Ura
Uni
Eighteen months after Superin*
tendent of School Robert Blanchard
d e fia n tly
challenged
three
organizations to solve the problem o f
the concentration o f Black students
in Jefferson H igh School, the
broadly based Community Coalition
for School Integration presented a
comprehensive analysis o f school
desegregation in the P ortland
District and recommendations for
School Board receives
desegregation report
PORTLAND
OBSERVER
change.
The most far reaching and con
troversial recommendation is the
pairing o f schools, which calls for
Black and white schools to be paired
and to exchange students.
The report was presented by
Charim an H arry C. W ard, who
reminded the Board that he had
stood before them 16 years ago as
N A A C P president, calling fo r
desegregation and equal o p p o r
tunity; Herb Cawthorne and Dick
Frey, Co-chairmen o f the Research
Committee.
Jonathan Newman, School Board
C hairm an, announced that the
Superintendent w ill respond to the
report at a meeting to be held
December 4th, 7:30 p.m., at Benson
High School. The School Board has
also scheduled special meetings, on
December 11th and 18th. The Board
rejected a motion by Board Member
Wally Priestley that advance copies
o f the Superintendent’s response be
provided board members and the
Coaltion to enable them to respond.
Jeanna Wooley, speaking for Roy
Schnaible, President o f the Urban
League o f Portland, told the Board
that “ The Coaltion’s effort is worthy
o f acknowledgment by nothing less
than deliberate action on the part of
the Board o f Education to correct
the problems and inequities in the
current desegregation program in-
dentified by the research. We are
referring specifically to problems
such as the mandatory busing o f the
upper grade students fro m the
Albina area, the wholesale scattering
o f the “ adm inistrative tra n sfe r’ ’
students from the black community
throughout the city’s schools, and
the inadequate preparation o f some
receiving schools for ‘administrative
transfer* students which the League
knows exists from our own work and
involvement with personnnel from
some schools in the city.”
Lucius Hicks, Education C hair
man for the NAACP, endorsed the
C o a litio n ’ s recommendations and
called for a decision from the Board
within ninety days.
Dr. Richard Hughes, Executive
Director o f Ecumenical Ministries,
supported the process o f community
involvem ent fostered by the
C o a litio n and called the report
“ reasonable and rational in its ap
proach and goals.” He expressed the
belief that the people o f Portland
w ill recognize “ their ethical and
legal obligations.”
Opposition was expressed by Ken
Brody, who questioned the educa
tional value o f desegration and war
ned that “ m any special interest
groups would like to use the schools
to promote their own interests.” Bob
Ferguson o f Committee for Kids in
Neighborhood Schools questioned
the legal obligation to desegregate.
See
s u m m a ry
in
S e c tio n
II
NAACP election: The presidency__
Jackson: The NAACP should be a
kind o f an agency to point out where
we are not getting equality in a num
ber o f things; use its membership and
its expertise to supply not only in
formation but pressure to help to
bring about the things that we are
striving for.
1 th in k it ought to be an in
strument that can be used to their
advantage and to their interest. The
role of the NAACP ought to be the
forem ost agency in the areas o f
desegregation,housing and all the
other things that people are striving
to get. I think we sould take a cor
porative lead in this matter.
JO H N H. JAC K SO N
Reverend John H . Jackson,
current President o f the Portland
Branch, N A A C P , was nominated
from the flo o r to serve another two-
year term.
Observer; W hy are you running
for the office of President of the
Portland Branch, NAACP?
Jackson: The principle reason is
because I have an interest in the
welfare o f people and a concern for
the com m unitya nd how people
relate and advance and take advan
tage o f some o f the opportunities
that are here for us in the community
and also to Continue to wage some
sort o f struggle with the opposition
that keeps us from having some o f
the jobs, the positions and the things
that the community gives to a num
ber of other people. Yet we don’ t
seem to be able to take advantage o f
them. And so I ’m trying to continue
to open doors and continue to use
the NAACP as a vehicle to help to
educate, inform , work with, and do
the necessary things to help more
people up in to higher economic,
moral and educational braquets.
O b server: W h e t ro le do you
believe the N A A C P should play in
Portland?
Observer: W h a t are som e of
th e issues you b e lie v e th e
N A A C P should address?
