>.«S. :
12 Portland Observar Thu rulev, November 23, 1978
I
Rhodesia’s ’elections’ postponed
W e see the world
by N. Fungai Kumbuta
through Black eyes
More non-compliance
Arion Weils, chairman of the Social Studies
Departm ent at W ilson High School, is quoted in
the Oregonian as saying that he is glad the school
has rid itself of such frills as Black history. "W e
d o n 't have one M ickey M ouse course in the
departm ent n o w ."
W ells said he opposed teaching Black history
as a course because " If we do that then we've
got to have Chinese history, Chicano history . . .
and where do you draw the line?"
"T h e re is a broader culture that everybody
m ust assimilate in to ." He said the Black staff at
W ilson is to be congratulated for assimilating so
well. "They have become just like the whites.
They have completely assimilated. That's how it
should b e ."
The Portland School District appears to be in
gre a t need o f s ta ff tra in in g in m u lti-e th n ic
curriculum, for if Wells is an example, the staff
completely ignores the rich diversity of different
ethnic history and custums.
But has the district expanded its m ulti-cultural
offerings? No. But it has finally come to light that
the P ortland district has once again been found
in non-compliance w ith the federal requirements
and that about $52,000 for staff traianing has
been withheld. This finding was made prior to the
beginning of the school year and some of the
planned training classes were eliminated, yet no
acknowledgm ent that federal funds had been
withheld or the reasons tor this action was made.
iS
J
____
OF SCHOOL
This serves to point out w het the Community
C oalition and many Black groups have been
saying - that teachers are not being taught to
deal w ith th e c o m p le xitie s o f n u lti- e th n ic
classrooms. The only way to insure that staff
members receive the inform ation that w ill allow
them to teach children of d ifferent races and
cultures — and to treat the students, their families
and their communities w ith respect - is to make
this training mandatory.
This is the fourth non-compliance finding by
the U.S. Department of Health, Education and
Welfare in three years, should make the public
w o n d e r ab o u t the q u a lity o f th e d is tric t's
desegregation program.
We’ll never know
W e m ig h t never learn the tru e s to ry o f
Reverend Jim Jones and the four-hundred mem
bers o f the People's Tem ple w h o co m m itted
suicide in Guyana this weekend.
This newspaper was one of the recipients of
Reverend Jo n e s' occasional new s releases
claiming harassment and persecution by the San
Francisco newspapers and by government agen
cies because of race. His last news release told
about plans to relocate in the Guyana jungle
where they would be free to live as they chose.
According to Jones the organization was made
up largely of outcasts — prostitutes, addicts and
others — w ho, drawn to the Temple, hoped to
improve their lives. The need to separate them
selves from their old associates led to the interest
of communes.
While serving as the chairman of the San Fran
cisco Housing Authority, Jones and the Temple
came under fire from the San Francisco press. In
the resulting publicity, opinion was divided about
evenly among those who believed he was a good
man interested in helping others and those who
said he used and abused his followers.
The settlement in Guyana was to have been
se lf-s u ffic ie n t, w ith the people p ro vid in g fo r
themselves. W ho is to say now whether followers
were victimized or whether soft Americans found
working in the fields from dawn to dusk attem pt
ing to build a home too much for them? Were the
complaints valid, or were they the usual dissatis
faction?
Were the charges and the special interest of
the U.S. State Department on the Temple the
result of Jones' belief in socialism — in sharing
the work and the wealth?
W hat drove Jones to call for the mass suicide
on earth could they find peace and therefore they
should make the ultimate passive resistance? Or
did the pressure become too great and drive him
from his mind?
Along w ith the great sadness over more than
400 people, most of them Black, who needlessly
died there w ill remain the haunting question —
why?
Mediation project solves neighborhood problems
(Continued from Page I Column 4)
plained. " I t ’ s not unusual for it to
have gone on for four or five years
and to have started with a small in
cident.”
One example Ms. Powell gave is
that o f two families using the same
driveway. “ One person left a car in
the driveway and the other asked
them to move it. The first person was
having a bad day and was more cross
than he needed to be. The second
person later retaliated. The conflict
grew and soon involved many mem
bers o f the families as well as friends
and visitors. By then all the con
troversy and disrespect made it hard
to settle.”
Most cases referred to the program
have involved the police. “ Most con
flic ts have involved at least one
police call and sometimes five or
six,” Paris said.
The th ird Mediation Project O f
fice is located at 3214 S.E. Holgate,
Third Floor, and is coordinated by
Ms. Catheryn Steinberg. The offices
are open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
but appointments can be made for
evenings and weekends. There is no
fee.
Any person who would like to refer
problems to the Mediation Project
should call the M etropolitan Human
Relations Commission, 248-4187.
