Page 2
As I See It
Oregon’s Black Inmates:
The Forgotten Men
MUET MWK 7PÛETHEPFUR FULL
ANU EQUAL EMPLOYMENT.
Portland/Observer Thursday, March 9, 1972
The N o rth w e s t’* Best W e e k ly
A Black O w n e d Publication
Published every Thursday by E vie Publishing Company, 2201
N. K ill mgsuorth, Portland, Oi egon 97217
Subscription $5.25 per year in Tri-County area by m ail, Out
side the Tri-County area - jo.dO per yeai by m ail.
Phone 283-2486.
M ailing address - P. O. Box 3137, Portland, i egon 97206.
ALFRED LEE HENDERSON, P ublisher/L iito r
Verna L. Henderson
Asst. Publisher, business managet
IX PA
Helen Hendrix
Personnel and Production Manager
Any ei roneous reflection upon the character, standing oi rep
utation of person, firm or corporation, whichmay appear in the
Portland Observer w ill he cheerfully corrected upon being
brought to the attention of die E ditor.
The Editor’s Desk
" WHO'S m e 6 (jy WITH HCNRV KI'SSINÓÉR ? *
A matter of choice
The current controversy over busing public school children
fo r the purpose of desegregation would not have beer necessary
had not blacks been confined to designated areas of the cities,
both by law and by real estate practice. If every family in the
United States had a true choice of where it is to live, then black
fam ilies as well as white could choose their homes in the choice
a r e a s of the cities, and so choose the schools their children
would attend. We hear much about the neighborhood school and
the white fam ily who planned their residence to provide the best
education fo r th e ir children. This pi lvtlege has not been open to
blacks. Lnable to buy e.xceptwhere white power provided, black
fam ilies had no c h o ic e in the matter of which schools their
children would attend.
Busing provides a means where by children who would other
wise attend sub-standard schools have the opportunity to attend
the schools that receive greater financial support and therefore
come closer to ‘ ’ quality education.”
It is unfortunate that inner city' schools receive less financial
support and less concern than the schools in the more affluent
areas. But this is the American system. Only when they are
fille d with middle class children bused from the white suburbs
w ill inner city schools, whether black or white, receive the ne
cessities to provide "q u a lity education.”
The o th e r side to segregated housing is the poor f a m il y .
Blacks and other m inorities are denied their choice because of
race; the poor have no choice because they lack the financial re
sources. Denied access to the economic resources of the com
munity because of r a ce , lack of t r a in in g , ignorance, cultural,
or language differences, or what ever the reason, they, too, are
denied quality education. So the cycle perpetuates itse lf as their
children are trapped in the system.
The entire issue is one of individual choice. In the United
States, the affluent white and to some degree the less affluent
white, have a choice of where he w ill live, where he w ill work,
and where his children w ill go to school. The blacks, the Chi
cano, the Indian and the poor white have no choice.
The O b server's o fficial position is expressed only in its Pub
lis h e r's Column (T h e Observation Post) and the E d ito r's D e s k .
Any other m a te ria l throughout the paper is the opinion of the in
dividual w rite r o r subm itter and does not n ecessarily re fle c t
the opinion of the O bs e rve r.
Letters To The E ditor
E ditor
The Portland Observer
P.O. Box 3137
Portland, Oregon
Dear Sir;
Your "Taxation Without Rep
resentation” h e a d lin e is
catchy b u t misleading. It is
true that not many m inority
group members are in legisla
tive, judicial and administra
tive positions. Such responsi
b ilitie s come only with great
effort however and years of
preparation. Then the key to
officialdom and to responsible
change is in the election pro
cess, not by wishing or making
strong statements.
Members of minor ities w ill
attain o ff ic e when they work
hard in the party of t h e i r
choice, nominate good candi
dates and get everyone eligible
registered and voting. F or in
stance, how can Blacks in
Portland expect to gain powei
when so many don’t even both
e r to register and vote and
thereby s u p p o r t candidates
they like?
Working for change between
elections is good but the final
vote gives the score of the
game.
