Paj»e 6
Portland Observer Thursday. February 2. 1978
American corporate investment prolongs Black suffering
by A rt Aleai
Clody W right. first full-time coordinator of S,ianish a;s
>r the Portland Diatrict. Army Corps of Engineers.
Wright
EEO programs
Clody Wright is the first full-time
coordinator of Spanish speaking and
women's programs for the Portland Dis
trict. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Working in the district's Equal Em
ployment Opportunity tEEO) Office. Ms.
W right will head two federal EEO special
programs - the Federal Women's Pro
gram and Spanish Speaking Program
Coordination of these programs had
formerly been accomplished on a part-
time basis by other district employees.
Ms. Wright has thirteen years of
federal service and broad experience in
the field of human rights. While in
Omaha, she served as member, then
chairperson of the Nebraska Council for
Vocational Education. Mayor's Commit
tee on the Status of Women, and Plan
ning Committee on Mental Retardation
for eastern Nebraska.
Her responsibilities with the Corps in
Portland will be to support the Portland
District's EEO "Affirmative Action Plan”
by her leadership of federally-employed
women and by helping to bring Spanish
speaking persons into the Corps.
Ms. Wright’s most recent past employ
ment was as personnel administrator
with the county government in Omaha.
Prior to that, she served as assistant
EEO officer for the Corps' Missouri River
Division office and as job information
specialist with the U.S. Civil Service
Commission.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
The Minority Women of the Oregon Women's Political Caucus will sponsor a
Breakfast for Unity on February 3rd from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. at the Portland Motor
Hotel (S.W. 6th and Clay). All minority women are encouraged to attend. Continental
Breakfast - $2.25.
Senior citizens and low-income residents free income tax ire mration. Where: King
Facility. 4815 NJS. 7th; When: February 9th. 14th, and 16th; Time: 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.:
Who: volunteers from IRS Vita Program.
Sweetheart Ball. Polish Hall. 3832 N. Interstate, featuring the Chet Combo from
9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., $7.50 per couple, $5.00 per adult. This is a bring your own liquor
(BYOL) and set ups will be provided. Sponsored by the North Portland Knights of
Columbus. Inquiries: phone Mr. John Slowik 286-3064. Everyone is invited.
Tuesday. February 7th - Community Coalition for School Integration public forum.
Jefferson High School Cafeteria. 5210 N. Kerby. 7:30 p.m.
W ednesday, February 8th - City Council bearing on HCD 4th year program. Council
Chambers, City Hall. 9:30 a.m.
Thursday. February 9th Community Coalition for School Integration public forum.
Roosevelt High School Cafeteria. 6941 N. Central, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday. February 11th - “The Family and the Changing Role of Women”
conference. Westminster Presbyterian Church. N.E. 16th and Hancock. 9:00 a.m. to
2:00 p.m. $1.00 registration, bring brown bag lunch.
Wednesday. February 15th - Planning (ommission discussion on alternative
develo.tment irograms for St. Johns UDAG site. James John School, 749 N.
Charleston. 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday. February 21st - Metro,toiitan Human Relations (ommission meeting.
12:30 p.m.. call 248-4187 for location.
Teaching Children About...Tuesday. February 7,1978 - 7:30 p.m. Teaching Children
about Sex and part of a special service co-sponsored by the Pre-School and Family Life
Committee of the Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 S.W. Capitol Highway.
Guest speakers Robert Mendelson. MD and Lottie Mendeison. RN. No charge for the
program.
Portland area students and their parents are invited to a Linfield College reception
at the Thunderbird Motor Inn in Jantzen Beach Sunday. February 5th at 2:00 p.m.
Faculty, students and staff from the college will be there to talk with prospective
students. For more information contact: Carolyn Knight. 1503) 472-4121. ext. 244.
An open Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. followed by a District meeting at 7:30 p.m. on
Income Tax Information will be held by Oregon Nurses Association District One,
February 7th at Providence Hall Auditorium. 621 N.E. 49th. Steve McConnell. CPA.
will be the guest speaker on Taxes. Nurses are invited. All questions are welcome.
The Contemporary Lecture Series sponsored by the community services office at
Mt. Hood Community College will present Dr. John Allen, professor emeritus of
geology at Portland State University. Wednesday. February 8th, at 10:30 a.m. Dr.
Allen will present an illustrated natural history of New Zealand with an emphasis on
the area's geology, earthquakes, explosive volcanoes, great faults, and geothermal
energy The lecture is scheduled for the Community Room of the Far West Federal
Savings. Gateway Branch. 1205 N.E. 102nd. Tickets are $1.50. For more information
call 667 7181.
The W omen s Health Clinic offers know-your-body workshops for women every
other Tuesday from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Call 234-9774.
