Portland observer., November 15, 1973, Page 2, Image 2

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Portland/Observer
Thursday, November 15, 1973
WE SEE THE WORLD
THROUGH BLACK EYES
;
Ì
I
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Best
EDITORIAL FOCUS
Portland schools
fail Black students
A lm o s t ten ye ars a g o the P ortland School District
b e g a n its " M o d e l S c h o o l" p ro g ra m o f co m p e n sa ­
to ry e d u c a tio n . The Black co m m u n ity had ca lle d
fo r d e s e g re g a tio n , b ut th e School Board fo u n d a
w a y o ut — b la m in g the lack o f a c h ie v e m e n t in
,'the m a jo rity Black schools on social class.
\ The M o d e l Schools p ro je ct in v o lv e d the use of
fe d e ra l fu n d s to b rin g the resources o f the A lb in a
schools m ore in lin e w ith those o f the re m a in d e r o f
)h e d istrict. Books a n d a u d io visual m a te ria ls and
fie ld trips w e re p ro v id e d . Class size w as reduced
¡through the b u sin g o ut o f a fe w c h ild re n . Teachers
w e re p a id an e xtra $1,000 per ye ar "c o m b a t p a y "
p n th e th e o ry th a t this w o u ld m ake the better
fe a ch e rs w a n t to te ach in th e M o d e l Schools.
- Yet, n e a rly ten years la te r, the M o d e l Schools
re m a in at th e b o tto m o f th e a c h ie v e m e n t le ve l. In
fa c t, in th e last fiv e years the schools have d e ­
te rio ra te d as co m p a re d to the district a verages.
It used to be said th a t Black ch ild re n d id not
le a rn because th e y w e re Black. N o w it is because
o f so cial class. A ll the schools are cla ssifie d a c­
c o rd in g to so cio -e co n o m ic d ata and the c h ild re n s '
a c h ie v e m e n t m ea sured a ga in st that d ata .
Those
B la c k s c h o o ls in th e lo w e r e n d o f th e s o c io ­
e c o n o m ic school a re conside red to have lo w
a c h ie v e m e n t because o f in a d e q u a cie s in the hom e
or c o m m u n ity . N o e x p la n a tio n is m ad e w h y Black
Schools in p o o r areas -- Boise a nd King — do
less w e ll th a n w h ite schools in p oo r areas —
B uchm an a nd B ro o klyn .
W e b e lie v e th e c o m m u n ity a nd the parents have
been b la m e d to o lo n g fo r the in a d e q u a cie s o f the
p u b lic school system . Research has d e m o n stra te d
th a t th e te a c h e r is the p rim e factor.
W hen the
te a ch e r b e lie v e s the c h ild can lea rn , he w ill learn.
W h e n the te a c h e r has lo w e xpe cta tio n s o f th e c h ild
a nd little respect fo r his fa m ily a nd n e ig h b o rh o o d ,
h e w .ll no* le a rn .
A n o th e r im p o rta n t fa c to r is
e x p e c ta tio n . Research has also show n th a t Black
students a nd th e ir fa m ilie s have h ig h e r e xp e c ta ­
tio ns fro m e d u c a tio n a nd h ig h e r g oa ls th an do
th e ir w h ite co un terp arts.
Yet s o m e th in g hap pe ns in the schools.
The
sta rry-eye d firs t g ra d e r, w h o com es to school to
le a rn to rea d, is d e stroye d by the tim e he reaches
th e fo u rth or fifth g ra de . Test scores sh ow a steady
d e c lin e in re la tiv e a c h ie v e m e n t as the c h ild grow s
o ld e r. W e d o n 't b e lie v e the d e c id in g fa c to r is the
co m m u n ity , or e ven the h om e, fo r e ve ry p a re n t, no
m a tte r h o w p oo r or d e p ra ve d , w ants an e d u ca tio n
fo r his ch ild . P rincipal McRae o f Boise E lem entary
said th e Boise parents are m ore c o o p e ra tiv e than
in a n y school w h e re he has been assigned
ye t he th inks th e parents must be b la m e d fo r the
schools lack o f a c h ie v e m e n t.
The tim e has co m e fo r the P ortland Public
Schools to g et d o w n to th e business o f e d u ca tin g
Black c h ild re n .
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m em ber
III
Oregon
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Association
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A
Astocitlion - Founded 1885
The
OBSERVER.
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i
a
Black leaders:
The silent m a jo rity
The NAACP, the U rban League, the O reg on Black
Caucus a nd the A lb in a M in is te ria l A llia n c e are
s tra n g e ly q u ie t in a tim e o f crisis in o u r c o m ­
m u n ity .
P eople a re s u ffe rin g a n d yet these o r­
g a n iz a tio n s — d e s ig n e d to serve — carry on
w ith th e ir m o n th ly m e e tin g s a nd social g a th e rin g s
as if th e y w e re o p e ra tin g in a vacuum .
