?n
PORTLAND
OBSERl/ER
Voi. 6 No.
31
P o r t la n d , O r e g o n
Thursday, June 17, 1976
10c per copy
Cinema 30 open for business
Cinema 30. located on N.E. Alberta at
30th Avenue is open (or business. Charles
Allen and James Brannon are the new
owners of the theater.
"Our first goal is to fix up the building
to make it comparable with the better
neighborhood theaters," Brannon told the
Observer. "We want to show the better
movies, the ones that are family fare, but
of course the quality depends on the
support we receive from the community.
Films are expensive and we can get the
best only if we can guarantee a good
response."
The pair has spent several months
working in the old theater building and
are still hard at work. "We expect to use
the building for concerts, plays and other
culture events in addition to movies,"
Allen said.
Allen, who has lived in Portland for
fourteen years, is concerned about rec
reational opportunities for young people
in the area. "We want the theater to be a
place parents can send their children in
the evening and know they are safe. They
won't have to catch the bus downtown or
hurry around the downtown street cor
ners and get in trouble with the curfew."
The theater hopes to have a summer
matinee program for younger children.
"We are here and open for business.
We want to be an important part of the
community. The services we can provide
will depend on the people of the neigh
borhood and what they want," Brannon
explained.
Prices will lie kept low ($1.75 for
adults) to encourage patronage.
James Brannon and Charles Allen are the proud owners of the new Cinema 30.
Rally supports Death Row youth
A rally in support of Gary Tyler, a
seventeen year old Black youth who has
been sentenced to death in lxiuisiana. will
be held on Saturday. June 19th. at LOO
p.m. in Irving Park.
Tyler was convicted by an all white
jury for a 1974 shooting death of a white
student in Dresham, Louisiana.
The
shooting occurred during a mob attack on
a busload of Black students in opposition
to school desegregation. A gun was shot
and a thirteen year old white student was
killed.
Tyler was convicted of the killing in the
testimony of Natalie Blank, who has since
claimed that she was coerced by prosecu
tors into testifying falsely. Additional
evidence was a pistol, later discovered to
have been stolen from a gun range used
by police, that was never conclusively
traced to Tyler.
Added to the fact that the investigat
ing officer was a cousin of the dead
student, Tyler protested the treatment
of Black students following the incident,
and he was convicted by an all white jury.
The Ku Klux Kian has intimidated
supporters in louiaiana.
Judge Ruche Morino last month denied
Tyler's motive for a new trial. He
currently awaits execution on Death
Row
A massive demonstration is set for
New Orleans on July 17th, sponsored by
the Southern Conference Education Fund
(SCEF). Representatives of SCEF say
only through a "massive grassroots
movement that lakes place in the streets"
can Gary Tyler be freed.
"In the days of slavery, teaching Black
bondsmen to read or write was a crime
punishable by death.
Today, almost
twenty years since Little Rock, the
struggle continues in the streets of
Boston, Ixiuisville and in small towns like
Dresham. Equal rights to education has
always been part of the struggle for
complete Black liberation.” said Robert
Zellner. SCEF director.
"This only proves that the stench of the
slave market is still present - that the
democracy, of which this country boasts,
is practiced only for a select ruling class
of whites with wealth. It is clear that
simply appealing for justice in their
courts brings no results."
Additional support has come from
SCIX, the National Conference of Black
law yers, the Southern Region of the
National Lawyer’s Guild, California Con
gressman Ron Dellums, Julian Bond, and-
others.
The local committee can be reached at
2285733.
Hays led attack on Adam Powell
Those who believe the "chickens even
tually come home to roost" had more to
add to their collections when U.S. Rep
resentative Wayne L. Hays (D-Ohio)
recently admitted having an affair with
33 year old Elizabeth Ray, for it was
Hays who was a leader in the movement
to sack Harlem Congressman Adam
Clayton Powell in 1967.
Powell, the object of what civil rights
leaders and many others called a "legists
tive lynching” for his flamboyant esca
pades, died in early April, 1972 on the
island of Rimini. He was repudiated by
the regular Democratic organization in
1956, and denied his seat in the House in
1967, but was seated again in January
1969. He was defeated for his seat by
current U.S. Black Congressman Charles
Rangei two years later and went to the
small island he first moved to in 1966
where he died in 1972 after an emergency
hospital trip to Miami.
Even in the years when Hays battled
Congress, Representative Hays was one
with Powell over some of Powell’s esca
pades, there were reports about Hays' of the Congressmen mentioned in a Balti
own activities and reports that other more Afro American story that kicked off
Congressm en had sex scandal stories with the lead, "People who live in glass
waiting to explode if anyone did enough houses shouldn't throw stones, especially
hypocritical ones.”
probing.
