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.