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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 28, 1978)
Pago 4 Portland Obaorvor Thursday, Decomber 28, 1978 Obituary Behind the wall Larry Baker 93502!, O. S. P. Correspondent The “ Behind the W all" column's success cannot be claimed solely by this Correspondent or staff, that success belongs to those o f you who have contributed and supported an idea. ‘ ‘The freedom o f the press shall be an open avenue awarded to every single living human being within these priso i walls. Regardless, i f that person be looked upon with the highest o f respect or looked down upon as undesirable one, such privileges will not be denied. ” This week’s column is proud to dedicate itself to two men — who have opened those gates at this prison. Gates where in many other prisons the prisoners have lived in fear for decades. “ The freedom to have open access to the news media without retaliation is a beautiful feeling. “ To: H.C. Cupp, Superintendent, Oregon State P enitentiary. To: Reverend A lfre d L. Henderson, Editor/Publisher, Portland Obser ver. Behind the W all' salutes you for y o u r a c tio n s h o w n d u rin g th e year of 1978. The Superintendent has con tributed and supported ‘ Behind the W all’ by his actions every since it was first developed in March 1977. Not once has he ever suggested or allowed any one in his ad ministration to censor or edit any ar ticle printed. Not once has this Cor respondent received any threats or harassment from any o f the em ployees on issues mentioned about this prison written in this Column. In fact, H.C. Cupp has made it possible fo r this Correspondent to be knowledgeable o f any newsworthy event or incidents occurring at this prison, and his staff has cleared the way many times so this Correspon dent could make such news available to the public. The O.S.P. staff has never denied this Correspondent ac cess to anything or place within these walls that 1 have choosen to write about or photograph fo r this column, within reason. The freedom to communicate by phone, visits, and mail has always been a great asset that has been provided by this institution, to this column, to stay abreast with current events affecting this prison and its population. These privileges have helped this column expand into as many as eight different city news papers throughout this state. 'Behind the W all’ wishes to show its gratitude to H.C. Cupp for the endless contributions he has given to that twenty-one month success. Alfred L. Henderson, Editor and Publisher o f the Portland Observer has always participated as a mem ber in his community behind the role o f a m inister. Henderson had received national recognition many times in his efforts to have the voice o f the people heard on all levels. T hat voice from a prison cell sometimes can be just as informative to the public as the voices from the Governor’s chambers, but when that voice has to go through channels, the interpretations many times lose their value. Henderson has always been in terested in men who spend their lives in isolated places, such as ja ils, prisons and hospitals, so when the P o rtla n d O bserver’s s ta ff ap proached me fo r assistance in developing such a column as this 1 was filled with excitement. Not so much on being able to receive as much recognition as 1 have, but because o f being given the oppor tu n ity to w ork w ith one o f our greatest Black leaders that the State o f Oregon w ill ever know. Besides the wide distribution the Observer has, a weekly copy o f this newspaper can be found on the desks or in the homes o f many legislators; also many state, county and city civil ser vants, along w ith those o f the business world. Alfred L. Henderson opened a service that no other state in this nation has provided. It is un thinkable to allow prisoners to have a news column from a prison that is Julius D. Snowden 938013 Poetry Editor CONTEMPLATION TO A RECEPTIONIST I’d go to the coast for the week-end with you there are many things And walk bare-footed in the sand And chase the waves or watch them As they break from their crest, racing to be the first to tickle our toes. Or perhaps become like Jubal and Lisa, Children, and have a good old fashion water fight Or find and follow the trail left by a crab scurrying for shelter upon our approach, Or we could lay in the physical sands of emotions, chasing our thoughts around the realm of self, finding a piece of drift wood and discover a plateau of consciousness Lost in the void of n eglect. . . I would go with you, but if I did w ho'd watch the store. by Julius Snowden 938013 uncensored, unedited and not con tro lle d by the priso n ’ s ad ministration. Many believed after the firs t couple o f issues that ‘ Behind the W a ll’ w ould be short lived and would only end up as just another “ cry-baby and sniveling rag,” but Behind the W all’ blossomed and it began to appear in other city newspapers throughout this state. Not because it was a prison column, but because it quickly became a people’s column, regardless if that person is a guard, an administrator or an inmate. A ll will have the right to express their opinions in this column and the readers can become aware o f them and their deeds in life. These walls are 33 feet