Portland observer., June 13, 1974, Page 2, Image 2

Portland/Obaerver
Thursday. June 13. 1974
Blacks protest
U 4 )« **
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Pape 2
(Continued from pg. 1. col. 31
Salute to M edgar
To Our Friends, everywhere:
WE SEE THE WORLD
THROUGH BLACK EYES
ALFRED L. HENDERSON
Ed i to r/P u b l isher
EDITORIAL FOCUS
Racism wins again
It is e a sie r fo r a Black yo u n g la d y to beco m e the
Q ueen o f th e U n iv e rs ity o f A la b a m a th an to be
chosen Q u e e n o f P o rtlan d's Rose Festival. W e have
rece ive d n u m e ro u s com m ents, fro m both w h ite s and
Blacks, th a t Princess G e o rg e n e Rose o f F ranklin High
School w as th e o u ts ta n d in g m e m b e r o f the court and
should h a v e b e e n chosen q ue en .
This is n o t to ta k e a n y th in g fro m Q ueen Danita
Ruzic, w h o e n te re d th e c o m p e titio n in good fa ith and
should n o t be b la m e d fo r the Rosarians disin tere st in
the q u a litie s a n d the aspirations o f Black young
p e o p le . It is tru e th a t the Royal Rosarians do not
choose th e Q u e e n d ire c tly , but they crea te the
a tm o sp h e re a n d choose the judges.
Perhaps w e
should n o t e xp e c t that staid o ld o rg a n iz a tio n to
re c o g n ize th e d iv e rs ity o f Portland's citiz e n ry and
re a liz e th a t th e y co u ld be w e ll represented by a
Black.
The Rose Festival Society has a nn ou nce d th a t next
ye a r th e n u m b e r o f Princesses w ill be decreased to
fiv e or seven a n d th a t the m ethod o f selection w ill be
ch a n g e d .
W e b e lie v e this to be an e ffo rt to
e lim in a te th e Black students w h o are b e co m in g too
v is ib le in the Festival. This ye a r fo u r h ig h school
student b o d ie s selected Black princesses to rep re sen t
th e m , b u t w h a t chance w ill Blacks have w h e n
c o m p e tin g th ro u g h o u t the m e tro p o lita n a re a fo r fiv e
or seven positions, e sp e cia lly if a du lts m a k e the
jud ge m en ts.
W e b e lie v e the Rose Festival Society is w illin g to
ch a n g e its e n tire fo rm a t to p ro tect its w h ite im a ge .
The p re ce d e n t was set w h e n th e Ju n io r Princes
w e re e lim in a te d because a Black Prince was
m a tch e d w ith a w h ite Princess.
A lth o u g h these
c h ild re n w e re o n ly n in e or ten years o ld th e Rose
Festival Society co u ld not w e a th e r the storm that
fo llo w e d . W h ile a ll o f the o th e r Princesses a n d th e ir
Princes sat to g e th e r, the little Black Prince a n d the
little w h ite Princess w e re se parated on the flo a t so
Problem needs study
A recent N a tio n a l H ea lth Survey e stim a te d that
b e tw e e n 15 a n d 20 percen t o f the a du lts in the
U n ite d States h ave h yp e rte n sio n , or h ig h b lo o d
pressure.
M o re th a n 21 percen t o f the n a tio n 's
u rb an Blacks as c o m p a re d to 13.5 percen t o f the
n a tio n 's u rb an w h ite s
There is also a p re v a le n c e
o f h y p e rte n s io n a m o n g Black ch ild re n .
H igh b lo o d pressure e ffe cts Black p e o p le in
se veral u n iq u e w ays. It d e ve lo p s e a rlie r in Blacks
a nd is fre q u e n tly m ore severe a nd results in a
g re a te r n u m b e r o f deaths at a yo u n g e r age
most o fte n fro m strokes and heart fa ilu re .
The fa ct is th a t n e a rly e very case o f h ig h b lo o d
pressure can be tre a te d e ffe c tiv e ly , ye t it is o ne of
th e m ost n e g le c te d o f a ll m aior h e a lth problem s.
O n ly a b o u t h a lf o f the persons w h o have h y p e r­
te nsio n a re a w a re o f it, and m ost do not have
a d e q u a te tre a tm e n t.
W hy do Blacks suffer from h ig h b lo o d pressure?
It has been re ce n tly suggested th a t in a d e q u a te
d ie t to g e th e r w ith a life s ty le c h a ra cte rize d by
o pp re ssion , u n re a lis tic social restriction s, and the
pressures a nd stresses caused by the d a ily struggle
to su rvive, m ig h t c o n trib u te to th e p ro b le m s o f
h ype rte n sio n.
A tw o -p ro n g e d atta ck is essential to e ra d ic a te
this serious h e a lth p ro b le m w h ic h is the n u m b e r
o ne k ille r o f Black p e o p le . First w e m ust p a rtic i­
p a te in the c o m m u n ity d rives fo r b lo o d pressure
te sting to id e n tify th e disease.
