Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 1972)
Page 2 ».A As I See It * I T IS A S IMMORAL TO STOP A MAN FROM GETTING A JO B FOR WHICH H E IS QUALIFIED AS r r is TO ALLOW A WORKER TO B E ROBBED OP H IS MONEY B Y INBLJEnON." MUST HWK TPGt'THEPFVP FULL AND EQUAL EMPLOYMENT. T h u rs d a y A u g u st 2 4 .1 9 7 2 The Northwest's Best W eekly A Black O w ned Publication Published every Thursday by Exie Publish.ng Companx. 2201 N . K lllingsw orth. Portland, c regczi 97217 Subscriptions - >5.25 per year m T r -County area by m ail, cutsxie the Tri-C ounty area - >e.00 per year by n a il. Phone: 283-2486 M ailing adress - P. c . Box 3137, Portland, Gregor. 9’ 2. ?. ALFRED LEE HENPERScN. Publisher E d ito r INPA The Observer’s official position is expressed only in its Publisher's Column (The Observation Posr and the E d ito r's Desk. Any other m aterial throughout the paper is the opi ion of the individual w n te r o r subm itter anddoes not necessarily reflect the opinion of the ( bserver. Any erroneous reflection upor. the character, standing or reputation of person, firm o r corporation, which may appear u the Portland Observer w ill ba cheerfully corrected upon being brought to the attention of the E d ito r. The Editor’s Desk ALFRED LEE Æ NDERSO N Black children lose again Representative Edith Green has introduced and had passed by the House of Representatives two important amendments to the ann-husing b ill. The firs t amendment lim its the busing of c h il dren to the school nearest or second nearest th e ir homes. F o r m ost cities with, large concentrations of blacks, and even in por tions of Portland, this w ill make busing to achieve desegregation impossible. The second amendment w ill allow all school d is tric ts that are already under court order to reooer. th e ir cases. These amendments can only show Black people that Congress is no longer committed to desegregation. The reopening of court cases as fa r heck as 1954 can only create chaos and discontent, even in areas where busing has been successful fo r all concerned. And what is M rs . Green's motive behind all this"’ Portland has not bussed enough children to be concerned about. There has beer, no compulsory busing in Portland, and as fa r as any one knows there is no plan to bus white children into Black schools in Portland. Yet,M rs.G reer, ism ore violent in her fight against busing than many of theCongressmen whose d is tric ts are d ire ctly involved and seems even more restrictions than P re s i dent Nixon him self. M rs . Greer, has spent much time and energy fighting desegre gation and busing during the past few years. But this cannot be out of concern fo r Black children, or ever, fo r white children in Portland. M rs. Green was elected to represent the people of East P o rt land and East Multnomah County - including most of Oregon’ s Blacks. She was not elected to protect the white neighborhood's of r e nation from invasion by Black school children. She was not elected to protect the nation's white children from contact with Black children. She had better get off the anti-busing kick and mm some attention to planning programs, including busing where .necessary, to provide quality education fo r all of the c h il dren of her own d is tric t rather then carrying on her crusade against Elack children. Tragedy comes to Mississippi Mound Bayou Community Hospital, which serves the all Black community of Mound Bayou, M ississippi w ill soon he closed. Mound Bayou, located in the.MississipplDelta, is completely con trolled by Blacks, as is the hospital. The hospital las beer, operating on GEO grants during the pest few years, but this year.M lssisslppiG ovem orW Illiam W aller has vetoed the hospital's application fo r a grant. T ie Office of Economic Opportunity could override the veto and refund tie hospital, but apparently President Nixon is not yet ready to risk loosing those white M ississippi voters. As a result, the M ississippi Delta is about to lose the only hospital where Blacks can be assured of receiving quality care. The media- income fo r Blacks in the region is >1,000 per year. Medical care is at a premium. The hospital has survived many racist attempts to close it, but it cannot survive without money. If President Nixon is as concerned atout the well being of American citizens, and especially of poor Elack citizens, he should d ire ct the OEO office to fund this hospital. Sacrifice for freedom The young Black men and women of the United States Olympic team are faced with the d ifficu lt decision of joining the Black na tions of the world in boycotting the Olympic