JL
WE SEE THE WORLD
THROUGH BLACK EYES
ALFRED L. HENDERSON
E d itor/P ub lish er
EDITORIAL FOCUS
Unity comes too late!
For the past six or m ore years the residents o f
the Boise area have fo u g h t the lo ca tio n o f Frem ont
B ridge ram ps in the Boise co m m u n ity.
In itia lly
they opposed th e b u ild in g o f the ram ps — and
n ow th ey are asking th a t the ram ps not be ope ne d
u n til a d e q u a te plans are m ade fo r tra ffic flo w .
It is u n re a so n a b le to b e lie v e th a t it is goo d city
p la n n in g to e m p ty the tra ffic fro m a fre e w a y
b rid g e into re sid e n tia l streets. Yet, th ere is re a lly
no reason fo r th e vast m a jo rity o f the b rid g e
trave lers to w a n t to d riv e into the Boise co m
m unity. M ost o f these trave lers w ill be seeking the
easiest a nd fastest ro u te east to the A irp o rt and the
eastern parts o f the m e tro p o lita n a re a.
M ost o f
these tra ve le rs w ill not be p a rtic u la rly concerned
a bo ut the d a m a g e don e to the n eigh bo rho od s
th ro ug h w h ic h th e y pass.
Perhaps co n sid e ra tio n should be g ive n to tunnels
or covered exits e x te n d in g at least b eyo nd Seventh
A venue. Such co n sid e ra tio n is b e in g g ive n to the
p la c e m e n t o f th e fre e w a y th ro u g h N orth w e st
Portland, w h ich is re ce ivin g o p p o sitio n fro m resi
dents a n d businessm en o f that area.
Unless the e x it ram ps re m a in closed u n til proper
p la n n in g is done, there w ill be no p la n n in g . Once
th e ram ps are open and the tra ffic flo w s o ut into
the c o m m u n ity, the pressure w ill be on to m ake
the e x it th ro ug h the co m m u n ity m ore rap id . Soon
Frem ont, Prescott and Knott Streets w ill turn into
h ig h speed a rte ria ls and the g ro u n d w o rk w ill be
la id fo r the b u id in g o f the Rose C ity Freew ay,
w h ich w ill re m o ve at least 5,000 N ortheast P ortland
homes.
The Boise residents fo u g h t this b a ttle a lo n e fo r
years.
N o w th e citizens o f Irvin g to n , Sabin and
some o f the o th e r n e ig h b o rh o o d s re a liz e that th ey
w ill also fe e l the effects.
C o m m u n itie s fa rth e r
e a s t — A la m e d a , B e a u m o n t, Rose C ity
—
should n ow be concerned. It is u n fo rtu n a te th a t
p e o p le d o not yet re a liz e th a t' w h a t end an ge rs one
end an ge rs a ll.
RALEIOH.N-C.
NEWLY ELECTED MAYORS
Media fails Blacks
The fe d e ra l g o v e rn m e n t req u ire s that ra d io and
te le v is io n stations d o n a te som e tim e to program s
o f special interest to m in o ritie s .
H ow e ver, there
seems to be no re g u la tio n s — at least no e ffe c
tive re g u la tio n s — re q u irin g th a t these program s
be show n at a p p ro p ria te tim es.
T h e r e fo re w e f in d th a t p ro g r a m s fe a t u r in g
Blacks a nd o the r m in o rity persons are show n at
tim es m any p e o p le fin d im p ossib le to w atch —
e arly Sunday m o rn in g , S aturday noon, late at
night.
A lth ou g h the le g a l re q u ire m e n t m ig h t be m et,
these program s a re not se rvicin g the m in o rity
co m m un ities th a t th ey sh ou ld be. It is d isco ura ging
to the in d iv id u a ls w h o spend lo n g hours o f p re
p aratio n fo r the program s to k n o w that fe w o f the
p e o p le they a re a tte m p tin g to reach are a b le to
see the program .