tall and built solid with concrete, but when it comes to people meeting people in this world, there should be no barrier separating the com m unication. Behind the W all’ is only one o f those forms. This is Henderson’s dream, his life, his prayers, have Blacks also provided significant support to Republican congressional candidates Paul Trible in Virginia and Ed Bethune in Arkansas. Trible drew 29 percent o f the vote in sample Black precincts; Bethune, 44 percent. Black Republican candidates run ning fo r congressional seats, however, did not fare well. Although fourteen ran for office, thirteen lost by lopsided margins and one won in the Virgin Islands. A ll twelve members o f the Congressional Black Caucus who sought re-election won their races. In addition, William H. Gray (D-PA) was elected in Philadelphia to replace Robert N.C. Nix; Julian Dixon (D- CA) was elected to replace Yvonne Braithwaite Burke; Mickey Leland (D-Texas) was elected to replace Barbara Jordan; and Bennett Ste wart (D -lll.) was elected to replace the late Ralph Metcalfe. Dr. Melvin Evans was elected as the non-voting delegate to the House o f Representa tives from the Virgin Islands. Evans is a Republican who formerly served as Governor o f the Virgin Islands. Although most incumbent Black state legislators across the country won re-election, the total number was reduced from 294 to 284. The change came as a result of incumbents being defeated, retiring, or running for other office. A total o f thirteen states lost Black state legislators. However, legislatures in Alabama, California, Florida, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee added Black members. Although precise overall Black tu rn o u t could not be measured, overall voter turnout in congres sional districts with Black m ajori ties ranged between 12 and 49 percent. N ationw ide, in all 433 Congressional d istricts, tu rn o u t among all voters was estimated at 34 percent. In hotly contested races, Black turnout was very high. In Philadel phia, a proposed change in the city charter to allow Mayor Frank Rizzo to seek re-election next year was de feated. The proposed change was opposed by Black leaders. In the predominantly Black Pennsylvania Second District in Philadelphia, turn out o f the voting age population was 49 percent, 17 points higher than in 1974 and virtually equal to the turn out in the 1976 presidential race. In Mississippi's 4th Congressional district, independent Black candi dates, Evan Doss and Charles Evers, were on the ballot for the local con gressional seat and the U.S. Senate, respectively. The result was high turnout in a congressional district which is 43 percent Black. Forty-two percent o f the voting age population turned out which was an increase of almost 10 percentage points over 1974. The Black vote was especially critical to the candidates o f Blacks running fo r statewide o ffice . In Wisconsin, Black Democratic can didate Vel Phillips defeated her Re publican opponent by only 47,000 votes out o f more than a million cast. In 27 selected Black precincts in Milwaukee, Blacks gave Ms. Phillips 11,000 votes, or 96 percent o f their total vote. In a close race for comptroller in Illinois, Black Democratic candidate Roland B urris won over his Republican opponent by 130,000 out of more than 2,800,000 votes cast. M unicipal and county elections were not m onitored by the Joint Center because most are not held in the same year as state races. However, in one important county election, Michael Lomax, o f Atlan ta, G eorgia, was elected F ulton C ounty C om m issioner, the firs t Black ever to win a countywide elec tion in populous Fulton. Eddie N. Williams, President o f the Joint Center, in commenting on the election results, noted that if there is one conclusion to be drawn it is that Black voter participation must be increased in order to protect the political interests o f the Black com munity. “ The election results, the bleak outlook fo r social welfare programs in the upcoming 96th Congress, the national trend toward conservatism, provide additional justification for Black political and c iv il rights leaders to develop a national voter crusade. Looking forward to the 1980 elections, this crusade should establish a goal to in crease Black registration by twenty percent in each o f the next two years. If this happens, there will be 12.3 m illion registered Black voters in 1980, about 83 percent o f the total Black voting age population.” i 1. He was moderator of the Union District Association for 23 years. He was the first Black person to be elect ed to a 100-year-old W illam ette Association as their moderator for one year and was Treasurer General o f the Baptist Convention o f the Pacific Northwest. On June 27, 1962 he became the first Black to be elect ed business agent for Local 1404 ship scalers and auto painters union. The desire o f his heart was fulfilled in June o f 1974 when he and his wife visited the Holy Lands. He rejoiced that he walked where Jesus walked. He is survived by his wife, Willie Mae; daughters E iffe and Helen; sons Joe Ellis, John, R.E., Jimmy; a brother Rubin, sisters Paleon Coa- ley and Dora Walker; grandchildren; great grandchildren; nieces and new- phews; church members; and a host o f friends. EMBRO Care