Caucus Time Voice of the NAACP by Jsttls B. Wilds, Jr.. Chairman of the Oregon Black Caucus ► iff * ' ' THING S ARE BETTER TODA Y BETTER T H A N WHAT? by EBb H. Caeesa Block people all arrooa American pause sometime (at leaat I do) to reappraise, to review who they are, w hat they are and from whence they came. They are sure to conclude “Things are better". But better than what? How much better? Living in a ghetto on welfare in substandard houa ing with just enough food to ward off starvation is indeed a little better than being a slave - hut not much. Being a skilled w orker is better than being a laborer, but how much better, es­ pecially if you are qualified to be a foreman in a de partment but cannot get the position because you are Black, a woman, etc. When all the singing, the yelling, screaming and prais ing are over, we all conclude that progress that has been made is progress in degree, not in kind. And despite all the so-called civil rights laws which the liberals helped put on the bonks, we all know there will be no real pro gross until whites divest themselves of racism and become color blind in their relation to Blacks. B itter militants say this will never come to past. They have lasts of evidence to support their case, and so do we. I realize the so-called militant today is less in­ terested in talking about history; they want to make history. They place little importance on the price ¡n human sacrifice and suffering that was paid so that today they can hold their heads high and proclaim; "Say it loud. I'm Black and I'm proud." When reminded about how Frederick Douglass came out of the chains of slavery to succeed as one of the truly great men of American; or how D r. M ary Mcl^eod Be thune rose from the cotton fields to become advisor to presidents; and how thou sands of other Black men and women succeeded and con­ tributed so much to thia country's greatness and they all came from and through unbelievably dism al back­ grounds - Black youth to­ day respond. “They just did their thing; I want to do my thing." And they are equally determined that nobody or nothing w ill stop them. The determined spirit of some of our Black youth today is refreshing as well as reassuring. America, our community, our in d iv id u a l family units must move for ward. But Blacks can never forget that racist whites, re ­ gardless of what they say, are not going to make the way easy. Black men and women must never lose eon fidence in the fact that they have the capabilities to do snything the white man can do - and usually do it with more style. “Getting there", “doing our thing" can best be accom plished through Education and Training; there are no short cuts. I f you don't believe me. ask those who are walking the streets hold ing up the corners. Also, like it not, we must learn to work within the system - and this is not selling out!!! Making maximum progress is a year around job and must be done together, and it's one that the white man must not be expected to do for us. There is an age old saying that the schools would be great places if it were not for the students. I always understood that to be in tended aa a joke. I t has been called to may attention that many students are ser iously thought of in those terms . . . the school is better off without them. Addi­ tionally. some students feel that schools would be better off without some teachers. There are so many pressing issues that one tends to hold certain ones of them at a distance. M y sources indi­ cate that things are not getting better as I had hoped and there is no reason to feel o p tim is tic about fu tu re change. Therefore, this issue can no longer be held at a distance. I ’ve asked the Chairman of our Education Committee. Ed Mitchell, to commit his energies to find ing out the underlying causes for such pessimism. He is to operate under the umbrella that one right that Black kids do not have is the right to fail. Failure is not a Black privilege. The notion of community control of schools has taken on very serious proportions in other cities. Perhaps during the time that M r. Mitchell's committee is ex­ ploring the validity of claims that the schools are going to pot. they might also address US aids South African economy Instead ol Banker s Hours lO am b p m . fri by Milton t s ls is s of the All African News Service Despite United Nations em­ bargoes against shipments of arms to Portugal and South Africa, those countries have received a healthy flow of assistance from the U.S. government. This fart came to light during hearings railed by the house s u b c o m m itte e on Africa, headed by Congress man Charles C. Diggs Jr., the Black Michigan Demo­ crat. In a series of meetings marked by what seemed to be constant administration buck passing, buying tor time and lack of information, some astounding facts surfaced: • The U.S. m ilitary has spent 11.4 m illio n to purchase South African built Cactus missies to be tested, ap parently for possible use by the U.S. Armed Forces. • During 1872 and up to March 15. 