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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1973)
Portland/O bserver PORTLAND OBSERVER Religion in the News by Father Gordon Dirkey In "Teahouae of the Au guat Moon,** Colonel Purdy states, **I*m going to teach these native« democracy if I have to line them up against the wall and shoot them!** The present dismantling of the Office of Economic Op portunity by the Nixon Ad ministration represents the same arrogant, “We know best" attitude towards the disadvantaged and their destiny. According to the acting OEO director, Mr. Howard Phillips, the W ar on Poverty has "eroded the kind of normal majoritarian demo, rratic safeguards that are incident to the electoral pro ceas," and that it is wrong to "treat the poor as a class apart with interests separate and distinct from those of society as a whole." Perhaps M r. Phillips has it backwards. The poor have always been "a class apart**, and long before OEO came along. The poor are poor and powerless, largely be cause "normal majoritarian democratic safeguards" keep them that way. From the beginning of the war on poverty, programs were de signed to give the poor participation in their own destiny and to bring them into t h e mainstream of American life and electoral process According to a Washington Poet editoral. "Anyone who has the slightest familiarity with the program knows that one of its major benefits has been what it has done for people. I t has uncovered - from the ranks of the poor themselves several new layers of leadership in com inunities around the country. It has given people the op portunity to develop skills that help them participate in the management of their own communities and of their own lives. I t has given thousands a new sense of their own dignity and worth and some stake in the so ciety. There clearly have been excesses, mistakes and false starts. But the gains in terms of human growth and th e institutional achieve ments documented in the OEO study destroy both the factual and the philosophical underpinnings of M r. Philip's arguments. In his cheerfully assumed task, he will be dis mantling a powerful vehicle for human hope." The OEO Study, released during January, was a test survey of 591 community action agencies on whether the agencies have been mo bilizing resources for the poor, and helping the poor achieve self sufficiency. The report slates "closer working relationships between CAA's and state and local govern ment, which offer genuine help in making the decen tralization o f government succeed during the next few years." The report also asserts that "even at this early stage in the utilization survey, the picture clearly shows that the administra tion's re-direction of Com munity Action was on tar get." The report elicta the faulty reasoning in the Nixon Ad ministration's n e w policy. As Americans, we are an impatient people. We often want, and indeed, receive immediate results. Unfor tunately. immediate results with generational problems of privation and poverty are not realistic. Mammoth and complex governmental pro grams must be allowed time and tolerance for disappoint ment and failure, as well as success and progress. And so the W ar on P o verty is wound down, di luted, and its most important part, the Community Action Agencies are left with a shot in the bark. Domestic po verty programs are not only stopped, frozen, o r dis mantled, but we are faced with a complete void of creative programs to take ■» a / Father Gordon Dickey their place. All this reduction is in tended by the Nixon Ad ministration to help the bud get. But what are Ameri cans to think when the President tells them reve ues must be used to rebuild North and South Vietnam. I jio s and Cambodia, while housing and education at home, social and health pro grams are dismantled from lack of money? We are fared with a four year question mark to that question. Another President has asked the question of the problem in these terms: "The real problem of the modern world, t