Page 2
P orti soci/Obee re ar
Thursday. A p ril 12, 1973
Th*
M iler’s
ALFRED LBF MIND8R90N
WE SEE THE WORLD
THROUGH BLACK EYES
Why a Black press?
Why a Black Press? The need for the Black
press was once again brought home to us this
past week. What kind of treatment was given
b y the white press of an event in Albina that
was called "a very special day" by Mayor
Goldschmidt.
This event, the symbolic removal of the boards
from the Lampus store on Union Avenue, was
considered important enough to the Black com
munity to be attended by the Mayor of Portland,
County Commissioner Don Clark, Secretary of
State Clay Myers, State Treasurer James Reddin,
State Representatives Stephen Kafoury and
W ally Priestley, and representatives of the
Bureau of Labor and the Executive Department.
The Albina community was well represented by
Ellis Casson of the NAiACP, E. Shelton Hill of the
Urban League, Bishop J.C. Foster of AMA,
Reverend T.L. Strayhand, Larry W heeler of First
National Bank, Joe Bostick of M edia, Ken
Brummer of the Pressmen Union, and many,
many more private citizens. Black and white.
Did the television cameras flock around the
Mayor or the State Treasurer? Did they inter
view such private citizens as Charles Jordan,
James Lee, Father Bride, Faye Lyday, S.Q.
Broadus or many more who were there for
various reasons and had varied thoughts about
the occassion?
No, they spent their time with the one young
man who attracted their attention with his
negative remarks. This is his right -- but do
not the TV stations not have the responsibility to
present a true picture of the events as they
happened? Apparently not when it happens in
the Black community.
For good news from
Albina is consistently distorted or ignored by the
white news media.
KGW-TV was particularly
blatant this time — and owes an apology to
the people of Albina for its biased "news"
coverage.
Then take Oregon's largest white daily -- it
did not even cover the event. On one of the
back pages of the Friday paper was an article
mentioning that Mr. Lampus would remove his
boards -- but the article played down the
positive aspects of Mr. Lampus' action and
dwelled on past problems and negative at
titudes.
One radio station began its news announce
ment with something like: "Violence in North
Portland under control" -- discussing riots of 5
years ago rather than the positive events of the
day.
The news media can report the news, each in
his own way -- negative, defeatist, distorted,
biased, racist or whatever. That is "freedom of
the press". But that is also why it is necessary
that there be a Black press; so that when Blacks,
or members of the Albina community, do
something positive, make some progress, make
some efforts, it will be reported factually.
We occassionally think it is getting better
a few Blacks are being hired in the news media,
once in a while we read a good public interest
article about a Black person or a Black organi
zation. But the policies remain the same: Crime
and riots on the front page, progress and
achievement hidden in the back pages or not
printed at all; Distortion, stereotypes and half-
truths.
This is why the Black press was founded 146
years ago and why it is still alive today.
As I See It
might
Science might have found another use for
Black people, it was recently reported at a
science seminar in Arizona.
Drs. Karl and
Ingegard Hellstrom, of the University of Wash
ington, told how they had occidently happened
upon some unexplained differences in blood
serum taken from Blacks.
The studies were an effort to find a substance
that would prevent or slow meiunoma, a type of
skin cancer.
M elanoma is rarely found in
Blacks.
In using the blood serum of students for their
studies, the Hellstroms happened upon different
reactions of serum from Black students than from
whites.
In the research procedure, tumor cells from a
patient are grown in the laboratory, then
ymphocytes from the patient are added
The
ymphocytes, which are protective cells that
circulate in the blood, are unable to stop the
growth of the cancer in the patient, but when
added to cancer cells, kill them. Serum from the
blood of patients with cancer inhibits the ability
of the lymphocytes to kill cancer cells; but serum
from persons free of the disease does not.
The Hellstroms found that serum from the
blood of disease-free Blacks also inhibits the
ability of the lymphocytes to kill cancer cells.
The significance of this difference is not
understood, but it could be related to the rare
incidence of melanoma in Blacks and might be
of significance in opening research to find a
way to slow cancer growth or to vaccinate
against cancer.
If the blood of Blacks is found to be of use in
preventing cancer in whites, an entirely new use
for Blacks may have been found.
Back to the breeding farms as in the days of
slavery!
Away with family planning for the
ghetto! No more worries about genocide!
■
I
N W A L PER
The National Commission
on Consumer Finance (NCCF),
In a recent report to Cong mss
stated that It found no evidence
of wldsapmad me la I discrim
ination, but concluded that
lenders often must deny credit
to worthy consumers because
of ’’difficulties creditors hare
In collecting debts In certain
amaa of Inner cities.“ H isto r
ically, Blacks have been un-
warrantedly
discriminated
against in receiving credit
from loan companies, banks
and other m u ll businesses.
This w rite r agrees that the
NCCF may not have found
any overt evidence of W IDE
SPREAD racial discrim ina
tion by lenders, tut It does
not necessarily m eanthatdla-
c rlm biatlon does not exist.