The Baptist Ministers Conference of
Powell was ousted on charges of
misuse of public funds. His wife was on Greater New York had complained in
the payroll, but it was shown others had 1967 about Hays having been named head
sons, daughters, sisters and brothers on of a subcommittee to investigate abuses
the payroll. His critics blasted him for charged to Powell when the ministers
poor attendance and others were cited for said Hays had been in trouble in 1963
worse attendance. As chairman of the over a junket to Paris. The record, said
House Committee on Education and the ministers, showed Hays had taken
Ixibnr, he successfully guided to passage along on the trip a New York head waiter
and a greenhouse owner at government
-49 important laws.
The initial author of a Black political expense.
The ministers declared:
plan and one of the first ministers to
"While none of us expected that Rep
bring the church into the civil rights
arena, Powell during his ouster troubles, resentative Hays would investigate his
authored the popular saying. “Keep the own ethical conduct, it was expected that
his subcommittee would investigate acti
Faith, Baby."
When the pastor of Harlem's Abyssi vities of all members of the Education
nian Baptist Church was under fire in (Please turn to p. 2 col. 4)
McCoy certified w inner
Bill McCoy has been certified winner of
the tightly contested race for Senate
District 8. McCoy was appointed to the
seat in 1975, after serving a term in the
House of Representatives and being
re elected to that poeit'on. He sought
election to the Senat» position in the May
26th primary election.
McCoy’s election by a margin of nine
votes was certified by Multnomah County
Elections Registrar Bill Radakovich.
McCoy received 5,924 votes: Max Run
yon, a North Portland electrician re
ceived 5,915; and Jimmy "Bang Bang”
Walker had 1.839.
Runyon was first announced the win
ner by 48 votes, but when the absentee
ballots and a precinct that had been
misplaced had been counted, McCoy took
the lead.
An Oregon law requires a recount
when an election is won by less than
one fifth of one percent of the votes cast.
The recount will be ordered by Secretary
of State Clay Myers, but a date has not
yet been set. y
McCoy, a former social worker, ju
venile court counselor, vocational rehabi
Illation specialist, has served as commit
tee chairman of the Interim Resource
Committee subcommittee on delivery of
services.
He was appointed to the Ways and
Means Committee during his first term of
office, an appointment unused in House
procedure, McCoy also headed the Com
mittee on Aging.
April Adams, Camp Fire Girl from Humboldt School: Matt
nderson. North Project Move, YMCA, Sylvan Grad» School,
and Tony Runnels, also North Project Move, from Rose City
Park grade school, demonstrate packing of Time Capsule to be
dedicated as part of Bicentennial observance by nine youth
agencies. Dedication ceremonies at 7:00 p.m. June 20th at
Western Forestry Center in Zoo-OMZI complex will be open to
the public.
Capsule will not be opened until nation's
trkentennial in 2076.
Portland youth plants Bicontinnial time capsule
A Time Capsule will be dedicated to
the youth of the year 2076 in ceremonies
Sunday, June 20th, at 7:00 p.m., packed
with memorabilia of nine contemporary
youth organizations and then sealed for
100 years.
The public is invited to attend the
event, to be held on the steps of the
Western Forestry Center in the Zoo-
OMSI complex.
The dedication is one of a series of
Bicentennial projects undertaken co
operatively by youth agencies of the
tri-county area; it is the prime responsi
bility of Camp Fire Girls, assisted by the
Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, Boys Club, 4-H
Club, Salvation Army. YMCA, YWCA
and Junior Red Cross.
Highlights of the program, in addition
to loading of the ten-cubic foot capsule,
will include flag ceremonies led by the
Girl Scouts and a historic flag display by
Boy Scouts; presentation of winners of
the youth agencies' Bicentennial writing
competition, and introduction of various
dignitaries.
Ms. of Ceremonies will be Chris Haug
and Tutti Anderson, both representing
Camp Fire Girls and both graduating
seniors at Adams High School, Portland.
Contestants whose work will be placed in
the capsule are Julie Olson, essay. Girl
Scout from Hillsboro; Heather Otto,
essay, Camp Fire Girls from northeast
Portland; and Shirley Ann Benrett, poe
try, senior Girl Scout from southwest
Portland.
Co-chairmen of the coordinating com
mittee are Austin Leach and Senator
Victor Atiyeh, Portland; contest coordi
nator is Ms. Sarah Anders«, n. Portland;
and Time Capsule chairman is Ms. Ruth
Otto, Portland. The Time Capsule itself
was donated by Esco Corporation, and
the brass plaque by Oregon Brass. The
capsule matches a similar one packed and
sealed by Grant High students during
Oregon’s Centennial and scheduled to be
opened in 2059 - seventeen years ahead
of the one which will be dedicated
Sunday. The matched pair will wait out
the century on display at OMSI.
