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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 29, 1978)
Mr« F ra n c 3 S c h o e n -S e m p a p e r Foca U n iv e rs ity o ’ 0 - r r ’ ->n L i b r a r y u u ' . n ? , Ore >n 97403 Court affirms affirmative action PORTLAND t OBSERVER Voin me 8 N o.*frì Tfcarsday, Jane 29, 1978 10c per copy rw o Sections The long awaited Bakke decision has met with mixed reaction from Black leadership but generally has been acclaimed as a victory for a ffir mative action. The ruling determined that the University o f California - Davis’ af firm a tiv e action plan was discrim inatory because it selected students soley by race, but that race can be considered along with other admission requirements. The Davis program reserved 16 or 100 ad missions for minorities and it was the num erical quota that the U. S. Supreme Court rejected. The basic question has been whether giving an advantage to a member o f a minority group is legal under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which states that "n o state shall enforce any law which shall abridge the priveleges or im munities o f citizens o f the United States, nor shall any state deprive any person o f life, liberty or property, without due process o f law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection o f the law.” Title VI o f the Civil Rights Act of 1964 says that no person shall be sub ject to discrimination in any program receiving federal aid. The Bakke case questioned whether the law applies to whites, and whether preferences given to m in o ritie s discrim inate against whites — the popular term “ reverse discrim ina tion” . The C ourt determined that the numerical quotas set by the Davis program had discriminated against Bakke and ordered him admitted. fim a tive action programs in em ployment. There is some fear that those who oppose affirmative action w ill attempt to use the decision as an excuse not persue affirmative action requirement! Despite the great attaention given the Bakke case, other cases that will be more significant in the fields of employment and construction are Thurgood Marshall, the C o u rt’ s now before the Court. only Black, disagreed. He pointed out The Court has agreed to review the that for 200 years the C ourt has 1973 settlement in which American allowed "th e most ingenious and per Telephone and Telegraph Co. agreed vasive forms o f discrimination again to a government ordered affirmative st Negroes.” action plan. This plan w ill be He wrote, "when a state acts to reviewed to determine i f it involves remedy the effects o f that legacy o f “ reverse discrimination” . discrimination, I cannot believe that Another case o f significance is a this same Constitution sands as a challenge to the Public Works Em barrier.” Justice Marshall was one of ployment A C t’ s 10 per cent set-aside four justices who voted in tavor ot for m inority contractors. the Davis program. The Bakke decision, although af The Court affirmed that race can firm ing the use o f race in attempting be a factor in an admissions policy. to include a lj Am ericans in its Judge W illia m Brennan wrote, econom ic advantages, does not "Government may take race into ac definitively rule on the manner in count when it acts, not to demean or which race can be used and therefore insult any racial group, but to remedy does not end the affirm ative action disadvantages acted on minorities by controversy. past racial prejudice. . . ” Most proponents of affirm ative ac The decision was restricted to the tion are relieved that the long an Bakke case alone and ist not regarded ticip a te d decision was not more to have a serious im pact on af- devastating. Cross burners free from federal prosecution Karen noweii, Jeanette rotk and Brittany Jones enjoy themselves while participating in the Summer Program at Berean Baptist Church. Summer youth programs offer recreation variety by Beth Nance Almost as soon as school was out, summer programs opened at many locations for youngsters throughout the Albina community, locally spon sored, with some assistance from the Park Bureau. Representatives o f these is the tenth annual Summer Program of Berean Baptist Church, at Wygant and Vancouver Avenue. Daily, from 11:00 to 5:00, children from ages six to thirteen can enjoy a program o f crafts, games, music, film s, field trips, storytim c, pup petry, and free lunches. C ovel, Coleman, college student, is the A recior this year, after serving rwo years as a staff member. Schools Summer Food Service, at In addition to constructive activity Adam s H igh School. These are fo r youngsters, the summer financed by federal funds. programs provide employment for The film program, after lunch on teenagers. Berean’s program is staff two days a week, is planned not only ed by seven young people who get as entertainment, but also for en their jobs through Manpower, fi hancing the themes o f self-worth, nanced by CETA. Only the director heritage, and intergroup relations. is paid by the Park Bureau. The youth Already the groups have seen such ful staff gain experience handling films as " B ill Cosby on Prejudice,” re s p o n s ib ility, learning human “ E van’ s C o rn e r,” “ The Blue relations s kills, w ith a goal o f Dashiki,” and “ The Skating R ink.” promoting moral and spiritual values One day’ s visit at the Berean while helping the kids enjoy them Summer Program demonstrated why selves. Adult volunteers also donate ; the attendance is increasing. time and skills. , The craft program that morning The free lunches arc prepared and * had been more than just something packaged at the Portland P u b lit (Please