h e thing which creates misery, wars and hatred among men, is the division of mankind into rich and poor. “And even more important is that a social and economic system nationally supports those divisions a n d con stantly increases them so that the rich get even richer and the poor get relatively poorer and less able to control their own future. "This continues despite all the talk of human equality, the fight against poverty, and of development. Some times this happens through the deliberate decisions of the rich who use their wealth and their power to that end. But often, perhaps more of ten, it happens naturally as a result of the normal work ings of social and economic systems m en have con structed for themselves." (President Julius Nyere of Tanzania, in a speech to Maryknoll missionaries last year.) Africa could turn into an other Vietnam if major coun tries of the world do not help emerging nations throw off what was called their “yoke of colonialism," an A .M .E. Bishop said Bishop H. Hartford Brook ins, presiding bishop in the 17th district of the A .M .E. Church, said, there is a "tremendous thurst by Blacks on the continent for their freedom . . ." Bishop Brookins, who re cently visited Central Africa, said, “If attention is not given seriously and if major coun tries such as ours don't do something right away, on a massive scale . . . we could be headed for another Vietnam." by Rosalie Boothe Miss Strong is currently leaching choral music at Sa bin Elementary School in Portland where I had the rare opportunity to witness her in action. She is one of the rare members of the faculty that has applied the basic teaching methods to the fullest. She has natural vibrations with her students and they all love her dearly. W ith Gail's multi talented background, she brings to Sabin much more than chor al music. Her students are gelling the basics in theatre product ion choreogrophy stage projection and enthu siasm. (iail lakes advantage of every chance to encourage cultural enrichment. She recently staged the opera "Hansel and Gretal" with m sestro Stephen M ind e. Portland Opera Conductor. Gail states she owes much of her academic success to Mr. Issac W hite who makes it possible for Gail to creative ly grow by allowing her to give birth to many of th<- cultural contributions s h e makes as a teacher. Gail's contribution does not stop at choral music. She is shaping minds at Sabin in many other subjects includ ing sports where she inspires pride and concepts of playing it by the rule with firm discipline. Astrologically, Gail is an Aquarian which blends with teaching and projecting into the future. Miss Strong is a native of Tulsa. Oklahoma. After mi grating to Portland she be gan her formal music studies with Jean Knowlton of Port land, (alter, while attending Eastern Nazarene College in Boston, she studied with New York Opera Company Star, Robert Hale and with Robert Brown of Boston. She made her debut with the Quincy, Massachusetts Symphony. Following her return to Portland, she pre pared the role of Aida, under the direction of the late Maestca H erbert Weiskoph. She appeared as guest soloist in Brahms' Requiem, pre sented by Portland State University. Miss Strong is presently studying with Mrs. Dorothy Fisher Jones. Gail has a powerful So prano voice and as the ma turation of her voire is projected, this is indeed a soprano that bears watching. Gail will be heard singing an Aria on “O ur World Too" March 21st, on Channel 12. produced by Rosalie Boothe and Jerri Ghiglieri. MR ’ 1 ft A ¿7 Gail Strong Gail was a winner in the Meiropoliian Opera, D istrict Auditions. "So check her NAACP 10:30 (Continued from pg. 3. Col. 4) p.m. Gail’s advice to today's leenagei-s is "Life with its up» and downs is not easy, seek >e firs! the Kingdom of (osl and Ills Righteousness, and all these things (Fame. Health. W e a l t h , Wisdom, Hap|>inoss. ele.l shall be ad ■ led unto vou." don't have enough firepower to take this country; we don't have enough manpow er to dominate it; we don't