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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 1972)
Page b Portland, observer Thursday, September 14, 1972 0 b befog black in v Rlov Pool Black book reviews by Jim (Doc) Rogers THE VENICE OF KXJO is Ganvie. a city of bemboc | M | 'erv-hed on s tilts . A ir Atnque’ s new safari tour to East and West A frica includes a v is it via perogue idugout cancel to these busy Togolese waterways. Air Afrique offers Safari The big game country of East Africa and the fascin ating peoples and life styles south of the Sahara are com bined on a new escorted sa fa ri tour offered by A ir Af rique, the multi-national A f rican a irlin e , in cooperation with BOAC and L’TA French A irlin e s . The 22-day tour, priced at >1,040 (land portion? plus ap plicable airfa re , visits Kenya Tanzania, Nigeria. Dahomey, Togo, Ivory Coast and Sene gal. F irs t class and deluxe hotels are used throughout; sightseeing is by private car, m icro bus or land rover in sa fa ri country. Highlights in E a stA frica in clude Kenya's 8,GOO-square- m ile Tsavo Park, with Hem ingway's Mount K ilim anjaro in route; spectacular Ngorongo-" ro C rater, Olduvai Gorge and Serengeti Plains in Tanzania; archeological treasures in Lagos, capital of Nigeria; and a v is it by native perogue to Togo's Ganvie. an extraord inary Bangkok-cum-Venice of A rica where 15,000 residents live in houses built on stilts. Abidjan, beautiful capital of the Ivory Coast, is firs t stop in West A frica . Called the "B la c k P a ris ” , Abidjan pre sents an ultra-m odern sky line - plus the fabulous Hotel fvoire - In contrast to teem ing native markets and near by villages where traditions are ageless. The safari's finale is Dakar, French-flavored capital of Senegal. Located on lush Cape Verde, the city has been a crossroads of trade from ev ery com er of A frica since the tiny island of Goree was set tled in the harbor centuries ago by European colonists. D akar's markets ate fille d with good buys in gold and s ilv e r jewelry, African masks and batik and ue-dyed fabrics. Departure dates fo r this A ir Afrique safari are slated now through the end of 1973. For further information w rite A ir Afrique. Box DC-8, New York, New York, 10011. The saga of a super fly (EDITOR'S NOTE: There ap pears to be an e ffo rt in P ort land to discredit the movie "S u pe rfly” , which was made by nonprofessional blacks and financed by black businessmen in Harlem. The Observer was not invited to the preview showing held recently in P o rt land. We are theefore re printing a review from the New York Amsterdam News. The movie is drawing crowds in the cities where it is piay- ing-l By James P. M urray Superfly (Warner Brothers) This innovative, community film about the Harlem drug scene invades new te rrito ry in introducing, defining, explain ing and exposing the life and lifestyle of the nemesis of the ghetto - the pusher. It seems that a ll too often the drug dealer is that ultimate, face less villa in known only io those in his immediate neighborhood and of course, to his devot ed customers. Ron O’ Neal, sporting his own unique Prince Valiant hairstyle, stars in this de finitive p o rtra it as P riest, a young, stylish and highly suc cessful operator who decides he's going to try one final "num ber” , make a m illion dollars and re tire . ncnofl But this film reveals that the pusher is just as much a vic tim of "th e habit" as his pit iable users. He is caught up in a whirlwind of activity, pressured and manipulated by corrupt police and enslaved by downtown mobsters bent on making a fortune - even if Harlem reverts to one mas sive a rb o r of junkies waiting fo r that next ship to come in. With all the flashy accout rements of those in his pro fession (fancy clothes, a show piece Cadillac and w ell-ap pointed ape ronenta), O’Neal, a fine young actor brings power to his role as do his co- stars C arl Lee and Julius W. H a rris . Sheila F razier, as P rie s t’ s love interest, is at tractive and would have been more effective with an even la rg e r pert. This Independent film pro ject financed by