February 7th Northwest District Association Board Tentative every Tuesday
call 223 3331.
February 7th - Southeast (oafition PACT Office. 3534 S.E. Main. 7:30 p.m. (1)
Representatives from the Bureau of Neighborhood Environment will be present to
discuss neighborhood clean up campaigns; (2) Ernie Bonner. Director of Planning
Bureau, will be present to discuss comprehensive planning.
February 8th Piedmont Neighborhood Association. Holy Redeemer School, 127 N.
Portland Boulevard, 7:30 p.m. (1) Housing and Community Development Study.
League of Women Voters of Portland will hold a Special Judiciary Meeting
February 8th. 11:30 a.m. to Noon, Westminster Presbyterian Church. N.E. 16th and
Hancock. There is a 75c charge for registration and coffee. Speaker and discussion of
topics in the State and Federal Judicial System. Guest speaker: Judge Phillip Roth.
The public is invited to attend. For further information call 228 1675.
"A Timely Forum on Ethiopia,” presented by UPESUNA (United Progressive
Ethiopian Students Union of North America) will speak on The Revolution In
Ethio;na. Portland State University, Newberger Hall, Harrison and Broadway. Room
462 on Friday. February 3rd, 7:30 p.m. There is no admission charge. For further
information call the John Reed Bookstore, days 227 2902.
The Auxiliaries of the Parry Center for Children invite you and your guests to an
auction “A Bid For Parry Night." Saturday, February 18, 1978, Masonic Temple. 1119
S.W. Park. Portland. Admission: $3.00 per person. Silent Auction begins at 6:30 p.m.
Oral Auction at 7:30 p.m. Auctioneer: Bob Ginsberg, refreshments, reservations for
tables of eight may be made in advance by contacting Terry Mischke 774 2103 or Parry
Center 234 9591 This is Parry Center's fourth Auction and the Auxiliaries' largest
fund raising project
It was informative land a relief from
the usual misinformation heaped upon us
by American media) to hear first hand
news of the struggle of Black people in
South Africa, from Sipho Buthelezi, form
er secretary general of the Black Peoples
Convention which was founded by the
late South African leader Steven Biko.
In a press conference Monday. January
30th. Buthelezi addressed several aspects
of the current political situation in
South Africa. His speaking tour in the
U.S. is being conducted to encourage and
reaffirm South African people's support
movement here in the U.S.
Himself a victim of trumped-up govern
ment charges, arrest, and torture for his
high level of political activism in South
Africa. Buthelezi was forced to flee his
country in 1974. whereupon he was
appointed External Representative of the
BPC by the BPC National Executive
Committee. Direct access to the organ!
zational structure has enabled him to
relay unadulterated information on the
struggle in South Africa.
Buthelezi spoke first to the level of
political organization amongst Black
South Africans which he explained as
much higher and more sophisticated than
represented in the American press. Bu
thelezi blamed the press and the South
African government for the commonly
held notion that the various uprisings and
strikes that have taken place over the
past two years were spontaneous unre
lated incidents concerning local issues,
whereas in actuality "The Soviets upris
ings can be regarded a mature stage of
political organization and mass mobiliza
tion. that has been ushered onto the
world scene by the emergence and rapid
growth at a Black consciousness move
ment." Buthelezi went on to describe this
burgeoning consciousness as “...embrac
ing all sections of the Black community,
students, workers, and the Black intelli
gence."
The movement, although effective in
broadening and intensifying the struggle
of Black people is seen by Buthelezi and
the BPC as complimentary to the various
underground movements which are con
strained from by the necessity of secrecy
from actively seeking widespread sup
port. While Buthelezi and the BPC might
at one time been considered under
ground, the political awareness of the
people is such that. “People don't look
this way and that way before they
whisper their political opinions. Discus
sion of the political situation is much
more in the open.”
The government response to this situa
tion has been the shutdown of "liberal"
newspapers, the banning of Black organi
zations. and the arrest and subsequent
"...cold blooded murder of our leader
Steve Biko.”
When asked about the Biko inquest.
Buthelezi stated that it was staged in an
attempt to appease mounting interna
tional pressure and revitalize declining
foreign investment interest in South
Africa.
Part and parcel of this attempt to
cosmeticize the situation in South Africa
have been the government declarations
of a liberalization of apartheid policies.
Buthelezi explained that the changes
were at best trivial and affect only the
tiny petty bourgeois class of Blacks
amounting to “...permission” to enter a
few formerly restricted areas...but only
upon specific invitation from a white
person.
