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Portland Observer
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Thu.sday, June 3, 1976
The need for full employment
W e see the world
by Yvonne Brsth waite Burke
through Black eyes
Racism in the white press A heathy Walton?
W e a re o fte n asked, "W h y a Black Press? The
cu rre n t new s b la cko u t o f a p ro m in e n t Black c itiz e n
answ ers th a t q ue stion .
C le v e la n d G ilcrease is c u rre n tly in C anada, o n e o f
fo rty A m e rica n s selected to rep re sen t the U nite d
States a t an m a jo r U nite d N a tio n 's co nfe re n ce
a tte n d e d by 142 nations. This k in d o f honor seldom
comes to an O re g o n ia n , a nd e ven m ore seldom to a
Black O re g o n ia n .
A nd w h a t does th e w h ite press have to say?
N o th in g .
A lth o u g h the J o u rn a l has taken e very
o p p o rtu n ity to attack G ilcre ase -- to ch arge h im w ith
c rim in a l acts - it does not see this a p p o in tm e n t as
w o rth y o f p rin t. A lth o u g h th e J o u rn a l w as interested
e n o u g h in the HABITAT co n fe re n ce to send a re p o rte r
to cover it in person, it is not intereste d e n o u g h to
m e n tio n th a t G ilcre ase is there.
A nd th e O re g o n ia n ?
A m ere one p a ra g ra p h
c a re fu lly p la ced b e lo w the o b itu a rie s. A n y s ig n ifi
cance in the p la ce m e n t?
A n item o f new s
su rrou nd ed by o bitu aries?
N ot m uch has chan ge d since the o ld days w h e n
P ortland's w h ite d a ilie s , as a m atter o f p o lic y , o n ly
p rin te d n ew s o f Blacks in c rim e or sports. O reg on 's
Black citizen s are still la rg e ly absent fro m th e ir pages
-- a little fe a tu re story n o w a nd th en to p lacate.
It sh o u ld be clear w h y Blacks d o not trust the w h ite
press; a nd it should be cle a r w h y th e re is still a need
fo r the Black press.
" I f B ill W a lto n stays h e a lth y , I'll have a w in n in g
te a m ," Lenny W ilk e n s th o u g h t to h im s e lf tw o years
a go w h e n he ca m e to P ortland to coach the
T railblazers.
But W a lto n d id n 't stay h e a lth y , a n d W ilke n s is o ut
in the cold.
" I f B ill W a lto n stays h e a lth y . I'll have a w in n in g
te a m ," Jack Ramsay, Blazer's n ew coach, said to the
press.
W ilk e n s sh o w e d that he c o u ld pro du ce a w in n in g
team . D uring the p e rio d th a t W a lto n w as fla y in g ,
the Blazers b e a t a ll com ers.
But it w as h a rd ly
W ilk e n s ' fa u lt th a t W a lto n c o u ld not p la y th e w h o le
season.
W e d o n 't b e lie v e W ilke ns g o t a g o o d break. He
b lam es his d o w n fa ll on the lack o f re la tio n s h ip
b e tw e e n h im s e lf a nd Blazer President, Larry W ilkens.
W e w o n d e r if this re la tio n s h ip w o u ld have been
b etter if W ilk e n s had been w h ite .
W e w ish Ramsay luck.
W e d o n 't p re d ic t his
success if he is d e p e n d e n t on a h e a lth y B ill W a lto n —
th a t w o n 't h ap pe n. It's not th a t W a lto n d o e sn 't try —
he just c a n 't seem to a v o id d is a b lin g injuries.
M a y b e n ext years coach w ill hear a n o th e r coach
say, " I f B ill W a lto n stays h e a lth y , I'll have a w in n in g
Some 255 students received degrees
te a m ." The Blazers w ill n eve r b u ild a team w ith a
from
Pacific University at annual com
constant m e rry -g o -ro u n d o f coaches.
W e hope
mencement on May 16th.
President
Ramsay gets a little m o re u n d e rsta n d in g and
James V. Miller presided.
o p p o rtu n ity than w as g iv e n Lenny W ilkens.
Black students graduating included:
they a re le a vin g .
M illio n s o f w ords are b e in g said at th e ir C om
m en cem en t Exercises by w e ll-m e a n in g speakers
w ho are c h a lle n g in g them to go fo rth a n d be
p ro d u ctive fo r the g oo d o f th em selves, th e ir fa m ilie s
and th e ir nation.