have enough dollar power to buy it. And we'll be short of all these powers' until we develop a lot more brain power. In truth, that's the one power we can develop rapidly, with zeal, without scaring the dominant group to the point that it loads on new oppressions." out" March 21st, at Page 5 Africa next Vietnam? Seek ye first The 0E0 dismantling: The war on poverty without honor Thursday, March 1, 1973 YFC plans rally Portland Youth for C hrist/ Campus Life presents it's Spring Rally/Happening on Saturday. March 3, at Lin coin High School auditorium at 7:30 p.m. The program will feature the International m u s ic group " I nder New Manage, ment" which represents the Campus Life program for high school students through out the world. , Admission is free and the public is invited. WELCOME TO ST. M ARK’S BAPTIST CHURCH 119 N . E . M orris Sunday Service 9:15/11:00a jn . Evening Service 7:30 p jn . Reverend Edward W ilder • The NA A C P congratulat es Dr. DeNorval Unthank, a past president of the Port land Branch. N A ACP, on his receiving the B'nai B’rith Award. • The N A A C P encourages all of its members to attend the testimonial affair for Hazel G. Haves on March 2nd at the Ebony Club. Mrs. Haves, a long time worker in I he community, is deserving of such tribute. Tickets are $5.00. He said the "dehumaniz ing” and 'sinful” things hap pening in African countries such as the racial apartheid in Rhodesia, call for immediate r i » i i i ♦ ♦ i ♦ i ♦ ♦ i and from other nations of the world. Racism and oppression pose a "deadly and serious cancer" to the world, he said. n DAY CARE MOTHERS CARE FOR INFANTS IN YOUR HOME. $3.50 a child per day AMA Fam ily D a y /N ig h t Care J 4 6 3 5 N.E. 9th 288-5091 •o e M i AcitatA ST ANDREW S CATHOLIC CHURCH 28’ 442» k x îia n c «V Mtnuu« &•*♦*« O ftO O tn .i MARANATHA CHURCH 1222 NE Skidmore Church school and Bible class: Sunday morning worship: Sunday Evening worship: Wednesday Evening p ray er Friday Worship Service: 9:15 a jn . 10:45 a jn . 7:00 p jn . 7:00 p jn . 7:30 p jn . 288-7241 Bob Harrison - Pastor COMMUNITY CHURCH OF GOD Rev. T. N. Noffa Welcomes you to 2 0 2 N. E. Skidmore 2 8 1 -5 6 7 8 St. Paul Church of God In Christ 2859 N .E . RODNEY 287-7998 Sunday School 9:45 a j n . YPWW Morning Worship 12:00 noon Weekly Services 6:30 p jn . 8:00 p jn . Bishop J.C. F o .t.r, t o . l . r 4635 N. E. 9th Avenue Sunday School 10:00 a j n . Morning Service 11:00 a jn . Breakfast 9:00 - 10:00 s jn . Reverend Samuel Johnson Telephone: Evenings 287-5341 SUNDAY SERVICES: 9:45 Sunday School 1 IKK) Morning Worship 7:00 Evening Worship ALIEN TEMFLE CME CHURCH C o m er of 8th and Skidmore Sunday School 9:30 a jn . Sunday Worship 11:00 a jn . Christian Youth Fellowship 6:00 p jn . (Second and Fourth Sundays) Pastor V. R. Brown You are invited to come and worship with us Home: 2 8 4 -5 5 5 9 Sunday School"^*" 9:45 a jn . Church Service il:00 a-m. Evening Service 7:30 p jn . 6401 N.E. 10th Avenue Reverend Thomas L . Strsyhand, M inister Methodist E 'Come Alive* 'Come to Jesus’ Church of A,iv* the Living God P.G. of T. Temple # 3 4 5828 N.E. tth A. Lee Henderson, Minister 9 0 0 NE Ainsworth Portland, Oregon Sunday School 9:43 a jn . T .U . 6:00 p jn . P rayer Service Junior Church Morning Service 11:00 a j n . Evening Service 7:30 p jn . Wednesdays 7:30 p jn . Friday 7:30 p jn . Vancouver Av«. Fir«» Baptist Church 3138 N. Vancouver Ave. Phone 282-9496 School 9:00 Sunday Morning Worship Pastor Rev. S. Green 111 M S * “ A.M. 1 b 0 0 A.M. Dr. O. B. Williams, Pastor **The church with e h eeit-felt welcome" 288-S 429 Ellis Cosson, Associate Minister Church School Morning W or »hip Wed. Noon — The Hour of Power Wed. Pray., & C iati Meeting Nurtery Core Provided 9:45 am 11:00 am 12:00 noon 7:30 pm 'W e ere making our Neighborhood A Brotherhood Ohe „1 frutti Olivet Kapiisi Church Rev John M. Jockton Minuter N E First and Schuyler Portland, Ore. Phon. 284 1954 Sunday School Morning Worship W n p et t « u . m a r to worsAtp an d dRparr lo a m * 9 e.i II a i 5 P '
