Without a music program to speak of at Woodlawn School, Chukinho "Chuk" Barber had a tough road ahead.
His students had little, if any, musical training; many come from economically disadvantaged households; and some had social or behavioral problems before they arrived in Barber's samba class. But since September, Barber has coaxed the diverse group of sixth and seventh grade students into an efficient and booming samba machine.
"It's something they can feel," he said after the band performed for the first time in front of the entire school. "They can feel the power." ...

Woodrow Brodnax will be holding a humorous and informational presentation at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28 about the true meaning behind Juneteenth: Respect. Brodnax will be talking about the holiday and why it's meaning has been lost over the years at Bethel AME Church.... For a full calendar of free events please click on "Read the complete article" below.

The Oregon League of Minority Voters, Portland's newest advocacy group for people of color, is launching several new initiatives. The group is nonpartisan, but aims to advocate for policies that address the issues that matter to people of color across the state. The league is looking for volunteers of color to help organize:
A Political Debate Forum for Democratic candidates running for Congress. Held in collaboration with KATU-TV Channel 2, the event will be 3-5 p.m. on April 27 at Pacific University in Forest Grove....

Michael Twigg accepts an award for Dr. Maxine Mimms from Candace Richardson at the second annual Black History Project presented by Brave New World on Feb. 16 at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Dr. Maxine Mimms along with Tony Benton, Charles Cross and Jimmy Williams received honors for their positive influence on communities in Western Washington.

After nearly a generation, a community-wide dream has finally become a reality.
The grand opening of the Northwest African American Museum will be held from 11 a.m.-4 p.m Saturday, March 8 in the former Coleman School, located at 2300 S. Massachusetts St., in Seattle's Central District.
The grand opening celebration kicks off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, free public tours, live music, children's art activities and more. Some of the dignitaries slated to attend are Mayor Greg Nickels, King County Executive Ron Sims, Sen. Jim McDermott and Joyce Taylor, anchor from KING 5 TV, will emcee the event.
The three-story school building, built in 1909, was closed in 1985 when Interstate 90 was expanded nearby. By November, local activists moved into the building demanding it be turned into a museum and community center. After eight years of occupation, the school district agreed the building would become a museum. Years passed while disagreements abounded between two groups who claimed they represented the museum. Finally, in 2003, the Metropolitan Urban League of Seattle, under the leadership of CEO James Kelly and the board of directors, purchased the old Coleman School for $800,000 from the Seattle School District.

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - It was the summer of 1967 and riots raged across America.
Watts, Milwaukee, Detroit, Plainfied and Newark were all sites of explosive racial violence, rooted in social ills emanating from race discrimination.
As elected and civil rights leaders scrambled for answers, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed an 11-member commission, headed by Illinois Gov. Otto Kerner Jr., that issued its observations 40 years ago this week, Feb. 29, 1968.
The commission pointed out that it was a climate of race discrimination  in police practices, unemployment and underemployment, inadequate housing, inadequate education and poor recreation...

Seattle Public Utilities is helping low-income homeowners save money and water by offering free efficient toilets.
Qualified Seattle homeowners can have their old water-guzzling toilets replaced with free efficient models, helping to cut their utility bills and reduce water waste.
Toilets are the main source of water use in the home, accounting for about 30 percent of indoor water use. These efficient toilets use just 1.6 gallons per flush compared to the 3.5 gallons per flush or more used by toilets installed prior to 1994.
"Most households can easily save thousands of gallons of water.... www.seattle.gov/util/services/water.

Director of Quality & Process Improvement Multnomah County Health Department is seeking a…

In the summer of 2007, 13 high school Native youth visited the Oregon College of Art and Craft to focus on an in-depth study of photography. During their tenure these students visited area museums, attended cultural events, and studied art from professional Native artists....

This year The Skanner's Black History edition takes a look at the history of African Americans in politics. Did you know that after the Civil War hundreds of Black men were elected to state legislatures across the South? Or that five African Americans have stood as presidential candidates? In this issue we profile a few of the personalities who became public figures nationally and in the Northwest. And to test your general knowledge, we created The Skanner's Black History Quiz We hope you enjoy the issue.