A lth o u g h a ll o f the te le v is io n stations have one
or tw o m in o rity program s, non e are re a lly d o in g
a goe d |ob a t p ro g ra m m in g to in c lu d e m in o rity
g ro up interest. N on e re a lly g iv e p ro p e r a tte n tio n
to m in o ritie s in new s fe a tu re p ro g ra m m in g .
Participation urgent
A p roposal fo r the re d e v e lo p m e n t o f U nion
A ve n u e is c u rre n tly b e in g d e v e lo p e d . The M o d e l
C ities C itize n 's P la nn ing Board has asked fo r a
g u a ra n te e th a t c o m m u n ity residents be in c lu d e d
as e m p lo ye e s a n d th a t the p la n a llo w fo r tra in in g
positions.
W h e th e r these p ro visio ns are m ade a nd c a rried
o ut e ffe c tiv e ly fo r the b e n e fit o f the co m m u n ity
w ill be d e te rm in e d by the p la n n in g b oa rd that
w ill be d e v e lo p e d .
It is u rg e n t th a t the lo n g -e s ta b lis h e d Black a g e n
cies beco'me in v o lv e d in this p ro |ect a n d be re p re
sented on the Board. A m o n g th em , the NAACP,
the U rban League a nd the A lb in a M in is te ria l A lli
a n c e represent a g re a t m a jo rity o f th e p e o p le o f
A lb in a a nd th e y w ill s till be a ro u n d w h e n the
fe d e ra lly -fu n d e d a encies have fa d e d a w a y . These
o rg a n iz a tio n s — w h ic h have e a rn e d the respect
o f th e ir constituents o ver th e years
— must
becom e in v o lv e d in this p ro ie c t that is so v ita l to
the co m m u n ity.
Subscriptions: $5.25 per year in the Tri County area, $6.00
per year outside Portland.
Second Class Postage Paid at Portland. Oregon
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
i
Blacks become tools
Dear Editor:
The Portland Observer’s official |M»ition is expressed only
in it’s Publisher's Column (We See The World Through
Black Evesl. Any other material throughout the paper is the
opinion of the individual writer or submitter and docs not
necessarily reflect the opinion of the Portland Observer.
==
s 1
1 1
■
MEMBER
me,ni« e
Oregon
Newspaper
Publishers
Association
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MEMBER
MMIA pe «
Association - Founded 1885
Model C ities Child C are C enters
a re taking applications for fall
enrollm ent. C all 2 8 8 -8 8 6 1
Model Cities 4-C
»
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A
Why do Black agencies
have to suffer terminal can
cer in their existence for
survival? I went to Com
munity Care, a food helping
agency that feeds all people.
I had heard much about this
agency. I asked Mrs. Clara
Mae Peoples "What would
her agency be doing this
time next year in the area of
expansion. She seemed very
discouraged and said actually
she didn't know what her
staffs future existence would
be. considering the phasing
out of Model Cities' funds. It
seems that minorities are
still plagued with the age old
problem of continually being
overlooked when finances are
doled out through the state
and federal governm ents.
When pilot projects are ini
tiated minorities are used to
bring funds into the state.
Then minorities are trusted
to operate these temporarily
financed programs.
Minorities are performing
a service, a vital service to
the community. They are
not only servicing the mi
nority community, but they
are serving the people of the
metropolitan area.
These
people were given the green
light.
For instance, Clara
Peoples is a Black woman,
founder and director of Com
mumty Care, a nutrition pro
gram which has astounded
the country. It has brought
national and international
recognition to our state of
Oregon and the city of Port
land.
Community Care is a pro
gram that one can take
around the country, or the
world to dem onstrate to
other agencies what can be
done.
But as a minority
agency, Community Care
cannot insure job opportunity
or job advancement. As a
Black agency, it seems that
Community Care does a mil
lion dollars worth of services
with a hundred dollars worth
of money.
