I
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Un! y
ry
Investigation exonerates police officers - Clarence Harper plans suit
The Internal Affair» I)e
partnient of the Portland
Police Bureau has exonerated
four police officer» charged
with brutality by Clarence
Harper. Jr., a Black man
who wax arrexted and in
carcerated on September 8th.
The police department under
took the investigation at the
requext of Mayor Neil (»old
«chrnidt.
Harper, who wax found not
guilty of the mixdemeanor
with which he wax charged
haraxxment
plans to file
suit against the city.
He
charged the police officer».
ax well ax county corrections
officers, with police brutality.
Harper stated that he had
become involved in a dispute
with the manager of a car
wash, and when threatened
by the m anager, he ap
proarhed a police car for
assistance.
He said before
he could explain the problem
he was handcuffed anil placed
in the police car, where he
wax maced. Another squud
car appeared and those of
ficer», Jimmerfield and Me
Daniel, drove him to the
County Courthouse for Ixsik
ing. He claims those officers
abused him with racial slurs
and that at the courthouse
he wax struck. He said he
was also pushed and thrown
aguinst the wull by county
officers, maced while in a
cell, was not told his offense
or his rights, and was not
allowed a telephone call. He
wax released on bail approxi
mately 12 hour» later.
The stories of the four city
police officers
Tony New
man, Michael M artin, Jim
rnerfield and McDaniels
were substantially the same.
They stated that Harper was
hysterical and 'abusive'. Of
ficer M artin said he maced
Harper in the bark seat of
the police car when he began
beating his head against the
window and was in danger of
injuring himself.
He said
this artion subdued Harper
im m e d ia tely and he sat
quietly thereafter. Newman,
who according to M artin was
present» , said he did not
know mare was used. Jim
rnerfield and McDaniels said
they knew mace had been
used on Harper, but that
when they offered to take
Harper to the courthouse,
they exchanged cars and
PORTLAND
Volume 4. No. 10
Portland, Oregon
IM I
O N IT
NfW SPAPIR
IN
used the car occupied by
Newman and M artin because
Harper was still too violent
to be mov»d to their car.
Captain Wayne Sullivan con
cluded that "the use of mace
in the instance was both
necessary and effective in
preventing M r Harper from
further injuring himself."
Harper stated that while
at the courthouse he was
struck by a police officer. He
said this happened after he
told a RN that she was not
qualified to call him re
tarded. Officer McDaniel, on
the other hand, said Harper
OBSERVER
AN f O U A l OPPORTUNITY IM P IO T I#
f H I W H O ll W tO I WORLD THAI R IA llY
CARIS
ABOUT
P IO P II
Thursday, December 27, 1973
DC gets limited Home Rule
President Nixon has signed
into law legislation granting
lim ited home rule to the
District of Columbia.
The bill gives the 745,000
residents of W ashington,
D.C.. the majority of whom
are Black, the right to elect
their city officials, who until
now have hern appointed by
the President. Congress will
continue to control the Wash
ington, D.C. city budget and
will have veto power over
decisions made by the city
council.
In signing the bill Presi
dent Nixon said, “As the
nation approaches the 200th
anniversary of its founding,
it is particularly appropriate
to assure those jierson» who
N E I.I.IE A L E X A N D E R
Business seeks quality
by Gloria W rolrn
Nellie Alexander ix in the
cleaning business, and has
been for the past thirty
years. A t the suggestion of
a friend. Ms. Alexander de
nded to establish her own
business "where I ran do the
work for the working poo
pie." Thus came the birth of
Portland Cleaning Works six
years ago.
Located at 3954 N. Wil
hams Avenue, Ms. Alexan
dor's buxir.es» has eslab
lished a [xilicy to do only
"first class work". In addi
lion to first quality work.
Ms. Alexander's business also
offers one day service, and
minor repairs such as mend
ing and lengthening at no
extra charge. "We do only
the beat for our customer»,"
Ms. Alexander added.
Since her 19(13 departure
from Illinois, Ms. Alexander
has been a resident of the
Albina rommumty since she
first set foot on Oregon soil.
W ith the cleaning business
going "great" for Ms. Alex
ander, she also finds time to
run a concession stand in the
Bonneville Power Admims
tration. "Black people have
never been given the chance
to establish a concession
stand . . . I'm the first in Ore
gon," Ms. Alexander stated.
W ith a growing cleaning
and a variety shop business,
Ms. Alexander welcomes the
rommumty to test her quality
cleaning by visiting her busi
ness Monday through Friday
from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
and on Saturday from 9:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
porter of the President, has
slated that the soundings
taken by congressmen when
they return home for the
holidays will be critical to
President Nixon's future. It
is the opinion of most political
forecasters th at Congress
will move toward impeach
ment during this election
jA TIMEX
live in our rapital city rights
and privileges which have
long been enjoyed by most of
their countrymen."