Sincerely,
Howard W illits
State Representative
D is tric t 21
(E d ito r’ s Note: T rue . .. how
ever, Black people do not have
a m a jo rity in any d is tric t, and
if every Black person were to
register and vote, a Blackcan-
didate could not be elected
without white voters. White
voters must learn to judge a
candidate by hischaracterand
his opinions, not his race.)
Dear A l:
A word of appreciation for
your wonderful paper. You
do an excellent job.
Tire
news articles are pertinent,
positive and helpful in report
ing achievements and succes
ses.
Your editorials are to the
point, constantly raising and
clarifying vital issues.
1 am a happy subscriber.
Your friend,
Meredith A. Groves
(Retired superintendent of tne
Alaska Mission and Executive
Secretary of the Oregon Con
ference of the United Metho
dist Church.)
5145 S £ . Lincoln St.
Portland, Oregon 97215
To Be Equal=
by Vernon E. Jordan J r.
Back in 1969, the President
sent the Congress a proposal
that would have established
the principle of a federally-
guaranteed minimum income
beneath which no familywould
be allowed to fa ll.
The
original
proposal
would have represented a nec
essary step forward, but it
has since become so encum
ber ed by punitive provisions
and restrictions that it is pro
bable that any “ re fo rm " of
the system this year w ill ac
tually hurt, not help, those
in need.
1 was asked to testify on the
subject before the Senate F i-
nance Committee recently,
and I told the Committee that
elements of what is called
the Fam ily Assistance Plan
actually "amount to a Fami
ly Destruction P la n ".
A large part of the reason
fo r this can be found in the
phiiiosophy behind the current
welfare proposals.
It’s a
philosophy that says that peo
ple are poor because of flaws
within themselves; that they
aren’ t worthy of assistance
unless they change th e ir own
values and behavior to con
form with those of m iddle-
class people.
Everything seems to follow
from this. The attitude seems
to be that they shouldn’ t be
trusted with enough money,
so the payment levels are
set at $2,400 fo r a fam ily
of four, fa r too low for any
one to keep body and soul
together in these inflationary
days.
Ihe feeling is that the poor
have to be forced to work,
so die proposals mandate that
welfare recipients have to take
a job - any job. That applies
to mothers with small child
ren too, although there aren’ t
day care centers to take care
of th e ir kids. And the jobs
(in the private sector) need
only pay $1.20 per hour, fa r
less than the present inad
equate federal minimum wage
of $1.60 per hour. That
amounts to governmental cre
ation of an underpaid caste
labor force - and a pretty
fat subsidy to employers of
cheap labor, too.
The states aren’ t even en
couraged to maintain their
present benefit levels In the
new proposals, which means
that tl« bulk of recipients w ill
probably get less money than
they did before the " r e
form s” . And the basic per
sonal decisions a welfare re
cipient is entitled to make
about his own life w ill become
the duty of " B ig B ro th e r"
in the form of a government
employee. That's something
that could really grow int>
the firs t step toward a police
state.
While these and other pro
visions of " r e f o r m " may fit
some people's idea of reality,
they’ re just not in tune with
the facts of poverty in Am er
ica and its causes. How can
the government say to people
that they must work when
there is no work available?
W ith six m illion people on the
streets looking fo r jobs that
aren’ t
there it's absunlfto
think that lic k Of personal
ambition and not lack of jobs
keeps
people fro m finding
work.
I t ’ s time to face facts and
reality, and the facts - as we
have said countless tlrr.es-
are that poor people want to
work, that most poor people
actually do work, but their
say, theie ire many pool white
jobs don’ t [My enough, that
nearly all welfare recipients
are unable to work, anti that
the few who can don’ t because
there are no jobs.
I t ’ s tim e to stop blaming
the vtcitm s and to place the
blame for poverty and i ising
welfare ro lls where it belongs
on the economic system that
1 as failed to provide people
with the tools fo r success m
a complex, technological soc
iety.
Any discussion about the
welfare system seems to de
teriorate into concern about
"blacks on w e lfa re ," but the
truth Is that fat more white
people are on welfare and are
poor. I lies too, suffer from
a system that provxies gen
erous welfare benefits fo r ttie
rich in the form of tax loop
holes and federal subs Hies,
tu t punishes the poor fo r the
illogical and absurd reason
that they ar e poor.