Games because of Rhodesia's participation. If they join the boycott they w ill be giv ing up the goals and dreams of a life tim e . They w ill also be dem onstrating more courage and commitment to freedom than their government, fo r the United States is one of the few nations of the world that ignores the United Nations economic boycott of R hodesla. Not only is Rhodesia a country ruled by a small m inority of whites, but it has a brutal tradition toward Blacks. Recently the government used dogs to drive Black Rhodesisns off lend that had been declared " w h ite " . When Tangwena farm ers who claimed the land was theirs tried to move heck onto land claimed by whites, their children were removed by tie government and sent to institutions. The government and the people of the United Stales w ill be an gry if the Black athletes do not compete, and U this brings on an American defeat, but we must be proud of the sacrifice tle y make fo r the liberation of all Black people. The Oregon Black Agenda Part I MiSiDiMT NurON T tlD A Y *T H E N IY O N ADMINISTRATION HAS ENDED ALL By Lenwood G. Dev la T h is document, the Oregon Black Agenda, Is the o fficial plslloi-m developed and adop ted at the firs t Oregon Black P o litica l Convention held in Portland, June 30, and July 1, ‘OUSTED RIGHTS A ID E SAYS NIXON FA ILS TV 1972. It represents the out come of four workshops - Ed G N E MORAL LEADERSHIP, IT HAS BECOME MORE ucation, P o litica l. Health and AND MORE CLEAR THE ADM IN IS TRA TION IS bOlN(i S ocal Services, and Econo T ^ l X T E R TO T H E VOTERS O F THE P E E P m ic. The platforms and reso SOUTH‘ lutions, as well as the Agenda IX-AlDf LiONE PÂNITTÂ were approved by the General m y . nuts Assembly of the Convention. Needless to say. the Oregon Black Agenda is addressed ■’ lOU.'S p rim a rily to Blacks In the State of Oregon. This Black Agenda represents the e m er gence of * new political con sciousness fo r Black Orego- nians. It also outlines some crucial issues that Blacks w ill organize and move in the com ing weeks and months. This Black Agenda for the cy Benjamin E. Mays seventies sees as its chal lenge unity a nd organization. Recently the Census Bureau Parents of children below This is a political year and It rejects as meaningless made a report on the median the median line have very l it whether Nixon or McGovern those who only engage in rhe income of the American fam tle, if anything, to pass on to in h e rit the White House. I hope to ric and have no program for ily . It was >10,285 in I97l. th e ir offspring. This doesn't Congress w ill enact Into law a Black survival or s o c ia l This means that heli of the mean that children of poor minimum income of >5.000 for change. American fam ilies are below homes and uneducated homes each family of four. The Oregon Black Agenda >10,285 and the other half are cannot make it, but it does calls for support of force* that mean the percentage of the above that line. If there are transcend color line* Includ poor who make itup the econo 225,000,000 Americans and ing lite ra li/in g our Brown, m ic and educational ladder is there is an average of four to Red and Yellow brothers be sm aller. a fam ily, we have approxi cause they alsoare oppressed. mately 56,000.000 fam ilies m If I had the figures before Indeed, even those white me, 1 am sure that I would find the United States: 28,000.000 Americans who TRULY be a few m illio n fam ilies with in receiving >10.285 o r more per lieve in freedom, justice and comes below $2,000 for a fam fam ily and 28,000,000 fam ilies equality w ill join Blacks in ily of four. It is d iffic u lt for are receiving less than that forming a Ieautiful kaleido me to understand why it is so amount. scope of colors, moving like hard to get Congress to enact This looks very' good fo r giants In t o this decade, 112,000 people fo r those above a b ill that would guarantee sweeping away injustice te - every family of four a min the median are receiving in Appointment of John B. fore us. imum income of >5,000a year. come reaching all the way Roach as Chief of the Boston The Oregon Black Caucus, Y e s, it would cost the tax from the median to the m illio n A ir C a rrie r D is tric t Office sponsor of the F irs t Black payers more, but It would d o lla r bracket and above. (ACDO) of the Federal Avia P olitical Convention, adopted make a more healthy econo These are the fortunate ones tion Adm inistration, was an the cnegon Black Agenda and my. A fam ily with >5,000w ill and, I might say. the lucky nounced by Secretary of stresses the point that its p ro spend more than the family ones. T ranaporution