the word 'church.'"
The Florida Room's sign, which reads "Church of the Bloody Mary" on one side and "Go Team Evil" on the other, has been called "insensitive, inappropriate and offensive" by many people in North Portland's African American community.

Jefferson High School Principal Leon Dudley is on leave of absence until the end of the school year, according to Portland Public School officials. Cynthia Harris, area director for the Jefferson Cluster, will take his place on a temporary basis.
Dudley was hired as Jefferson's principal on Aug. 14, 2006, and the end of this school year would have marked his first year at the school, which has been marked with controversy over his leadership style, including recent criticism from the student council over Dudley's allegedly frequent absences.
Portland Public Schools Spokesman Matt Shelby declined to say if the leave was forced or if Dudley chose to leave, but said the leave is for a defined amount of time and that he expects Dudley to return to his duties after that time.
"We're affording him the same respect we would any other (PPS employee)," Shelby said. "It is a personnel matter."
Harris, who also started her position in the fall of 2006, has been involved with many of Dudley's duties, says Shelby, and supervises all the principals in the Jefferson Cluster. The district will be filling Harris' position in the near future, but says it will have "zero effect" on day-to-day functions.