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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 8, 1973)
Page 2 P ortland/übserver Thursday. March 8, 1973 The Editor’s Desk 0 P O S T This is Leadership? ALFRED LEK HSNDERSON CSD will decide The C h ild re n 's Services D ivisio n o f th e H um an Resources D e p a rtm e n t is the a g e n c y th a t w ill e v e n tu a lly d e te rm in e w h ic h social p ro tects se rving the ch ild re n a n d fa m ilie s o f the Black c o m m u n ity w ill surve. In je o p a rd y a re the 4-C fu n d e d c h ild care pro gram s, th e Y aun Y outh C are C enters, the fo ste r-ca re p ro g ra m , a nd o th e r s p e c ia liz e d p ro g ram s e ith e r fu n d e d th ro u g h or m o n ito re d by CSD. CSD has little if a n y u n d e rs ta n d in g o f the p ro b le m s, th e a sp ira tio n s, ih e g o a ls o f the Black c o m m u n ity since th e y h ave chosen fo r th e past 10 years not to h ire Blacks in a n y s ig n ific a n t n u m b e r CSD, w h ic h is an o ffs h o o t fro m th e W e lfa re C om m ission, n o w has in M u ltn o m a h C ou nty a total o f 6 Black e m p lo ye e s. D u rin g the past ten years 5 Blacks have bee n h ire d in M u ltn o m a h C ou nty as C asew orkers a n d so cial w o rke rs. Two o f these persons had Bachelors d e g re e s a t th e tim e o f h irin g and th re e had M asters d eg re es. T w o-th irds o f th e Black e m p lo y e e s h c v e M asters degrees. CSD has no Blacks on th e State le v e l. This v irtu a lly a ll- w h ite a g e n c y w ill d e te rm in e w h ic h M o d e l C ities social p ro g ra m s w ill e xist and w h ic h w ill be e lim in a te d . S h o u ld an a ll- w h ite state a g e n cy co m e into a Black c o m m u n ity and d e c id e w h a t p ro g ra m s w ill c o n tin u e ? M ost o f these pro gram s a re o p e ra te d by c o m m u n ity b oa rd s w h o KNOW the needs o f the p e o p le o f A lb in a . W hy should an a ll- w h ite a g e n cy, th a t c a n n o t e v e n m eet the A ffirm a tiv e A c tio n re q u ire m e n ts o f HEW, d e cide w h a t w ill h a p p e n in th e Black c o m m u n ity ? CSD - b e fo re you co m e in a n d te ll us w h a t to d o, p ut yo u r house in o rd e r! H ire Blacks at a ll le ve ls -- co u n ty a nd state. Educate yo u r e m p lo ye e s a b o u t the history a n d c u ltu re o f Black p e o p le . C om e to the c o m m u n ity a n d see w h a t th e p e o p le w a n t. Then m ake y o u r decisions. R eg ula tion s a ffe c tin g the live s o f th e p e o p le ca nn ot be c o n tin g e n t on o ne h e a rin g h e ld in one p art o f the state. Can the p o o r fro m H arney C ou nty com e to Salem or P ortland fo r a h e a rin g ? A series o f h e a rin g s sh ou ld be h e ld in th e areas m ost a ffe c te d , at tim es w h e n e m p lo y e d p e o p le can a tte nd . These h e a rin g s sh o u ld sin c e re ly in v ite the ideas a nd concerns o f th e p e o p le a n d n ot be o n ly a fo rm a lity re q u ire d by la w . The p ro g ra m s a d m in is te re d by CSD -- ADC, foster care, co rrectio ns, etc. -- a re a m o n g the w orst a d m in is te re d p ro g ra m s o f th e state. Perhaps th ey sh o u ld stra ig h te n o u t th e ir o w n p ro g ra m b e fo re try in g to ta ke o ve r th e p riv a te ly a d m in iste re d p ro gram s. WE SÈE THE WORLD THROUGH BLACK EYES Published every Thur-day by Exie Publishing Company, 2201 N . Killingsworth, Portland, Oregon 97217. M ailing address. P.O. Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208 Subscriptions >5.25 per year - Tri-C ounty area, >6.00 per year - Outside Portland. Telephone, 283-2486. Application to mail at second class postage rates is pending at Portland, Oregon. The Observer’s official position is expressed only in its Publisher’ s Column (The Observation Post) and the E ditor’ s Desk. Any other m aterial throughout the paper is the opinion of the individual w rite r or submitter and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Observer. Any erroneous reflection upon the character, standing or reputation of person, firm o r corporation, which may appear in the Portland Observer w ill be cheerfully corrected upon being brought to the attention of the E ditor, Letter to the Editor The O b s e r v a tio n The State P ublic U tilitie s C om m issio n is m a k in g a n im p o rta n t d e c is io n th a t w ill d e te rm in e w h e th e r the state w ill be a p a rty to th e re s tric tio n o f an in d u stry to w h ite s . This d e cisio