Why I'm specifically speak
ing about Community Care is
because I feel that it has
been a program that has
done something for many
people.
It has been suc
cessful in delivering service.
It seems that if people from
all over the nation are in
terested in this program,
why can’t elected officials
earmark and insure funds for
it.
Community Care was
founded by Black minority,
as were all of the other
funded programs which were
initiated under the HUD and
0 E 0 Acts. When you talk
about "Affirmative Action"
Mr. Editor, this is a very
raw and infected case of
racial and civil discrmination
against minorities, especially
Blacks.
This is the first agency of
its kind that has done some
thing concrete for the com
munity. Somehow the white
power structure should have
the ability this time to insist
on social change and justice
and keep this program going
so that minorities can keep
the faith and trust in the
system and the power struc
ture.
Sincerely,
Mrs. R.T. Mason
(Taxpayer)
* AMERICANS RESPECT AND RESPOND TO POLITICAL
POHER, POLITICAL PONER INFLUENCES PUBLIC
POLICY A T ALL LEVELS — POtVER CHANCES PEOPLE.
IE POUER DOES N O T AT ONCE CHANCE THE HEARTS
OF HEN, r r CAN INDEED CHANCE TH E HAY T H E
HEARTS RESPOND."LAWS CAN HELP ENCOURAGE
PEOPLE TORE-THINN AND CHANCE THEIR POSITIONS
IN ORDER TO PROTECT THEIR SELF INTEREST."
SCNATPR
KAW Af
Bicycle Donated
Charles Crews, owner ol
Chuck's St. Johns Cvrlery,
will donate a bicycle to a
needs child this Christmas.
Anyone who knows a child
who needs a bicycle or tri
cycle and who would not
otherwise receive one, is
asked to send the child's
name and address, his par
ent's or guardian's name, and
v VJVAT j ,
a short descriplion of why
should be Ihr recipient
Churk's St. Johns Cyrlery
the Porlland Observer
December I.Mh.
he
Io
or
by
The selertion will be made
bv Mr. Crews: A I.. Ilender-
son, publisher ol the Ob
server: and Itoy J. Harris ol
Hrotherhood Productions.
Symbols of Black political m aturity
—
Public TV has
a long w ay to go
by Vernon E. Jordan
■ ' :
Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company.
2201 North Killings worth. Portland. Oregon 97217. Mailing
address: P.O. Box 3137. Portland. Oregon 97208. Telephone:
283 2486.
CDLFM4NA Y0UNÚ
P E I KOI I HKHHiAN
*lA\H4RPH.jACkc&
ATL 4N TA ,J£0M *
Public television is sup
posed to be more responsive
to the nt'eds of all of the
people than commercial TV.
But as far as Blacks and
minorities are concerned, it is
definitely no better and possi
bly worse. In fact, when you
consider that tax dollars of
minorities help fund public
broadcasting, it becomes clear
we are getting very little
return on our investment.
Public TV's potential in
creating programming geared
to the needs of minorities has
never been fulfilled. And in
the all-important test of train
ing. recruiting Khd employing
minorities at all levels of the
behind the-camera jobs and
especially decision making
jobs, public TV is a flop.
For example, only two
Blacks hold important post
lions in the Corporation for
Public Broadcasting, and nei
ther one has a strong say on
policy matters. This is not at
all different from most com
mercial stations and net
works, but it cannot be toler
ated in a federally funded
agency.
Overall, public TV's pro
gramming practices rely on
the time tested ghettoization
of Black oriented programs.
And the very few public net
work shows aimed at Blacks
were almost cut off altogether
earlier this year.
In the
special programming cate
gory, only two programs out
of 143 hours dealt with
Blacks. Out of 1,500 hours of
national public TV program
ming, only 89 hours were
devoted to Black people.
Blacks are rarer than the test
patterns on public TV.