1873, the Com merce Department has ap proved the sale of almost (4 million worth of aircraft - • many of them with military potential - to Portuguese agents in Angola and Mozam hique • Under the guise of exe cutive privilege sugar coated by bureaucratic sh u fflin g , many itmes previously on the embargo list have been shifted off. Diggs argued that in fact “Drastic changes" have taken place under the Nixon ad ministration and U.S. policy towards Southern Africa has now fallen in accord with "persons in opposition to the aspirations of the African majority". Iowa Representative John Culver joined Diggs in the ranks of the frustrated in­ terrogators. Culver at one point re minded the administration witnesses that sales of mili tary hardware were by law to be made only i r the interest of national security of the Unied States or to promote world peace. Had the U.S. aligned its national security and the promotion of world peace with support of minority white regimes in Africa? The question was not answered, but remained one of the key issues raised at the hearings. Edward B ie a te r, newly- elected Republican from Pennsylvania, was concerned over why no Black military attaches had been appointed to a South African post. Defense Department spokes­ man James Noyes answered that none had applied. Surely one could be found, Biester advanced, and ven­ tured that unless a Black were assigned soon to such a post he too might begin to believe that administration policy was directly suppor tive of South African racist practices. In general, the tight lipped administration witnesses ad­ mitted that a host of poten­ tially m ilitary equipment had been sold to the two govern ments. In all cases, they argued, there was assurance that no military use would take place. Diggs was outraged that aa late as February 2 of this year, a crop spraying plane had been sold to a Portu guese concern in Mozam bique. How, asked the Black legis lator. could this be done when countless Black freedom fighters had testified of Port uguese use of herbicides which killed and maimed in­ nocent African women and children? By the end of the hearings, the moat accurate assess ment turned out to be that made by journalist Burce J. Dudes on the opening day of testimony: " It is about as easy for an interested member of the American public to monitor the flow of money in and out of Geneva or the PLO (Pales tine Liberation Organization) in and out of Beirut as it is to follow the ins and outs of the U.S. embargoes on mili tary exports to the Republic of South Africa or to Portu­ gal for use in Africa." Portland/Observer themselves to this issue. of the burden of blame, but Community control in Port no more than the parents, land might take the form of o th e r citize n s , stu d en ts, greater input into the entire elected o fficials and the system by organized groups Superintendent. We prob­ such as the Links. Fra tor ably would be better off if nities. Sororities, and others; we concentrated on ourselves and complete control by mi first. I f we did so. the noritiea and poor of those teachers would have an easier schools left to them. Some row to hoe. In fact. I ’m areas needing ex p lo ra tio n calling for a complete mora are methods of teacher eval­ torium on teacher criticiam uation, lack of discipline, until we've given them the certification and hiring and proper environment in which firing procedures. The com to apply the tools of their mittee should look into an trade. The environment that analysis of the relationship I envision allows for and between educational advisory insists upon parent or guar board input, school superin­ dian, student and teacher tendent input, school board participation. We need a input and final policy. It plan that expels students policy is frequently that of when th ey ab so lu te ly re ­ the s u p e rin te n d e n t's , for fuse to participate at their example, then the other two individual levels of capahi are not needed. The argu lities . . . time, etc. I t then ment concerning anxiety over becomes incumbent upon the loss of local control of schools school teachers and adminis that was used in the recent trators to use their creativity HB 2004 debate bears an­ to induce participation. We other look. We should also need a plan that insists upon look now at the inner con­ student input into curriculum trols of individual schools as at their individual levels of well as who controls the capabilities; and strict ad machinery and decision mak herence to what is jointly ing of entire school systems. decided. Seem in gly, the academ ic There is no excuse for freedom, racism, re le v a n t anything less than quality curriculum and sexism issues education for all students. have been dealt with so There is no excuse for allow heavily in philosophy and ing any student to proceed in theory that practical appli­ a manner that is known to cation in a so-called learning lead to an inability to parti com m unity has been ne cipate in this system. Our glected to establish firm poli students, in many instances, cies that say that once we aren't even getting the tools decide upon the many fine to bring about the changes in learn in g techniques and the system that many talk theory that they must be about. When others are come operative. They are talking about progressiveness not operative if the students in lieu of preparation, that are in the halls, there are had better be our stopping disruptions in the classrooms, point. 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