John A.Volpe. grams w ill bring about funda with >2,000. The education of I say lucky because many Roach is the firs t Black to mental changes in thia deca the children w ill improve with factors are involved as to head a m ajor FAA FlightStan- dent system. Therefore, the the increase In income. In the whether one is above or below darda field fa c ility . Black Caucus tegins with a long run we would have a better the median line: Race, class, Black Agenda. Blacks must educated people and a more education, poverty, family and now work towards its imple economically secure people. many other factors determine mentation. To guarantee a minimum of where one falls in the econo The Oregon Black Caucus The N a t io n a l Highway >5,000 a year forevery family m ic scale. The w ell-to-do addresses itse lf to four main T ra ffic Safety Administration of four would increase the fam ilies usually perpetuate areas: Education, P olitics, warned owners of 3.5 m illion wealth of the nation, reduce themselves and the poor fam Health and Social Services, 1971 and 1972 model General crim e and illite ra c y , and de ilies tend to perpetuate them and Economics. (4 ttese M otors automobiles that their velop pride in the nation. selves. areas. Economics is perhaps cars could lost steering con Of course it should be noted The nch get rich e r and the the most essential. In the pre tro l. that the median income rose poor get poorer. The fam ily face of the Economic section The agency's "conaumer above >10,000for the firs t time above the median line of >10,- the Agenda surmised th a t protection tu lle tin " said a ll in 1971 but the gam was wiped 285 stands a good chance of since Black people in Oregon fu ll-s iz e d Pontiac*, Buicks, out by inflation. When we be raving th e ir children educated a r e the victim s of economic Oldsmoblles and Chevrolet* come as concerned about peo and the parents of w ell-to-do exploitation, it is important fo r the last two model y e a r s ple as we are about defense we fam ilies car, pess their busi that Blacks address them were subject to steering lock ness and th e ir wealth on to w ill be a better nation and a selves to positive methods stronger nation. th e ir children. up. through which Black people may gain economic liberation. Furtherm ore, It stated that tie With Ron Hendren prim ary thrust of all economic A YOUNG VIEW OF W A SH IN G TO N efforts by Black Oregonians must he to gain control of eco nomic resources that can he used fo r the benefit of the Black community. Moreover, the income of tie Black community must te in creased. Businesses in tie Black community must le By Ron Hendren controlled by the community. Businesses in tie community M ID D L E B U R G , V A In the old days virtually eliminate the smoke stream and m u s t he operated ultim ately this peaceful little community in the thereby go a long way toward solving the fo r the benefit of tie commu rolling Virginia countryside was a favorite pollution problem n ity. A larger stare of the stopping place for travellers on the way Hardly had the ink dried on this wealth in Oregon must go to to and from Washington National pronouncement when one o f Ralph Black Oregonians. leaders, it is said, frequented its taverns Nader's committees said the whole thing In addition, bust,-esses es and inns as far back as the days of was bunk, that in fact the new devices sential to tie support of a v i Washington and Jefferson would take care of only one percent of able community must te But life's pace, for better or worse, has the dangerous gases in a jetliner’s exhaust established and maintained accelerated rather sharply since the trail in tie geographical area in I 700’j and today Middleburg is a mere 40 Now the truth, as is generally the which Blackpeople live. Black minute drive from the Capital and a quiet case probably lies somewhere in the businessmen and Industrial relic of the past Much of the town, middle But a phenomenon more dis ists must le provided adequate including one old tavern dating back to turbing than the exhaust trail itself is that do lla rs, skilled labor, suffici 1728, has been faithfully restored and neither the FAA nor the Nader group was ent land and m aterials, and tie maintained in the tradition of 200 years willing to give the benefit of so much as necessary managerial exper ago one adjective to the other tise to compete In the market The inn, dark and a little musty, is The result is that little room was left p la c e . Businessmen, both filled with the mixed aromas of good for discerning the truth because each side Black and non-Black, who op food and