The 13th Annual African American Read-In drew crowds at the North Portland Library Sunday, Feb. 8. Noted locals such as damali ayo, Judge Darleen Ortega of the Oregon Court of Appeals, Trinity Lutheran School second-grader Quinones Thompson and Grant High School senior Lindsay Marshall chose their favorite books to read out loud. John Branam of Grantmakers for Education read from Kevin Carroll's "Red Rubber Ball."

Stumptown Stages presents The Wiz, Feb. 13 through March 1 at Jefferson High School Auditorium, 5210 N. Kerby St....
Based on "The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz," by L. Frank Baum, this musical is an African American adaptation of the tale...

Left to right: Samantha Rund & Faith Russell; Geoffery Simmons and Samantha. Photo by Erik Stuhaug

Quilters from Gee's Bend, Ala., an African American community internationally known for its quilts, are visiting the Seattle area Feb. 17-22. Special events will be held at Taproot Theatre Company, Greg Kucera Gallery and Tacoma Art Museum, which are celebrating the history, stories and art of the Gee's Bend community. The people of Gee's Bend have a rich history going back to slavery days, when the peninsula was the site of a plantation established by Joseph Gee in the early 19th century....

Karanja Crews ... created "Journey to Freedom: The Power to Read and Write," a board game that follows the story of a Southern slave on his quest to freedom. The game takes nearly three months to complete - hardly your typical weeknight game of Monopoly.
"I'm using literacy and speech to make a difference," he says. "I'm connecting education to freedom … it's not just about facts and learning. I'm teaching them that no one can ever take that education away from them." ...

Javier Luna owns a successful construction business and a million-dollar view home near Dash Point in Tacoma. Until the recent economic downturn, his firm employed 13 people and worked with another 40 subcontractors. He volunteers at his younger children's elementary school. His oldest son started college in the fall at the University of Washington.
It's not a future many would have predicted for ... Luna wore the blue colors of the Crips. He carried a gun and sold drugs. Most of his friends ended up dead or in prison, he said.

A "Strugglebration" for political prisoner and journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal is Friday, Feb. 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. at 1825 SW Broadway Portland State University's Smith Memorial Union (SMU 238).
Speakers at the event include JoAnn Bowman of Oregon Action, Professor Darrell Millner with the Black Studies Department at PSU, Ahjamu Umi Pam Africa and Ramona Africa....

Helping neighbors share resources within their own neighborhoods, The Portland Urban Farm Project announces a 10-month Tool Library program that includes internships with current tool libraries in Portland.  Participants in the program will learn non-profit management and how to collaborate to run a cooperative-style business....

• Festival Sundiata Feb. 14-16
• Cat Event in Rainier
• Discussion of Obama's First 100 Days
• Alzheimer's Support Group

It's all smiles at Super Refund Saturday as Jeff Malmquist assists Tressa Graham with her tax refund forms, a volunteer outreach effort with support from CASH Oregon, KeyBank and the United Way. The event resulted in more than 90 tax returns completed and additional earned income tax credits (EITC), for those who qualified. Free tax preparation will continue throughout the tax season. For more information call 503-243-7765.

Lenny Wilkens, who recently received the Washington State Hall of Fame award, the the guest on Urban Forum Northwest Radio on KKNW 1150 AM on Tuesday Feb. 17, at 1 p.m.  Here he is pictured with his granddaughter, Isabelle.  Along with his accomplishments on the basketball court in college, he graduated with a degree in economics in 1960.
Wilkens played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 15 years. ...