For Blacks.
W------- - - « >
to its needs - little was heard about the pending
election until the end of December. There appeared
to be no brood-based effort to reach the public.
There is much disenchantment with the public
schools. Rumors ore rampant and many citizens hear
only about the behavior problems and the children
who don't learn to read. AAany complain about the
"frills" and courses that seem to go far afield from
the "three Rs".
The school district needs more than a crash
campaign before the next election.
It needs to
involve the public in all phases of planning, it needs
to invite citizens into the schools to find out what is
happening. For many years parents and others were
not welcome at the public school. They still have
little voice in the operation of the schools.
A root effort of citizen participation is needed if
the schools are ever to get adequate funds to run a
quality program.
«
VA makes wrong move
The Veteran's Administration has announced its
intention to build a new hospital on Morquam Hill.
The present hospital and Barnes Hospital in Van
couver will be dosed.
There have been ten separate proposals for the
location, and among them the VA selected AAarquam
Hill - the stated reason is that it will be near the
medical school.
This selection has been made in spite of higher
costs to the government-since the hospital will be
built on the side of a h ill-an d to the city which will
have to provide for sewers, lighting and access. To
date the city has not been consulted, although the
siting of the hospital on the hill will add not only to
expenditure of funds but to traffic hazards and
inconveniences. It seems only logical that the VA
would consider the wishes of the people of Portland
before building a $155 million project.
The logical site—based on access, building cost,
supportive services-is the Emanuel site. At the
center of the freeway system, this site has suitable
access from all directions - as opposed to the narrow,
windey road up the hill. Commissioner Jordan and
Congressman Bob Duncan have advocated this site.
Of more importance is the human side. Patients
and their families at an Emanuel site would be part
of the community and would have easy access to
community services. They would not be put away -
isolated and forgotten.
The federal government has invested a lot of
money in the Model Cities area, including purchas
ing the proposed Emanuel site from many unwilling
sellers. The government has an obligation to use this
property for the benefit of the community - and what
better way than a VA hospitol that would bring jobs
and development to the community.
Another Point of View
B_
may ov origin ana crisp or snowing or
bitterly windy or raining. But all are
variations of cold.
In 1841. President William Henry
Harrison stood bareheaded, without ov
ereoat or gloves. in the piercing northeast
wind to deliver his inaugural address. His
speech was the longest and his term of
office was the shortest of all presidents.
He caught cold that day and died soon
after.
This year, rain or shine. Jimmy Carter
has vowed to bring the inauguration to
the people.
He's not the first president to make
this statement. Andrew Jackson in 1829
held ‘People's Day" at the White House
where it was announced he would receive
his fallow citizens. Men with muddy boots
stood on satin-covered furniture and
smashed crystal and china. The drunken
brawl ended for the president when he
escaped through a window. Jackson
spent his first night as president in a
hotel because the White House was in
shambles.
Inauguration
Dav ’ X ..
On Inaimuration n »
—
—«•
Aoranam uneoin s second inaugural on
March 4, 1868. On that dav two mmrv
u r w fw a n a a toage 01
nuciear technology and enerwv to
Negro Odd Fellows marched in the
portation.
parade. Also rumor had it that day that
President-elect Carter will be sur
tickets for Lincoln’s inaugural ball »«ad
rounded by the Cabinet ho has chosen to
been sold to Negroes. Certainly not. The
run the government. Thane men and
rumor waa promptly denied.
women are largely unknown to us. The
Earlier, the famous Freedom Fighter,
American people elected the
orator and former slave Frederick Doug
but many of the im p o r t a n t ___
laaa went to the White House reception to
be made, ultimately, not by the
pay his respects to President Lincoln. He
president but by those who X u , « « ,
waa detained at the door until the
him. Watergate made this d ear to us. We
president called out a welcome from
have put our faith in M r. Carter’s
which he gained entry.
judgment to select
It wasn’t until Marian Anderson sang
the “Star Spangled Banner" in 1967 when
With Jimmy Carter we have a South
Dwight D. Eisenhower became president
erner who knows Blacks as people rather
that Blacks were again included in inaug
than as an abstraction. Through him let
uratioo festivities. Today. Blacks from all
us pray that the eold of Inauguration Day
parte of the country are joining Jimmy
will be just and will not extend to a
Carter in celebration of his inaugural.
year-around freeae for Blacks.
On January 20. 1977, M r. Carter, our
My prayer for our new president:
first president from the Deep South for
Give him the patience to accept the
over 100 years will assume the awesome
things he cannot change,
responsibilities. He has vowed to put an
The strength to change the things he
end to the “imperial presidency". We. as
can.
a nation, have put our trust in hia
And the wisdom to distinguish be
judgment.
tween the two.
1976 a momentous year
A n d y Young's choice
by V e n a
and not what will cure longstanding
But Black people will remember 197«
The twelve months now drawing to a problems.