Jessie Jackson re ce n tly said, " It's not e n o u g h to be
young, g ifte d and Black if you d o n 't fa ce up to the
re sp o n sib ilitie s that e nta ils. If you d o n 't fa ce up to it,
you re n e g e on a ll the h a rd -w o n strug gle o f th e 60s,
the prom ise o f e v e ry th in g th a t M a rtin and M a lc o lm
As chairperson of the Congressional
Black Caucus, I recently testified before
the House Education and l,abor Com
mittee. Equal Opportunities subcommit
tee, in support of The Full Employment
an4 Balanced Growth A rt of 1876, which
is a strengthened version of the original
Full Employment bill (HR 50) introduced
by Representative Augustus F. Hawkins.
D Calif., who is also a caucus member.
In my testimony I stressed the urgency
with which Congress must respond in
passing this important legislation, for it is
not just the unemployment rate and lark
of work that I fear, it is the growing
destruction of the moral and social fiber
and those families who are experiencing
a nd thousands o f others m arche d, sat in a n d fo u g h t
fo r fro m Bogalusa to Boston.
He w a s n 't sp ea kin g to students a lo n e . He w as
te llin g us to w o rk to g e th e r, th a t Black is D u tifu l as
w e ll as B e a u tifu l.
"W h a t does it m atter if th e doors o f o p p o rtu n ity
s w in g open a nd w e a re too d ru n k to stagger
th ro ug h ? W hat does it m atte r if w e 're g iv e n an
a irp la n e a nd try to fly it on 's o u l' ra th e r than on
science? W h a t does it m atter if w e can get into the
u n ive rsity a nd it does not g et in to us? Shall w e raise
up id io m s to the le ve l o f the u n iv e rs ity a nd conquer
others? W here is o u r vision? W h a t is o u r a ge nd a? A
re v o lu tio n in values is in o rd e r.
A push fo r
e x c e lle n c e ."
Bachelor of Science, Vannessa Ann
Blocker. Bachelor of Arts, Robert Elijah
Cochran. Carmon Cunningham, Daria
Lynn Gary and Gregory Allen Taylor.
The degrees were divided among Ba
chelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science,
Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music
Education. Master of Science in Teach
ing. Master of Arts in Teaching. Master
of Arts in Education. Master of Science.
Master of Arts, and Doctor <>T Optometry.
Speaker for the commencement was
Charles C. H irt, chairman of the choral
and church music departments in the
School of Performing Arts. University of
Southern California. Pacific awarded him
the honorary degree of doctor of humane
letters in recognition of his long service
to education and music.
A Baccalaureate Service was held earl
ier in the day.
Also honored during the day were
Ralph H. Shumm. Vice President and
Trust Officer of the U.S. National Bank of
Oregon, a Pacific Trustee, University
Service Award, and Albert C. Hingston,
Pacific professor since 1942, Distinguish
ed Professor Award.
The Kindergarten class from Grace
Collins Memorial Community Center, will
graduate on Sunday, June 6th, 3:00 p.m.
Mr. Stan Johnson assistant Director of
the Ceta I I program and member of the
Albina Lions Club will present the Di
plomas and Challenge to the “Graduates.”
The children have learned hundreds of
works, they add, subtract, tell time,
count money, and much more. You will
enjoy them as well as be an inspiration to
them.
Mothers and fathers wifi be honored:
oldest, youngest, and those with moet
children. All mothers will receive a plant.
NAACP honored
★
ALL DELIBERATE SPEED'
conclude that in
the : field of public
education the doctrine
of separate but equal '
FOR DESEGREGATION IS NO
LONGER CONSTITUTIONALLY
PERMISSIBLE ...THE OBLI
GATION OF EVERY SCHOOL
DISTRICT IS TO TERMINATE
DUAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS
A T ONCE.- OCT 24,1969.
HAS NO PLACE. SEPARATE
FACILITIES are inherently
UNEQUAL'.'MTH THOSE
WORDS ON MAY 7, 1954'.'
Attention M r.
President
Portland Observer
Publisned every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, 2201
North Killingsworth, Portland, Oregon 97217. Mailing address:
P.O. Box 3137, Portland. Oregon 97208. Telephone: 283 2486.
