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Page 2 Portland Observer Thursday. Octobar 26, 1978
Denegregotion: Lawsuit vs Political Pressure
We see the world
through Black eyes
Is Jordan next?
W e have watched and wondered when it
would happen, for we knew it would. And scan
ning the Portland dailies over the past few weeks
we knew the day was nearl The stage has been
carefully set.
A review of the Portland dailies shows an
unusual attention to Black people — usually an
element in the community that is strangely ab
sent. W e've seen Black vice and prostitutes
discussed — the community accused of non-
cooperation with the police. The alleged problems
a minister who takes in alcoholics, addicts and
the ill and infirm who have no where else to go
were given a page and a half coverage — an
unusual amount of space to devote to any Black
person.
Of course nationally there was the trial and
conviction of Congressman Diggs — one of the
nation's most influential Black men, and the in
vestigation of the nation's only Black U .S .
Senator — only another chapter in the persecution
of all Black officials, including Barbara Jordan,
Representative Ford, Merv Dymally, Andy Young,
Jack Tanner, etc, etc, etc.
In Gary, Indiana, a Black public official has filed
in federal court to attempt to prove conspiracy on
the part of the white press and the government in
his indictment.
Last week the vultures got their wish as after
years of persecution and harassment Cleveland
Gilcrease was indicted — not for misuse of funds
as was smeared over the front pages for years —
but all else failing, for mail fraud. Hundreds of
thousands of dollars have been spent to bring this
man to court. Why? Because he is a Black man
who used his office to bring about opportunities
for the oppressed and who stood up like a man
and refused to bow and scrape.
And who cares if Mr. Gilcrease is found to be
innocent? His name has already been smeared to
the point where one of Oregon's highest elected
officials could refer to Gilcrease with "his hand
in the bucket," only to admit that he did not
believe Gilcrease had stolen any money. If a
responsible, public official automatically thinks of
Gilcrease when he talks about misuse of federal
funds — what chance does this man have in the
eyes of the general public? And will "they” be
satisfied when he is behind bars — on one charge
or another?
And then we come to today. Yes — the day
has arrived. In its Wednesday issue an Oregonian
editorial discusses the recent errors made by
Commissioner Charles Jordan's office and by
employees of the Metropolitan Human Relations
Commission. Jordan's staff had mailed an endorse
ment of Governor Straub on city stationary
while Jordan was out of town. The MHRC staff
had included a "news article" in their newsletter
about Barnett seeking public office.
Says the Oregonian, "Obviously supervision of
city employees needs tightening in Commissioner
Jordan's administration. He oversees the Human
Relations Commission and Barnett.
"The public not only deserves to have its funds
spent for legitimate public needs, but also de
serves to have effective and full-time accounting by
its elected and appointed administrators."
W e predict that this is only the beginning.
Commissioner Jordan served quietly during his
first term of office. Only recently has he become
more visible — flexing his muscles a bit. And
there has even been talk of running for Mayorl
So watch your daily papers You will soon see
the innuendos and then the allegations.
W e can only hope th at Portland's Black
citizens will not sit idly by as they did when
Gilcrease was accused, but will finally stand up
and say "enough."
Arrogance exposed
The C om m unity Coalition fo r School In
tegration has asked the Portland School Board
for an estimated time-line for consideration by
the Board of the Coalition's recommendations.
Many citizens would like to know whether the
Board will deal with the recommendations ex
peditiously, whether there will be a stall until after
the April 1979 Board elections, or whether the
recommendations will just be shelved. In light of
the general attitudes of the Board toward the
public, these are valid concerns.
The Board responded to the Coalition by
refusing to even discuss a possible time-line until
after the final report is made. M r. Neuman also
brought up the opinion that some of the data
might be incorrect — although the data was
provided by the school district.
This foretells an extended hassle over the facts,
interpretations, motives, philosophy and any
other factors that can bring about delay. Many
people never had any faith that the Portland
School Board would respond positively to a
citizen group. The Board's action Monday night
did nothing to change their minds.
It appears that, rather than use this opportunity
to genuinely contemplate its failures and its suc
cesses and with the assistance of others move on
to an equitable desegregation system, the Port
land School Board will entangle itself in years of
litigation, accusation, hostility and perhaps
violence.
When the people find they have no recourse —
no way to influence public decisions — they find
themselves in a position of opposition. When
constructive efforts are spurned, destruction
becomes the only alternative. It is unfortunate
that, for the sake of ego, the Portland School
Board would put the people of Portland in this
position.
W e hope we are wrong — but we haven't seen
many signs of change.
PORTLAND OBSERVER
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Determined unity brings change
by Herb L. Cawlhorne
Already, you can hear the
faithless. We should take the Port
land School Board to court over the
unfair desegregation program, they
say.
The threat is being spoken about
as though it’s a foregone conclusion.
