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OEO celebrates ten years’ service to poor
„(immunity Action Week
will be celebrated during the
week of March 19 26, coin
mcmoi sting the 10th anni
versary of the Economic Op
" portunity Act of 1904. as
amended. The Office of Eco
nomic Opportunity
tx-tter
known as the W ar on Pov
ertv
was one of the
"New Frontiers" programs of
President John F. Kennedy
and was signed into law by
President Lyndon B. John
son.
G overnor Tom M cC all,
Multnomah County Commis
sioner James Gleason and
Mayor Neil Goldschmidt have
proclaimed Community Ac
tion W eek
diction.
for
th e ir
juris
According to Cleveland Gil
crease. Executive Director of
the Po rtlan d M etro p o litan
Steering Committee. EDA,
Inc., the highlight of the
week will lie a banquet to be
held at the Sheraton Motor
Inn on March 26th
Guest
speaker will be Alvin J.
Arnett, Director of the Office
of Economic Opportunity.
Other special guests in
elude M ayor G oldschm idt;
Chairm an Gleason; S tate
It e p r e s e n t a t i ve W illia m
McCoy; John Finley, Re
gional Director of OEO; J.B.
Y u tzy, Regional Program
PORTLAND
Volume t, No ®
AN EOUAt
Q l P o rtland. Oregon
THE O N IY
NEWSPAPER IN
THE WHOLE
OPPORTUNITY EMPtOYER
WIDE
DALE A. WASHINGTON
as an educator in Alabama.
He began teaching in 1961 at
C h ilto n C ounty T ra in in g
School. Two years later he
became principal of Holly
wixxl Eighth Grade School
¿ml in 1967 was" named
chairman of the six-ial science
d ep artm en t of Hollywood
Junior High School
He
came to Washington High
School in 1970.
Washington has been ac
live ill his profession outside
the classroom since his under
graduate days.
He has
served as the alternate dele
gate from Oregon to the
N EA Resolutions Committee,
held the chairmanship of
numerous local, stale and
national committees, and a
delegate to several NEA
conventions.
Iaist year he
was selected to serve on
N E A teams which evaluated
hx'als in Great Falla, Mon
tana and Granite, Utah
Ethiopian famine brings suffering
A disastrous famine has
broken out in E th io p ia ,
plunging millions of people
into an unprecedented suf
fering
The magnitude of
suffering and dehumaniza
tion of our people has sur
passed the limits of imagina
lion They have turned into
prehistoric gatherers search
mg on the ground for a stray
seed of grain Their flesh is
all gone and all that remains
is the ghostly skelton and
the baggy skin hanging from
it.
The famine has already
raused the death of 100,000
to 150,000 people and 88% of
the cattle in the country.
Epidemic diseases like ty
phoid. cholera, smallpox and
other diseases are spreading
unchecked throughout the
famine stricken areas. Two
million people already face
death by s ta rv a tio n , ac
cording to the laindon Times.
The entire ,x>pulation of the
(Please turn to pg. 5. col. 6)
Amnesty sought for veterans
Ronald II. Brown, Director
of the Washington Bureau of
the National Urban League,
urged Congress to consider
granting amnesty to veterans
who received less than hon
orable discharges at the same
time that it considers legis
la tion that would grant am
nesty to those who refused
to serve in the military
during the Vietnam war.
He made the request in
testimony before the House
S u bcom m ittee on C ourts,
Civil Liberties, and the Ad
ministration of Justice which
is considering legislation pro
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Franklin
Home o n ic e Franklin Bldg . Portland, Oregon >7204
Roben H Hazen. Proa • IS O fflcea * Phone 248-1234
|xtsing amnesty for conscien
tious objectors and draft
evaders.
He said that an
unfair proportion of the ap
proximately 450.000 Vietnam
veterans who have bad dis
charges are Black.
Saying that minority mem
bers were drafted in greater
numbers, assigned in greater
numbers to front line duty or
to unskilled, dead end jobs,
the N U L leader told the
congressmen th a t Blacks
were also ejected in greater
n u m b e rs w ith less th an
honorable records.
" It should be noted that at
this point in time when un
employment is excessively
high, discharges are being
used to deny jobs to those
who otherwise qualify for
them," he said. "To under
stand the scope of the prob
lem," he continued, "It is
necessary to consider that
about a million veterans left
the service with less than
honorable discharges since
1950. Fully ton many of these
bad discharges were given
under circum stances th at
would not earn any sort of
punishment in civilian life."
he said.