PORTLAND OBSERVER
1st Placs
Community Service
ONPA 1973
1st Place
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ONPA 1973
Publisher every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, 2201 North
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ALFRED L. HENDERSON
Editor/Publiaher
Second Clasa Postage Paid at Portland. Oregon
Honorable Mention
Herrick Editorial Award
NNA 1973
The Portland Observer’s 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 Observer
2nd Place
Best Editorial
3rd Place
Community Leadership
ONPA 1975
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Amalgamated Publishers. Inc
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e N p A p ER
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■
B
3rd Placs
Community Leadership
ONPA 1979
When Smith, Sithole, Chirau and
M uzorew a signed the ‘ in te rn a l
agreement* earlier this year, the cen
tral theme o f this agreement was the
holding o f elections by December
31st o f this year. The idea that they
were trying to sell was that, on that
day, Zimbabweans o f all races would
go to the polls to vote foT the coun
try ’ s first popularly elected govern
ment in 88 years — ever since the
whites first came to "c iv iliz e ” the
then subjects o f King Monomotapa.
This was the same idea they tried to
sell to the outside w orld — that a
governm ent so elected should be
recognized as le g itim a te . So,
technically, Zimbabwe was to start
the New Year as an “ independent
m ajority ruled nation.”
The plan was. o f course, rejected
by virtually all o f Zimbabwe's Blacks
and all o f their comrades around the
world, because, as somebody put it.
‘ ‘ it w o u ld m erely tra n s fe r the
shadow o f pow er b u t leave the
present ra c is t, w h ite p rivile g ed
system in ta c t.” As a result, the
guerrilla war intensified, more and
m ore people showed up at the
training camps to jo in and the rest o f
the population pretty much threw in
th e ir s u p p o rt, m o ra l, p o litic a l,
financial when possible, behind the
freedom fighters. In desperation, the
’ internal regim e’ imposed m artial
law over 8O^o o f the country in a
fu tile e ffo rt to thwart the guerrillas
and cut them o ff from their support
and supplies. The guerrilla alliance,
fo r its part, was doing all it could to
sabotage the proposed elections.
A n announcem ent fro m the
JL c UM
Publishers
Association
about as smart as Fungai walking
down the street expecting to fin d
S im . ly in g on the sidew alk. The
rainy season in Zimbabwe starts in
N ovem ber and extends th ro u g h
A p ril and, fo r the guerrillas, this is
the best time o f the year. This is the
tim e when the tru c k s , arm ored
vehicles and helicopters o f the enemy
are almost useless because they get
bogged down in the mud. A fte r the
spectacular diplom atic and m ilitary
victories o f the past several weeks, all
indications arc fo r a m ajor push this
rainy season.
That was the reason fo r Smith’ s
raids into Mozambique and Zambia.
He wanted to preempt the guerrillas
before the anticipated m ajor offen
sive. T hat is also the reason that
Ndabaningi Sithole, one o f the Uncle
Toms in the interim government has
been pushing fo r the extension o f the
d ra ft to Blacks — up t i l l now
they have been exempt. That raises
the interesting spector that, i f the
Blacks are pressed into the service o f
a co u n try to which they owe no
allegiance, can they be trusted or ex
pected to serve fa ith fu lly ? I f you
armed your m ortal enemy and force
him to defend you, how do you
know that he won’ t turn around and
aim fo r your head? What o f deser
tions once they are taken to the
operational zones?
W o u ld n ’ t it be funny i f Sithole
started to train the very people who
w ill bring about his downfall? 1 can’ t
help but get the feeling that we are
now on the home stretch. It would be
so good to go back home after an ab
sence o f seven years.
tO tJbt, EditM
Use the right words
To the Editor:
Education is an emotional subject
these days therefore it is important
that persons address objective data.
This is not the time fo r erroneous
satire.
Careless use o f terminology in the
N ovem ber 19, 1978 O regonian
Forum Page article by Oralee Beech
confused; fo r example the statement
“ W hite children going to predo
minately white schools are not called
‘ isolated.’ ”
The legal definition o f "m in o rity ”
delineates racial m inorities and also
certain white persons. I f one reads
current defin itio ns o f “ m in o rity ”
and “ m inority isolation” in Public
Law 92-318 (as amended), one finds
Portuguese. A lso inclu de d are
L o u isia n a Acadians w ho speak
French.
A lth ou g h federal guidelines re
garding Title 7 (Public Law 92-318 as
amended) classify students as
“ m in o rity ” and “ n o n -m in o rity ” ,
the Beech article erroneously cites
“ m ajority” students.
Precise d e fin itio n s are tools to
p ro v id e a c c o u n ta b ility in d e te r
mining that students do not spend
more than 25*7o o f the school day in
isolated circumstances.
