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