n in v o lv e s W illia m Jones, a Black d u m p truck o w n e r, w h o has a p p lie d fo r a d u m p truck license. A n O re g o n la w p ro v id e s th a t d u m p truck licenses w ill not be issued if the a p p lic a n t c a n n o t p ro v e th e n e e d fo r m o re trucks. This la w , d e s ig n e d to p ro te c t the in c o m e o f th e e x is tin g truckers, m ig h t be p ro p e r, a lth o u g h m ost businessm en a re n ot p ro te c te d a g a in s t c o m p e titio n . But if it is used to p e rp e tu a te an a ll- w h ite ind ustry, it is not p ro p e r. It so h ap pe ns th a t a ll th e d u m p truck o w n e rs a n d d riv e rs in O re g o n a re w h ite , a n d if th e y are a llo w e d to re ta in th e ir pre sen t m e m b e rs h ip , th e y w ill re m a in a ll w h ite . It is a lso stran ge th a t a short tim e a g o a n o th e r w h ite w as a w a rd e d a lice n se w ith o u t protest. W e b e lie v e th e state sh o u ld n ot just a llo w , b ut sh o u ld e n c o u ra g e a nd e n a b le th e e n try o f Blacks a n d o th e r m in o ritie s into a ll o f th e in d u strie s th a t a re re g u la te d by the state or o th e r p u b lic b od ie s. W e d o not see h o w th e re can be a n y q u e s tio n in this m atter. The issuing o f th is licen se s h o u ld be d o n e at once. If th e state a g e n c y sh o u ld d e c id e a g a in s t M r. Jones, it w ill be in d a n g e r o f b e in g fo u n d g u ilty o f d e n y in g the e q u a l p ro te c tio n g u a ra n te e o f th e 14th A m e n d m e n t to its Black citizens. H o w e v e r, such a d e c is io n w o u ld n ot be s u rp risin g , c o n s id e rin g the state's o w n re co rd in m in o rity e m p lo y m e n t. W e, as w e ll as th e Public U tilitie s C om m issio n, sh o u ld be a b le to lo o k to o u r e le c te d o ffic ia ls fo r le a d e rs h ip in the fie ld - but in O re g o n w e d o n ot h ave this a d v a n ta g e . We h a v e d iffic u lty in e v e ry fin d in g a Black in the c ro w d e d m a rb le h a lls o f the C a p ito l B u ild in g . W e w o u ld in d e e d by shocked to w a lk in to th e o ffic e o f th e G o v e rn o r or o n e o f th e ma|Or e le c te d o ffic ia ls a n d be g re e te d by a Black s ta ff m e m b e r. L oo kin g to W a s h in g to n , w e a g a in see " o u r " state re p re sented by w h ite s , w ith a ll- w h ite staffs, a n d w ith little co nce rn fo r w h a t h a p p e n s to th e ir Black co nstitu en ts back h om e Christians promote racism The YW C A h ire d a Black u tility cle rk last w e e k . Prior to this th e Y h ad th re e fu ll tim e Black e m p lo y e e s — 2 cu stodians a n d a m a id They a lso e m p lo y e d a p art tim e m a id . They h a v e a to ta l o f 55 e m p lo y e e s . The Y o p e ra te s a sm a ll p ro g ra m in A lb in a , using v o lu n te e r la b o r a n d d o n a te d space. Since the YW CA stands fo r Y o un g W om ens C h ristia n A sso ciatio n, o n e w o u ld e xp e ct th a t it w o u ld e x e m p lify th e C hristia n te n n a n t o f b ro th e r h o o d a n d be a le a d e r in the fig h t fo r e q u a l rights. W e sh o u ld e xp e ct this o rg a n iz a tio n to be an e x a m p le o f a ffirm a tiv e a ctio n . The YW CA c la im s th a t the reason th e y d o not h a v e Blacks in h ig h e r le ve ls is th a t Blacks d o not w a n t to w o rk fo r th e sa la rie s th e y p a y ; ye t th ey can fin d Blacks w h o w ill w o rk fo r the sa la rie s o f m a id s a n d custodians. The YW CA is not th e o n ly " C h ris tia n " o rg a n iz a tio n th a t does not p ra c tic e e q u a l e m p lo y m e n t. The G re a te r P ortland C o u n cil o f C hurches -- re p re se n tin g m ost o f the P ortland a re a churches — has no Blacks on its sta ff. Blacks th o u g h t Dr. R ichard H ughes w o u ld be s o m e w h a t o f a p a n a c e a a n d w o u ld re m e d y this s itu a tio n , b u t soon fo u n d o ut th a t th e re w as a n e w fa ce c o n tin u in g an o ld p o lic y . W illia m (B ill) C ates a n d C la y to n Rice m a d e an a tte m p t to at least h ea r the p ro b le m s o f Black c le rg y a n d th e p ro b le m s o f Blacks in g e n e ra l. They e ven o ffe re d a h e lp in g h an d. H o w e v e r, Dr H ughes, w ith his p la titu d in o u s phrases, sounds g o o d a n d is an a rtist o f o ra to ry , yet Blacks a nd m in o ritie s can p o in t to no a c h ie v e m e n t since his a rriv a l in the Rose City. It se^m s to be the SOS sam e o ld soup w a rm e d o ver a g a in . The ALFRED LEE HENDERSON, P ubllsher/E dltor Dear Editor: I would like to rongratu late you (or the fine edition of the Portland Observer for February 15th. The material on Blacks in Oregon was in formative. Every Black man woman and child should have read that i s s u e and pre served it for posterity. As of date, there is no comprehen sive history on Blacks in the Beaver State. I would like to see the "noted" Black His torians in Oregon write the history.of Blacks in the state. As I stated in my article in the September issue of the Oregon Historical Quarterly "The p r e * e ii t period of Black cultural conscious ness indicates quite clearly that Blacks in Oregon are no longer willing to reiect their cultural heritage and racial identity. The need lor all the (ample o f Oregon to understand a n it appreciate the r o l e and impact that Blacks have had on helping build and develop Oregon is critical. Il is in this context that the preservation and in terpcelation of material on Blacks in Oregon c a n be most meaningful." There shouldn't be a week set aside for Black History. Black History s h o u l d be taught every day Blacks in Oregon should I»' informed that some Blacks have been in the Slate longer t h a n some w h iles. Also that Ore gon has haii Black pioneers, ranchers, soldiers, servants, sailors, slaves, and even ex plorers. Perhaps if young Black Oregonians knew these farts they would view them selves differently . The "true” history of Blacks in Oregon, regretably, h a s not been written. What a r e the "noted" Black Historians in Oregon doing Io inform young Blacks about the history of Black people i n Oregon? ta n it be that these Black authorities" have not done any research in their own backyard? I will let the public draw their own con elusions about these "author ¡ties" on Black history especially those w ho "live the Black experience everyday"! Lenwood (1. Davis. I(!| Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association SI MEMBER A uocielion - Founded 1885 OBSERVER jX -Y our Newspaper TALE OF FORTUNES AND TAXES W A SH IN G TO N A few days ago Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wtac.) pointed out that the total sales o f the corporations known as the Fortune $00 at the begin ning of this decade exceeded by more than 200 per cent the total budget receipts o f the U.S. government in the same year, 1970. He went on to point out that among the 100 largest "money power»’’ o f the world, more than half are not countries at all, but corporations. The sales o f Standard Oil of New Jersey, for example, exceeded by more than four times the total revenues re ceived by the state whose name the company bore until recently when it changed its name to Exxon. Indeed, only 2$ nations in the world have gross national products larger than the annual sales of Exxon. The i im t is true of A T .A T . General Motor»’ net sales put that company 24th from the top on the same list. (lose behind are Ford Motor Com pany. Shell. Sears, Roebuck, General Electric, International Business Machines; Mobile O il, Chrysler, and International Telephone and Telegraph-companies which are more powerful financially than all but the largest 20 or so countries in the world. And yet, five of this nation's 4$ largest corporations paid no federal income tax whatsoever in 19 7 1, the year o f Nelson’s comparison, even though these five com panies had taxable incomes totalling >382 million. Six more o f the 4$ paid less than 10 per cent tax in the same year, while the average rate for the rest o f the nearly two million Amencan corporations was 37 per cent. Part o f the problem is that these giant conglomerates are so big. so unwieldy and so diversified that it has been all but Syndicated IV T J b y W A S H IN G T O N W tE K lY , Inc All rights rasarmd. Dispensers of Fashion Eyew ear Vernon Jordan, Executive D ire c to r of the National U r ban League, said cute in so cial services projected in the federal ludget " w ill have a disastrous Impact on Black citizens and on all poor peo- ple.” Jordan said: "T h e pro posed dissolution of OEO and its community action pro grams w ill break faith with Black people and poor people who had started to Ixuld com munity strengths with high hopes. It w ill end hundreds of constructive local social program s. It w ill remove from the institutional fabric of our government the sole agency whose duty It is to be die advocate of the poor and the powerless.’’ 