Black legislators play impeachment role
Three Black legislator« are
member« of the House Judi
cia, Committee which thia
week voted to recommend to
thq United State« Houae of
Representatives that Richard
M. N iw n be ira|>eache<l
I(
the Houae concur« with the
Ju d icial C o m m itte e, M r.
Nixon will aland trial in the
Senate.
Black
member« of the
Judicial Committee are Bar
bar« Jordan. John Conyera
ami Charles Rangel.
John Conyera. Jr. was
elected to the Houae in 1964
from Michigan. Conyers was
born on May 1«, 1929 m
Detroit. He attendee! Wayne
State Univeraity, graduating
in 1967 with a BA degree
and Wayne State Univeraity
la w School, earning an LLB
in Jupe of 1958
He was u
combat officer in the U.8.
Army Corp« of Engineers,
serving one year in Korea,
where ha received combat
and merit citations.
Conyera ia active in civic
affair«, serving on the Exe
cutive Hoard of the Detroit
N A A C P. the advisory board
of the American Civil I.iber
tie« Union of Michigan, and
the Police Kelationa Com
mittee of the Cotillion Club.
He was secretar of the 15th
Congressional District Demo
cratic O rg an iza tio n ; vice
chairman of the Americans
for Democratic Action; and
vice chairman of the National
Advisory Council of ACLU,
lie was appointed referee for
the State Workmen's Com
pensation D e p a rtm e n t in
1961
Conyers serves on the
Committee on Government
Operations and the Judicial
Committee and is Chairman
of the
subcommittee
on
Í4
Crime of the House Judiciary
Committee.
Charles B. Rangel was
elected from Harlem in 1970
and re-elected in 1972.
He
was born in Harlem in June
of 1930. He attended public
schools including D e W itt
Clinton High School.
He
enlisted in the Army and
served from 194« until 1952.
He was awarded the Purple
Heart, the Bronze Star of
Valor, United States and
Korean
Presidential
Cita
tions, and three Bronze Stars
while with the 2nd Infantry
in Korea
After an honorable dis­
charge, Rangel completed
high school.
In 1967 he
graduated from the New
York University School of
Commerce, a dean's list stu
dent, on the G .I. Bill.
He
attended St. Johns Univer
sity School of la w on a three
year full scholarship and
graduated, again on the
dean's list, in I960
Rangel was admitted to
the New York Bar, the U.S.
Federal Court Southern Dis
trict of New York, and the
U.S. Customs Court. He was
appointed assistant United
States
Attorney
for the
Southern District of New
York in 1961. He also served
as legal counsel for the New
York City Housing and Re
development Board. Neigh
borhood Conservation Bur
eau, and was general counsel
for the National Advisory
Board on Selective Service
Rangel was a member of
the New York State As
sembly from 1966 to 1970
He is a member of the Dis­
trict of Columbia Committee
and the Judicial Committee
He is currently chairman of
(Please turn to pg. 2, col. 5)
Catch m e .
Berean,
Hughes, Bethel
and Woodlawn Child Care
Centers are partiepating in a
special swim program for
Model Cities 4 C day care
centers.
The program is
directed by Hildergard Gor
Harris directs PSU Black studies
Ur. W illiam Harris, dire«»
tor of the Center for Urban
Studies in Seattle thia past
year, has been named new
coordinator of the Black
Studies program at Portland
State University.
Now a part of Urban
Stodiea, the Black Studies
program was transferred this
spring when budget cuts at
PSU made some program
reorganization necessary.
Harris, who recently re
reived his dorlorate in urban
planning and community de
velopment at the University
of Washington, will leach
course* in both Black Studies
and Urban Studies.
He also plans to continue
his current research interest
which involves investigating
what ideal models are neces
•ary for Black community
development.
The Seattle Center for
Urban Studies, an educa­
tional extension project from
Fairhaven College in Belling
ham, is similar to PSU'a
Educational Center on Union
Avenue, according to Harris.
During 1972 Harris was
project
director
for
the
Seattle Urban Academy, a
Battelle Institute sponsored
research and planning pro
ject designed to develop an
educational system for kin
d e rg a rte n
through
12th
grade children living in the
inner city.
Following a three hour
debate the Board of D irer
tors of the Portland M etro
politan Steering Committee
voted unanimously to accept
a federal grant for providing
emergency food and nutrition
services across the state of
Oregon.
The grant met opposition
from several private agencies
in Portland that questioned
the selection of PMSC to
administer the grant and
that were concerned that
expenditures for planning
not be excessive.
