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