Jackson: The issues don’t seem to
change too much. Right now the em
phasis seems to be on education
because o f the interest in the
Coalition’s report, but 1 still think
jobs and housing are the main issue
we ought to work for. A ll along the
line we are striving for some kind o f
equality, so 1 think in these basically
material things we just don’ t have
that kind of equality. As long as any
kind o f inequity exists between the
minorities, so-called, and the others
the NAACP is to tackle these issues
to see what changes it can make. I f it
can make changes, 1 think it ought to
expose them.
1 th in k where people in a f f ir
mative action proclaim what they are
doing, we ought ot try to monitor
them to make sure they are hiring the
way they sav they are. We should see
what they had before they got into it
and wrote out this proposal, and see
where they are now. We should
monitor and see where they are in six
months.
The same thing ought to be true
o f the Coalition report. I f it is accep
ted by the School Board, the
N A A C P should give the School
Board a definite time it should be
adopted and a definite time to im-
Goldson accepts Seattle post
Reverend Edsel Goldson will leave
Portland the end o f November to
pastor Grace U nited M ethodist
Church in Seattle.
Goldson leaves P ortland w ith
mixed feelings. "Things are begin
ning to move in Portland. The Coali
tion for School Integration will make
school desegregation an important
issue and there are other things
beginning to develop. There has been
an absence o f Black leadership but it
will be better.”
Goldson, who is President o f the
Albina Ministerial Alliance, came to
Portland in 1972 as associate pastor
of Mallory Avenue Christian Church.
Raised in Jamaica, he had attended
college in the mid-west. " I wanted to
stay with my own denomination —
the Christian Church — and Mallory
Avenue seemed like a good oppor
tu n ity. It was a white church
reaching out to the Black com
munity. It fits right in with my idea
of being kind of a bridge between the
two communities.”
Three years ago Goldson left
Mallory Avenue to pastor St. A n
drews Community Church, a Black
church. “ Although I liked working
in an integrated church, I could see
the need for Black leadership. There
is a difference o f opinion — some
think Blacks should pastor white
churches to sec that whites have the
experience of seeing Blacks in leader
ship roles and others think Black
ministers are needed by the Black
churches to build future leadership
there."
He also expanded his activities in
the community, last year becoming
President of the Albina Ministerial
Alliance.
£•
3^ -
• >■
plcment it and they ought to tell us
how they’ re going to implement it.
We ought to set the boundaries by
which they attempt to implement it. I
don’t mean set one boundary -- but
you take one item - for example in
tegration o f teachers. One recom
m endation is to brin g back the
A lbina schools to eight grades. 1
think we ought to ask the School
Board when this can be implemen
ted. We have to give them some time
to bring people in — to upgradae
teachers to adminstrative positions.
We need to have a time schedule
when each o f these things can be
done. But tye decision to accept
should be made in ninety days.
Observer: As president, w h a t
are some of the things you have
d o n e to p ro vid e le a d e rs h ip in
those areas?
Jackson: It has been an effort to
appoint committees. I ’ ve appointed
committees and where committees
haven’ t functioned 1 tried to work
with them.
I suppose the main thing that I ’ ve
tried to do is to file for an injunction
against the City to stop its economic
development money until they in
clude minorities in the planning. It
isn’ t completed yet u n til it goes
before the court, but 1 think it is im
portant.
I ’ ve sent telegraftis to our
Congressmen concerning passage o f
the Humphry-Hawkins bill. It has
been watered down some but it
should help employment. I received
w ord from them that they ap
preciated the telegrams. I sent
(Please turn to page 4 col. 1)
Lucius Hicks was nominated by
the Branch Nominating Committee
fo r the office o f President.
Observer: W hy are you running
for the office of President of the
Portland Branch NAACP?
Hicks: Basically to make changes,
here, in Portland, in the Association.
I’ ve been involved in the NAAC P
since I ’ ve been in Portland. I ’ ve had
a chance to observe various needs as
articulated by a p a rtic u la r com
munity or evidenced by the charac
teristics o f our community. These
needs include, but are not limited to,
the need for leadership, the need for
political clout, the need fo r com
munity development, the need for
adequate housing, the need fo r
quality education, the need for equal
access to employment, as well as
training and quite a few other needs
that have come to my observation.