Proponents of statehood
for the District consider this
compromise unacceptable.
They maintain that statehood
was withheld from the Dis
trirt because as a slate it
would in all probability elect
two Black Senators and at
least one Black Bepresenta
live.
Representative Edith Green
of Oregon is one of the
strongest op|*oncnts of Home
Rule, although she maintains
that her objections are not
based on race. She says that
she feels statehood is not
p ractical because of the
presence of federally owned
p ro p e rty and monuments.
Proponents of statehood point
to satisfactory arrangements
in other states where fed
e ra lly owned p ro p e rty in
eluding national parks and
monuments ari- controlled by
the federal government.
The District has been con
trolled bv the Senate and
House Committees on the
District of Columbia, which
traditionally have tieen domi
nated by Southern Demo
erats.
The citizens of the
District are now watchful to
see how much freedom in
self determination they will
he allowed and how much
control Congress will main
tain.
YMCA director studies in Asia
Fred Stickney, Executive
Director of YMCA's South
east Portland Branch, will
depart December 27th for
the YM CA Training Institute
in Hung Kong where he'll
begin a 2 month session as a
"Visiting Professor." Stick
ney's departure was announ
red This week by William
Sluber, Executive Director
of the YM CA of Metropolitan
Portl.iml
The Hong Kong Institute
is a joint effort of the
National Council of YMCA's
and the YMCA's of South
east Asia, designed to provide
training in various aspects of
leadership for Asian YM CA
,M*rsonnel and other youth
serving organizations. Stick
ney will be instructing Asian
Men and Women in the
principles of Physical Ed
ucation and Recreation as
part of the Portland Y's
contribution .<> YM CA World
Holidays bring impeachment test
Proponents of the move to
im,M-ach President Richard
Nixon urge the American
people to take advantage of
the Congressional Christmas
vacation to contact th e ir
Senators and Represents
lives urging imjieaehment.
Senator Hugh Scott, a
Republican and strong sup
year only under pressure of
their constituent».
The most important and
effective thing citizens can
do as individuals is to w rite
letters. Letter« do count in
effecting the attitudes and
votes.
Letters should first
be sent to the Oregon dele
gallon
Senators Mark
Hatfield and Robert Park
wimm I.
and Representatives
Edith Green, Wendell W yatt,
John Dellenliach and Al Cl
man.
Key people to whom addi
tional letters should be sent
are Senators Mike Mansfield.
Hugh Scott and James East
land, and R e p res en tatives
Carl Albert and Peter Ro
deno.
The
Impeachment
Service
an international
program established in 1889
and sponsored by the 1700
YM CA's across the United
Slates.
World Service is
currently helping to meet
emergency situations in the
Middle East, Indochina. Pak
istan, Ethiopia. Africa, and
other countries involved in
the aftermath of war or
national disaster.
The YM CA of Metropoli
tan Portland has been par
ticularly active in the World
Service program which now
operates in 86 countries.
Future plans include the
recruitment and sponsoring
of ten Portland area High
School and College students
to go to the Bogota. Columbia
YM CA and help with their
camping and street orphan
programs.
Other personnel
exchanges, like Stickney's,
are also being planned.
For a free gift to give or keep, save now at
the Ben) Franklin Deposit $1,000 to $5.(XX) and
choose your gift from our collection of famous
Timex and Swiss watches Offer good while
they last, for new deposits only, one per customer
5!4% per annum on passbook savings.
compounded constantly, day in to day out
The Director of the Family
Planning and Health Survey,
Richard Udry, will come to
Portland on January 4th to
answer questions about the
survey.
All organizations
anti citizens are urged to
attend the meeting with their
questions about the 'sex sur
vey’. For time and place of
the meeting, please call Betty
L. Overton at 284 5689 or
288 8345, or Jetie Wilds at
H(‘i i j , ^ P r a i i k l i i i
Hom» O llie« Franklin Bldg , Portland, Oragon 9720«
Robert H Haran. Prat * 25Ottlcaa * Phone 248 1234
Impeachment
Citizens
elect
board
The Albina Action Center
Board of Directors held its
annual election December 15,
1973. Eleven representatives
were elected to the Board of
Directors.
E lected as low income
re p re s e n ta tiv e s for th ree
year terms were:
Father
William Curtin. Joseph Har
ris. and Brenda Triplett.
Elected as low income rep
re s e n ta tiv e s for one year
terms were:
Albert Green.
Lillie M. W alker, and Mary
Jane Brester.