Beyond th at, m assive m easures are necessary to
e ra d ic a te the p sy c h o lo g ic a l a nd so cio -e co no m ic
pressures th a t c o n trib u te to the h ig h in cid en ce
a m o n g Blacks. H igh b lo o d pressure can no longer
be ig n o re d by those g o v e rn m e n ta l a nd private
a ge ncies th a t p ro v id e m e d ic a l research.
the spectators at th e Ju nior Parade w o u ld not have
to see them to g e th e r, a nd th a t was the end o f
th e J u n io r Prim e M in iste r and the Ju n io r Princes.
This ye a r th ere a re no Black d rive rs fo r the
Q u e e n 's a nd Princess' cars. S urely th e re a re some
Black students at Benson H igh School w h o could
q u a lify fo r this position -- a fte r a ll. Blacks have
a lw a y s been chauffeurs.
The Royal Rosarians have n o t m ade th e ir o r­
g a n iz a tio n rep re sen ta tive o f th e e thn ic g roups of
P o rtlan d, d e p riv in g a large se g m e n t o f citizen s from
p a rtic ip a tio n in the sp irit o f th e Rose Festival. W h ile
it sh o u ld fe a tu re the ta len ts o f a ll groups, it rem ain s
la rg e ly an a ll-w h ite a ffa ir.
A lth o u g h A m e rican s are fin a lly re a liz in g the
b e a u ty o f Black yo un g p e o p le , even in the Deep
S outh, the Royal Rosarians still seek the tra d itio n a l
a n g lo -s a x o n , w h ite A m e ric a n fe atures.
In the
process, they rob the yo un g Black students o f th e ir
rig h t to dream , th e rig h t to a i.p ire to the highest
h o n o r paid a h ig h school stuoent by the Portland
business co m m u n ity
--
the p riv ile g e o f being
c ro w n e d "Q u e e n o f R osa ria ".
School decisions
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(Continued from pg. 1, col. 5)
Blank, Lawrence, Kansas;
Frederick T. Haley, Tacoma,
Washington; Ethel Lichtman,
Palo Alto, California; Grace
Olivarez. Albuquerque, New
Mexico; Mrs. Merrimon Cun
ninggim, Clayton, Missouri;
and
Daniel Collins,
San
Francisco, California.
Commission staff director
is Shelly Weinstein, former
project director
for
the
education study of the Citi­
zens Commission on M ary­
land Government.
The June 26th hearing will
begin at 9:30 a.m. and con­
tinue into the evening. The
morning and afternoon ses­
sion will be given over to
invited
witnesses.
The
evening session, which be­
gins at 7 p.m., will hear from
any individuals and repre­
sentatives of citizen and
community groups who wish
to testify.
These will be
heard in order of. registration
member
J
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■ ■ Oregon
'
Newspaper
M Publishers
“ Association
MEMBER
N e N p A \p£R
Association - Founded 1885
Published every Thursday
by Exie Publishing Com
pany, 2201 North Killings
w o rth , P o rtla n d , Oregon
97217.
Mailing address:
P .0. Box 3137. Portland,
Oregon 97208.
Telephone:
283 2486.
Subscriptions:
$5.25 per
year in the Tri-County area,
$6.00 per year outside Port
land.
Second Class Postage
at Portland. Oregon.
Paid
The Portland Observer's of
ficial position is expressed
only in its Publisher’s column
(We See The World Through
Black Eyes).
Any other
m a te ria l th ro ug ho u t the
paper is the opinion of the
individual w riter or sub­
m itter and does not neces­
sarily reflect the opinion of
the Portland Observer.
Mississippians, wherever
they are, should get together
and take stock. We need to
remember those whose lives
were spent that we might
come out as far as we have.
This year it seems more than
ever appropriate that we
should do that.
More and
more white folks are seeing
what Blacks and other non
whites have seen all the
time
that freedom is not
free
and certainly it
doesn't come automatically.
I think of Fayette as the
visible symbol of w hat
Medgar Evers, my brother,
died to accomplish.
It is
indeed a free town, one
where alt its residents and
all its visitors are considered
for what they are: persons
of worth and dignity.
Medgar died for a world
where men and women could
be called M r. and Mrs. and
Miss - and not “uncle" and
"auntie" or "boy” or “gal", if
they happened to be Black.
He knew he was a marked
man, but he went on in the
open, trying to make a world
where little children could
know their importance. He
died so Black mothers and
fathers could stop whipping
their children to instill fear
of the white man in them,
and thus save their lives
He died so these same
parents, and others to follow
them, could not only save the
physical lives of their chil­
dren but also make a world
where their children and
children's children could
grow up to be mentally and
emotionally whole.
Medgar died so children
could go to the fair and sit in
whichever seat fell vacant on
the ferris wheel. He died so
children could form one line
at the movie theater
in
stead of one on the big street
and the other in the alley.
Medgar died so children
could drink just plain water
and not “colored" or "white-
water.
My brother land yours too
if you believe in the thing»
he believed in) died so
everybody could vole and
hold office, if he or she
wanted to.