Lenders and creditors am too
sophlatlcated and shrewd to
leave evidence of discrim ina
tion. I for one not only have
been discriminated against,
but show of WIDESPREAD ln-
Unces of other Blacks that
also have been denied credit
because of th eir color and
The NCCF report declared,
because credit is so Impor
tant to American consumers,
that It should he available to
every trust-worthy applicant
< Ä
on a n o n d is c r lm ln a to r y
basis.“ Moat people would
agree with thia conclusion.
However, like many recom
mendations they are not Im
plemented. F o r too long has
Congress refused to pass
meaningful legislation to pro
tect the consumers. In fact
many states have legislation
that la more extensive than
the
Federal
Government.
Thera must, however, ba na
tional legislation to protect
the American consumers.
The American consumers,
themselves are partly respon
sible for the lack of meaning-
fill laws, rales and regula
tions. P art of It Is due to our
lack of knowledge of what to
Thatfe when lower Long D irta
rates begin on weekday*.
T h e best time io share the good times in dsa
northwest is after 5 P M on weekdays. T h a t’ s svfcoB
lower Long Distance rates begin. And that’ s sal
you're likclv to find friends and fam ily si home.
So go ahead and spread the good word.
Long Distance calls get people together.
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Y continues discrimination
Dear Sir:
It is with regret that I
announce the withdrawal of
the 1972 McPherson Award
because the conditions of the
award las approved by the
Portland YW C A Board of
Directors in September 1971
and January 1972) were not
fulfilled.
A t the donor's request
that the award conditions
either be fulfilled or the
award withdrawn, the 1972
presentation made by the
Portland YW CA is null and
void for the following rea
sons:
1. personnel and program
should have been limited
to the year 1972:
2. formal affirm ative ac
tion evaluation regarding
the numerical increase of
racial minorities was not
complied with according to
the Board adopted criteria
(of September 1971 and
January 1972);
3.
a one-person depart
ment which does not in-
with by the committee and
therefore the 1972 award is
cancelled inasmuch as efforts
to comply with said guide
lines have not been fulfilled
regarding paid personnel.
dude any racial minorities
as paid personnel in said
department for the year
evaluated, is not eleigible
for award (award criteria
enuciate “significant num
erical increase” in per
sonnel - both paid and
volunteer);
action regarding personnel
employment and programs of
in te rra c ia l u n d erstan d in g .
The annual evaluation form
(approved by the Board in
January 1972) included both
personnel and program. It is
my understanding that said
guidelines were not complied
4. the award is a group
award and not an indivi
dual award.
Governor needs raise
I t was only after the pre
sentation that I learned of
irregularities ign o ring the
above four aspects and I im
mediately conveyed my con
cern to the Portland YW CA
Board of Directors. The pre
sentation at this year's an
nual meeting is therefore not
valid.
Acutely aware that current
Afro-American employment
in professional and non-pro
fessional positions at the
Portland YW CA is not coin
parable to that of approxi
mately fifteen years ago. I
had hoped that the McPher
son Award would assist in
motivating both affirm ative
To the Editor:
Public reaction generated
by a bill that would pay the
Governor as much as a
Congressman has made one
point clear to me:
People have no idea what
top level executives earn in
government or private in
dustry.
I t doesn't take much re
search to f i n d prevailing
wage rates for top level peo
ple range from 1 'A to 10
times the Governor's annual
salary. There are a number
of public employees in the
State of Oregon that are paid
more than the Governor. We
Sincerely,
Mrs. Osly J. Gates
ought to seriously consider
the implications of paying
the Governor less than we
pay many other public offic
ials in Oregon and far less
than people with comparable
positions in private industry,
good government that we
should provide financial im
pediments to getting the
best caliber of employees,
whether elected or appoint
ed.
ro/¡// i \/>
Salutes
Youth of tin'
Week
Sincerely,
Earl Blumenauer
State Representative
A YOUNG VIEW OF WASHINGTON
GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
change “ I t ’s a nice, clean issue,' one
feminist put it.
That she is right is underscored by
results on Capitol Hill where so far this
year no fewer than 15 bills have been
introduced relating to the availability of
consumer credit to women. Scores more
are pending in state legislatures and be
fore city councils.
Some retailers and bankets have al
ready seen the handwriting on the wall
and are moving voluntarily to change the
score. And why n o t-a fte r all, the busi
ness community is painfully aware that
S3 per cent o f consumers are female.
The validity of the women’s charges
aboqt credit availability has been well
documented. Studies uniformly show
that stores, banks, and other institutions
which grant credit or loans discriminate
by-
- often counting none or at best 50
per cent o f a married woman’s income in
granting mortgage loans;
-refusing to count community prop
erty as coUateral, because, in some states,
the husband is considered the sole mana
ger of jointly-held property;
demanding proof of sterilization as
assurance that the woman will continue
working;
-disregarding alimony and child sup
port payments as income;
-autom atically classifying divorced
women as “ credit risks” because credit
ratings established during mim age belong
solely to the husband.
