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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 1976)
PORTLAND ! V. BSERl/E 7 No. 5 Thursday, l * h . 1*7« l f e p e, ___________________ B— I Reverend John Jackson was elected President of the Portland Branch of the NAACP defeating three other candi dates: Eugene Jackson, Thomas Kennedy and Harold Williams. Over two-hundred members voted, showing the greatest interest in an NAACP election tor many years. Also elected were: First Vice Presi dent, Berna Plummer; Second Vice Pres ident, Ron Finley; Third Vice President, Lucius Hicks, III; Secretary, Doris Hay den; Treasurer, L. C. Ellison. Reverend O.B. Williams, who had been nominated for First Vice President, withdrew. Elected to the Executive Board were: C. C. McCorvey, Lorna Marple, Louise McGowan, U. P. Cannon, James Lee. Janis Clemmer, C. A. White, Ellis Cas- son, Dan Mosee, Ora Numley, Bobbie Nunn and Al Wingfield. Mrs. Flora Parrish was named 1970 Grandmother of the Year for her partici pation in the Freedom Fund contest. She represented Allen Temple CME Church. Other candidates were: Mrs. Ozella Can ada. Bethel A.M.E.; Mrs. Esther Mimms, Mt. Olivet Baptist; Ms. Christine Hill, Vancouver Avenue First Baptist; Ms. Alberta Phillips, Morning Star Baptist; and Ms. Leola Ford, Maranatha Church. Ll L S JOHN H. JACKSON Center plans transfer The Albina A rt Center board will decide on December 27th whether it will disolve and transfer its assets to the Albina Women's League Foundation. Thomas Kennedy, current Chairman of the board, said the board has determined to cease its efforts to operate the Ceqter due mainly to lack of community support. Over the years the center has operated through donations, a grant from Model Cities, and with the aid of C ETA funds, but there has been no continuous support - either in funds or volunteers -- from the Black community. Portland Committee protests SA Krugerrands The Portland Committe for the Libera tion of Southern Africa has been formed to take actions to end the involvement of the United States Government and the multinational corporations in the sale of the South African Krugerrand in this city. The Krugerrand is a one ounce gold coin manufactured and mined in South Africa under its racist economic system called “apartheid". Apartheid is the method by which the South African government is able to expand her indus trial output and export of manufactured goods. The increased production is being achieved by the labor of non-white workers and costs are held down by a low wage structure based on a directed African labor force disciplined by harsh, unjust discriminatory laws and practices. In 1970 the population of South Africa included: 15 million Africans. 4 million whites, 2 million coloureds, and 600 thousand Asians. From this population came a workforce of almost 6 million non whites and 1.5 million whites. The racist policies of Apartheid have come under attack from progressive countries and organizations of the United Nations for a number of years. However, international sanctions so far have been limited to an arms embargo (broker by Britain and Israel) because of the reluc tance of the United States and Britain to join in international sanctions because of the billions of dollars of investments that these two countries have in South Africa. The Special Committee on the Policies of Apartheid of tha United Nations states that the reluctance of the trading part ners of South Africa to join in effective international action and the collaboration of powerful foreign economic and finan cial interests with the South African government have encouraged it to persist in its apartheid policies. The current campaign of the South African government to sell the Kruger rand on the international market is a symbol of the encouragement that this country has given to the policies of apartheid in South Africa. The Kruger rand is made of one ounce of pure gold and sells for $140 to $150 in this country. This is well above the price on the gold market for one ounce of gold, so that purchase of the Krugerrand is not even a good investment. More than this is the contradiction in the living conditions of the African miners who mine the gold under inhumane conditions and those corporation who are profiting off its sale. Over 90 per cent of all employees in the mining industry are non whites. In 1971, the average wage for the African work ers was $25 a month, just over the poverty line. The white workers on ine same job received over twenty times this amount, close to $500 a month. The Center has been near bankrupsy several times, with unpaid property payments, and Uxes and utility bills. The current board has managed to bring the payments current. Without operating capital they have determined two op tions. The first option is to transfer the property to the Albina Women’s League Foundation as a trust, in return for payment of all liabilities, including the building mortgage. This plan would place the building in charge of the Women's League, providing they provide an art program. Should they fail to meet this requirement, the building would be sold and the money kept in trust to provide a rt scholarships for community residents. The other option is to sell the property and place the money in trust for scholor- ships. The Albina A rt Center assets are assessed at approximately $50,000. Area organizations were conUcted, giving them the opportunity to submit proposals. The Albina Women's League Proposal was accepted on November 22nd. The Albina Women's League plans to reopen the Center, providing training and art opportunities. Initially the em phasis will be on areas that can produce an income for the Center and the partici pants. Betty Overton, President of the League explained these will include leather crafts, woodworking and photo graphy. They hope to re-estab“ - ’ radio station YSOL, which provided ning for young people. The league will maintain the « sais on art - providing classes, a to practice or perform They expect the artists trained there’w ill return a jon of their earnings to maintain the ter. “When we find a gifted child, will make every effort