In an attempt to “liberalize" and at the
same time encourage a split between
Blacks and “coloreds" (a separate group
in South Africa, basically anyone not
white or Black African) the government
offered the "coloreds" their own little
parliment, but according to Buthelezi
“...the situation is so polarized there that
the people refused to accept such an
offer." When asked if any compromise is
possible in South Africa. Buthelezi re
»ponded that, “The Vorster Ad mini
stration has no real interest in com
promise and is bent on taking the
whites down a collision course."
In speaking to western involvement in
South Africa, Buthelezi pointed to the
insulting hypocrisy of both western cor
porate and governmental positions las
suming of course that there is difference
between the two). American and multi
national corporations, while taking credit
for the few changes that have occurred,
also maintain that their continued pre
sence in South Africa is the best insur
ance that things will get better for Blacks
and that corporate withdrawal would
only result in great suffering for Black
people.
In regards to the gradual
improvement of conditions for Blacks.
Buthelezi sums up the Black opinion as.
“We are not interested in 'humanizing'
apartheid. We are not interested in
congenial sufferings over an extended
period of time." As to potential suffering
Black people. “No one in the U.S. stood
up to worry about Cuban people suffering
or Chileans suffering as a result of U.S.
economic boycotts...We welcome any ac
tion that will weaken the existing re
gime...We cannot suffer much more. As
to peace motives by Western Powers,
“We cannot help but be doubtful about
the motives of nations who supply the
economic support of the existing regime."
About the role of white liberals in the
struggle of Black South Africans, he
indicated that there is “limited supporj
from and "only informal connection
with" the liberals because "liberals will
not work to mobilize the white commu
nity. They insist instead on trying to I ell
Black people what to do." He describes
their assessments of the situation as a
matter of “getting the bad guys out of a
good system. He characterized liberals
as unwilling to deal with the possibility
of armed struggle. "When it comes to
crucial situations, liberals sit on the
fence.''
As to that “crucial" situation, Buthelezi
stated the people of South Africa, unlike
the people of Angola who were fighting
the Portugese, the South Africans and
the Americans are prepared to undertake
and succeed in any armed struggle "with
nothing more than moral, financial and
logistical support from other nations.”
Mis assessment of the South African
military was that its efficiency is vastly
overated and that (to paraphrase the
Guevera) "While they may kill revolu
tionaries, they cannot kill a revolution.”
Buthelezi felt that it would be three to
five years before the outbreak of orga
nized armed resistance in South Africa.
Regarding Buthelezi's place on a politi
cal spectrum he said, “I consider myself a
revolutionary." Condemning the U.S.
press that has on occasion labeled him a
Black marxist. Buthelezi stated that be is
open to whatever government best suits
the needs of the people, but that it must
be remembered that it is unwise to
attempt to transform a country using the
same system that was responsible for the
original situation.
Educators charge textbooks too advanced for grade level
W hen Johnny and Joanie say a story
from their reading book at school is "too
hard for me." they may have the situation
sized up better than the textbook pub
Usher, say two Oregon State University
education professors.
More than 40 percent of the stories
from 6th grade reading books were found
to be “two or more grades more difficult"
than the publishers' designated reading
level, Gwyneth E. Britton and Margaret
C. Lumpkin report in the fall issue of
“Reading Improvement."
They call for more accurate labeling.
"Teachers should not be expected to have
to re-write, edit or analyze textbooks in
order to select the appropriate materials
for a given student."
Only twenty percent of the stories in
the 6th grade books were written at a Hth
grade level, it was noted.
Readability refers to reading ease or
difficulty. The determination of read
ability levels has been tremendously
simplified by the computer. Britton and
Lumpkin point out.
For their paper in the national journal
devoted to reading improvement, they
ran 776 computerized readability tests on
five current 6th grade reading textbooks.
Four different commonly-employed read
ability formulas were used.
The multi-formula computer program
developed by Britton and Lumpkin com
pleted the calculations in a few minutes
and summarized, averaged, ranked and
displayed the data.
"Publishers could do the same thing at
low cost but with high returns to the
teachers and students." Britton and
Lumpkin insist.
"Inaccurate labeling of textbook ma
terial compounds the problem of class
room teachers who are individually pre
scribing for their students." Teachers
assume that the textbook material is
written at the reading level designated
by the publisher, they point out.
“The student consumer represents the
greatest tragedy in this area," the educa
tors emphasize. "Mislabeled textbooks
impose stresses of a continuing nature.
These stresses are expressed in frustra
tion, boredom, diminished self-concept
and self-guilt for failing to succeed.”
The accurate labeling and testing of
products produced in the areas of medi
cine, foods, chemicals and tires has
become standard procedure. Britton and
Lumpkin observe.
"Textbook products that shape atti
tudes. self-concepts and foster the sue
cess or failure of our teachers and
children need to share the same labeling
and product assessment standards.” they
stated in their journal article.
