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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 26, 1973)
Mro Frances Schoen-*.'«w8pnper noo« U n iv e r s ity o f Ure«on lib r a r y ( U r n e , Ci 'on J74O3 POR TLA ND V o lu m e 3 , N o. 2 9 P o rtla n d , O re g o n AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER OBSERVER Thursday A p ril 2 6 , 197 3 10< p e r copy Gray founds Alabama bank 10 * * ,he S o dium ™ cw go <*~rn , re I f no* *he youngest C*nt,r- ,M n” ho* m-mh. r Qf t(w OBOA|JE SSS.JX, •’ f « • g c” »r- Albina Art Center struggles to survive Approximately 3 month» ago, with a lot of faith, much enthusiasm and dire need, the Albina Art Center opened Ha doors on a full time basis. Carl Debnam. director, and several volunteers who main tain the upkeep of the renter are now working countless without pay, to put he bark on its feet. Realinr he deep need for a eoounui...y base for cultural activities and seeing the en thusiaam of the youth who have recently come to the eenter in crowds to use its realities, a plea for funds and volunteers has been issued from its management. The beep, bop, bumpity, bum pity. bump sound of Jam es Brown is heard throughout the center as a dance team p ractices its steps. In the background a tw inkling piano is heard, while just in the other room the soft bur. of a saw is heard where a wood sculpture is slow ly but su rely being carved. The former is a description of an average day at the Albina Art Center. The need for the center is apparent. However, in spite of all the cooperation and publicity given to the center by the media, there have been no monies received from any sources. On April 7th Earl Debnam. director, had a talk with Mayor Neil Goldschmidt and City Commissioner Mildred Schwab. At that time they expressed deep concern with the financial crisis of the Albina Art Center. Mayor Goldschmidt said he would do whatever he could to see that the Albina Art Center got the money promised to it by Model Cities. The money promised by Model Cities (Please turn to pg. 7, col. 3) Tryon P. Gray, a former resident of Portland, an nounced the establishment of a Black bank in Montgomery, Alabama. The interim Board of Directors of the United Memorial Bank, chaired by Gray, has received prelimi nary approval for the esta bliahment of the first mi n ority-chartered n a tio n a l bank in the history of this city and the state. The bank will serve two major purposes: (1) It will be a base- tor serving the economic needs of the local community, and (2) Will be come a shrine to those per sons such as Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr., John E. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson. Dr. Ralph J. Bunch, Whitney Young, Medgar E v ers, M ich ael Schwerner. Andrew Good man, James Chaney, Jimmie Lee Jackson, and Mrs. Viola Gregg Liuzzo, who made significant contributions to minority improvement and development during their life times. Gray said. “It is the con sensus ot this board that if we as Blacks are to become an intricate part of this great nation, then we must pursue the avenues of economical development. It is our firm belief that social changes without economical growth is crippling to us a a Black people. We would like to make it crystal clear that this project is not to be constructed as a segregation project meant only for Blacks. This bank will be exartly as I mentioned ~ it will be a bank the same as any bank in Montgomery.'' The organization of the United Memorial National Bank is being sponsored by the proposed Board of Direc tors, who believe that the establishment of the bank should be beneficial not only to the Black community, but to the entire community of Montgomery. Although the NYC candidate visits Portland Tall, slender, with an in tellectual air, Mr. Norman Oliver, 22 years of age, gives an appearance of naive youthfulness, but also, one of mature awareness. Norman Oliver is the 1973 Socialist Workers Party's candidate for mayor of New York City. His campaign for mayor was announced February 15, 1973. Oliver, a former member of the Black Panther Party, is an activist in the Black Liberation movement. Ori ginally from Detroit, Norman that the D em ocratic and joined the Young Socialist Republican parties are selling Alliance Party in May of them out. They feel a need 1968. Mr. Oliver believes for an alternative to the that the Socialist party is in major parties. The Demo “the interest of Black people." cratic and Republican parties, he explained are controlled A se lf acclaim ed Black by the capitalist profit sys natinalist, Oliver pointed out tem , w hile the S ocialist that Black and Puerto Rican Party "puts human needs people in New York City are ahead of capitalist profits". unsatisfied with existing con The S o cia list W orkers ditions and beginning to feel Party has been in existence since 1938; yet now in 1973, 35 years later, the party has a minority membership of only 8 to 10%. Oliver however, feels that the per rentage will soon increase due to "a new development of radicals". In 1972, Oliver challenged the Stale's attorney of Cook County, Edward Hanrahan in Chicago. His short bu de tailed history is one of pro test. In high school, he was the editor of a Detroit city wide high school newspaper, Six 1st Prizes of 20% Black Student Voice. During down, many 2nd the May 1970 antiwar up prizes of 5% surge, he served as chair down on a man of the Detroit Student new home. Mobilization Committee to Dutails at