Items to be placed in the capsule
include a television tape covering preli
minary packing of the capsule, news
papers, magazines, Bicentennial memen
toes, letters from civic dignitaries, and
such speciality items as directions for the
Hustle and the Seattle Slide, a skate
board, a frisbie, styrofoam cups, a mini
calculator, Elton John records and Rose
Festival photos, a copy of Future Shock
and letters addressed to counterpart
agencies in the year 2076. IBooks in the
1959 capsule include 1984 and Brave New
World.)
Each agency will have one-half a cubic
foot of space for its own collection of
tomorrow’s artifacts; the remaining five
cubic feet will be filled with youth-
oriented item s of general in terest.
Among the debates: if jeans are included,
and it was generally felt that they should
be, should those jeans be brand new, with
price tags attached, or should they be
well-worn in current fashion?
Safeway assists fam ily shopping lesson
Eight families who shopped at Safeway
Stores as a demonstration on buying
economic and nutritious foods received
the groceries they selected, as a gift from
Safeway.
The shopping trips procedes a Con
sumer Conference sponsored by the
Portland Chapter of the National Asso
ciation for Community D evelopm ent,
which will be held on July 14th at the
Ramada Inn.
The shopping survey, which took place
at the Union and Ainsworth store, will be
nutritionists. Ms. Wanda Phipps, nutri
tionist with the Expanded Food Nutrition
Education Program , and Ms. Carol
tionist with the Expanded Food Nutrition
Education Program, and Ms. Carol
Herron, Home Economist with Portland
Community College. The nutritionists
shopped for one senior citizen couple and
one single senior citizen. Four families
did their own shopping: one family of five
or more; one family o f three; one senior
citizens couple; and one single senior
citizen.
Speakers for the Consumer Conference
are Ms. Roberta Baylan. Assistant Direc
tor for Consumer Protection, Legal Ser
vices Division, Office of the Comptroller
of the Currency, Washington, D.C.; Ms.
Mercedes Bates. Vice President, Con
sumer Center, General Mills, Incorporat
ed of Minneapolis; Ms. Wanda Phipps and
Ms. Carol Herron. Topics are purchase of
consumer drugs, financial planning. So
cial Security and problems of the aged.
Coordinator for the event is Art Dil
worth.
Liberian ambassador sees changes in U.S. life
S. Edward Peal, Ambassador from
Liberia, is leaving Washington - going to
represent his country in Moscow.
Peal has seen many changes since he
came to this country fourteen years ago.
When he arrived in Washington, his
appearance caused confusion everywhere
he w en t When he entered a restaurant
the headwaiter did not want to seat him
because he was Black.
When he drove around Washington in
his native dress he was stopped by
disbelieving police asking who he was.
“There was hostility to the fact that
smhassadors could be Black," he recalls.
At the State Department, African
policy was non-existant and Peal often
had to defend Africa when U.S. Senators
from the South flaunted their racism.
Peal has seen some dramatic changes.
Now the second ranking ambassador in
the Washington diplomatic corps, he re
ceives letters in viting him to buy
property and is welcome at (he most
exclusive Washington parties.
Peal said changes have been slow anc
painful and he is not satisfied. He came
here “to see if Americans live by their
Constitution,” and now thinks they do.
“The African ambassador still has to
work ten times as hard to get twenty
percent of the attention," he explained.
Peal is leaving at a time when Third
World ambassadors are gaining in credi
bility and influence. “Lately we have
received our due recognition because of
our unity at the United Nation's and
various conference," Sierre Leone Am
bassador Philip Palmer said recently,
"And recognition is what effective diplo
macy hinges on.”
"Before, the world looked elsewhere
for a view on us. but now the powers talk
directly to us. They know we are just a
confident and can hold our own."
Since Peal's arrival in Washington, the
American Black presence has also grown
with the prominance of the Congressional
Black Caucus.
Libera has strong historic ties with the
United States. A group of freed Ameri
can slaves founded the country in 1822.
Pele himself has contributed to the
changing attitudes about Africa, being a
sophisticated, Ajucated man who partici
pated in all levels of community activity
and Was one of the best informed and
fragkest diplomats.
Although Peal will be in Moscow soon,
he frill not lose his interest in U.S. policy
on .Africa. “We are commited to the
liberation of our Black brothers in south
ern Africa and this will be made clear to
the Russians. 1 would like to see the
peace and stability soon rather than later,
but I will wait for the little signs to see if
the United States is sincere.'1
/