members of the black community and d ir ected by Gordon Parks J r., certainly represents where the future of black film -m a k ing should be. F irs t time d ire c to r Parks and screen w rite r P h illip Fenty are at tempting to address the com munity about the drug problem and their implied message seems to say that all in the black community have been victim ized by outsiders. S till, the film misses some crucial connections. P rie s t is able to buy a contract on a high-ranking, corrupt police official but the film implies that he has accomplished a standoff at best. No solution is proposed about stopping the flow of drugs into the ghetto and P rie st’ s desire to get out of dealing seems more m otiv ated by personal aims than re vulsion with his work. You can perhaps understand the pusher but you cannot em pathize with him and you can not forgive him. He is s till a ruthless individual system a tically destroying young lives. As a film , "S uperfly” fails in many points of execution but as a concept, there is a style and atmosphere that can’ t be overlooked. C ertain ly, it captures the essence of Harlem better than any other feature film this year. There are moments of atmospheric photography but the pacing is e rra tic . The characters are ob viously relaxed in their pre sentation yet there often ap pears to be moments of un certainty in the portrayals. Tedium even creeps in as in the case of one rather erotic bathtub love scene whichdulls to monotony and bordom. Mu sic by the "gentle genius” C u rtis Mayfield is exception al, however, carrying the film along and almost running away with the show on occasion. With a llits inherent contra dictions (which do no great harm), “ Superfly's” point of view brings to mind the work of Melvin Van Peebles, who al so saw the need to bread a- way from Hollywood formula concepts and symbolically, "S uperfly” stands in a class by itse lf. S till, there is that unfor tunate possibility that much in the message of "S uperfly” w ill be misunderstood as In the case of “ Sweet Sweet- beck's Badasssss Song.” Some w ill undoubtedly claim that a drug pusher is being catapulted into die canons of romantic heroism. He is not. Any victories he wins, he wins as a black man. And every time lie loses, the peop le im p liclty suffer a defeat. No, the pusher shouldn't he excused - but the blame fo r his thinking and doing wrong must be placed where it be longs. And It doesn't belong In the black community. THE SOLEDAD BORTHER: to judge? Who w ill "ca st the firs t stone . . . " THE PRISON LETTERS GF GEORGE JACKSON, by Jackson continues: " I'v e George Jackson, >1.50. been asked to explain myself, In the short period that I 'b rie fly ' before the world lias have been in Portland (since done with me. It is d iffic u lt July 1st), 1 have been fortu because I don't recognize my nate to meet many active and uniqueness, not as it's ap sincere young Blacks, pas plied to individualism, te - sionately involved in the cause It is to tightly tied Into liberation of the Black com- decadent capitalist culture. m ln ity . Yet, none has left Rattier I've strained to see such a lasting, positive im the indivisible thing cutting pression as Lenwood Davis, across the a rtific ia l bar Black Historian at Portland ricades which have been State; scholar and author; and erected to an older section Information Office of the Ore of our brains, back to the gon Black Caucus. Before mind of tlie prim itive com Lenwood left Portland— on mune that exists in a ll blacks. academic leave to pursue the But then how can 1 explain completion of his doctorate the runaway slave in terms degree in Black Northwest that do not imply unique H istory--w e engaged in a ness?" rather extended " ra p ses " I was born as the Great sion” in his office concerning Depression was ending; It the dedication and contribution was ending because a second of many exceptional Black great war fo r colonial m ar w a rrio rs--w h o lost their kets was beginning in the U.S, lives in the continued struggle I pushed out of the womb fo r complete equality and in against my mother's strength dependence