turn to Page 6 Column 1) Dekum Court tenants demand playground return ’ The Housing Authority has sold our backyard," is how one Dekum Court tenant described the situation at the Dekum Court housing project. The Housing Authority o f Port land recently sold property adjacent to the project to J.W. Brayson. Inc. for development. The sale was the culmination o f a long struggle be tween H A P and the C oncordia Neighborhood Association over use o f the property. H AP had first plan ned to build additional housing units but a fte r strong, organized op position by the community, which wanted the property used for a park, decided to sell. Explaining that the sale would bring funds fo r other housing developments, HAP refused to agree w ith the neighborhood association's request that the site be restricted to single family dwellings. After a heated hearing the City Planning Commission recommended down-zoning the property for single fa m ily homes. The pro p e rty is restricted to fifty-five family units, fourteen o f which can be duplexes. Prior to the sale HAP redrew the Festival honors The Kintu Festival will emphasize history o f the Black community and contributions o f Black artists. The festival w ill be held in Vancouver Avenue from 11:00a.m. to6:00p.m . The Albina Mural w ill be dedi cated to the community at 2:30 p.m. A member o f the National Executive boundaries so that the area now used for a childrens' playground was sold. The property line now lies directly behind the project in the Saratoga Street side (south) leaving only a steeply sloping bank on the project side. A thirty-five foot area west o f the community building w ill remain, as w ill its parking lot on its east side. However, I f the p ro p e rty is developed as currently planned, the always said play space was important but we didn't make a big issue o f it because we had no idea that HAP would sell all o f the play area,” one parent explained. Mrs. Palmer also expressed fear that the Dekum Court residents w ill be isolated from the remainder o f the com m unity. “ We are becoming more a part o f the com m unity. Children from the neighborhood come here to play and many others use the community building. But if HAP community building w ill be bordered on three sides by private housing. Ms. C arolyn P a lm fr, resident manager at Dekum Court, explained :hat the lack o f play space provides a severe problem to the residents. I f :ach o f the fo rty units had the m axim um num ber o f children allowed, there would be 1.68 children in the project, mostly between ages two and thirteen. In several private apartment buildings directly to the north, which have no yards, there are approximately ninety children. These children have used play equipment on the h ill behind the project — the property that has been sold. This allows mothers to watch the children from the adjoining apart ments. W ithout this area the children w ill have only the walks and small spaces between apartment buildings. “ When the land was landscaped and grass planted, it was purposely sloped to keep the kids off. I f the kids play on the grass and wear it o ff, it w ill become a sea o f mud again." Another consideration in attempt ing to keep the children from playing among the units is noise. "Groups o f twenty or th irty children running (Please turn to Page 2 Column 4) Murals dedication Board o f the NAACP will speak. Am ong the highligh ts o f the festival will be: the Kintu Orchestra under the d ire ctio n o f Thara Memory; scenes from “ A Raisin in the Sun” directed by Rosemary Allen; Chuck Cobert Band; Black Velvet; the 4-H Ensemble; the Mel Brow n T rio . There w ill be two stages, with music, poetry and panel discussions throughout the day. Arts, crafts, and foods w ill be sold by community people. The sponsors anticipate an enjoyable July 4th festival with activities o f interest to every segment o f the community. Because the U.S. A tto rn e y General has refused to prosecute, and the lack o f intent o f the county or the state to do so, Carol Williams Bryant is expected to file a civil ac tion for damages against three men who burned a cross on her front lawn while Ms. Bryant, a Black woman, was a candidate for public office. In a letter from W illiam Gardner, Chief of U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal section, to Sidney Lezak of the U.S. Attorney’ s office here in Portland, the complaint filed against the three men, “ lacks respective m erit” because the results o f an F.B.I. investigation into the incident did not uncover "specific intent by the subjects to interfere with a par ticular federally-protected activity engaged in by the victim .” com m unity,” Baker told the Ob server. "S o many Black men come to prison with long sentences, they lose contact with the com m unity and when they gel out they have no friends except those they meet in the joint. “ We have continuously tried to form contacts with the community — through the "Behind the W all” column in the Observer, through the activities o f the O.S.P Uhuru Club, and through one or two Black churches But we never hear fro m the NAACP. To my knowledge no one has been here representing the NAACP since the Salem Branch had a lew contacts about three years ago. The inmates received the support of the Corrections Division and the prison adm inistration. They also received letters of support from many state legislators and other public officials who have written the NAACP in behalf o f the visit. I he meeting was o rig in a lly designed as a workshop, but the in mates have decided to let Hooks set his own format. He w ill be accom panied by other N AAC P officials. torney, Ted