Come
on bark
"down
home" on June 26th and 27th
t 1 ;s year and let this tired
and confused country see that
we can't forget our martyrs
and heroes. This will be our
second annual
Mississippi
Homecoming and the ele­
venth year since Medgar was
telegrams of
protest
U
Senator Pastore and other
members of the Senate Com
merce Committee.
Other
members of the committee
are: Senator Vance Hartke
of Indiana; Philip Hart and
Kobert P. Griffin of Michi
gan; John V. Tunney of
California; Adlai E. Steven
son I I I of Illinois; Howard H.
Baker. Jr. of Tennessee;
Marlow W. Cook of Ken
turky; J. Glenn Beall. Jr. of
Maryland; James B. Pearson
of Kansas; Warren G. Mag
nuson of Washington. How
ard W. Cannon of Nevada;
Bussell B. Long of Louisiana;
Frank E. Moss of Utah;
Daniel K. inouye of Hawaii;
Ernest F. Hollings of South
I would like to thank the
Portland Observer reader
ship and editorial staff for
helping me to be elected the
D em o cratic nominee for
Chairman of the Board of
Commissioners.
Multnomah
County.
The confidence expressed
in my candidacy for public
20510.
"The
time
has come,”
declares Dr. Goodlett, "for
Blacks to dramatize their
concerns and rights for open
areess to full participation in
mass communications."
Teachers
(Continued from pg. 1. col. 61
unrestricted grant of $500.
Teachers are nominated on
classroom teaching ability,
contributions to research,
administrative ability, civic
service and professsional
recognition.
Subscribes
To The
I
Portland Observer
assassinated.
We would like so much to
have you join us as we
measure the miles we have
come. Please let us know.
b a t (b e o , o o t e v e r y m e
e e a e i la o a t • ( (h e r a l a , e it h e r .
Sincerely.
Charles Evers
office is most appreciated
and I feel fortunate to have
received such wide support
from the communities that
together make Portland and
Multnomah County a good
place in which to live and
work.
Sincerely.
Donald Clark
Commissioner
Letter to the President
D r. Calrton B. Goodlett,
president of the National
Newspaper Publishers As­
sociation and editor publisher
of the San Francisco Sun-
Reporter, wired President
Nixon protesting the place­
ment of Defense Department
advertising in the white
media and denying it to the
Black press.
The message
reads:
“M r. President:
“ The 7-column, 17-inch
Army Opportunities ads ap­
pearing currently
in the
White
Metropolitan
Daily
Press are the most blatant
examples of economic racism
perpetrated by an insensitive
n a tio n a l a d m in is t r a t io n
against the Black Press of
America.
“How can the Executive
Branch of our N a tio n al
Government enforce equal
economic opportunity
sta­
tutes when
the
Federal
G overnm ents p erm its its
Defense
D e p a rtm e n t
to
openly discriminate against
the sole Black-owned com­
Letters should be ad
dressed to the Senate Com
merce
C om m ittee,
11.S.
Senate. Washington,
D.C.
Take Care -
Contents
Dangerous. Before you buy
household products such as
drain cleaners, oven cleaners
and (tain removers, check the
package. Is the product in a
safe, child re s is ta n t con­
tainer?
During the first month of
1974, approximately 2.000
injuries involving dangerous
household poisons like these
caused injuries, according to
a report from the National
Electronic Injury
Surveil­
lance System.
More than
half the victims were small
children.
After May 31st. child,
resiatant packaging will be
required by the Product
Safely Commission.
Not Everyone
ow A b o u t Y o u ?
Pledges effort
To the Editor:
Carolina; and Norris Cott of
New Hampshire.
munications medium of 25
million Black Americans, a
people more numerous than
the populations of 157 other
nations?
“The Expenditure of Fed
eral advertising dollars with
out observing an equitable
advertising policy is the
gravest form of institutional
racism and economic crimi­
nality. We demand that the
D efense D e p a rtm e n t be
forced to obey the Equal
Economic Opportunity sta
tules and its fair minorities
procurement policies."
A copy of the message was
sent to James R. Schlesinger.
Secretary of Defense.
RATES:
$5.25
in Tri-County Area and Armed Services
$6.00
Other Areas of the US
Nome
Address
C ity ___
State
22 0 1 N . K illin g s w o rth
P o rtla n d , O re g o n 9 7 2 1 7
Support the Black Press -
Our Freedom depends on if
P R IN T IN G PROBLEMS?
C a ll us to d a y !
at the entrance
to
hearing room.
When the hearings are
concluded, the Commission
will prepare a formal report
of its findings, which shall be
made available to Federal
and state legislators; federal
and state and local educa
tion al ad m in is tra to rs and
policy makers; to educational
and professional associations;
appropriate labor organiza­
tions and citizens groups.
The National Committee
for Citizens in Education is
successor to the National
Committee for Support of
the Public Schools, founded
in 1962 by the late Agnes E.
Meyer.
NCCE is a non
profit, non-partisan, member
ship organization which seeks
to encourage greater public
participation in the affairs of
the nation's public schools.
Its work is financed by dues
and by a grant from the
Ford Foundation.
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