Only F IS H , a non profit
emergency program located
in Southeast Portland, ap
peared at the hoard meeting
to ask the board not to ac
cept the grant. Jean Hig
ginbotham, director of FISH ,
asked that the money be
rejected and returned to the
The
P o r t la n d ( t b s e r v e r has
Dr. William Harris of Seattle has been named new
coordinator of the Black Studies program at Portland State
University.
Earlier
in
ms
career,
Harris held jobs as a phyai
cist with Battelle Northwest
the U.S. Atomic
Energy
Comm ission in R ichland.
Washington, and the Mon
santo Research Corporation
in Dayton, Ohio.
Harris and his wife Cath
erine have three children.
Awards were presented at
the N N A national convention
in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
on July 26th. N N A is made
up of weekly and daily news
papers across the nation.
The Herrick Editorial Award
was open to daily and weekly
newspapers.
Additional Oregon winners
among the 4,750 entries are:
Albany Itemocrat Herald.
Honorable Mention. Excel
lence in Typography. Daily.
Bend Bulletin, First Place,
Best Feature Story, over
4,(XMI circulation.
Cottage
Grove
Sentinel,
Second Place, Special Issue,
S fe want CYOU
as a sa ve r
Bcnj.ffi) Franklin
» « •« •A L
federal government rather
than be awarded to PMSC.
Carl Woods. State Chair
man of the C om m unity
Action Agency organization
md Chairman of the Clacka
mas County CAP Board,
reminded the PMSC board
that they were acting for all
of the poor in the state, not
merely for Portland, and
pleaded that the grant be
accepted.
He pledged his
iupport and that of his
igency.
The program is divided
into two ph •«
a plan
mng period of five months
ending December 31, 1974,
and a two-year period of food
distribution and additional
program activities.
Up to $5(1.000 is allotted
for the five month planning
period, during which five
specific goals must be met-
11 Determination of needs
through
a
comprehensive
overview of existing nutri­
tion re la ted program s; 21
election of a statewide coun­
cil of 21 members with a
majority of low-income repre
sentatives; 3) establishment
of priorities; 4) provide an
organizational structure to
disseminate information, im­
plement priorities, and pro­
vide fiscal accountably; 5)
submit a 24 month work plan
and budget.
If the plan submitted is
acceptable to 0 E 0 , $200,000
will be granted for a two
year program.
Services to
be provided include estab­
lishing a training renter on
nutrition; providing technical
assistance to groups pro­
viding n u tritio n services:
assisting in fund raising;
(Please turn to pg. 2, col. 3)
M odel Cities Planning Board
adopts transition program
O bserver wins e d ito ria l aw ard
been notified that it has been
awarded Honorable Mention
in the
Herrick
Editorial
Award
by
the
National
Newspaper Association.
PMSC Board accepts food grant
• * « ! • • «
A
LB A M
A M M
Moma Ottica: Franklin Bid« Portland. Oregon »7204
Robart M Hazon. Pr«« • M O ttlc«« . Phot» 2 4 H 2 3 4
under 5,000 circulation.
Polk County Item izer Ob
server,
Dallas,
Honorable
Mention. Best Cartoon in a
Weekly Newspaper.
H illsbo ro A rg u s, T h ird
Place, Service to Agricul
ture, over 4,000 circulation.
Hood River New«, First
Place Public Notice, Third
Place Best Editorial Page,
over 4,000 circulation.
Klamath Falls Herald A
News, Honorable Mention,
Special Issue.
laike County Examiner,
First Place, Community Ser
vice, under 4,000 circulation.
The Model Cities Citizens'
Planning Board has adopted
a series of policies for its
phase out period, to be pre
sented to the City Council.
Model Cities is a five year
demonstration agency and
unless federal plans change,
it
will
be
funded
only
through June of 1975.
Three major areas of con
cern were expressed by the
board:
continuation of citi­
zens' participation, continua
tion of Model Cities funded
»rojects. and finding secure
em ploym ent for cu rren t
Model Cities employees.
The
plan
for Citizens'
Participation
provides for
citizen involvement in plan
ning and derision making
that affects the area.
The
basic
units
for
Citizens'
Participation will be the
Neighborhood
Associations,
which will apply for recog­
nition from the City under
the Office of Neighborhood
Associations.
These as
soeiations will be advised to
incorporate.
and committees and recom­
If a Planning District is
mends the formation of a
formed in Northeast Portland
Human Resource Bureau
including any part of the
Advisory Committee.