6 3 0 SW B ro ad w ay 2 2 6 -6 6 8 8 .la n tio n Beach 2 8 3 -3 1 9 5 SIDNEY THO M AS D ISPENSING O P T IC IA N Dr. L. W e s le y A p la n a lp O p to m e tris t Soft and R eg ular contact lenses Associate optom etrists: BRIGGS, H A T T E N , M IL L E R 8« STENG ER ibur ticket to the big game: ^...including transportation (Reprinted from The Atlanta Inquirer, February 24, 1973) The report said the cause of the drop in life expectancy was soaring drug and alcohol use, poverty and hard jobs. Where alcohol is concerned, it was "learned” that some Blacks work hard all week and start drinking Friday evening and continue until Sunday. A look at any liquor store will tell anybody that drinking statistic. Black men, according to impossible to regulate them from the scanty amount of tax information they are required to make public under present law. Nelson has proposed legislation to remedy this situation by requiring the nation’s 4,348 largest companies to dis close much more information about their corporate income taxes, making public scrutiny possible for the first time. At that, hit bill (S. 875) would affect only one-fourth o f one per cent o f American corporations But those 4,348 strongly affect if not control the economies of this and many other countries. The measure is sure to meet powerful opposition from business, even though it would not directly coat corporations so much as one cent. Nonetheless, the dis closure of key tax information is certain to pose the threat of losing some o f the tax loopholes which have made it possible for businesses to grow to immense size without carrying their fair share of the overall tax burden. And when you are president o f a company-say. General Motors whose sales exceed the gross national products of Mexico, Sweden, the Netherlands, Bel gium, Argentina, Romania, and Switzer land. to name a fe w -th e n you have a lot of clout indeed to bnng against one senator and one modest proposal. So S. 87$ is likely to fail. What percentage of taxes will you be paying this coming April I $? Binyon Optical Anybody Listening? A recent report out of Mich igan that the life expectancy of Blacks in Michigan dropped 2.6 years during the last decade comes as no great surprise to us. The Michigan report is an indication of how hard life ia for Black people - some thing Black people and those who have fought with them for justice and equality have known all along. I t is a statistic n o t confined to Michigan alone. Indeed, one might find a larger drop in some other areas of the country and within some areas of these areas of the country. The revelation s i m p l y means to us, "Did anybody hear? Especially somebody in the W hite House con sidering all the programs designed to help that some body has decided are fail ___________ A YOUNG VIEW OF WASHINGTON Another Point of View urea. MEMBER With Ron H»ndnn the report can now expect to live only 61.4 years as op posed to a 64 year life ex pectancy ten years ago. D r. K u rt Gorwitz, Director of the Michigan Department of Public Health, said the decline was due to a "whole variety of factors" including the concentration of Blacks in "lower level occupations" which sometimes i n v o l v e hard physical labor and dan gerous working conditions. To that, we would add. “no working conditions”. Such a report should mean: "Oh, look what we are doing to human beings." But it won't. In some quarters, it will probably meet with delirious delight that "here's one way to get rid of some of them." Of course, that's what has been happening all along. And that's what we and our supporters have been fighting. The problem is that some people aren't lia tening, o r acting and when they act, they do so in a reactionary way that solves nothing for any human being. Is anybody there? Listen ing? And ready to act positively? We doubt it. They probably pushed the report under some ill made, inconspicuous table. You want to see the big game. So what do you do? Just switch on your T V set And see more of the action than most of the men on the field You've got Ihe best seal in Ihe house for about 2« worth of electricity per game Sound like a preliy good deal? Il is. Electricity. Il's a bargain. And we know that bargains are hard Io find today. Almost as hard lo find as enough leg room in Ihe grandstand. Pacific Rower where we make the electricity that m ake* things nicer fo r everybody. IT’S COMMG! • Prizes every week • Easy to enter I • Easy to win. It’s the OBSERVER'S new EZ Winner Contest. Watch for details, coming soon in the PORTLAND OBSERVER.