Brown said that all too
often "even discharges which
have the appearance of being
'honorable' are in fact coded
with personal characteristics
which may serve to dis
criminate against millions of
men who are not even aware
of the presence of such
(Please turn to pg. 3, col. 5)
1
ector of the Office of Eco
nomic Opportunity on June
28, 1973 by President Nixon.
He had been an employee of
the Appalachian Regional
Commission prior to his ap
pointment. Arnett was born
in Kentucky and reared in
Charleston. West Virginia
He graduated from Florida
OBSERVER
Washington joins education staff
State Superintendent Dale
Parnell has named Herman
A. Washington, a former
president of the Portland
Association of Teachers,
social studies specialist for
the Slate Department of
Education
Washington will
join the staff April 10th.
Washington. 32. now is a
teacher of social studies at
Washington High School in
Portland and political science
at Portland Community Col
lege.
Parnell said Washington
will direct a new emphasis
on slute and locul govern
ment.
"The new Oregon
graduation re q u ire m e n ts ,"
Parnell said, "will assure
that students learn how to
co|w responsibly with state
anil local government as well
as national government. It's
fru s tra tin g th at students
seem to know more alxiut
the Aztecs and Incas than
they do alxiut their own city
government," he added "We
must refocus our efforts."
W ashington received a
It S in secondary education
from Alabama State llm ver
sity in 1964 and a M.S. in
political science from the
University of Colorado in
1969.
His ¡0 years of tMTrhfng
experience have ix>en unique
Besides working in small and
big city rlassrixims. Wash
ington has taught in all
white, all Mark and inte
grated schixils.
He spent his first six years
Director of the Office of
Child Development; and Dr.
D.J. Brooks, Jr.. President of
the National Association tor
C om m unity D evelopm ent.
Representatives of Governor
Tom McCall and the Depart
ment of latbor. Region X,
will also attend.
Arnett was appointed Dir
WORLD
THAT REALLY CARES
Thursday. March 21, 1974
ABOUT
10c per copy
PEOPLE
Black turnover explained
School Superintendent Dr.
Robert Blanchard told the
Mixlel Cities Working Com
mittee on Education in Jan
uary of 1973, "Since 1968 69,
the rate of resignation of
Black teachers has exceeded
the rate of resignation of
non Black teachers. This is
because of the increasing job
op,xirtunities for Blacks at
very competitive salaries. We
must hire two to "keep"
one.
Had the resignation
rate been the same, our
present number of Black
teachers would be slightly
more than 6.1 percent of the
total.”
A survey of schixil district
records shows that of 33
Black teachers hired in the
1968 school year, only 16
were leaching in the Port
land Public Schools in Sep
tember of 1973. Of 28 hired
in 1969, only 9 remain. Dr.
Blanchard's explanatio n is
that these teachers, after ma
jo rin g in education and
achieving certification, leave
for b e tte r jobs.
Black
teachers give a different
assessment.
Teachers in the system
and those who have left state
that the reason for the high
rate of turnover is that
Blacks were hired during the
period of 1966 to 1973 to
"cool down" Albina and to
satisfy federal requirements.
Now that Black students
have settled do« 1 and there
are few racial undents in
such schools a
Jefferson,
Roosevelt, Adams and Grant,
these teachers are no longer
needed.
They accuse the
school district of attempting
to eliminate them before
tenure is achieved.
Julius Speiginer is waiting
for his hearing before the
state's Fair Dismissals Board.
He was terminated by the
schixil district for "insubor
dination’' and other charges.
Speiginer was hired by the
school district in 1969 as a
job developer.
He worked
with the National Alliance of
Businessmen placing stu
dents on jobs. Speiginer had
been an auto mechanic and
had been employed for 12
years by Pacific Airmotive
Corporation, testing and in
stalling wiring circuits and
other related work
He also
had his own automotive busi
ness in Southern California
and was a licensed mechanic.
He had attended Washington
Vocational School in St.
lxiuis, where he studied auto
mechanics. physics, econo
mics. electricity, science and
industrial relations He holds
a BA degree and is a certified
vocational teacher.
After a year as a Job
D evelo p er. Speiginer was
selected to operate the new
auto shop at Jefferson. He
spent a year as a consultant
at Roosevelt while Jeffer
son's shop was being built.
According to Speiginer, his
problems with the adminis
tration began soon after the
Jefferson shop opened.