Elected as community at-
larg e re p re s e n ta tiv e s for
three year terms were: Lee
M. (ireen and Jetie B. Wilds.
Elected as community at
large representatives for one
year terms were:
lavlila
Darby. Orlando M. Mathias,
Ruth Fountaine.
There was a total of 1,865
votes cast, of which 35 bal
lots were voided.
The newly elected repre
sentatives to The Albina
Action Center Board of Dir
ectors were installed at the
Board of Directors Annual
Meeting on December 23.
The Albina Artion Center is
funded by the Office of Eco
nomic Opportunity and serves
low income persons of the
Albina area.
288 8948.
programs for low-income per
sons.
The survey came to public
attention when the Black
women hired as interviewers
quit in protest of what they
considered to be racist and
o verly personal questions.
Dr. Udry explained to the
Observer that this is part of
a long term, nation-wide sur
vey on the effects of fed
erally funded family planning
Since the Portland seg
ment is vital to the survey.
Dr. Udry will come to Port
land to meet with interested
citizens. The survey is being
conducted by the School of
Public Health of the U ni
versity of North Carolina and
is funded in part by the U.S.
Department of Health, Edu
cation and Welfare.
his name. Harper said it was
"nigger boy” and "Little Black
Sambo".
He. Jimmerfield,
then said, "Alright, nigger
boy. little Black Sambo, if
that is what you want to be
called."
The report by Lt.
Brown went on to say that
the officers did not per
petuate or initiate any racial
comments and, in fact, acted
with considerable restraint
under a continuous barrage
of threats and abuse.
On October 5th. before the
investigation had been com
pleted, Lt. la irry Brown of
Internal Affairs, wrote. "It
Hand
Herman Brame, I'onimu
nity Involvement Coordinator
for the Union Avenue Re
d evelop m ent P ro jec t, em
phasiz.es the need for com
munity participation in the
Union Avenue project.
Al
though exten-ive research
has been done and feasibility
studies submit'ed. no plans
have been mane.
The actual plans for the
project will be made by a
Steering Committee which is
now being formed.
The
committee as now planned
will consist of representa
tive« from the Model Cities
( itizen's Planning Board,
The State Highway Depart
m ent, the C ity Planning
I
IPlease turn to pg. 2. col. 51
Commission, P o rtlan d De
velopment Commission, Al
bina Contractors Association.
M E D IA . Inc., the Union Ave
nue Businesses, and possible
the Lloyd Corporation. Mrs.
Martha W arren, Miss Opal
Strong, and Charles Ford
have been selected to repre
sent Model Cities.
All meetings will be open
to the public and all resi
dents are urged to partici
pate. whether or not they
represent an organization.
Brame will work with the
Steering Committee and the
public in an attempt to in
volve the community in the
decision making.
He urges
all interested persons to be
come involved and add their
suggestions now
while
the project is in the planning
stage.
Brame is a graduate of
Jefferson High School and
graduated from the Univer
sity of Oregon in 1969 with a
BA degree in Sciology. He is
currently working toward a
Masters in Business Adminis
tration at the University of
Portland. He has previously
been employed by Model
Cities as a financial specialist
and by M E D IA , Inc.
His
most recent position was
assistant buyer of mens'
clothing for Meier and Frank.
by Rosemarv Allen
From a small farm in
Malakoff. Texas, to # boot
leg plumber in Oregon, to a
licensed M a s te r Plum ber
takes only one sentence to
write.
However, according
to Aaron Mitchell, the man
who lived that sentence, it
takes great determination.
Mr. Aaron Mitchell, master
plumber and ow ner of Aaron
Mitchell Plumbing. 1703 N.E.
Alberta, describe» his -drug
gle to be a licensed plumber
as difficult and trying; yet he
sees hope for minorities who
have the true desire to be
one.
Aaron Mitchell was 13
years old when he began
working part time in plumb
ing for Malakoff W ater Com
pany in Texas.
After his
schooling he went to New
Mexico where he was a
plumber. Mr. Mitchell came
to Portland with 15 years of
experience in plumbing; yet
he was not permitted to join
the union which required 3
years experience. The real
requirement that M r. Mitchell
did not meet was an un
written rule, "No Blacks al
lowed", although his only ex
planation was. "Sorry. I can't
hire you".
T h e re's an old saying.
“You’ve got to keep on
keepin' on." Aaron Mitchell,
faced with two dilemmas
where in the South Black's
were allowed to learn a
trade, but not paid for it and
in the North you weren't
allowed to work period, still
"kept on keepin' on.”
During the period he was
not permitted in the union.
M r. Mitchell worked in the
shipyards on governm ent
jobs and as an auto mechanic.