Runstein, indicated that neither the state nor the county had expressed any intent to prosecute either. However, he explained, refusal by governm ental agencies to prosecute, “ has nothing to do with suing for damages . . . and I assume that we w ill do that.” U.S. Attorney Lezak said that he recommended to the Civil Rights O f fice that he was satisfied with the ex tent o f the F .B .I.’ s investigation and, on the basis o f depositions filed by counsel o f all parties involved in the incident, there was no evidence o f intent to intimidate Carol Bryant. Because o f the lack o f evidence o f in tent, he said, none o f Ms. Bryant’s charges "should be brought under federal civil rights law.” Black community opposes South African’s visit by Ronnie Herndon The bright side o f this story is that the NAACP is coming to town. For four days next week (7/3 to 7/7) Port land will host the annual NAACP convention and, with 8,000 delegates expected, the city’s Black population w ill swell by thirty percent. The unfortunate side o f this story is that three days after the conven tion concludes, the city w ill play host to a horse o f a very different color: the South African ambassador, one Donald Sole. This paradox is all the Analysis more peculiar when you realize that one o f the resolutions on the N A A C P ’ s agenda is a call for a total 'Solar Fusion’ Presents di Sunday, July 2nd Solar Fusion, a fashion show/disco, w ill k ic k -o ff with no host cocktails at 7:00 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom o f the Lloyd Center Sheraton. Gene Holmes’ Mixed Company w ill present the first fashion show at 8:00 p.m. The choreography for thé hour long show is a dynamic blend o f sight and sound that swirls across the stage amid the glam or o f high fashion clothing. From 9:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. special emphasis w ill be placed on awards to the Black Rose Festival Princesses, and the former Jr. Miss Black Oregons. The Portland Modulators, a CB Club, will present a $1,200 scholar ship to Corey Walden, a graduating Jefferson senior. Ronnie Wilson w ill also receive recognition fo r being selected nationally as Best Male Model o f the Year. PTG Unlimited w ill feature the designs o f Liz Mosley from 10:00 to NAACP leader visits OSP inmates Benjamin Hooks, Executive Direc tor o f the NAACP, will meet with inmates at Oregon State Penitentiary Saturday. Hooks w ill be in Portland for the organizations' national con vention, to be held here from July 3rd through the 7th. Hooks was in vited to O .S.P. several months ago. The activity — To be a half-day workshop — was organized by inmate Larry Baker and coordinated by Charles Keaton, Director of Rehabilitation. "W e want Mr. Hooks to come and tell us how the NAACP can help Black inmates integrate back into the The cross burning was committed by three men who work with Jess Bryant at the Salem office o f the U.S. Bureau o f Land Management. The act was com m itted w ith “ federally owned vehicle and materials, and on federal time. The men eventually were suspended thirty days without pay. Federal investigators found no reason to view the incident as other than a prank, as the cross burners had claimed. Ms. Bryant said that she was not surprised by the verdict, which she had read about in the July 27th issue o f the "Oregon Journal.” Although she felt that the federal government's decision not to prosecute, "doesn’t preclude H a rl Haas fro m prosecuting under state law,” her at boycott o f the apartheid regime of South Africa. The Ambassador w ill be a guest o f the W orld A ffairs Council and the Chamber o f Commerce who, despite the objections o f a lot o f people, have decided to go ahead and host him. Because o f South A frica ’s total disregard and open violation o f the rights o f Black people, the Portland (Please turn to Page 6 Column 5) show Fashion designer Liz Mosley and Pat McFarland prepare for Solar Fusion fashion show/disco. 11:00 p.m. Door prizes w ill be given away For those who have party, party throughout the night. The $7.50 on their minds a disco w ill begin at tickets also include one tree cocktail, 11:00p.m. and last until2:00a.m . to start the evening o ff smoothly. Flooney Theatre preforms Langston Hughes The scholarship office o f the Mar tin Luther King, Jr., Scholarship Fund o f Oregon, in conjunction with the Neighborhood Theatre Com pany, formerly the Flooney Theatre Com pany. W ill p e rfo rm ’ in the auditorium o f Portland Community College at Cascade, located at 705 N. Killingsworth on July 5th, 6th, and 7th at 8:00 p.m. Donation w ill be $3. The program will concentrate on the works of M r. Langston Hughes, W riter and poet. O rig in a l com positions on piano by Gerald White, singing by local talent Floyd Cruse, comedy by comedian Harold John son, simple skits by Claude and Henry Melson, a lecture by Skip Bracken, and special selections read from Langston Hughes Poetry by poe, Butch Nathiel Haynes. On July 3rd at 1:30 in Holiday Park, across the street from the Lloyd Center. The Neighborhood Theatre Company w ill be a part o f scheduled activities o f the Com munity Festival which w ill be held July Is t, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at Holiday Park, which begins at 10:00 daily. Michael H ill, Executive Director o f the M artin Luther King, Jr., Scholarship Fund o f Oregon will be part o f the show with his portrayal of W.E.B. DuBois who worked as a N A A C P member during the early par, o f the 1900's. This free perfor mancc w ill start at 1:30 in H olidtv Park on July 3rd. Proceeds will be donated M artin Luther King, Jr., Sc!, Fund o f Oregon.