that faint campfire odor which backed the other into an emotional erate asproducersor m arket old fireplaces manage to give off even in corner from which there was no com ers In the Black community the midst of summer Its hand-hewn fortable escape must be made accountable to beams, whitewashed walls and wide oak Unfortunately the jet stream incident tie Black citizens. Pressure planking are down-to-earth and real Its PRESSURE OH FEDERAL AGENCIES TO STEP U P EMPL O YHEHT OF MEMBERS OF HIM. W T Y GROUPS’ SAYS ROBERT E. HAMPTON. CHAIRMAN OF T H É CIVIL SERVICE COM M ISSION 5 VP / Minimum fam ily income needed W ASHINGfON z X. ""*X BRIEFS f. REASON VS. RHETORIC IN MIDDLEBURG walls are solid and somehow courteously impervious to that roaring stream of rhetoric which comes just a few miles away to flood the land every four years during national elections Indeed, the building has witnessed and withstood the pledges plans and programs of 92 Con gresses and 37 Presidents, the promised lands and the primrose paths, and some how has survived it all - a profoundly comforting realization. But that comfort is somewhat di minished by the equally profound feeling one gets in Middleburg that everything along the way has not been progress, that somewhere between George Washington and Richard Nixon, a good deal of what is worthwhile about life has been mis placed A jetliner, paasing over Middleburg on its way to Dulles International Airport, illustrates the point The Federal Aviation Administration announced a few days ago that pollution from jet aircraft a matter of no small concern to those who live near major airports - would soon be a thing of the past Officials said that a new device installed on jet engines would is but one small scenario on the modern- day stage of confrontation politics where honest, reasoned, objective thinki ig is the exception rather than the rule Not that anybody expects politic! ns to be completely honest Perhaps they never were, for if politicians weren't to a degree self-serving they probably would not be in the business in the first place But there was a time in Middleburg and Washington when issues and personalities were more often discussed in an atmo sphere of calmer understatement, clearer reasoning, respect and courtesy Some thing there is about hand-hewn beams, whitewashed walls, wide oak floors, fire places and good food which encourages those virtues A return to them would be welcome It might not solve more problems, but in these days of escalating superlatives it would at least make the rhetoric a Uttle more bearable ©Copyrght 1972 by WASHINGTON WEEKLY. Inc All rights rewrved must be applied upon the city, state and federal governments to dlstrubute a greater portion of their resources to the Black community, T he Black Caucus le i eves that the following model w ill improve tie economic situa tion of Black people In Oregon. Therefore. It calls for: 1. ) Sup|>ort and development of competitive quality Black businesses whenever and wherever economically fea sible. 2. ) Strengthening anddevel- oplng tie managerial end en trepreneurial expertise that exists within tie Black com munity. 3. ) Recognizing the reed to increase tie overall incone level of tie Black community, p a rticu la rly that of indlv iduals and fam ilies. 4. ) B rin gin g d o lla rs (torn the non-Black community into tie Bieck community, particu la rly that of Individuals and fam ilies. 5. j REVISING THE ECONO MIC VALUE SYSTEM OF THE ¡1 \ a MM t NTTY. e>.) Establishing a systema tic process which w ill cause Black Oregonians to think and act together in such away that their collective long term eco nomic gains w ill le m axi- m tzed. 7. ) Linking the business and in d u stre l activities of tie Oregon Black community with those of Bieck comm umtes in other states and other coun tries. especially in A frica. 8. ) teveloping tie means to influence and audit the affairs of government at all level* to assure equitable treatnent of Black businesses. 9. ) Keeping tie Black con sumer informed o! tie avail able goods and services of Bieck businesses. The economic program can le implemented if we take positive steps to do tie things outlined telow: Support and develop compe titive quality Black businesses wherever and wherever eco nomically feasible. 19 Buy Black. 2. j Communicate to Black businessmen as to how t le ir product o r service meets competitive standards. 3. ) C leck out good »leas (or businesses or ways to manage lusiness and make sure Black businessmen learn a b o u t them. 4. j Establish lobbes at tie national, state and local levels to look a lte r lie interest of Black tusinessinen In Oregon. 