He also worked in the only
other capacity allowed him,
bootlegging.
For those of
you whose first impression
Governor McCall and many
of the agency heads have
committed themselves to em
ploy minority persons in all
phases of state employment.
Members of the Black com
munity and other interested
minority persons will explore
methods of communication of
opportunities to minorities
and monitoring state hiring.
Hand
There were also contradic
tions in the story of what hap
pened at the car wash. Two
employees told about Harper
getting angry and shouting at
the manager and an em
ployee; about their grabbing
a clothes hanger and a steam
hose for protection; then
sending someone for two
cups of CTA, a cleaning
chemical. One of them threw
the CTA in Harper's face
when he refused to stay
away from them.
Other witnesses described
a fight that had taken place
between Harper and an em
ployee. He said Harper was
knocked down and kicked,
then was finally persuaded to
go and get his car. When he
returned with the car he
sprayed tear gas at the em
ployees.
He was then
knocked down, struck sev-
Hard work brings success
The Portland Observer will
sponsor a meeting of repre
sentatives of the Black com
munity on Saturday. January
12th at 10 a.m. at Bethel
A M E Church. 5828 N.E. 8th.
Participants will discuss ways
to insure that state agencies
honor commitments to hire
minorities made at a recent
affirmative action workshop
for state agency directors.
book also reminds the reader
that the churches were com
mon gathering places before
anil during the American
Revolution and that sermons
on revolution were common
at the time.
was my observation that Mr.
Harper is an explosive per
sonality with great temper.
He feels that he is greatly
persecuted and is not parti
cularly fond of the truth."
He recommended that Har
per's com plaint be filed
"unfou nded".
Union project seeks involvement
Leaders
meet
published by the
A m erican C iv il L ib e rtie s
Union, suggests calling im
peachm ent m eetings and
publicizing resolutions passed
at such meetings.
The
A C L U can a s s is t w ith
speakers and materials.
The A C LU advises that
visibility is important
bumper stickers, radio talk
shows, le tte rs to news
papers
all focus public
attention on the problem.
The
lOr per copy
Doctor defends birth survey
book,
Jbr saving
called the nurse racial names
and acted like he would start,
toward her. McDaniel swung
around and slapped his face.
He said when Harper did not
cooperate in having his
fingerprints taken, a county
corrections officer threw him
on the floor.
Harper said he was con
tinuously called by racial
epitahs and th a t th re a ts
were made against him by
Jimmerfield and McDaniels
and that these actions were
continued by th»- corrections
officers.
Jimmerfield said
that when he asked Harper
AARON M IT C H E L L
when hearing the work boot
legging is "Whiskey", M r.
M itc h e ll was a bootleg
plumber without a permit.
After 20 years, in 1963,
after pressures from the
strikes, sit-ins. and marches
of that period, Mr. Mitchell
was allowed to take the
State Board Examination for
a Master Plumber.
Strong
determination and assistance
from the Urban League and
NAACP enabled M r. Mitchell
to drop the title of bootleg
plumber and take on the
long deserved title of Master
Plumber. In 1970 he got a
General Contractor's License
and opened a business in
North Portland.
On December 20th of this
year M r. Mitchell officially
opened his new office at 1703
N.E. Alberta. He now has 5
employees and 3 new trucks,
and business is going very
well.
Aaron Mitchell and his
wife Maggie have two daugh
ters. Mrs. Edna Jackson,
who is Itvigg in Dayton,
Ohio, and Mrs. Angie Davis,
an employment manager for
Pacific Northwest Bell in
Portland.
The road to success is not
slick and easy, it's always
straight forward and mostly
rough. Yet the person who
takes Mr. Mitchell's advice
might make it: "Don’t give
up, there are always ways, if
you really desire to do it."
4C chooses leader
William Steward, Dean of
Students at M t. Hood Com
munity College, was elected
Chairman of the Board of
Directors of the Metropolitan
Area 4-C Council.
The Board rejected the ef
forts of employees of the
Model Cities 4-C office to
obtain funds directly from
the city and elected to re
quest city wide funding for
the 4-C program. Metro «■»«
4 C Council funds and co
ordinates child care pro
grams in Multnomah, Clack
am as
and
W a s h in g to n
4
counties.
Model Cities contracts vith
the M etro Area 1C Coined
to provide child care for
children of the Model Cities
area.
4-C child care programs
funded through Model Cities
are the Albina Ministerial
Alliance Family Day & Night
Care Program. Berean Child
Care Centers, Bethel Child
Development Center, North
Portland Child Carr, Mara-
natha Emergency Child Cara
Center at the Multi-Service
Center, and Parent Child.