The NAACP to me is the umbrella
o f all civil rights actions, programs
and entities in the State o f Oregon
plus in the nation. The situation that
I find here is that the NAACP does
not function as an umbrella, but as a
part o f an undefinable whole —
and 1 think that if we function as the
umbrella agency. By that I don’t
mean having the Urban League and
the Human Relations Commission
report to the NAACP as i f we were
their leader and they were our
followers. I ’m simply saying that in
terms o f civil right activities and con-
cers there is no greater organization
than the NAACP. We do not use the
N A A C P very extensively. The
NAACP in Portland is in some ways
a non entity, in terms o f becoming a
force to be dealt w ith when cer
tain considerations are being made
concerning
zoning,
housing,
education, economic development,
etc. The N AAC P in Portland has
allowed itself to be a reaction instead
o f an action oriented group. I main
tain that as long as you are a reaction
group instead o f an action group you
are two steps behind because your
reaction is the first step and your
decision what to do after that is the
second step. That’s uncomfortable;
that’s unwise; and that’ s ineffective.
The N AACP should be the leader
o f various civil rights movements. It
should be the forerunner for any
concerns expressed by the people - a
voice for the people.
M y purpose for running is to im
plement the ideas which I just ex
pressed in addition to providing an
organizational framework for more
effective operation .
In
that
organizational framework I include
such fundamental things as a regular
and extensive office open hours, an
accountability to the membership,
communication on a regular basis
through a formal newsletter.
When a person calls the office they
will be sure that there is an accoun
table person on the other end that
not only hears their concern but ad
dresses the concern. 1 think it is in
cumbent upon the president to insure
that these kinds o f actions take
place. Our current president has not
insured that these actions take place.
1 am not the kind o f individual that
observes something and sits back
LUCIUS H IC K S
and waits on someone else to do
something about it. I am an in
dividual who takes it upon himself to
correct something i f I think it can be
corrected — i f I think my skills can
be deployed in becoming more effec
tive in that particular operation.
That’ s why I ’ m sacrificing my time,
and energy, and resources to cam
paign for the election. And I pledge
to devote an adequate amount o f
time and energy and resources to im
plem ent the idea th a t I have
discussed.
I think it is incumbent on the
President to outline, for approval,
an organizational framework that in
sures that each standing committee
have its goals and objectives, ac
tivities to perform on a regular basis
so when people come and become in
volved they have a sense o f direction,
(Please turn to page 2 col. 4)
Restaurants seek liquor licenses, meet King resistance
Two businessmen who have ap
plied fo r liq u o r licenses fo r their
establishments on U nion Avenue
have failed to gain the approval of
the King Improvement Association.
The neighborhood association voted-
to oppose the request o f Joe Reese
for a type A (hard liquor) license for
his restaurant at 3909 N.E. Union.
They neither opposed nor favored
the application o f Dan Mitchell for a
beer and wine license at Pig on the
Pit, 4011 N.E. Union Avenue.
The neighborhood association
members gave as their reason for
rejecting Reese’ s proposal, the
location o f his business. A large
number o f men loiter on the corner,
drinking, littering, tossing bottles in
to the street and bothering passers-
by. The neighborhood association
neighborhood association has
has previously tried to deal with this
situation without results.
They fear that bringing another
drinking establishment to the area
w ill compound the problem.
Reese explained that he has pur
chased the property involved and has
made needed repairs. He has provide
garbage cans to help aid the litter
problem and allows the use o f his
restrooms. Emphasizing that the
men lo ite rin g on the corner are
drawn there by a grocery store, not
by his business, he maintained that a
respectable restaurant and lounge
would either draw them inside or
drive them out o f the area.
Reese operates a restaurant and
pool hall, and plans to add a lounge
that would seat 48.
Dan M itchell has applied fo r a
beer and wine license for Pig on the
Pit, located one block north. M it
chell, who now has a seating capacity
o f 140, plans an addition that w ill
seat another 66 persons.
Specializing in bar-b-que, he plans
a dining and entertainment establish
ment. A disco system, rivaling any in
Portland, w ill provide entertainment
until 4:00 a.m. But with noise con
trol, the surrounding neighborhood
w ill not be effected by the sound.
W ith sixty o f f street parking
spaces. Mitchell is contracting with
SWAT to provide internal and exter
nal security. He employs twelve
neighborhood residents and w ill ex
pand to nineteen.
M itchell’s plans are continent on
obtaining a Class B liquor license.
Both men w ill go before the City
Council for approval prior to con
sideration by OLCC.