Injustices are o c c u rin g in th e c o m m u n ity —
our c h ild re n a re b e in g d estroye d , p rostitutes w a lk
the streets, a n d p o lic e b ru ta lity is increasing. The
P ortland D e v e lo p m e n t C om m issio n is in tim id a tin g
the h o m e o w n e rs it is supposed to assist. D is c rim i­
n a tio n in e m p lo y m e n t a g g ra v a te s the p ro b le m s
crea ted by h ig h u n e m p lo y m e n t a n d risin g prices
Insurance co m p a n ie s o v e rc h a rg e or refuse to in ­
sure A lb in a hom es a n d businesses.
A ll o f this is g o in g on a ro u n d us a nd s till w e
hear n o th in g fro m our " le a d e r s " and th e ir o r­
g a n iz a tio n s .
W h e re a re the p e o p le to turn fo r help? The o nly
tw o m in o rity o rg a n iz a tio n s that seem to be m a k in g
an e ffo rt to h e lp a re th e A lb in a C ontractors As­
so c ia tio n a nd the U n ite d M in o rity W orkers; yet
n e ith e r o f those o rg a n iz a tio n s has b ee n o ffe re d
assistance by the s o -ca lle d c iv il rights groups.
W hen C la re n ce H a rpe r was a lle g e d ly b e a te n by
the p o lic e , it w as a sm all w h ite church that p ro ­
v id e d h im fin a n c ia l assistance a n d m o ra l support.
W h e re w e re the Black m inisters?
W hen Blacks
fin d th e y a re in n e e d o f le g a l assistance, they
m ust tu rn to th e A m e ric a n C iv il Liberties U n io n —
yet th e NAACP has the longest a n d most successful
reco rd in c iv il rig hts law .
W h e re w e re these o rg a n iz a tio n s w h e n the H om e
Tow n Plan was b e in g w ritte n or the re d e v e lo p m e n t
o f U nio n A v e n u e p la n n e d . W h e re w e re th e y w h e n
A lb in a w as d iv id e d a m o n g fo u r p o litic a l districts?
W ill th e y stand by a n d a llo w the schools o f A lb in a
to be closed? Do th ey no lo n g e r b e lie v e th a t they
sh ou ld be in v o lv e d in e ve ry d e cisio n th a t e ffe cts
the Black p e o p le o f O regon?
A re these o rg a n iz a tio n s so in v o lv e d in m a in ­
ta in in g th e ir p re stige th a t th ey h a v e fo rg o tte n th e ir
purpose? A re th e ir lea de rs o u t o f touch w ith the
c o m m u n ity ?
A re th e y so in tim id a te d by d iffe re n c e s o f o p in io n
th a t th e y h ave w ith d ra w n fro m th e b a ttle ? Or do
th e y th in k th e fig h t fo r fre e d o m has been w on?
Nation neglects Yets
W e h a v e just c e le b ra te d tw o V e te ra n 's Days —
o ne fo r th e n a tio n a n d a n o th e r fo r the state. In
the c o n fu s io n a b o u t w h e n to c e le b ra te a nd w ho
had w h a t d ay o ff, w e seem to h ave fo rg o tte n the
veterans these days w e re m e a n t to h on or.
W e h a v e h o n o re d o u r V ie tn a m ve teran s w ith
u n e m p lo y m e n t, in a d e q u a te h e a lth care, d is c rim i­
n a tio n a n d p o v e rty .
The Prisoners o f W ar w e re
w e lc o m e d h om e as heroes, b ut th e re m a in d e r o f
the v e teran s ca m e h o m e q u ie tly a n d w ith o u t fa n ­
fa re .
The ve teran s, in c lu d in g the sick and
w o u n d e d , w e re h a rd ly n o tic e d as th ey s lip p e d o nto
the w e lfa re ro lls a n d in to fo o d stam p lines. They
w e re stig m a tiz e d as d o p e a d d icts and as u n fo r­
tu n a te p a rtic ip a n ts in an u n p o p u la r w a r — b etter
fo rg o tte n . There w as no h e ro ic h o m e c o m in g lik e
th a t e n jo y e d by the ve teran s o f o th e r wars.
This a ttitu d e p e rv a d e s A m e ric a n so ciety a n d the
ve teran s re m a in th e unseen m en .
G o v e rn m e n t
assistance to th em has been s k im p y, m e d ic a l care
in a d e q u a te , c o u n s e lin g a lm ost n o n -e xiste n t. They
are u n a b le to fin d jobs, the g o v e rn m e n t subsidy fo r
students is u n re a lis tic .
A ll o f these fa cto rs a re m u ltip lie d w h e n a p p lie d
to the m in o rity v e te ra n . He is less a pt to h ave had
tra in in g p rio r to his e n te rin g th e service; he is
d is c rim in a te d a g a in s t by e m p lo y e rs a nd u n io n s; he
is less lik e ly to k n o w h o w to m a n ip u la te a ge ncies
to o b ta in w h a t fe w b e n e fits th e re a re fo r h im . It is
no w o n d e r that these yo u n g m en w o n d e r w h a t
th ey fo u g h t fo r in V ie tn a m a nd w h a t " d e m o c ra c y "
m eans to th em .