Before the Community Coalition fur
School
Integration
submits its
report, before the School Board had
had a chance to act, some are ready
to move immediately into a legal bat
tle.
The legal strategy has played a
large role in the national struggle for
better
education
for
Black
Americans. No doubt, it will even
tually loom a large factor here in
Portland. Nevertheless, the sugges
tions of a legal suit now reflects more
than a dreamy-eyed belief in the
fairness o f the federal court. It
reflects, more importantly, a lack of
faith in the willingness o f the Port
land Board o f Education to take
positive action to insure an equatible
desegregation program.
Perhaps the legal card is being
played too soon. Perhaps the card to
play now is the one which will always
be trump — that is, the willingness of
the Black community to stand
together and fight the political forces
for change.
The political road, as opposed to
the legal, requires a determination to
achieve change that is expressed in
every element o f the community. A
few relentless voices can file a legal
suit; but it takes numerous people
working together, defining the
problems, applying pressure, and
demanding solutions to bring about
political change in education.
Do we have the determination?
Can we come together to forcefully
present our wishes to the Board of
Education?
I f we continue to have some key
Blacks employed by the School
District who serve, albeit unwit
tingly. as the errand boys o f the
Divide and Conquer principle, the
answer will be no.
I f we continue to have a few
Blacks in the school system who
think our arguments are against
them, rather than fo r our children,
community efforts will be undercut
and the board may fail to hear us.
I f the religious leadership in the
Black community continues to show
a disinterest in this struggle, it will be
hard to mount the kind of political
support required to demonstrate our
determination.
I f the Urban League and the
N A A C P do not come forward with
strong statements and a readiness for
action, the job o f convincing the
School District wiU be extremely dif
ficult.
I f Black parents will not speak
out, the hope dims. I f they simply
dismiss the present inequitable
situation because our people are ac
customed to carrying an extra load,
then we may not be able to count on
the mother who, for example, has
her children sent to four different
schools and cannot possibly be an
involved parent. Without her voice,
the argument is not as strong.
The talk about a legal court battle,
before recommendations have been
submitted to the School Board, may
indicate that many people do not
believe we have a trump card. They
do not believe in the determination
within
this
community.
And,
perhaps, they are right.
But, on the other hand, perhaps
they are wrong.
I f the elements of this community
can stand together, pointing to the
facts and offering a vision for
change, then maybe more will have
the patience to allow the political
process to take its course, thus post
poning a legal challenge until a later
date. If the members of the Com
munity Coalition for School In
tegration and School District per
sonnel get on common ground,
which they can do, then progress is
right around the corner.
I f the ministerial leadership com
municates with parents, at the same*
time as the Urban League joins with
the N A A C P , then the work of those
who have been fighting in the trench
es will be productive.
Admittedly, I have mentioned
only a few of the many elements
which must come together and
present a united voice to the Board
o f Education. Nonetheless, you get
the picture.
The question needs an answer.
W ill this community have the deter
mination to achieve an equatible
change in desegregation policies in
Portland? There are many, many
people who hope the answer is yes.
Fluoridation: A preventative practice
by N. Fungai Kumbula
There arc now so many measures
scheduled for the November 7th
ballot that the voter can be pardoned
for throwing up his/her hands in
exasperation. Such slogans as “ No
on 6 .” “ Yes on 11.“ “ No on 5 .”
“ Yes on 6 ,” “ No on 11” have been
bombarding us for so long a lot of
people now utterly confused and
thoroughly turned off. Add to that
the number of candidates running in
the various offices, each clamoring
for your vote and the Portland voters
have more than they can stand.
With all that in mind, however, I
would like you to take a closer look
at one particular measure. I would
like you to do that because, after you
have done so, you will no doubt be as
sold as I am. The measure in
question is Ballot Measure #51, the
measure designed to fluoridate Port
land’s water system.
The idea in fluoridating Portland's
water is to cut back the ever spiral
ing cost o f dental care. W ith in
flation the way it is, you and I would
agree that dental bills are no longer a
joke. Fluoride is a compound which,
when added to water, will cut tooth
decay by up to 65% or more. It is
present in water systems around the
world in varying amounts. Where I
grew up (in Zimbabwe), the level was
one to two parts per million parts of
water and I had never heard o f
cavities except for what I read in the
papers
In some areas, however, Portland
included, the water is free o f
fluorides. Hence the higher incidence
o f tooth decay (fuelled, of course, by
the higher rate o f sugar consumption
also) and the resultant dental bills.
For some wealthy people, a visit to
the dentist is no big deal but, for
some o f us who live from hand to
mouth, that all important visit can be
postponed indefinitely. Result: kids
grow up with badly damaged teeth or
no teeth at all or spend the rest of
their days nursing a pain that could
have been prevented.
about the addition o f chemicals to
our water system, did you ever raise
a fuss about the addition o f chlorine
to the same water that you drink
now?