Please m ake contributions
to th e le g a l d e fe n s e o f A l
W illiam s to:
Al W illiams Defense Fund
% A merican State Bank
2737 N.E. Union Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97212
Co-Chairm en o f the defense
c o m m itte e
a re:
Jam es
L o v in g , Paul K n au ls and
Reverend John Jackson.
Jordan proposes minority business tracking system
REVEREND EDSEL GOLDSON
Goldson associates the struggle o f
Black people in the United States
with the struggle for independence in
his nalive Jamaica. Although legally
independent since 1962, Jamaica has
been under the economic domination
o f Europe. In recent years efforts
are being made to take control o f the
nation's economy, among them
requiring at least 51 percent
Jamaican ownership o f the in
stitu tio n s operating in Jamaica.
This, along with closer cultural and
trade ties with Cuba, have made the
United States and its allies apprehen
sive and has placed great pressure on
the Jamaican government.
Goldson sees the role of a mini
ster as tw o -fo ld , pastoring the
congregation and providing lor their
spiritual needs, but also providing
leadership to address the needs o f the
community.
Commissioner Charles Jordan has
notified the members o f the Portland
City Council o f his intention to in
troduce an ordinance to set up a
system to m o n ito r the C ity ’ s
utilization of minority firms.
“ This would be a system to track
the C ity’s efforts in contracting with
m in o rity businesses. The current
data is not adequate,” Jordan ex
plained. "T he City has spent a lot of
money but its not getting to minority
companies. The C ity is going to
spend millions, but it w ill never make
an im pact on m in o rity business
unless we understand what is hap
pening. I f we find that we need to do
something to help — provide
technical assistance or other types o f
aid — we can respond.”
On November 10, 1977 the Council
passed Ordinance No. 144721 which
established the M inority Purchasing
Program to promote the purchase of
goods and services from m inority
businesses. Two different proposals
have been developed since the
passage o f the ordinance but neither
has been implemented.
“ The current status o f the
program , as I understand it, is
primarily attributable to legal con
straints and/or uncertainties relating
to a m in o rity business set-aside
provision. Furthermore, excepting
the Purchasing Division’ s efforts to
collect data on m inority business
u tiliz a tio n , there exists no com
prehensive coherent mechanism
through which progressive or
regressive
m in o rity
business
u tiliz a tio n can be m onitored,
measured, and evaluated; nor is
there any definitive mechanism to
monitor the C ity’s purchasing/con-
tracting process to identify problems
experienced by m inority businesses
as they interface with the C ity’ s pur
chasing process.
“ It is for these and other reasons
pursuant to Ordinance No. 144721
that I am proceeding with a request
fo r proposals for the design and
development o f a minority business
enterprise inform ation system that
will enable the City to assess progress
in the sale o f goods and/or services
by minority businesses to the City o f
Portland. The expected time period
necessary for the completion o f this
system design is four to six months.
Funding for this activity is to be
drawn fro m the Model Cities
Economic Development Trust Fund
established by Ordinance No. 140900
for the purpose o f continuing the ob
jectives o f the Model Cities Com
munity Development Project which,
in part, called for assisting the target
group in question.”
C om m issioner Jordan w ill in
troduce an ordinance to contract
with a consultant to develop a design
that w ould include, but not be
restricted to:
1. Ongoing system designed to
track m inority firms and businesses
that successfully contract with the
City o f Portland for the delivery o f
goods and/or services.
2. Ongoing system designed to
track minority firms and businesses
that attempt but fail to successfully
contract with the City o f Portland
for the delivery o f goods and/or ser
vices, e.g., submitting bids but not
receiving contract awards.
3. Ongoing system designed to
id e n tify , validate, and c e rtify
minority firms and/or business en
terprise as to ownership as defined in
Ch. 3.100.080 o f the Code o f the
City o f Portland.
4. Ongoing system designed to
identify and validate m inority firms
and businesses as to their contracting
interest, capability, and availability
to sell goods and/or services to the
City o f Portland.
5. Ongoing system designed to
identify City contracts falling within
the scope o f m inority firm s/busi-
nesses interest, capability, and avail
ability prior to the request for formal
bids.
6. Ongoing system designed to
identify City contracts falling outside
o f interest, capabilities, availability,
a n d /o r nonexistence o f m in o rity
business in that industry.
7. Identify and validate any other
particulars relating to the City pur
chasing process, for Council con
sideration, that w ill encourage and
promote the sale o f goods and/or
services by minority businesses to the
City o f Portland.