Observer’s Intercom
The University of C alifornia
has been charged with sex dis
crim ination paralleling "th a t
of the State of M ississippi
against blacks," in a federal
court suit filed Tuesday by 12
wom en.
Men were 12 times as likely
to receive academic promo
tion as s im ila rly qualified wo
men at the university, the suit,
filed on the anniversary of Su
san B. Anthony’ s birthday,
said.
P la in tiffs included I.C Ber
keley faculty members and
graduate students.
M iam i - M ilton C . Branch
J r . has been named manager,
special passenger services
fo r Eastern A irlin e s, it was
announced by B ill Gregg, d iv i
sion vice president, passenger
services.
Branch, 27, w ill 1« respon
sible fo r establishing p r o
grams and coordinating ;ier-
formance in all areas related
to special passenger ser vices
for Easter
Cincinnati - The voters of
Suburban Wyoming have ap
proved his candidacy twi e in
the last three months, I, Jt Hen
ry Johnson has yet to serve a
day on the C ity Council.
Johnson, a research chem
ist fo r theEnvironmental Pro
tection Agency, ran and won in
November . Befor e he took of
fice, a little - known charter
p r o v i s i o n was discovered
which prohibits employees of
public agencies from serving
on the council.
The law was put up for re f
erendum while Johnson's eat
reamined vacant. Last Tues
day the v o t e r s abolished the
statute, by a 711-191 vole.
Johnson, his election n u lli
fied by th e abolished statute,
now must be appointed to the
council. When he is, lie w Jl be
its fir s t black mem ber.
Many people are unaware
of the deplorable conditions
that exist m thepenitential ios
in the United states.
l ie
tuegon
state Penitentiary
(DSP) in Salem is no excei>-
tion. Ihe Blacks in the peni
tentiaries, as I see it, are
ttie forgotten men. I he Blacks
in OSB .tie noexception. Most
et the Black inmates in l t d ’
are theie on felony charges:
aimed rubbery, mu i dec, rape,
ami dope. I here a ie lew at
OSB because ol then political
philosophies. I h e Admini
strators at th e tuegon State
Penitentiary stated that the
state does not keep i ecords of
inmates by race. However, it
is estimated that out of the
1,400 men that are at OSB,
approximately 180-225 a r e
Black. This is 14.2^ of the
total which is unusually high
when the total percentage of
the overall Black population
of the State of in egon is only
l . j v . th is alone would surely
indicate (hat Blacks aie not
receiving equal justice under
the law ami that (he law Is
not coloi bliml.
Most of the Black inmates
in the I nt ted States, in ludmg
the ones in the tuegon State
Penitentiary, ¡relieve that even
though they aie Black, if they
had the money to pay foi a
good attorney they would not
1« m prison. Needless to
• I M M City« Kan. - "B la ck
B usinessm an of tl« I ecu le ,"
Henry W. sewing, founder ami
fo rm e r president of theDoug-
C itO I ■
A .
en that distinction by the Black
Economic I nte , i (filiate
of the o ffic e of M in o rity Busi
ness Enter prise (OMBE), I e-
partment of Commer ce, and a
group of supportive e onorinc
development organizations in
Kansas C ity. Highl ighting (he
event, a sterling sliver medal
lion was presented to Sewing
at the r « re n t BEL annual din
ner. T his mar ked t he begin
ning of an award program
called tl« H.W . ewing Aw a rd,
which w i l l 1« presented an
nually to a selecte<l m inority
businessman.
Wallace-
Chisholm
ticket?
A black group, header! by
Revet end James Bevel, long
time aide to the late D r.M a r
tin Luther King, J ' ., ha', been
formed to push a Democtatlc
national ticket th.it would of
fer something for everyone.
Governor George Wallace Is
proposed fo r president and
Rep. Shirley Chisholm fo r vice
president.
Bevel said the ticket would
satisfy both blacks anti whites,
as well as ttie women’ s - lil>
eiation movement.