in our community. September 23, 1941—1 felt Black men like Rev. M artin free . . . my mother was a Luther King; Malcolm X: Ben country g irl from H a rris Chaney; Medger Evers; Ad- burg, Illin o is . My fa tte r was med Evans; and dozens of born in East St. Louis. I l l i others in our time whom did nois. They met in Chicago, not achieve national recogni and were living onLakeStreet tion and m artrydom . At the when 1 was born. It was conclusion of our conver in one of the oldest sections sation, Lenwood tapped his of Chicago, part ghetto fingers lightly down on a dential, part factory. A fte r stack of manuscripts in pro Racine Street we moved into gress; “ and with that famous, Troop Street projects, which cryp tic half-sm ile . . . sud in 1958 were tie scene of denly expressed his anger at the c ity 's worst rio ts. The the insensitivity and unaware cats in those projects tell ness of many young Blacks out against the pig with heavy to the contributions and ef machine guns. -3Os and ,50s forts of e a rlie r generations.” that were equipped with tracer I heartily agree. And my aininum tionl" recollection of his remarks Jackson then narrates his prompted this review of youthful introduction to the George Jackson's SOLEDAD life of crim e and petty vice BROTHER. A b rillia n t philo in the jungles of American sophical and political prison citie s—which ends In his sen tencing of from one year to journal of a Black political life fo r stealing seventy lousy p r i s o n e r — assaslnated by the Californian penal au d ollars from a gas station. thorities, on August 21, 1971— He is to spend the next eleven years in prison—eight and a lin le more than a year ago. half of them in solitary con George Jackson's SOLE DAD BROTHER, ranks with finement— since lie is quickly W.E.B. Dubois's SOULS OF identified by the prison au thorities as a re te l and "u n BLACK FOLD.EIdrtdgeClea- ve r's SOUL ON ICE, or ruly nigger.” Of this har J a m e s Baldwin's NOBODY assment, George recorded his KNOWS MY NAME, in Its experience in his letters to depth of comprehension and his lawyer: " I f I leave here rendering of the human and alive. I’ ll leave nothing be social phenomenon that shapes hind. I've been hungry too the Black Experience. That long. I've gotten angry too is —those factors that deter often. I've been lied to and mine and lim it the human insulted too many times. possibilities of Black neo T hey've pushed me over the slaves m Western, white, line from which there can be capitalistic Am erica. no retreat. 1 know that they But George Jackson's epic w ill not be satisfied until is the narrative of a rebel; they've pushed me out of this a Black revolutionary in tie existence altogether. I've tradition of Nat Turner, Paul been tie victim of so many Robeson, Rap Brown, Fred racist attacks that 1 could e ric k Douglass, and all the never relax again . . . 1 can "N ig g e r C harlies” in o u rh ls - s till smile sometimes, but tory--w hom fa re to defiantly by the time this thing is over say "n o m ore” to thosewhom 1 may not he a nice person. te rro riz e and oppress our And I just l i t my seventy- people. seventh cigarette of this George Jackson w rites: " I tw e n ty-o n e -h o u r day. I'm was captured and brought to going to lay down fo r two or prison when 1 was eighteen three hours, perhaps I 'l l years old (fo r an armed rob- sleep . . . from Dachau, with ery Involving >7OJ3Oj be love . . . George . . . ” cause I couldn't adjust. The But, George is never to record that the state (ad com gain that "peaceful sleep.” piled on my activities reads On Jam ary 13, 1969, George like the reconi of ten men. Jackson, F le e ts Drurngo, and It labels me brigand, thief, John Clutchette are falsely burglar, gambler, hobo, drug accused of the murder of a addict, gunman, escape a rtist. white guard in retaliation fo r Communist revolutionary, and the killin g of an unarmed m u rd e re r.” Black prisoner. If you have But 1 ask myself and you— read o r heard any of the de was he a c rim in a l7 W latcon fense statements of Angela stitutes c rim in a lity —in a D avis—you know the charges crim inal