The list goes on, and all in all it
presents a pretty strong indictment
against the financial community, which
t w e e eeaega A » » »
I t is ironic a t a time when
people are concerned about
With Ron Hendron
W A SH IN G TO N -Straggles for change
more often than not prove threatening to
more people than not. So it has been with
civil rights movements, with er.d-the-war
crusades, with anti-poverty campaigns,
and, at least until now, with the drive for
women’s equality.
every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, 2201
Indeed, women's equality is a particu
sworth, Portland, Oregon 97217. M ailing address,
larly good example of a cause which
1137, Portland, Oregon 97208
potentially threatens the vested interests
of a vast number of people. And it was
Subscriptions $5.25 per year - Tri-County ares. $6.00 per year
not until the issue o f equal salaries for the
- outside Portland.
sexes
came to the fore that the movement
Telephone, 283-2486.
garnered widespread understanding and
Application to mail at second class postage rates Is pending sympathy. Everybody wants to be paid
his or her worth, and few people ever
at Portland, Oregon.
think they are.
The Observer’s official position is expressed only In Its
Even so, sympathy is not necessarily
Publisher’s Column (The observation Post) and the Editor’ s
followed by active support. The business
Desk. Any other material throughout the paper Is the opinion
of earning a living can be pretty cut
of the Individual w rite r or submitter and does not necessarily
throat, and words, even when entered on
reflect the opinion of the Observer.
the statute books, don’t necessarily insure
Any erroneous reflection upon the character, standing or
corrective action. I t ’s what one woman
reputation o f person, firm or corporation, which may appear In leader called “ the vast gap between prac
the Portland Observer will be cheerfully corrected uponbelng tice and policy” on the equal salary front.
brought to the attention of the Editor.
One aspect of the money issue, how
ever, is receiving both sympathetic atten
tion and a surprising degree of prompt,
MEMBER_______________
corrective action, and that is the question
ALFRED L . HENDERSON
of sex bias in the lending world.
Oregon
E
It is pietty well established that
EDITOR/PUBLISHER
H H Newspaper
women have always had a harder time
than men in securing loans. Married
women generally are required to have
Publishers
i n w l Association
MEMBER
their husbands co-sign notes. Single or
divorced women often find it impossible
to obtain loans or credit.
The brilliance of the credit issue from
women’s standpoint is that lenders are
Attocitllon - Founded 1885
the only people directly threatened by
¡■Il
1973: The year
of the consumer
by Lenwood G . Dsvls
back and do nothing. Secoral,
we can w rite our local, stats
and national repreaontatlves
and urge thorn to support
meaningful consumer legisla
tion. T h ird , wo can support
consum er
organizations.
Since we ere paying our hard
earned money, we must yj- -
MAND that we get our money's
worth and lot the lenders and
creditors show in any uncer
tain term s that we W IL L NOT
tolérais deceit, misrepresen
tation, fraud o r shabby ser
vices o r praductsl ONLY WE
AS CONSUMERS CAN BRING
CHANGES IN THE A T T I
TUDES O F BUSINESSES IN
AMERICA!
do and part of It la dua to our
own apathy. Today, however,
we hsve more avenues In which
to find out Information about
products. Tharefore, Ignor
ance about products can no
longer be an accepted excuse.
M oreover, consumer educa
tion can he our more vital
weapon. We not only must he
concerned as consumers, but
must do something about It.
We can do a number of
things as Individuals as well
as a group. F irs t, if we re
ceive a product or service that
we are not satisfied with, we
should return or report it to
the proper person. In other
words, we should no longer alt
either was unprepared for the onslaught
or had a pretty poor csss to begin
w ith-possibly both.
W o m e n ’ s salaries, bankers have
pointed out, are not as high as men’s, and
that restricts their line of credit. Aside
from being irrelevant, that argument
poses a kind o f Pontius Pilate yea-things-
are-bad-but-look-it’s-not-my-fault stance.
They go on to say that in many states
legal limitations disfavoring women bind
the lender’s hands, that there are laws
which, for example, require the husband’s
signature on instruments o f debt. That,
too, is a weak defense, for it implies,
quite correctly, that the laws themselves
are unfair-precisely the women’s point.
It is not surprising, then, that the
“ Give-Credit-Where-Credit-Ie-Due” move
ment has received attention in all parts of
the country and support from many
segments o f the populace. The issue has
begun to get its fair share of press
coverage. And legislative action, both
federal and state, is likely to peak later
this year. With it will come a major
advance for women’s equality, marking
the movement once again a a political
force to he reckoned with. For sure,
victory in the credit arena will provide
women's equalitiats an important psycho
logical boost which h a been sorely
missed to date.
Pamela Marshall, a Junior at St. Mary's Aeudaaay. to
interested in Law Architecture.
By going to Albiaa
Youth Opportunity School part time to take eatra
courses, Pamela wilt be graduating at the early age
of 16.
Keeping a 3.5 grade average. Pamela spends bar apare
time w riting. She hopes to someday w rite a beak of
abort stories and poems.
Her interest in community
activities, her personal ambitions and her scholarly
achievements make Misa Pamela Marshall our student
of the week, a sure candidate for the winning circle.
C o u rte s y
THE PORTLAND OBSERVER
P.O Box 3137
Portland, O regon 97208
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