The organization has slight
ly more than Ilk) memhei s,
mostly Souther n students, both
black and white.
inmates in DSP ami no doubt
they would not 1« there if
they had the money to pay foi
good legal services.
Ihe Black inmates at ObB,
however, present a somewhat
s|iecwl case ami it is very
important that the [xiblic be
informed about what Is hap
pening to them. It must be
pointed out that there are
NO Black adm inisti ators it
GSP,
I hei o ire NO B I K k
'counselois at OSB. Theie
ate No Black guards. I le -
peat, there are No Black
guards at ( iSP. I here is only
one Black m em l«i of the Pa
role Boa nJ.
Flier e Is only
one Black Parole O ffice r.
one can see why Blacks at
OSP leel as though they are
tire foi gotten men and society
does not care about then
Plight.
The fu s t question that is
usually asked by citizens is
“ what can we do?" There
aie a number ol things that
an ami should bedone. F irs t,
citizens must change then
attitudes about inmates ami
acknowledge them as fellow
human t«lrigs. second, c iti
zens must demand that the
state change Its archaic laws
concerning offenders of the
law.
T hird, citizens must
demand that they le allowed
to s i t in on Parole Hearings.
Fourth, citizenscanw i ite let
ters of protest to the Gov
ernor, state Representatives
and Oregon State Penitentialy
Adm inisti atoi s about (le in
humane conditions at (JSP.
F ifth , they can provide trans
portation for those inmates
that have week-end passes
ami have no way to v is it lie n
fam ilies ami (i lends.
Six,
they can act as voluntary
teachers to tie inmates. Sev
en, they can send Black read
ing m aterials to tie Black
WASHINGTON
BRIEFS
Washington - R oy W ilkins,
executive d i r e c t o r of the
NA AGP, has been Invited to
South A frica to make i speech
A p ril I . If granted a v i s a he
would become the fir s t black
U.S, c iv il rights leader to v ls lt !
the country with Its rigid seg
regationist policy.
T h e State Dept. said It ex
pected the S o u th Africans
would eventually grant W ilkins
a visa. The Association for
Educational ami C ultural Ad
vancement of the African Peo
ple of Smith A frica Issued the
Invitation.
Washington - Cong. Augus
tus F. Hawkins of Los Angel
es has received a special
award from D r. L e o n ll.S u lli
van, foundei chair man of die
Opportunities Industt iallzatlor
Centers (OftI), foi his "le a d -
e ish lp e fforts In support of a
new manpower training h ill. "
In . Sullivan, firs t black elec
ted to General M otors' hoard
of d ii e< tor s, marie the pre « n -
t a t io n
at a congressional
breakfast attended by Demo
cra tic ami Republican leader
ship of both the Senate ami die
House.
Uhuiu C ultural Cluh’ s Meet
ings that are held the firs t
ami (h lid Friday nights of
each month.
Most of till,
citizens, both Black ami white
must have compassion, under
standing ami hum ility foi th e
Inmates.
M o s t inmates telleve that
the people on tie " outside"
do not care about (hem le -
cause th e y are lehlm l the
" w a ll” . Citizens m u s t show
these "fo rg o tte n " men that
they do caie. Chief Justice
of the United States Supreme
C ourt, Warren E. Burger , re
cently stated at th e National
Confer ence on C orrections
that "le w things would le lp
more than having the iniblie
fu lly informed on die prob
lems of prisons ami the bur
dens of those who admlnlstei
them ."
Chief Burger sees
the urgent needs in col le c
tion Institutions as these:
1. Institutions t h a t pro
vide decent living conditions,
in term s of an environment in
which ho|>e can 1« kept alive.
2. Pei sonnet at every lev
el who are ca ie fu lly selected
ami profierly trained, with an
attitude of understanding ami
motivation such as wo seek
in (eacltei s; and with compen
sation related to 0 « high re-
sponslbility.
3. Im proved classification
procedures to insure separa
tion of incorrigibles from oth-
et s.
4. A balanced program ol
productive work, intensive
basic education, vocational
education, and tecreation.
5. Communication with in
mates.