free space it was warm And peaceful Within The dark Side of HUGHES MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH «V AU STIN v »A V MINISTER 111 N .E. FA ILIN G INal A-Prayer 294-11694 Church School 9:45 a.m Worahip 11:00 a.m. (rtf ire 291 2332 Specializing In Individual • Marriage and family • Group Therapy "The Churrh VS here No Stranger Feel. Strange" The moon. by Julius Snowden 938013 been helping “ people com m unicating w ith one another” regardless o f race, age, or rank in life. No, this Correspondent is not solely responsible for the success o f this column, but you are. And it is you with your many cards and letters which have proved it. H.C. Cupp and Lee Henderson are two people who have something very much in common. Helping to open up an avenue that might bring people closer together as human beings through this newspaper column. So to both o f these men, ‘ Behind the W a ll’ thanks you — Happy News. Black vote results mixed W A S H IN G T O N , D .C . — The im pact o f the Black vote in the November off-year elections was clearly seen in key races throughout the nation, according to a survey by the Jo in t Center fo r P o litic a l Studies. Black candidates suffered some m ajor losses w ith the defeats o f Senator Edward Brooke in Massachusetts and o f Lt. Governor M ervyn D ym ally and A tto rn e y General candidate Yvonne Burke in California, but scored gains in state wide races in Wisconsin, Illinois, and North Carolina. Wisconsin voters elected their first Black statewide official, a woman, Vel P h illips, who w ill become Secretary o f State. Roland Burris was elected state co m p tro lle r in Illinois. Richard C. Erwin was elect ed to the North Carolina Court of Appeals by a margin o f 200,000 votes, thus becoming the first Black North Carolinian to hold a statewide position since Reconstruction. Other statewide officeholders were re-elected: Richard Austin as Secre tary of Court o f Appeals by a margin of 200,000 votes, thus becoming the first Black North Carolinian to hold a statewide position since Recon struction. Other statewide officeholders were re-elected: R ichard A ustin as Secretary o f State in M ichigan; Henry Parker as Treasurer in Con necticut and Wilson Riles as Superin tendent o f Public Instruction in Cali fornia. The Joint Center survey showed that the Black vote, though for the most part remaining Democratic, did go to Republican candidates in significant numbers in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Michigan. In ten wards, that were 80 percent Black or more, in Philadelphia, Blacks gave 32 per cent o f their vote to w inning Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Thornburgh. In four wards in Chicago, incumbent Republicans Senators Charles Percy and Gover nor James Thompson received 33 percent and 24 percent o f the Black vote, respectively. Sample Black precincts in D etroit showed that Blacks gave 29 percent o f their vote to incumbent Republican Governor W illia m M illik e n , who was re elected. Reverend Sylvester McCullumn, was born July 13, 1902 in SoSo, Mississippi to the Union o f Walker McCullumn and Helen Feazell Mc Cullum. Reverend McCullum is the seventh son o f thirteen sisters and brothers. Many o f which proceeded him in death except one brother Rubin McCullumn. Reverend McCullumn is the father o f five sons and five daughters, three o f which preceeded him in death. Reverend McCullumn was ordained April 9, 1939 at the Mt. Moriah Bap tist Church by the late Reverend E.D. Barnes and Pastor Moderator Clerk M.J. Hubbard. Reverend Mc Cullumn came to Portland Septem ber I, 1946 with his wife, Willie Mae McCullumn and resided here until his death December 21, 1978 at 8:45 a.m. at Physician Surgeon Hospital. Reverend M cCullumn served in the United States Navy, World War You arc Welcome to Worahip at THE ARK (IF S AFETY CHURCH OF GOD PENTECOSTAL. INC. ‘‘A warm apirit ol lellowahip alwaya" The Honorable Biahop U.V. Peteraon. I).I). "The Hobneaa Preacher." Paalor Sunday: Sunday School 9:15 am Morning Worship 11:15 am “Showera ol Bleaainga Broadcaat" KGAK155U 11.34) am i 2.31) pm YPBC 6:30 pm Evangeliatic W orahip 9:00 pm Tueaday-Friday Noon Day Prayer lueaday: Bible Band/Jr. Church W edneaday: Choir Kehearaal Friday: "The Paator Speak»'' 94 N F KiUingaworth 291-0499 EXODUS 1518 N E KILLINGSWORTH PORTLAND. OREGON 9721 1 284 7997 Happy Holiday Season but remember: POSITIVELY NEGATIVE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE DRANK FOR HAPPINESS AN D BECAME UNHAPPY DRANK FOR JOY AND BECAME MISERABLE DRANK FOR SOCIABILITY AN D BECAME ARGUMENTATIVE DRANK FOR SOPHISTICATION AN D BECAME OBNOXIOUS DRANK FOR FRIENDSHIP AN D M ADE ENEMIES DRANK FOR FREEDOM AN D BECAME SLAVES DRANK FOR STRENGTH AN D FELT W EAK DRANK FOR BRAVERY AN D BECAME AFRAID DRANK FOR CONFIDENCE AN D BECAME DOUBTFUL DRANK TO MAKE CONVERSATION EASIER AND SLURRED OUR SPEECH DRANK TO FORGET AND WERE FOREVER HAUNTED DRANK FOR RELAXATION AN D GOT THE SHAKES DRANK TO ERASE PROBLEMS AN D S A W THEM MULTIPLY DRANK FOR SLEEP AND AW OKE W ITHO UT REST DRANK FOR M EDICINAL AN D ACQUIRED HEALTH PROBLEMS DRANK TO FEEL HEAVENLY AN D ENDED UP FEELING LIKE HELL DRANK TO COPE W ITH LIFE AN D INVITED DEATH EXODUS DAY TREATMENT 1223 N.E. Alberta Portland, Oregon 284-1247