to provide funds art courses,” Mrs. Overton Said. The board meeting, which will b aid at 800 p.m. at M att Dishman Cente 07 N.E. Knott Street, is open to the p ie. Gold mining is one of the most danger ous occupations in the world. One out of 800 workers were killed on the job while one out of twenty workers was injured on the job. Housing consists of walled compounds with concrete bunks for the African workers, where they are forced to live separated from their wives and children who are prohibited by law from setting up a home outside the compound. The white workers are free to live where they choose. The Africans are rebelling against the laws, the system of apartheid and the government. Led by their liberation organizations, the South African people are organizing and fighting for the day when they will be able to transform the (Please turn to p. 4 col. 3) Black Caucus demands asylum investigation The Congressional Black Caucus has demanded that Secretary of State Henry Kissinger investigate allegations of pay chiatric abuse in the Republic of South Africa including the use of Black menUl patients as a slave labor force by private industry. The request came after Congressman Walter Fauntroy (D DC) asked the cau eus to U ke action based on documenta tion that over 8,000 “mental patients" in fourteen mental institutions owned by a private investment company are being used to produce products marketed by the company for profit. The documents, supplied to Fauntroy by Freeds—, the international journal of the Church of Scientology, showed that some of the labor force is housed in abandoned mine compounds under conditions abusive of the fundamental human rights of the patients. Documents also show that uncoopera tive inmates are often subjected to shock treatment without anesthetic. Earlier this year the South African parliament passed a law banning the publication of pictures or accounts of mental institutions or inmates without permission of a government controlled press association. The law was enacted within a few days of the publication of an expose of the slave labor camps by the South African edition of Freedom. Several of the pictures were published in The Observer. Dear M r. Secretary: The Congressional Black Caucus is deeply alarmed by allegations of psychia tric abuses taking place in the Republic of South Africa, which, if they exist, consti tute a gross denial of fundamental human rights to Black South Africans. We believe that the allegations are so serious that they should become a matter of official inquiry and policy initiatives by our government with respect to the present regime of the Republic of South Africa. business consortium under the direction of Smith-Mitchell & Company, an ac counting organization. All of the Smith- Mitchell & Company mental institutions operate under the umbrella of Intrinsic Investments. This company is linked to Protea Holdings, specializing in chemi cals, drugs, hospital and medical supplies. According to our information, there appears to be involvement of the United States through U.S. based multinational corporations. It is alleged that deplorable conditions exist in these mental institutions where There are allegations that fourteen over seventy per cent of all South African mental institutions are being run for Black mental patients are confined. Many financial profit by a Johannesburg based (Please turn to p. 2 col. 4) W. Leecher receives Christmas cards 1 grader at Iu u re lh u rs t Elem entary School. e man and the program assist the community by Ulyeeee Marshall The world is an interesting and some times confusing, frustrating place to live. When it become confusing and frustrat ing. people often seek help - help that will allow them to put their lives back together again. CODA: Comprehensive Options For Drug Abusers is a drug program that gives help to the commun ity. C O D A is located at 309 8.W . Fourth Avenue. Portland. Oregon. . Mr. Craig Cheney, a counselor for CODA grew up in Portland. He is currently in an External Degree Program at Marylhurst Education Center. Mr. Cheney started working in Califor nia in the late 60's at a Free Clinic. At the Free Clinic, he dealt mostly with young people and juveniles. However, he soon became interested in older people and drug abusers and their problems. Upon realizing this desire, Mr. Cheney got into the CODA program He worked in CODA as a counselor for about 3 years. How He ever, now he is more involved with people who are having correctional pro blems. “I am mostly interested in people who don't quite fit into the molds society provides. These people are mostly intelli gent, healthy, capable people, but they just don't fit into the usual mold." The main function of CODA is to help people find their way. CODA, a drug program deals with people who have moderate to severe problems with drugs. CODA assesses an individuals needs and devises a plan to treat the needs. They attempt over a period of time to carry their plan through. “I see that the program needs to have the community's support. The history of drug abuse problems is that it is mainly viewed as a criminal problem. But we see it as a social problem. It will U ke a considerable period of time before we can bridge this gap of undersUnding. Both in the minds of the public and in the minds of the addicU themselves.” Lealle Sitten, Urat (Photo: Dan Long] Students aid mail delivery The Portland Post Office and Portland Postmaster B. W. Luacher, Jr. in cooper ation with the Portland Metropolitan schools are again jointly sponsoring the “Operation Junior Postal Assistant” pro gram. Arrangements were made with most Portland elementary schools for post office carriers to pick up the family Christmas cards at Portland elementary schools on December 14th, 15th, and 10th as the students arrive for school in tl morning. This year 63 schools are participatii and will involve 19,940 elementary st dents. The Junior Postal Assistant pr gram is designed to reinforce the educ tional process of the schools, as fo lk ’ ll the mailing of their family Christmi greetings the children will have tl opportunity to discuss this program i their classroom.