Among their recommendations:
Each story in public school textbooks
should be analyzed using multiple read
ability formulas that pinpoint the level of
reading difficulty.
Readability assessment data should be
provided or verified by an out-of house
agency independent of the publisher The
sample passages used for testing and
readability findings should be made avail
able to textbook adoption groups prior to
book selection.
The teacher's edition should contain
the reading level for each story or
chapter. If textbooks are published in a
progressive sequence of difficulty, this
should be documented.
Britton and Lumpkin are now publish
ing computerized readability guides for
each of the major public school reading
series. They plan to analyze and publish
similar readability guides for social stu
dies sen es in 1978. The two published a
book last year entitled "A Consumer's
Guide, to Sex. Race and Career Bias in
Public School Textbooks."
Is America heading into a new cycle of racism?
(Continued from Page 1 Column 6)
essentially from the moral failings of
individuals." In other words, the old
stereotype of the lazy and shiftless Black
persists. At the same time, fully 55
percent of white Americans feel Blacks
have “moved too fast" in their struggle
for equality, according to a 1977 Harris
poll.
Syndicated columnist Bob Greene re
ports that the use of the word "nigger”
has regained prominence. 'The word is
popping up more and more in polite
company as well as among people who
used it all along," he says. “It probably
means that we're on our way into a new
cycle of racism in America..."
Recently, Atlanta businessman J.B.
Fuqua, chief executive of Fuqua Indus
tries and a friend of President Carter,
exposed a slight variation of the neo-
conservative theology. Fuqua told New
York magazine writer Dan Dorfman that
Blacks are the "least capable of producing
in today's society. You park a certain
(percentage of them - like antiquated
machinery i which you depreciate i and
you support them through welfare...
which w.e're doing. (Blacks) say they
haven't had the opportunities, but that
doesn't change things. The fact is many
are not productive...they're just not as
skillful as the whites..."
The subtle message of Fuqua's not so-
subtle words is that racism is no longer to
blame for the condition of Blacks. Blacks
are poor because they are incapable of
being anything else, he seems to say.
The complexity of this “new racism," as
some have called it, was cited in a
September 1977 report by the U.S. Civil
Rights Commission.
It noted that
"...more subtle forms of discrimination
continue to materialize requiring ever
more stringent enforcement to ensure
compliance with the law.”
One example of this new subtlety may
be found in sports, an area viewed by
many Americans as the greatest example
of equal opportunity.
After analyzing twelve National Foot-
ball League games on the three major
television networks, psychologist Ray
mond E. Bainville of the State University
of New York in Oneonta found that the
•announcers subjected Black athletes to
more negative comments about their
talents, abilities, and motivation. He
concluded that the announcers were
"building a positive reputation for white
players and a comparatively negative
reputation for Black players."
And there are other examples. Most of
the dozens of Black studies programs that
authors are published today, and since
the demise of "blaxploitation." the film
industry has reverted to the lily white
look of the 1950s.
sprang up in the 1960s are gone today,
the victims of underfunding and general
neglect. Few books or articles by Black
Major box office hits give little evi
dence of a movement toward Glazer's
"pluralistic society." In “Star Wars."
"Annie Hall,” 'The Deep" and other
major films, Blacks are either excluded or
limited to villainous roles.
And despite the success of "Roots." the
television industry has made little pro
gress in its portrayal of Blacks or other
minorities, who are too often cast as
modern day versions of Amos and Andy.
"Few Blacks" on television, says Dr.
Eugene Thomas of the University of
Wisconsin, "are seen with the pluses and
minuses of the average man, the ambi
guitv. The Black is either super-excellent
or super-deficient "
"It appears to mean that the American
majority is nowhere near ready to accept
Blacks as equals - if you see television as
a reflection of society."
Thus while the opponents of affirms
tive action still point to the considerable
progress Blacks have made in the last
two decades. Blacks are growing ever
more concerned that whites have made
little progress in their racial attitudes,
and that the "new racism” will spread and
affect opportunities for Blacks and other
minorities.
Dr. Faustine C. Jones of Howard
University studied changes in racial
attitudes between 1969 and 1975 and
concluded: "Black Americans feel that a
significant proportion of the white popu
lation has shifted priorities from eliminat
ing the vestiges of racial discrimination
as the major goal of this society to reviv
ing feelings that Blacks have had as much
help as they need or deserve."
She adds: "The feeling is that Blacks
cannot afford to let this happen again. If
you understand history, you don't sit
around and let history repeat itself."
IJoel Dreyfuss. formerly a staff re;«ort-
er for the “New York Post" and
“Washington Post," is a member of PNS’
Foundation-funded task force of scholars
and journalists on inner cities.)
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