Culture
Robert De Niro: Role with the punches
From the moment Robert De Niro uttered the line “You talking to me?” as Travis Bickle in the 1976 film "Taxi Driver," his place on the platform of acting legends was assured. At that point, he had already won an Oscar for playing the young Vito Corleone in "Godfather II." Indeed, he and Brando, his…
Street Roots zine, ‘I Am,’ highlights vendors’ voices
I am. We are. Each of us is unique. Together, we make up the Street Roots family. Our 2018 Street Roots vendor holiday zine launched Friday, Nov. 23. Each year, our vendors write, edit, draw and paint to create a beautiful publication that highlights their voices and their talents. This year, we started with a declaration…
Opinion
Why we mustn’t look away
At the beginning of August, we heard of the tragic death of Rick Genest, who was better known under the pseudonym of Zombie Boy. This young man had tattoos covering more than 90 percent of his skin, many of which depicted the human skeleton – including his rib cage, jawbone and eye sockets. His appearance…
Virgo and Pisces: A bond between father and son
Every living thing has the stuff of stars in it. The cold moon, the bright summer sun and the gentle heartbeat of a newborn have roots in The Big Bang. It is no wonder, then, that from ancient Babylon to modern astronomy, humanity has looked to the night sky for answers. My dad raised me…
Gutting workers’ rights with mandatory arbitration
If you think you can rely on the courts, rather than a union, to protect your workplace rights, you better think again. Simply put, the rights of workers are being quietly and steadily whittled down. In May 2018, the United States Supreme Court ruled, in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, that employers can include a clause…
Director’s Desk: Solution-minded citizenry deserves city of Portland’s support
Kaia Sand is the executive director of Street Roots. You can reach her at kaia@streetroots.org. Follow her on Twitter @mkaiasand At the Oregon Health Forum on Nov. 15, Mayor Ted Wheeler’s comments about what the city – in collaboration with Multnomah County and nonprofit partners – has done to address homelessness were overshadowed by his…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile: Grateful for his customers
In Roger Cavitt’s initial vendor profile, nearly a decade ago, the first sentence of that interview was “Roger is a people person.” After a decade, Roger is still a people person through and through. “I like so many people. Half my customers are repeat customers. I’d like to thank all my customers for seeing me…
News
Money matters: Tips from financial literacy gurus
When the Oregon Legislature removed personal finance from high school diploma requirements and lumped it in with social sciences, they inadvertently created a gap in public education. That was nearly 32 years ago, and now Oregon ranks 28th in financial knowledge and education, according to WalletHub’s 2018 survey. Last year, Champlain College gave Oregon a…
Shariff Abdullah: No one-size-fits-all solution for garbage and poverty
Shariff Abdullah asked the crowd if they’d ever heard the expression “poor white trash.” Hands raised throughout the hotel ballroom. “What you are talking about is a human being,” he said. “What you’re talking about is as much a spark of the divine as you are. The only difference is money.” Society doesn’t just think…
Housing
Director’s Desk: Solution-minded citizenry deserves city of Portland’s support
Kaia Sand is the executive director of Street Roots. You can reach her at kaia@streetroots.org. Follow her on Twitter @mkaiasand At the Oregon Health Forum on Nov. 15, Mayor Ted Wheeler’s comments about what the city – in collaboration with Multnomah County and nonprofit partners – has done to address homelessness were overshadowed by his…