The p e o p le o f th e U nite d States n ee d to stop
b la m in g the ve teran s o f this ille g a l a n d im m o ra l
w a r a nd p ut the b la m e w h e re it re a lly b e lo n g s —
on the President a n d on Congress. They n ee d to
d e m a n d th a t the g o v e rn m e n t im m e d ia te ly p ro v id e
fo r th e V ie tn a m ve teran s in the w a y it has p ro ­
v id e d fo r its ve teran s in th e past a nd w o rk to
re m o v e th e a u ra o f outcast th a t it has p ut upo n its
V ie tn a m veterans.
1
POLITICAN
BUSINESS N A N
DOCTORS
LAW YERS
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TEACHERS
MINISTERS
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COMMUNITY ORGANIZA TIONS
SOCIAL WORKERS
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Wishes
Dear M r. Henderson:
ALFRED L. HENDERSON
E d ito r/P u b lish e r
BLACKS'RETICENCE TO SEIZE THE INITIATIVE TO ORGANIZE THEIR
COMMUNITIES' SAID DOUGLAS G. GLASGOW, DEAN O F HOWARD
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL O F SOCIAL WORK, IS A MAJOR FACTOR AND
A N IMPORTANT FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO OUR COMMUNITIES"
UNDEVELOPED STATU S"
Thank you for your fine
coverage of my promotion to
Social Planner in the Human
Resources Bureau anil, in
addition, for the wonderful
job the Portland Observer is
doing in assisting individuals
in obtaining employment, not
only the city structure and its
agencies, but in all facets of
employment.
1 am deeply grateful and
fully realize that, in a broad
way, 1 and others would not
bo where we arc if tht- Port
land Observer were not there.
You and your staff deserve to
be congratulated for the three
years of hard work it has
taken to keep not only the
Albina area informed on cur
rent and sometimes unpopu
lar issues and subjects, but
the general public as well.
Again, may I thank you
and wish the Observer a long
life.
It is a much needed
additional service to people.
Sincerely yours,
Faye LyDay
Social Planner
Regional g o ve rn m e n t
can include Blacks
Blacks in central cities can
make regional councils and
regional governments work
for them by getting in on th«-
ground floor as new organiza
tions form and by pressing
alread y established strut-
lures to deal with issues
important to the Black com
mumty, says a study pub
lished by the Joint Center
for Political Studies.
Such steps, it says, can
minimize the danger that
some forms of regional got
ernment could dilute the
emerging power of Blacks
concerned in central cities,
by putting power to make
some decisions in the hands
of suburban dominated agen
cies.
Jeanne F ob ..the Joint Cen
ter research associate who
wrote the report. cities Dur
ham. North Carolina as an
example of a city in which
Blacks are .ijiressing for a
regional arrangement that
w ill satisfy /t h e ir needs.
Blacks on a commission that
is c u rre n tly p re p a rin g a
charter for consolidation In-
tween the city of Durham,
which is more than one third
Black, and the largely w hite
Durham County have refused
to endorse the proposed
merger unless a strong anti­
discrimination section is in­
cluded in the charter.
The booklet, titled Re­
gionalism and Minority Par­
ticipation, explains the bark
ground of regionalism: ex­
plains the various forms it
has taken: examines in depth
the example of Durham, and
offers suggestions for leaders
of Black and other minority
communities who must deal
with regionalism.
Among the suggestions
are:
1. H elp fo rm u la te the
changes.
2. Look at benefits and
losses . . . In an attempt to
convince a community of the
merits of reorganization, ad
vocates of change often say
what they think the public
wants to hear . . . Instead of
being distracted by the rhe­
toric, minority communities
should try to assess what
benefits or losses will accrue.
3. Make a list of com­
munity problems that a re­
gional structure should deal
with, and try to apply pres
sure so that it will deal with
them. Regional bodies should
encourage suburban areas to
share problems, such as the
need for low cost housing.
4. Be aware that some
types of regional organiza
tions offer greater possibili
ties for minority represents
tion than others.
5. Form coalitions with
other groups with similar
goals, even though their mo­
tives may be different. Thus,
a pro-regionalism effort rould
find allies from downtown
businessmen, or an anti-re­
gionalism stance could be
supported by some suburban
interests.
The Joint Center for Poli
tical Studies, which published
the report, is a private,
non profit and non partisan
organization which provides
research, education, technical
assistance and information
for the n ation ’s m in o rity
elected officials. Sponsored
by Howard University and
re-
ARCHITECTURE
B LA C K PRESS
the Metropolitan Applied Re
search Center, it is funded
by foundations, other or
gaiu/ations. and tex exempt
private gifts.
»
r
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