6. A system of justice in
which judges, prosecutors ami
defense counsel lecogm /e (hat
prompt disposition of cases
is impel.Hive to any hope of
success in die improvement
of (hose convicted.
F o r m e r United States A t
torney General John N. M it
chell also attended the re
cent National Conference on
C oirectlons ami state): " I t
is my hope (hat as the ie -
habllltatton approach to [« n -
ulogy («gins to work, the pub
lic w ill leg in to change us
archaic feeling about ex-of
fenders.
Ihe public's pre
dominant impression ol pen
ology w ill 1«, not ol old walls,
but ol new doors. Ami this
in tum esn 1« the final break
through In die centui les-old
battle to reclaim and assimi
late the ex-offenders."
In President Nixon’ s mes
sage to (lie National C orrec
tions Confei ence, he declared:
" . . . locking a convict up is
not enough. We must a ls o
offer him die keys of aluca-
tlon, of rehabilitation, of use
ful training, of hope - Ihe
Lenw ood
G .D a v it
keys he must have to open
die gate to a life of tie « loin
ami d ig n ity."
Delegates to the C o lle c
tions Conference made many
i ecommemla t ion s. II owev e i ,
theie were two that aie of
purtlculai Interest to Black
inmates in tuegon amt else-
wheie. Numbei one, die civ
il rights of offenders should
le codified in eveiy deten
tion ami co lle c tio n system.
Formulation of such codes
should involve cui lectlonal
personnel, inmates, judges,
lawyers, ami representatives
of die community. I he code
should guarantee oftemlers
access to communication with
die outs He work), adequate
visitation, religious practice,
library use, medical treat
ment, education, job ti.lin in g ,
the availability ol legal coun
sel ami law books, ami d is
cipline with due process.
N uni be i two, discrim inatory
employment
practices ami
RACISM must he el inilnaied
wtienever they exist
According to some Black
inmates racism Is wklespread
at the Oregon state Peniten
tia ry , In some Instances theie
Is overt racism ami in r.theis
it is more subtle. Foi ex
ample, must ol the white in
mates wotk in the shop that
makes leathei wallets that
ate Sold on the outskle ami
the inmates get paid fur mak
ing them. Most of die white
inmates work on " s o ft " jobs
which usually requites
no
knowledge, skill oi education
of those partlculai jobs. Most
Black Inmates w o r k on the
hairiest ami d irtie s t Jobs at
OSB. Anothei example of i a-
cisni is that more weekend
passes aie gi anted to whites
than Blacks. Black inmates
sie given haishei punishment
than white inmates lot slin-
lls i offenses. |n my opinion,
unless the public expresses
an interest in die Black in
mates, these shameful and
disgi aceful conditions w ill
continue, and thete w ill always
fie the pusiblllty that the O ie-
gon State Penitentiary may
become another ATT 1CA,
Where to buy your
Observer
Lov-I ee-l.adee
Neighborhood (Jills
Georgia Pacific Bldg.
County C ouit House
Paige’ s Pharmacy
Giant High Phaimacy
F i eedom Bank
Piedmont Phaimacy
G 'e n le lls Mai ket
L illia n 's Beauty
Maxey’ s Grocer y
Albei tson Mar ket
C lark Market
15th Avenue Thriftway
F ' ed Meyers
l'hl(ips Pharmacy
K lllingsw oith Sr Vancouver
1 lllamook (k W illiam s
5th Ave (Downtown)
Ith Ave. (I lowntown)
7th dr Knott
33 rd & Knott
Union Sr Knott
F ailing Si Union
Skidmore f, l 'mon
W illiam s Ave
W illiam s & Going
K ill ingsworth
W illis & Penninsula
Brazee Ik 15th
Union Ik K lllingsw oith
N, Shavei Ik M ississipin
Electricity is
20years
behind the times: In price
The average cost of a unit of residential electricity is
less today than it was 20 years ago Really! So, while price»
for almost cvcrylhing else have risen, electric service is a
real bargain
Bui while eleelrieily may he behind the times in price,
it's as modern as today in convenience. The typical home
now has twice as many work saving appliances as it did 20
years ago After all. we re economical, not old fashioned
Pacific Power&Light