■« the year Black political strengths were
Fifth District Congressman Andrew Young has
The attempt to resolve race and «•I»«.
dose have been rough ones. The deprea
at their highest point.
Black votes
sion of 1975 receded to roression levels, conflicts was abandoned and in its place
been "rewarded" by President-elect Jimmy Carter
elected the President and made a «-w-m
but the selective improvement in the came a concern with a supposed “ailent
difference in many other state ***** local
for his support and influence in helping the former
majority" of middle class citizens that
economy still left millions out of work.
elections.
Thus we see how reforms of
Georgia governor become the country's top leader.
The so-called “pause" brought a halt, just wanted lower taxes and leas govern
one era pay off in another, for the Black
Young gave up a "safe" seat as a congressman
hopefully temporary, to the recovery. ment.
vote in "76 was the direct result of the
from Georgia s Fifth District to become ambassador
Last month official unemployment fig
Voting Rights Act of 1965.
That the majority was not so ailent and
to the United Nations, "a Cabinet level post,"
ures were up to over eight percent.
Oh yes, in case anyone —'-««d it, 197«
not
so negative became apparent in the
Translated
into
real
bodies,
that
swans
was the Bicentennial Year. While that
Newsweek magazine says, "that traditionally
election results
Just as the years
about 15 percent of the labor force was
meant some people could play-act shout
bestows honor, headaches - and not much power -
the past, it also g ,ve
™
preceding it have been years of increased
out of work.
upon those who hold it."
hardships,
the
malfunctioning
economy
1976 was the year in which it was
movement of Black self-discovery. as
has caused erosion in the plans of Black
Rep. Young must have agonized over his decision
announced that the number of poor
seen in the new stress on the Black past
businesses and the still too small Black
people increased by ton percent. I t was a
which leaves us a little poorer and has initiated what
and in such voyages into that past as Aire
middle class, and has been catastrophic
year
that
saw
continued
slack
in
housing
Haley’s exploration of his - and our -
has already developed into an interesting scramble
for the Black poor.
construction, with new homes priced
“Roots".
as to who his successor will be.
higher than most Americans can afford
We accept our Congressman's decision and wish
and older homes rising in price to exdude
him well in his new position. We remember other
larger number of people from decent
housing.
observations of his such as in late 1972 when he
On the civil rights scene, it was a year
predicted "Nixon will resign before Easter" (it
The Portland Public Schools, in the face of a
of
controversy over affirmative action
actually happened four months later, and his
narrow defeat of its four year, $38.4 million levy, will
programs, lessened enforcement of anti
counseling of the people that Gerald Ford would be
discrimination laws, and signs of further
probably schedule another election. The money is
a pretty fair president.
retreat on issues like busing
needed to continue operation of the schools at the
Young is perceptive and we accept his decision,
Cities continued in trouble, with major
present level.
urban centers like Detroit. New York and
believing that he has seen a chance to be of greater
The school district did little to educate the public as
others dosing schools and hospitals. It
service to us all.
............ ...
* * a year that saw many pebpie latch od
«y*-
n^am amo» ¡nwri
y ib .*
to “planned shrinkage” as an urban
strategy-kick poor people out of the
cities and bring in the middle class,
luxury apartments and offices to replace
them.
Given all thia, it's hard to be optimistic,
Dear Editor.
won the support or active participation of
Africa.
but it is possible that we have not just
Opposition to our country's interven
the vast majority of Americans. This
Already this call has been endorsed by
seen the end of a pretty bad year, but also
tion in the affairs of other nations runs
broad movement helped to force our
the American Committee on Africa. Joe
the end of an era.
very deep in America today. Equally
/e
government to end its involvement in
Madison at the Detroit NAACP, South
It was a year of the electorate's
strong is the American people's abhor
S.E. Asia.
African student leader Tsietsi Mashinini,
rejection of a President who was hesitant
rence of the racist apartheid system in
Today we must unite once again, to
and Congressman Ronald Dellums.
about inaugurating programs to deal with
South Africa. It is an outrage that our
defend the fight for freedom and »q» .li«y
Won’t you join us in forming an ad hoc our problems is a sign that the election of
own government remains the greatest
being waged by the Black majority in
committee to plan Portland’s response to
1976 was a mandate for federal activism
prop to the white minority regimes in
southern Africa. Our best defense of
this national call?
to
cure a sick economy.
southern Africa as a whole.
their fight is in ending our government's
Our P LA N N IN G M E E T IN G will be
Whether it will in fact be the end of the
We all are faced with an urgent respon
complicity with the racist regimes that
held on Tuesday. January 25, a t 7 J 9 g *
era of benign neglect depends in large
sibility in this regard it is our duty to help
oppress them.
at Immaculate Heart School. 26 N E .
part on President-elect Jimmy Carter
educate the American people and mobil
The N ational S tudent Coalition
Morris. For information call:284-4O42, or and hia new Administration. Carter and
ize them in a massive movement to end
Against Racism conference of 1,100 which
236-8964.
his transition team have a plateful of
American complicity with the white
met in Boston on November 19-21 h««
Mrs. Hasel G. Hays is completing three y e a n aa Manager of the
Peace.
choices
before them-appointmenta to be
racist regimes in southern Africa.