End the War in Vietnam. In our offices. the fall of 1971, Oliver toured Southern campuses speaking on “Pan Africanism and the struggle for Black Libera tion.” A strongly determined but realistic man, Norman Oliver states, "I may not be elected as mayor of New York City, but I'll show them (the people! that the Democrat * 71 O iliest * Phons 248.1734 Bldg . Portland. Orsgon 97204 and Republican Parties will not serve their interests." Enter today' Over *100,000 in prizes- you may WIN and move in! Franklin TYRONE GRAY bank will be established in the Black community, the Board of Directors hopes that a cross section of the people of Montgomery will not only patronize, but be come owners of the bank. One of the many chores completed by the interim Board of Directors during the past year was the ac quisition of the property for the proposed bank. We will be prepared to begin con struction on the bank build ing immediately following the closing of our public stock sale. However, the begin ning and closing dates of the public stork stale is deter mined by the Administrator of National Ranks, through the Comptroller of the Cur rency's office in Washington. D.C. We expect the stock sale to begin within the next 30 days. Establishment of the bank within 60 days will be the culmination of two years work. Of his part in the organization of the bank. Gray said, “During the period that I received my formal education, it was impossible for a Black man in the State of Alabama to receive an education in the field of banking. At that time no Blacks in the state were being considered for manage rnent or any banking posi lion. I was forced to leave the state to receive banking education and further, I was unable to obtain a job in the city of Montgomery after graduation. In the ensuing 7 years, I worked in banking and elevated myself to the position of Cashier and Sec retary of the Board ot Direc tors of Freedom Bank of Finance, Portland, Oregon. I was constantly attempting to find ways of coming back home and sharing my skills and knowledge with my com munity. The decision was based on my determining whether I should share this knowledge with my com munity or use it for my personal gain. The result of the decision was the con ception of the idea for the United Memorial National Bank- Anyone who would like more detailed information on the organization of this bank may contact the Interim Chairman of the Board. Ty rone P. Gray, at this address: United Memorial National Bank in Organization P.O. Box 9288 Montgomery, Alabama 36108 Vancouver NAACP hosts youth leader Mr. Duane Barnette. Re gional Youth Field Director of the NAACP, from San Francisco, will visit the Van couver. Washington Branch on Thursday. May 3 to help to organize a Youth Council. The meeting will be held Thursday evening, 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Fellowship House. 4505 East 18th Street in Vancouver. All young people interested in the work of the NAACP are encour aged to attend the meeting. Advisors are Mrs. Ida Jones, chairman; Mrs. Larnzella Butler, Mr. Harold Smith and Mr. George Weinberger. Mrs. Joseph Joshua and Mrs. David Baugh are CoPresi dents of the Branch. R e fr e s h m e n ts w il be served. The Youth Field Director finds himself traveling ex tensively through the West ern Region in carrying out his duties. The states cov ered in this area are: Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, C a lifo r n ia , Idaho. Utah, A statewide public rally sponsored by the Coalition for Child Care will be held April 28, 8:00 pm, at Portland State University, to build support for SB 74, "The Comprehen sive Community Children's Act.” Rally sp eak ers include Representative Bill McCoy, Jetti Wilde, Chairman of the Oregon Black Caucus; Russ Dawson. Director of the Con sumer P rotection Agency, and representatives of par ents and child care agencies. The Coalition is also spon soring an assembly and picket line at the Capitol Building in Salem. April 27, 11.00 a.m. Transportation can be ar ranged through the Metro Area 4-C Council, 222 6406. Nevada and Arizona. In addition to these duties, the fundamental goal that the Youth Field Director seeks to achieve is to see to it that the West Coast Re gion becomes a unified area of as many youth groups that can be organized as possible with their purpose and func tion being the development and creation of an intelligent and militant youth leadership through devising and carry ing out local programs which will advance the economic, educational, social and poli tical status of Black people and other minority groups. C art for Y o u r C ar J « M ec H e n 'r ^ rn’ raPS W aS h^ SPECIAL SECTION THIS WEEK ton S u te P rts o n ^ a t e s about c o n d itio n s . (P h o to : Washington pen: An inside look by Joe McHenry Prison: (1) a place where persons are confined; (2) a building, usually with cells, where convicted criminals are confined or accused persons are held awaiting trial; jail. This is Webster’s definition of a prison. But. for 260 Black inmates at Walla Walla prison, it means long days of solitude and despair, broken families, mental brutality, physical deprivation and wasted days without tomor rows or hope. Supposedly the prisons were built to confine those individuals from society who were considered dangerous to the best interests of man. While a person was detained in prison, he was to re-learn the correct procedures nec essary to maintain a normal and productive life within the mainstream of