Subscriptions: $7.50 per year in the Tri-County area, $8.00 per
yesr outside Portland.
Snkond Class Postage Paid at Portland. Oregon
The Portland Observer’s official position is expressed only in
its Publisher's column I We See The World Through Black Eyes).
Any other material throughout the paper is the opinion of the
individual w riter or submitter and does not necessarily reflect
the opinion of the Portland Observer.
ALFRED L. HENDER
Editor/Publisher
MEMBER
MEMBER
=
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Oregon
H I Newspaper
Publishers
Association
II
GREYHOUND
RACING
EXCITEMENT
POSTUME
7:30 PM
Laura Jerri Williams, a counselor at
Waldo Junior High School in Salem for
the past two years, has recently been
awarded a doctorate degree in counseling
and guidance from Western Colorado
University.
The degree was conferred over spring
vacation, alter Ms. Williams dissertation
on "The Compassion of the Grade Point
Average with the Score Obtained on
Coopersmith Self Esteem Inventory at
Waldo Junior High School," was accept
ed. Ms. Williams did most of the research
for her dissertation at North Salem
School.
Ms. Williams is the mother of Mr.
Vertis A. Williams. Jr. and Mrs. Crucith
White of Portland. Mr. El Vaughn W il
liams. Minneapolis, Minnesota and four
grand children. She is the sister of Mrs.
Tressie Dixon, Portland, brother Henri
John of Portland.
N a
e WA \p£R
l
,
AMOCigbon - Founded IMS
Ellis H. Casson. President of the
Portland Branch NA A C P received word
this week from the National Office that
the Branch will receive a “Thalheimer
Award” at the Annual Convention in
Memphis, Tennessee, at the end of June.
The “Thalheimer Award” is the highest
Award given to Branches for an out
standing job during the year (1975) for
the NAACP in the local community. This
will be the fifth year in a row that the
Portland Branch has received this presti
gious award under the leadership of
President Casson.
The Portland Branch will host the 1978
National Convention.
1 st Place
Community Service
O NPA 1973
Honorable Mention
Herrick Editorial Award
N N A 1973
2nd P!a e
Best Editor.«!
3rd Place
Community Leadership
O NPA 1975
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this debasing condition in a society that
places high value on the work ethic.
As I indicated earlier, although it is in
the Black community where unemploy
meat is highest, unemployment is an
issue for A LL A M E R IC A N S whatever
their color or ethnic background
We
must all, therefore, urge Congress for the
quirk passage of legislation remedying
this problem.
A time of graduation
A time for new dedication
It is g ra d u a tio n tim e a ll over th e country a nd our
high school and c o lle g e g ra du ates a re g o in g to be
seeking n e w fro n tie rs in a w o rld d iffe re n t fro m that
Full employment is an issue for all
Americans whatever their color or ethnic
background. However, it is in the Black
communities, where unemployment con
tin u a lly exists at astonishingly high
rates, that we must all emphasize and
reiterate our particular concerns.
Over time our youth are being robbed
of their self respect, their belief in this
society, their ability to subsist, and their
very future as useful people. The social
and psychic havoc being wreaked by
joblessness is truly immense.
Many of these idle hands turn to crime
to make ends meet; family breakups
increase, mental illness further decimates
families, and social groups are brought
into conflict with each other as they
struggle for the few jobs that are
available.
Over time, this creates a permanent
jobless class, and it is my belief that the
Black community is bearing the brunt of
this frightening return to a caste system.
The Ford Administration recently ex
pressed optimism over the decline in the
national unemployment rate to 7.6 per
cent. Somehow it was not emphasized
that Black unemployment actually rose
from 13.2 percent in January to 13.7
percent in February. The administration
also forgot - to point out that Black
unemployment has been above 6 percent
since 1954.
1 believe that even these figures
understate the seriousness of the prob
lem. They ignore the underemployed
person, persons working part time but
looking for full time work.
They also
ignore those too discouraged to continue
to seek work and who are no longer
counted by the l,abor Department as
unemployed. The National Urban Lea
gue, in ita December, 1976, Quarterly
Economic Report on Black workers,
estimated Black unemployment at over
26 percent. In many of our central city
areas, that rale is higher still.
Oregon Black History Project
Tri-County area
Name
Address
City
$7.50
other areas
$8.00
M a il to;
Pordand O bserver
P.O. Box 3137
Portland, O reg on 97208
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