Human Resource Center.
'
A™ na
issued a call for two days of national
Elizabeth Groff made, altering plans for federal spending,
Many of us understood and responded
protests against U.S. complicity with the
Mrs.
Hays
is
involved
in
many
facets
of
the
community.
A
t
present
she h
Joel Shapiro
new policies on manpower, health,
to ths same responsibility not long ago
racist regimes in South Africa. Zimbabwe
J
’í
í
í
”’
Unive™tt7
Oregon
Health
Science
Center,
the
»H r
Roger Yockey
bousing, and a host of others.
when the U.S. government hurled its
and Namibia on March 25 and 28.
A“ oc“ tio M - th« executive board of the Northwest
Phoebe Friedman
As
those
decisions
are
made,
w
ell
have
military and economic might against the
International protests are also expected.
Regional Lab, the Tri-County Governmental Commission the Rockv Butt«
Reverend John H . Jackson a better idea of whether the era that
Relocation T o k Force. She i . vice chairman « r f ^ M e t ^ U t e ? « ™
people of Vietnam. A massive antiwar
being the universary of the
brought
such
a
wide-scale
retreat
in
Relations Commission.
Metropolitan Human
movement was built, which eventually
1960 SharpeviUe m w a iu i in South
social progress is over. Meanwhile, Black
. Sh* “ .•J £ *n,ber
th* U rt* “ L* * * « e and a subscribing U fa m -mber of
people, working people, and concerned
tne NAA CP.
citizens have to apply the pressure to
She is married to Chauncey and considers one of her —
-
ensure their interests are taken into
(Cont. from p .l eol.31
"^^P ^m en U
raitó* tour ‘‘•ughtora - all of w h o m h a re
account.
(Coot, from p .l col.61
Inquiry Clerk for the U.S. Postal Service,
completed college. H er interests include gourmet cooking and travelling.
For Black people the period since the
was employed as a management analyst
Hagens is involved in the com m u nity
is Chairperson of the Postal Service
election
has
been
a
time
of
hope.
and business development special!«« My
He is the Chairman of the Board of Boyce
Women's Advisory Board, is a member of
1976, like the years preceding it, was
duties as a management analyst were
Neighborhood Improvement Association
the Special Education Advisory Commit
characterized by a policy of "benign
basically to indentify, analyze and assist
and is Chairman of the Board of the tee for the Portland Public Schools, and is
neglect” of our national problems. Decis
solving problems facing Model Cities
Family Action Federal Aetion Credit a member of the Parent-Teacher Ad-
business people.
ions and policies were made based on
Union. He is a member of the Black v»oi7 Group for the Multnomah County
what will produce short-term stability
After leaving Media, Hagens and t a r ry
Justice Committee, and a member of the
from the A tla n ta In q u ire r
Schools need citizens
Citizen of the Week
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sykes
Hagen
Buyers founded RAMCO. The idea was
conceived while attending a business
class at Portland State.
Royal Esquires.
A man to see is Chuck Hagen, when
business or Tax Service problems arise.
She will appreciate any assistance
offered and can be contacted at 221-3473
during the day or 287-0025 evenings.
Portland O b s e rv e r
*
<
Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, 2201
North Killingsworth, Portland, Oregon 97217. Mailing address:
P.O. Box 3137, Portland. Oregon 97206. Telephone 283-2486.
"The hen it an ego's way of
p r o d u c i n g a n o th e r egg."
Samuel Butler
1st Ptaee
ty Service
ONPA 1973
$2.50 of your how subscription to
Tbo Portland Observer will go to tbo
1st Place
ONPA 1973
Subscriptions: $7.60 per year in the Tri-County area. $8.00 per
year outside Portland.
C**“ Postage Paid at Portland. Oregon
ALFRED L. HENDERSON
Editor ZPuWi«ber
The Portland Observer a official position is expressed only in
its Publisher's column (We See The World Through Black Eyes».
Any other material throughout the paper is the opinion of the
individual writer or submitter and does not necessarily reflect
the opinion of the Portland ~
6th Place
Beet Editorial
N NPA 1973
MCMSCR
Oregon
Newspaper
Publishers
Association
Tri-County area
ONPA 1975
MEMO«
8
Aetoeletioo - Founded IM S
Oregon Black History Project
Herrick Editorial Award
N N A 1973
Editorial
3rd Place
New York
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