Mayes was well-known throughout the Northeast community and easily engaged in conversations with most people he met. His sense of humor brought laughter and smiles to many. He will most definitely be remembered for his fun-loving and positive attitude. One of Mayes' favorite youthful activities was playing basketball. He loved family functions, playing dominoes, barbecues and being with his family and friends. Last year was a turning point in Mayes' life ...

For young people who have gone through the trauma of a cancer diagnosis, the American Cancer Society has developed a program that will take some of the concern from their shoulders as they approach their college years. The Society's "Cancer Survivor College Scholarship Program" is designed to help students who have been diagnosed with cancer pay for part of their tuition. ...

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