Model Neighborhood area,
The personnel component
the Citizens' Planning Board
is designed to provide an
recommends that it and the
orderly transfer of Model
elected representatives from
Cities employees to city
the current eight Neighbor
agencies or other positions,
hood Associations determine
at the same time maintaining
the boundaries of the plan
a sufficient staff throughout
ning district.
the close down period.
The present Citizens' Plan­
A schedule for transfer of
ning Board will be incor­
positions to the city over a
porated as a non p ro fit
period of one year has been
agency, recognized by the
submitted.
Model Cities
city to operate for the eight
employees will be assigned
Neighborhood Associations
civil service classifications
during the transition period
based on job functions cur­
(July, 1974 to July. 1975».
rently performed that are
After June 30, 1975, the
comparable to the same job
board will consist of an equal
functions in o th e r city
number of representatives
agencies.
The City Civil
from each recognized Model
Service Commission, repre­
Neighborhood Association.
sentatives of Loral
189,
The C itizen s' plann ing
AFSCM E, and Model Cities
Board
recommended
that
representatives are currently
Model Neighborhood
resi­ working to identify positions
dents be appointed to city
and assign
classifications.
budget review committees
Salaries will be commen
and to all city commissions Please turn to pg. 2, col. 5)
Oregon residents share money settlement
The State of Oregon, on
behalf of its consumers, has
made a settlement of $2.117
million with five drug com
panies: American Cyanamid,
B ristol M ye rs , P fize r and
Com pany, O lin M athieson
and Upjohn. Approximately
$1.3 million will be distri­
buted to Oregon residents
who purchased certain drugs
distributed by these com
panies.
During the late 1960’s all
50 states filed class action
suits alleging illegal price
fixing in the sale of anti
biotirs between 1954 and
1966
In 1969, 4 * of the
states accepted a aaKlement,
but
O regon,
C a lifo rn ia ,
Washington. Kansas, Utah
and Hawaii rejected it on the
grounds that it was inade­
quate.
After almost four years ol
litigation, these six states
made a settlement for $38
million, the largest settle­
ment of this nature in United
States history.
Distribution of Oregon's
share of the settlement will
he supervised by U.S. Dis
trict Court Judge Miles T
Lord.
A tto rn e y G en eral Lee
Johnson advised that every
Oregon resident will receive
a form in the mail by August
15th.
The form lists all
drugs covered and provides a
space for the consumer to
ipproximate his purchases
during the period
1954
through 1966.
Over 30 antibiotic drugs
are covered, the most com
nion being Aureomycin. Tet
racin and Terramycin. These
antibiotics are most fre
quently used to treat respir
atory infections, flu, ear in
fections, strep throat, cystic
fibrosis and acne.
It is estimated that 60
percent of the current Ore­
gon residents are eligible for
refunds.
Citizens are not
required to provide elaborate
proof of purchase, and for
amounts under $150, rough
estimates will be accepted.
Experts have estimated
that the consumer will re-
I Please turn to pg. 2, col. 31
• •
ansen of the YW CA aquatic
staff, assisted by teachers
and teacher aides from the
four centers.
Children quickly lose their
fear of the water as they
learn to kick, paddle and
float.
Some of the older
children jump off the diving
board and paddle to the side,
aided by “bubbles" strapped
to their back.
Approxi
mately sixty children take
part in the program.
C ity stu dies con tract com plian ce
The Metropolitan Human
Relations Commission will
hold a public meeting to
discuss the proposed Con
tract Compliance Ordinance
on Monday, August 19, 1974,
at 7:30 p.m. in the Council
Chambers, City Hall, 1220
S.W. Fifth Avenue.
The
public is invited to partici
pate.
The
ordinance
requires
that any contractor pro­
posing to furnish goods or
services to the City of Port
land valued in excess of
$2500 in any year be certi­
fied as an affirmative action
equal opportunity employer
by the Metropolitan Human
Relations Commission.
No
bureau or office of the city
will be allowed to enter into
a contract with a contractor
not certified.
For those contractors who
do not have employees w ith­
in the city and propose to
furnish goods only, or whose
services will be provided
outside the city, the Com­
mission will accept evidence
that the contractor has filed
an affirmative action agree­
ment with the federal or
other government, or if he
files a written agreement not
to discriminate.
Any building contractor
applying for a permit to
construct a building in the
city estimated to cost more
than $75,000 and utilizing
more than five employees
must be certified by the
Commission
in order
to
receive the building permit.
To begin the process of
certification, the prospective
contractor must submit an
equal
employment
oppor
tunity policy to the Metro­
politan Human Relations
Commission. This policy will
include a statement that he
will not discriminate on the
basis of race, religion, color,
sex. national origin or age.