Newspapers have an opportunity
to assist readers in understanding the
mandated definitions. Understand
ing o f the definitions is necessary for
comprehending the broad concept o f
in te g ra tio n w hich includes racial
diversity, economic diversity, and a
defined academic achievement mix.
The mandated definitions quantify
conditions on a measurable basis and
assist communication.
Sincerely,
(M rs.) J.M . Gates
Work Release Center problems hit
To the Editor:
W ork Release is a privilege. It is
given to individuals whose sentence
has met guidelines set by the Correc
tio n A d m in is tra tio n . Those who
have minimum custody are eligible
and may apply fo r reduced custody.
W hich is a step to w o rk release
screening. The screening procedure
determines whether you are o f a
violent background which classifies
you as a ‘ B’ client. O r non-violent
which classifies you as an 'A ' client.
I f you are a ‘ B’ client you are in
vestigated from four to eight weeks
before approval is given. I f ‘ A ’ you
can be approved sooner. Included to
apply are those inmates who are
w ithin a year to their parole date.
That does not mean that you go to
work release but that you go through
another waiting period to be placed
in a work release center.
In the P ortland area there are
three such facilities which serve the
The C.R.I.B presents an
In te rn a tio n a l Bazaar.
Friday, Nov. 24 from 12-
3 and 6 10, Sat. and
Sun., Nov. 25 26 from
12-7. 4904 N.E. Rodney,
284 2692 for all in
terested pa rticip a n ts.
The C.R.I.B coupon free
with each purchase.
Interested in current books
about African Liberation?
p o p u la tio n o f b oth O .S .P . and
O .S.C .I. They are M .C .C .l. (M u lt
nomah Community Corrections In
stitute), Troutdale; Portland’s Men
Center, Portland, which along with
Milwaukie Work Release Center serves
state prisoners specifically. These
two centers 1 have mentioned that
serve the state are located in fa irly
middle-class communities or on the
o utskirts. They are c o n tro lle d by
men who are corrections officers and
counselors. A t M ilw a u k ie W o rk
Release Center there is o nly one
Black o ffic ia l. W hile there are no
Blacks in a counselor capacity or
c o rre c tio n a l at the o th e r tw o .
However, when we are sent to these
facilities (m inorities) it is expected
that cooperation is foremost when in
reality it is d iffic u lt for these men to
relate and understand a m in o rity .
And though they give the appearance
o f concern they co uld care less
w hether a man com pletes the
program or fails.
1 am a member o f the Prisoners
C oalition for control o f abuses and
com m unity awareness o f fla gran t
violations o f officials in these cen
ters toward the enrollee. We want the
public to be aware o f the deprivation
o f rights that a man must sign over to
participate in these programs. When
if he is accused o f a violation depend
ing on whether the officials like him
or dislike him he can either return to
the fa c ility o r p ris o n . W ith ab
solutely no defense fo r any allegation
the center chooses to charge him with
no m atter how untrue it may be.
Sure, you have rights but that is strict
ly so that the managers o f the cen
ters can say you h ave n't been
discriminated against to protect the
center. When in fact your rights are
but words on a piece o f paper. And
nothing more.
Prisoners C oalition Against
W ork Release Abuses
W oodrow V. Broadnax Jr., #39989
2605 State Street
Salem, OR. 97310
Unibed W äy
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Newspaper
Rhodesian regime this last week in
dicates that the guerrillas have suc
ceeded in this venture too. The an
nouncement was that the elections
were to be postponed to A p ril 20,
1979. The reason given fo r the post
ponement was that the w riting o f the
new constitution had not been com
pleted as had been o rig in a lly
scheduled. The new date set fo r the
completion o f the w riting o f the con
stitution is the end o f January after
which it would be submitted to the
w hite voters fo r approval. I f ap
proved, it would then be ratified in
February and the re g is tra tio n o f
voters w ou ld take place between
then and the election date. As you
can sec, no provision is being made
fo r Black a p p ro va l o f the co n
stitution.
The holding o f these elections is
still dependent on so many factors.
One o f these is that white voters w ill
approve the constitution. The second
is that there w ill still be an ‘ interim
government.’ The third is that the
war w ill have de-escalated enough to
allow the registration o f voters and
the conducting o f the elections. The
fourth is that the U.S. and the rest o f
the w o rld w ill somehow be per
suaded to go along w ith th is
shameless fiasco. Yet another is that
the people w ill somehow be induced
to vote.
Looking at all this, o f course, you
realize that the plan has about as
m uch chance o f succeeding as 1
would have in pushing a Tri-M et bus
through the hole o f a needle. The
whites can reject the constitution.
And to imagine that the war is going
to scale down some tim e soon is
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