How much will fluoridation cost
you? 26c per person per year. That’s
right, 26c per person per Y E A R !
N ow , where else can you get a
bargain like that and at the same
time accrue such life long benefits?
F lu o rid atio n w ill benefit all age
groups but, will benefit children the
most since they will live longer than
some o f us older folks and also since
their teeth are still in the formative
stage.
How about the iodine added to
your salt? And your pasteurized
m ilk? Besides, the amount o f
fluoride to be added to the water, 1
pt per million, will be so insignificant
you won’t notice it at all. For that
amount to be harmful to humans,
one would have to drink 100 gallons
at a sitting and I doubt if there is
anyone ready to try that.
Fluoridation is endorsed by The
American Dental Association, The
Oregon Dental Society, The World
H ealth O rganization, The Royal
College o f Physicians (Britain) and a
whole host o f o th e r . sim ilar
organizations around the world. I f
still in doubt ask your doctor, dentist
or call 241-9311 for more details.
Fluoridation will also benefit the
economically disadvantaged more
than their wealthier counterparts. In
place o f fluoridated water, the latter
group can afford to turn to such
alternatives as fluoride mouth rinse,
fluoride drops and fluoride tablets.
To most o f us, these alternatives are
so far out o f our league we do not
even know they exist. And, besides,
they are far less effective in combating
tooth decay. Using flu oridated
water, you fight tooth decay without
even bothering to think about what
you are doing.
For those who are apprehensive
Cynthia Hodge, a senior dental
student at the University of Oregon
H ealth Sciences Center says,
“ Fluoridation has already proved it
self beneficial in communities that
have initiated it. It would eliminate
the need to buy fluoride supplements
and the beneficial effects would
reach even those who were unaware
o f or could not a ffo rd the sup
plements.”
I f not for you, for the children:
think about them as you cast your
vote November 7th. Give them a
chance. Vote ‘ Yes’ on Ballot
Measure #51.
Daniels trial ends ia hung ¡ary
(Continued from Page 1 Column 6)
vendetta against the former Black
Panther member who was paroled in
December 1977 in New York State
and who has repeatedly filed incident
reports regarding b ru ta lity by
patrolmen toward intoxicated in
dividuals at the Hooper Center on
Union Avenue.
Now the office of the District A t
torney must decide whether to again
try this case or dismiss the charges.
Daniels has spent approxim ately
eighty days in jail to date and faces
up to sixty more days o f in car
ceration awaiting another trial if the
authorities decide to try again. In
any case, Daniels must go before a
parole board here or in New York *.o
determine if he must return to prison
to complete a life sentence even
though the trial resulted in a hung
jury and “ reasonable doubt” in the
minds of some jurors.
M ean w h ile, as the authorities
ponder their next move in the
Daniels case, Portland radio station
KBOO will continue its weekly inter
views on Thursday, October 26th by
telephone with the newly formed
Prisoners Coalition, a non-violent
group o f Rocky Butte inmates.
Daniels is a member of this group.
The program pinpoints the op
pressive conditions existing at this
facility through live interviews with
members o f this coalition.
The show “ As The World Turns,”
hosted by N orm an Solom on, a
recent arrestee at an anti-nuclear
demonstration at the Trojan plant,
continues to focus on the cruel and
inhumane treatment o f prisoners of
Rocky Butte. Deputy District Attor
ney Sean O ’ H allo ran , at the last
possible moment in the Daniels trial,
attem pted to subpoena K B O O ’s
tapes o f previous broadcasts even
though the prosecution would be
unable to use them in the trial. This
harassing effort was aborted when
Judge Ceniceros denied the right of
the District Attorney’s office to the
tapes.
The KBOO interviews are an at
tempt to bring to the attention o f the
public
and
o ffic ia ls
various
distressing situations at Rocky Butte.
Various Prisoner Coalition charges
are:
By Mario Cabrera . . . “ a lack of
integrity” by corrections officials
who call prisoners “ clowns,
monkeys and worse” and then place
them in “ the hole** if this treatment
is questioned. Prisoners sent to the
“ hole” are denied access to the forms
officials fill out detailing charges.
Phone service to the outside was in
terrupted for several days and
sanitation
conditions
“ are
depljorable.“ No s ta ff member
speaks Spanish and some prisoners
can’ t speak English’ * or read the
rules manual which is printed in
English only “ with these individuals
singled out for the ’hole’ because o f
misunderstandings. * ’
By K arl W ardm an . . . “ no
medical treatment” was given to him
for “ thirty days for a broken hand”
and “ dental care is once or twice a
week” while inmates are in pain.
By James Daniels . . . “ lack o f
good food and the small portions”
and “ the plexiglass partition placed
on the door o f the ‘hole’ which is
only removed for air to enter.” Ad-
(Piease turn to Pfttc 5 col. 3)
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