There are some signs that
the Corporation is beginning
to try to change this de
structive pattern of Black in
visibility on its screen, but it
is a long way from expressing
intentions to carrying out
substantial changes. And our
past experience has made us
wary of CPU's intentions -
at least until some results are
visible on the home screen
and on the payrolls of the
Corporation.
Black support of public
broadcasting is conditional:
If it doesn't respond to the
needs of minority communi
ties, we can live without it.
Public broadc.-sting, which is
dependent on public funds,
will have to wake up and
begin courting minority audi
ences if it wants to survive.
At the minimum it must:
• Increase Black and mi
nority programming and in
sure its high quality content,
not merely by filling in some
set goal of hours.
• Tell its affiliated stations
to hire Black people and in
sure minority representation
on their boards. Non com
pliance ought to mean denial
of the use of federally funded
program material.
• Put its own house in
order with more adequate
minority board and staff rep
resentation, and create a de
partm ent to upgrade in
creased minority program
ming.
• Institute programs that
explore race relations in
depth, investigate controver
sial issues, and protray the
rich ethnic heritage in our
pluralistic society.
• While increasing minor
itv oriented program m ing,
avoid making such programs a
"ghetto" within broadcasting
by drawing on Blacks and
minorities for general pro
gramming.
This last is especially im
portant. Community theatre
and dance groups are starved
for funds and could share
their talents with a national
audience, but instead of back
ing them, public broadcasting
runs after old BBC films and
similar fare. Programming
should show ordinary mi
nority people doing ordinary
jobs, sueh as on the Mister
Rogers' Neighborhood show,
or as on Sesame Street, two
public TV offerings unusual
for their first class content
and their treatment of mi
norities.
Of course, all of the above
holds true for commercial TV.
where Blacks are only in
standard comedies, or as
guest performers on variety
shows, or when the script
calls for a Black. Black news
men are almost never seen,
unless interviewing a rare
Black guest on civil rights.
But the many failures of
Commercial TV notwithstand
ing, public broadcasting has to
set an example, not follow a
bad lead. It is the TV A of the
broadcasting industry and has
to use its federal funds to set
new, higher standards for
private sector interests to
imitate.
Earn m oney in your spare time
Sell 50 subscriptions, earn
(50.00.
Sell 100 aubacrip
lions, earn $100.00. Sell 500
subscriptions, earn $500.00
and air fare to lais Vegas,
San Francisco or lx» An
geles.
Sell KMX) subscrip
tions, earn $1000.00 and air
fare to Hawaii.
Similar bonus plans can be
arranged for dubs, organiza
lions, churches, or social
groups.
Call 283 2486 for
more information.
C all
2 8 3 -2 4 8 6
r / t e r e 's M o r e W h e r e
Thit C am e fro m
Not Everyone
Subscribes
To The
1
Portland Observer
Bridge ram p
(Continued from pg. 1, col. 7)
6<XX); Fremont least of Wil
liams) 6500 to 10,500; Wil
Hams, 10,000 to 12,000; Van
couver, 7500 to 9500, There
will be additional increases
on Knott, Prescott, 7th, 15th,
21st and 24th Avenues.
There are six elementary
schools, two parks and two
headstart centers on or near
Fremont, Knot and Prescott,
with many additional schools
and parks on streets running
North and South.
The Ad H im - committee
found it virtually impossible
to meet noise and air quality
standards on Ivy Street be
tween Commercial and Wil
liams and recommended re
location of residents if re
quested.
They also found that noise
levels at Boise School will
exceed standards and recom •
mended the construction of a
berm (pile of dirt) between
the ramp and the school.
The Model Cities Citizens’
Planning Board, the Portland
Public School's Board ol Ed
ucation, and the PI’S Area
III Advisory Board have
gone on record as opposing
the opening of the ramp*.
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PORTLAND OBSERVER
P.O. Box 3137
Portland, Oregon 97208
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