He
found the equipment that had
been purchased was of poor
quality and that many e»
sential tools were missing.
The school refused to buy
the items, but when he
brought his own tools for the
students to use. he was
ordered to take them home.
One example of equipment
that was missing is that the
shop operated for two years
without the required fire
blanket, which is used to
wrap a student if he catches
on fire.
Then problems developed
over purchase of auto parts.
The students worked on cars
brought in by students,
faculty or the public. Stocks
of commonly used parts such
as bolts and spark plugs
were not kept and had to be
purchased for each job. O ri
ginally he could order parts
on open account, but later had
(Please turn to pg. 2, col. 'll
Student achieves honor
by Rosemary Allen
Vincent Barnett recently
became a finalist in compete
tion for the National Achieve
ment Scholarship for Black
High Schixil students.
Stu
dents are chosen from re
sults of the P re lim in a ry
Scholastic Achievement Test
l l ’S A T l scores.
Vincent Barnett is the son
of Mr. and Mrs. James Bar
nett. He and his family are
o rig in ally
from
D e tro it.
Michigan, when' Vincent at
tended Cass Technical High
School.
The Barnett family moved
to Oregon in Februarv of
1971 Vincent Barnett nows
attends Franklin High Schixil.
where he majors in Science,
Biology and Chemistry
Vin
cent has an accumulative
grade ,xnnt average of 3.8
and was «dected into the
Franklin High Friar's Club
(or males with high GPAs.
Five students are elected
each year.
Barnett was
chosen by members of the
club oil the basis of his GPA
and his friendliness towards
others.
Barnett is considering at
tending Oregon State Uni
versity or Michigan State
U n iv e rs ity
and
possibly
majoring in Biology, but he
is still uncertain.
A former clarinetist in the
A
Mayor Neil Goldschmidt presents Cleveland Gilcrease,
executive director of the Portland Metropolitan Steering
Committee, with a proclamation announcing Community
Action Week.
3 1 3-
Albina team wins tourney berth
by Rosemary Allen
The Albina Sports Pro
gram 8th grade Junior Pro
basketball team slipped past
Sabin Grade School 56 to 50
to win the Junior Pro C'ham
pionship in the Northwest.
As Northwest Champions,
the team will travel to Ken
tucky to compete against
Junior Pro teams from all
over the nation.
Greg Williams, a P.E. As
sociate at Portland Com
munitv College, coaches the
team.
Mr. Williams, who
receives a personal satisfac
tion from coaching the young
sters, feels that it keeps
some of them off the streets.
The Albina Sports Pro
gram. which this group is a
part of, was founded by Phil
Walden.
Its programs, in
primarily track and basket
ball, include ages of 6 years
old to college age. There are
no specific requirements to
join the program.
Most of the members of
the 12 ro ste r Ju n io r Pro
team have been playing to
gether since the 5th grade.
Since the tournament began,
the team has practiced two
hours a day. every day.
Coach Greg Williams and
assistant roach John Camp
ire sure their team has a
good chance of winning in
the Championship playoffs.
They leave for Kentucky
March 26th.
Their first
game is against the Kentucky
State Champions.
V
Opportunities abound in Air Force
by Rosemary Allen
VINCENT BARNETT
high school band. Vincent
Barnett’s athletic interest is
in track. Last year he was a
member of the track team
and competed as a sprinter
in the 100. 220 and the 440
yard dashes and the 440
vard relay.
Strike ends, drive seeks assistance
D esp ite the successful
settlement of the long strike
at the Farah Manufacturing
Company in El Paso, Texas,
help for the several thousand
workers involved must con
tinue for a few weeks more,
until they can get back on
the job. according to the
Amalgamated Clothing Work
ers of America, AFL-CIO
CLC.
The Amalgamated and the
Help the Farah Workers
Week Committee have ap
pealed for a generous turn
out of contributions that will
help the former strikers until
Southern College and spent
ten years in the U.S. Coast
Guard.
His work with the
Appalachian Commission,
which began in 1967, was in
te rru p te d for tw o years
(1970 1971) while he served
as executive assistant to
United States Senator J.
Glenn Beal of Maryland.
Arnett is a supporter of
President Nixon’s plan to
phase out OEO. Nixon had
attempted to eliminate the
program by June of 1974,
but was prevented from
doing so by court action. His
current plan is to eliminate
OEO and place the programs
that would continue under
other departments.