society. Thus the goal of the correc tional system was to re habilitate and prepare a man for re-entry into community life. But at Walla Walla Prison there seems to be too few rehabilitative programs for too many inmates and those program s that are available to the inmates seem designed to be failures. The prison system has for the inmates a work release program, an inside rehabilita tive program and a college study program. When an inmate was asked which pro gram was most effective in preparing him for his return to society-at large, he said: "None of the programs are worth any value because the work release was a big cross to bear. They let you out to go work in a program out side or in town and then gave you two or three hours to see your family. Man, it's a real cross. I mean, look. You've been locked up all week and then you get just a few hours to yourself. Then, they got more restrictions on you outside than they do here in the prison." Many of the inmates would rather serve there on the inside than take the chance of being "busted" on the work or college release pro grams where the restrictions and temptations are much more numerous. Also, the rehabilitation skills that are available to the inmates on the inside, according to some of the inmates, are designed to send the prisoners on a vicious cycle of return to the institution. There are three skill train ing programs: Typewriter repair, auto repair and body work, and industry (which is in the iicense making plant for the state). The inmates say it's designed to make them failures because the equipment they work with on the jobs don't even exist on the outside. So. when they get out and seek a job, they are confronted with today's technology, with which they have no familiarity. Then they must resort to the one field they know and clearly understand - crim e and street hustle until the in evitable bust comes again and they end up back in the “joint". Since the men in this particular institution were so far removed from any size able Black community, they had to turn to themselves and organize collectively to change the oppressive sys tem that confined them to a life of misery without hope. In 1969 the Black Prisoners Forum Unlimited was formed because conditions at Walla (Please turn to pg. 7, col. 3) opinions differ Tax cut promised Homeowner property taxes in Albina will be cut by one third and renters will receive a tax credit equal to about one month’s rent under the lax-relief program to be voted May 1, according to R e p r e s e n t a t iv e W illia m McCoy, D-Portland. "Opponents of the tax- relief measure are trying to frighten and confuse people into voting against the mea sure," McCoy said, "when the simple truth is that 8 out of 10 Oregonians will benefit if the tax measure is ap proved.” McCoy pointed out that in the Portland School District, homeowners are currently paying a property tax of $28.92 per $1,000 of true cash value on their homes, Under the proposed plan, he said, that rate would drop to $19.26. Businesses are also cur rently paying $28.92, a rate that would drop to $26.76 under the new program, McCoy said, “For the first time in Oregon's history, renters will be eligible for tax relief, too, since they will be able to subtract 9 per cent of their annual rent directly from their state income tax,” he said. “It is estimated that 95 per cent of all senior citizens in Oregon will benefit under the plan,” McCoy said. He said that under the new program, O regonians who earn less than $16,000 a year are practically assured of receiving a tax benefit, “The benefits are easy to understand," he said. "The drastic reduction in property taxes, and the renters' tax credit, will more than offset any possible increase in in come taxes for middle-income and lower-income Oregonians. This plan benefits more w age earners, more small (Please turn to pg. 7, col. 3) Threat, not an aid Speaking before the Boise Citizens Im provem ent As sociation in Portland recently. Senator Vern Cook. D Trout dale, described the McCall Tax Plan as a "Threat, not an aid, to the poor people of Portland." Senator Cook said. “In order to attempt to fund the Governor's tax program, not only for the 1973-75 two year period, but also for the 1975-77 bienneum, the legis lative leadership is driving toward a 50 million dollar surplus for the 1975 legis lature. To do this, they are taking Federal Revenue sharing money, given to the state with the objective of funding programs for the poor, and using it to create this surplus for the Gover nor's school finance package." "This is hurting the poor and the elderly. Specifically, by using this money for the tax package, there will be no money to replace the $10 million loss in Federal funds previously available through the federal governm ent. Programs hurt will be those for the mentally retarded at Edgefield Lodge, youth care, and day care for those with low incomes, foster care for the parentless, and Univer sity of Oregon Medical School aid for emotionally disturbed children. This same attempt to create a surplus, raises serious doubts as to whether there will be adequate funds to provide the $2.5 million necessary for the state to take over the Multnomah County Hospital, so much heeded to provided medical care for the poor in the Portland Metropolitan area." "The Governor's tax plan is not an aid, but a threat to the poor. It must be de feated if they are to get more than a crumb while the wealthy get tax relief they do not need."