The policy will contain in­
formation on employee pat­
terns and include goals and
timetables directed toward
the employment of persons
from those groups he is
determined to be under
utilizing.
The goals and
timetables will be specific.
I f the Commission finds
the policy acceptable it will
certify the contractor as
being an equal opportunity
employer. The Commission
will accept evidence of cer­
tification
by the
federal
government as meeting these
requirements.
Contractors who are cer
tified but who are charged
with failing to comply with
the regulations will be giver
a hearing, and if found to b,
in violation, the certification
will be subject to conciliation
or revoked.
I f the contract is revoked,
the remaining portion of the
contract with the city will be
revoked.
Following adoption of the
ordinance
by
th e
C it y u
Council,
the
Metropolitan
Human Relations Commis­
sion will adopt rules and
regulations for implementa­
tion. following a hearing on
the proposed rules.
i” The Legacy o f Challenge
Part I
by J..M. Gates
The courageous efforts of
Richard A llen , F re d e ric k
Douglass. H arriet Tuuman
and Sojourner Truth are a
cherished legacy. Again and
again, their lives recall the
necessity to be free and
challenge barriers and in­
equities of myth or fact. In
their efforts to correct in­
justice, they were signifi­
cantly aware of the environ
ment, the social system, and
the technology of their time
but refused to be perma­
nently dispossessed of human
dignity.
They would be
surprised to read some of the
alleged new technology-
oriented conclusions which
attempt to soften the condi­
tions against which they
struggled.
The above persons would
probably be disappointed and
disgusted if later generations
accepted without doubt or
challenge such reports as
E.K. Dortmund's "A New
L ook
Inside Uncle Tom's
Cabin", which appeared in
the July 28, 1974 Oregonian
Northwest Magazine.
It
appears one must assume
said article to be a report
instead of a book review
inasmuch as it does not
appear with the regular book
reviews and it is featured on
the magazine cover.
Is silence or aloofness
possible when distorted con­
clusions are inconsistent with
certain fundamentals?
The
eleven conclusions of the
Northwest Magazine article
fail to reliably analyze the
impact of slavery on slaves,
free Blacks, and others of
non-slaveholding status. To
"""1
cite five of those conclusions
presented as principal cor­
rections. for example, are the
following:
7. Slave sales are con­
sidered the continuity of the
whole family or individual
naturity;
8. Slaves and free indus­
trial workers had similar
material conditions;
9. Benefits from 90% of
income produced;
10. That during 1840-1860
the South experienced a
more favorable per capita
increase thap the North.
11. That the Southern eco­
nomy
was
ric h e r
than
Northern liberals and recent
Black historians report.
The state constitutions,
the census data, the slave
narratives, and other re­
sources have made it possible
for plain people to have a
legacy of truth in inter
preting heritage and there
fore one need not be over­
whelmed by someone rise's
mathematical calculations of
the “beneficent” impact of
slavery oppression on the
oppressed. By utilizing the
Legacy of Common Sense,
one can recognize some in­
consistencies.
Conditions
must have been very serious
that Harriet Tubman would
risk nineteen journeys on the
underground
railroad
and
active battlefield service.
Frederick Douglass' Nar
rative tells of the few times
he had a chance to see his
mother, who lived on another
p la n ta tio n , and the sad
parting
from
his
grand
mother.
Sojourner Truth's
biography reveals the long
frustration to reunite w itl
her son; other documentaries
reveal family separation at
the auction block as a com
mon occurrence and the dis­
approval of engagements or
marriages with persons of
other plantations.
State
property laws were most
severe regarding the owner­
ship of the issue of slaves --
children of a slave were
designated also as property
of the owner of the parent
slave; consequently compli­
cations existed regarding an
intended marriage of persons
from two different plantation
owners when children were
born.
Such cruel customs
and laws adversely affected
the family and freedom of
movement. Under the Ken
tucky state constitution in
1856,
the
following
was
enunciated:
“The right of
property is before and higher
than any constitutional sanc­
tion; and the right of the
owner of a slave to such
slave, and its increase, is the
same, and as inviolable as
the right of the owner of any
property whatever.”
Slave families were subject
to great risks to communi­
cate with free members of
said family line.
The state
co nstitutions of V irg in ia ,
Florida. Kentucky. Indiana
and Missouri persecuted and
excluded free people of color.
These limitations were an
additional shackle to conquer.
The Virginia Constitution
stated that slaves “eman
cipated shall forfeit their
freedom by remaining in the
Commonwealth more thar
I Please turn to pg. 2, col. 51