The
Community Action Agencies
would no longer receive fed
eral funds, or as Arnett told
the subcommittee on Equal
Opportunity of the House
C o m m itte e on Education,
“So, rather than advocating
total abandonment of com
munity action programs, the
Administration is simply sug
gesting that after ten years,
the local initiative share of
community action funds be
(Please turn to pg. 3, col. 8)
they are called back to work
at the big El Paso plant, one
of the largest manufacturers
of men's and boy's pants in
the nation.
Settlement of the strike
was announced on February
24th by William Farah and
leaders of the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers, President
M urray Finley and Secretary
Treasurer Jacob Sheinman.
In Portland, Ms. DiFabio.
spokesman for the com
mittee, declared:
"These workers have made
great sacrifices for their be
liefs and for the cause ol
democratic trade unionism.
For long months they have
lived on $30 a week strike
benefits. They urgently need
our help right to the day
when, under union agree
ment, they can go back to
work at Farah.
"Let’s get the food, cloth
ing and dollars to the Farah
workers by Easter. Our goal
is the same as always:
to
bring help to people in need.
W e must stand with the
same plan: to get people to
give whatever they can. as
much as they can."
(Please turn to pg. 3, col. 6)
"Many people still picture
the A ir Force as where you
get up at 4 a.m. at the sound
of a bugle." stated Master
Sergeant John Pennington,
an A ir Force minority re
cruiter for the 8 western
States. However. Pennington
pointed out. the latter is no
longer true. The Air Force
offers numerous educational
opportunities and can be of
great help to those who
graduate from high school
and are yet undecided about
their future.
The A ir Force tries to
discourage dropouts from
joining. Mr. Pennington said.
"We encourage kids to finish
high schixil before entering
the service.” The age limits
for joining the A ir Force are
from 18 to 27.
Seventeen
year olds are accepted with
parental consent.
As a minority recruiter,
Pennington explained, “my
job is to work with people
like U rb a n League and
NA ACP." Sergeant Penning
ton works in the minority
category. As defined by the
Air Force, the minority cate
gory includes all except Cau
casions. The A ir Force, ac
cording to Sergeant Penning
ton, has minority goals in all
of their programs.
ROTC
Scholarships. 12 week Officer
Training Schixil and a Medi
cal program are some of its
programs.
The Medical program spon
sors the student through
Medical School, pays all tui
tion, books, fees and $400
per month living expenses.
The student must be ad
mitted by a medical school
prior to enlistment.
The A ir Force, as Ser
geant Pennington sees it,
provides more than just de
fense for the nation; it
tries to solve social problems
by taking unskilled, many
times jobless, people and
giving them skills.
As an
institution. Mr. Pennington
continued, "the A ir Force
plays a bigger role toward
helping society than col
leges."
M as ter S ergean t John
Pennington is the father of
five children.
His wife,
M a rth a P en n in g ton , was
selected last year as "M ili
tary Wife of the Year". Ser
geant Pennington en tered
the A ir Force 20 years ago
at the age of 19. W hile in
the A ir Force he has earned
a Bachelor of Science in
Business Administration and
a teaching certificate.
While the A ir Force is
thought to be predominantly
for men. it offers numerous
opportunities for women also
Sergeant Pennington pointed
out.
The A ir Force does
provide strong support for
I Please turn to pg. 5, col. 7|
Minority workers seek
union membership
Seven minority workers
filed for union membership
with the Operating Engi
neers Local 701. The seven
Leonardo Doss, Guadaloupe
Vargas, James Brown. Lester
Brown, Charlye Molden, Bill
Davis and Thedis Poe
are
graduates of the United M i
nority Workers Associated
General Contractors' heavy
equipment school.
All are
e lig ib le fo r jo u rn e y m a n
standing.
Nine additional
persons will apply within the
week.
Registration with the union
places them on the list for
re fe rra l to em ploym ent.
Jobs are assigned according
to experience and placement
on the list. Contractors rail
the union for employees, and
only if the union cannot
produce within 48 hours can
they hire nonunion mem
bers. Once an employee is
hired through this method,
he is insured union member
ship.
Russ Joy, secretory of
Local 701, was not available
for comment. His office said
he had given orders that the
number of union members
not be released, but that
inquirers be told that "it is a
rhaning figure ". Recent esti
mates are that out of be
tween 6,000 and 8.000 union
members, less than a half
dozen are Black.
Black
workers have found I .oral
701 to be one of the worst in
Po rtlan d in d iscrim in atin g
against minorities.