5. ) Assure tie develoixnent of viable Black financial in sti- ojtlons that w ill bring financial resources Into tie Black com munity. a. ) Banking-commercial b. j Insurance c. ) Mortgage tanking d. ) Investment corpora tions e. ) Mutual funds Strengthen aixl develop tie managerial and entrepreneur ial expertise that exists w ith in the Black community. 1. ) S u p p o r t the existing training programs designed to develop the s k ills of Black parsons. a. j Support t le ir opera tion. b. ) Support them when they are reeking funds. 2. j Secure e x je rta s s is ta n c e fo r Black businessmen from whatever sources are a va il able. 3. ) Support tie co lle ctiviz ing of inefficient competing Black businesses. 4. ) Make it attractive for Black jersonawho have devel oped managerial and profes- slonal skills louse those skills in the community. a. ) Let tliem know where their services can 1« used by Black husnessmen. b. ) Purchase their se i- vices for Black bo lin e ia moli when necessary. c. ) Work out contracts with management trainerà from tie Black community to return to tie Black com munity to work for specified periods of time sftei tle y have teen trained in schools and Ixisiiesses outs vie of (te community, S.J Make It possible fo r Black tusinessinen who are ojerating marginal lu stre s* to pursue (ormai training and education that w ill help them manage tle ir husliess more effectively. To accomplish our econo m ic objectives, we must: 1. ) Inventory lusuessesand industries In our geogi aphlcal area, fusi out how many jo ts tle y lave—CE T SOME. 2. ) Work on firm s with a ffir mative action programs. J.) Develop new entrepre neurship« in o tte r communl- te s . 4. J Funnel uiemptoyed per sona into jobs. 5. ) Monitor training pro grams and processes. 6. ) Employ Black building contractors. 7. ) support joint ventures by Black conn actors. 8. ) A stisi HI*, k service eti ti ties to control tie market» in th e ir area. 9. ) Suj>port arxl develop tie a rtis tic capabilities of th e Black community. 10. ) C o n t r o l d is trllu tlo n area for goods sold in tie Black community. 11. ) Develop uur own adver tising. 12. ) Creale tusiress (hat w ill meet emerging market reeds In tie future,especially consumer services, child care, etc. 13. ) Sponsor workshops for Black consumer education. 14. ) Provide alternative re sources fo r tie Black consum e r, 15. ) Create viable model» fo r Black people to follow in developing t le ir economic in stitutions. 16. ) Control of tie media so H at tie information received by Black ¡eople Is positive. 17. ) Use existing media out lets fo r edutational [urj>oses. 18. j Work with any and all sources Hat t r e trying to sum p out tie te r cot le i trade in lie Black community. 19. ) Develop a camaraderie among Black people In their work arxl stress pride in t le ir work. Because of tie historical significance, tie Oregon Black Agenda Is ore document (le t A LL Black people in tie su te of Oregon MUST r ead. Need less to say, many white Ore gonians w ill read it. Further more, A I.L Black people In tie SUte ut Oregon MUST see io It that every item In tie Oregon Black Agenda Is fu lfil led! (NOTE: P art II of " T ie Ore gon Black Agenda" w ill apiear next week.) Letters to the Editor To tie E ditor: The ast weekend, I led the pleasure of attending the Ca thedral Park Festival In St. Johns. T ie events tle re im pressed meas lelng Indicative of tie type of s p irit tla t could benefit other communities throughout Multnomah County. St. Johns resident* have ra l lied behind an idea that, wlen realized, w ill greatly enhance the whole community. Underneath the east able of the St. Johns Bridge, one can stand and look toward the riv e r through tie Un graceful foot ings that support (he bridge. The feeling is sim ila r to that of looking into a cathedral; hence tie name. A few people and then many decided that tie undergrowth and blackberries that now cover this land should 1« clear»I to create a park so that people can enjoy the sight, and plans fu r Cathedral Park were underway. A simple Idea haa teen developed into a viable project that Involves the entire community. A il Multnomah County can learn from the auccesaful launching of tie project. It shows how a commitment that Involves (eople can get tldnga done. People are not power less when they collectively work toward a common goal as the residents of St. Johns are doing. | welcome thia kind of determination and heartily ap plaud the people of St. Johns. C ongittulatlona on a good le ginning. Sincerely, Donald E . C lark M u lt. County Commlasloner