society? Whom is were completely false. A ll FREE PARKING complete dining a BEVERAGE FACILITIES NO SUNDAY RACING (Sofrff. Racing Cefnm iaaicn pronibita adeniaaion of ch ild ra n undar 13 J 2NO a M D 10ÏH a 11TM RACES iunhuht FBIRVICUI PARK M U LTN O M A H KENNEL CLUB lENOW'S N E 223RD & HALSEY EAST OUT BANFIELD FREEWAY (BON) PHONE 665 2191 SIZES you w a n t • • H • m im m * of » < •4 ) ' ' 4 * • » . Back W to IT H School Eznnn FO R B e tte r Grades Don t let B L U R R E D V IS IO N and E Y E S T R A IN be • handi cap have ■ Scientific Eye Exam ination and PrectMon Ground Lenart before School or College Mart» NO S m o rf NEW S tyles Ona Day Service Appointment Needed I i a i y C K K IH T J r r m 7 | A,/ O p tic a l "M » H TVS" Insurance A cce pted " b e e tle le a » '' CONTACT LIN SIS mm 2 o rn en STRUT I t V I l » 11 M U « H O C S .W T h ird a n rfM a rrita n Otter Otficas ia MIEM 1 EUCENE * Ffceee 727 7700 D r. l a r r i S a m 1er O p lo m ttr m a A iM c a r t Doc t o r t o l Oorom»frv— R. H ILL H. WEBB M . KELLEY C. HERMAN W. MoCRUM G. WALLIS Accurate typist needed opening Zeno its . his pasteup and photography. A M 't f i I M W f i t poMFdt t »4 I M M , ■ u n h id G iu u e MON* Apply - Portland Observer 2201 N. Killingsworth STELLA STEVENS RIP TORN ./•< H '/J N — —— * , P r id e r r la v 7*(M) C5 m p PRItQh im 4 i a i 2 8 7-2 887 Vanishing Point OPEN: Monday-Thursday 7:17 . ***** “ Ä «.» mn » « m a»»* 1 D IV IS IO N Alameda Co-feature: CAMERON MITCHELL JACK STARRE TT MARK HANNA and DON WILLIAMS I 30 00 NE Alberta 283-2486 n _ n _ n _ n _ i- i^ ^ iu _ n _ n _ i~ i_ n - n j - _ i - - r - An AMI RICAN INTERNATIONAL P.c > 31- | MM lN TOOD AO IS COLOR r.» nt m u ________________________ DCÑ GORDON MARLENE CLARK Meet the public. B R A N D S you know V A R IE TIE S you lik. I /.'*<> A * » I, *4 I or».ba--4 a» nil •' S 1 O . 4228 N. Williams JIM BROWN FOR h 4 i ' S t M '■ 4 t • >' GENEVA’S at Learn typesetting SHOP DAILY DOUBLE Bob 'Woody' Woodard of Inner City Development Company dvmonstiates tlie M arseillais |H>ol shot at Geneva's Re gulation Fables. NEWSPAPER WORK immediate GEN ADM 25« POST TIME 7 30 three Blacks were exone rated. You also know (list Jonotlian Jackson, the seventeen year old brotlier of George Jack- son, was killed trying to fie e George in an abortive as sault on the San KataelCounty J a il August 7. 1970. E very one knows tlie courageous rule that Black revolutlonaiy, Angela Davis played on his te lia lf. Read George Jack son's love letters to Angela Davis in SOLEDAD BRO THER, They are sensitive and jialnfully moving. Yet, on August 21, 1971, two days before the opening of his tria l, (a year a fte r the death of his brotlier), George Jackson was killed Inside San Quentin P rison. Prison au thorities state that tie was shot by tower guards during an escape attempt as he ran from tlie prison's maximum security section with a gun in his hand—that lie lad secreted in his A fro. (Can you (elieve tlie fantasies of some white people!) He was supposedly running toward a twenty-foot w alll Of a ll the books w ritten by Africans in White America tliat 1 shall re view --this is the one 1 ho(« you read. And if you can’ t do that— then go down and talk to Ken Ford and the local Black Panther Party members, th e y're dedicated, strong-w illed young men "doing th e ir thing fo r tlie re volution" in th e ir chosen manner. They can tell you tilings about the George Jack- son a ffa ir that 1 confess ig norance of. Huey Newton said: "George Jackson Is a living legend throughout the prison system. He has stood up and let him self le counted regardless of personal cost. He is tlie greatest w rite r of a ll.” Janis Joplin said: "F re e dom is another word fo r nothing left to lose.” Lenwood Davis says: "R a dical rhetoric . . .w ith o u ta c tion is meaningless.” B e s s ie S m ith sang: ” . . . a n o tle r good man don* gone." The power structure In America is intent upon e radi cating o r incarcerating each and everyone of our young Black rebels. I said Diet, take care. Sunday-Matlnee 1:00 S u n d tv -l< v e n In a 7*17 oiviaiON 761 ‘4839 Co-feature: Box car Bertha
