PORTLAND OBSERVER
Volum s 9 No. 4
Thursday, January 26, 1979 10c
Portland School Board rejects cross-bussing
Deborah Hick« and Al Jambon will play loading roba in Portland
Black Repertory Theater production of "Wine In The Wildernees."
(Photo: Abubakar. Please see Page 6.)
The Portland School Board made
its projected decision, Monday
night, that white children w ill not
join Black children in bearing the
burden o f racial desegregation in the
Portland schools.
School Board member Jonathan
Newman read the Board's resolution
which, after reaffirming the Board’s
“ affirm ative duty to prevent and
eliminate the racial isolation o f mi
nority children in each o f its schools
and to achieve and m aintain a
racially integrated educational pro
gram for the benefit o f all students
o f the district,” states:
In order to continue progress to
ward integration and at the same
time to assure greater equity, inter
racial understanding and improve
the quality o f education for all child
ren, the Board seeks, w ith in the
policies o f the Board and State
Board o f Education desegregation
policies and guidelines, to accom
plish the following:
1. To reduce substantially the
number o f receiving schools to which
children from a particular neighbor
hood are transferred, while preserv
ing appropriate latitude for parent
choices o f schools.
2. To establish appropriate priori
ties fo r attendance at Early
Childhood Centers, especially as re
lated to children resident in the atten
dance area o f the Early Childhood
Center.
3. To increase the attendance of
m ajority students in Early C hild
hood Centers, particularly in the
later primary grades.
4. To provide appropriate latitude
for parents o f primary grade students
resident in the attendance area o f the
school which is or becomes a middle
school to choose the primary school
w hich th e ir children w ill attend
within the middle school cluster.
5. To provide a middle school for
children resident in the attendance
areas of Boise and Eliot so that Boise
and Eliot are part o f a middle school
cluster or clusters. The Board re
quests the Superintendent to include
Boise and Eliot in his considerations
o f possible middle school sites, when
examining locations o f a middle
school for a cluster which includes
Boise or Eliot, and to advise the
Board with respect thereto.
6. To provide on the west side an
upper grade center or centers on an
interim basis for children resident in
the attendance areas o f Area I King
and Humboldt, and, as expeditiously
as possible, a m iddle school or
schools so that Area I King and
Humboldt are each part o f a middle
school cluster or clusters.
7. To establish the middle schools
referred to in (5) and (6) above under
Board policy which states that the
District will develop middle schools
as expeditiously as physical plants,
qualified staff and community ac
ceptance make the tra n sitio n
possible.
The Board requests the Superin
tendent to advise it as to the config
uration o f each middle school cluster
referred to in (5) and (6), the staffing
needs and availability, the preferred
location for each middle school, the
availability o f necessary renovation
funds to provide building improve
ments to accommodate improved
educational programs, and any other
pertinent factors. The Board,
following receipt o f the Superinten
dent’s advice, w ill describe the ap
propriate cluster, the recommended
location o f the middle school in that
cluster, the building renovations and
other pertinent factors associated
with the proposed transition, and the
procedures by which it w ill determine
whether community acceptance in
was bloody. Then this officer hit her
on the forehead with his flashlight,
three times.”
Other officers were holding her
up, holding her arms and they were
searching her — sticking their hands
under her clothing.
Berry and others called to the
police to stop hitting her — that she
was just a child. Others tried to get
officers names but they were denied.
*‘ l was shocked at the way they act
ed — the profanity and language
they used. I said, 'You ain’t nothing
without a gun.’ ” He reports that
three officers grabbed him, followed
by others. He was forced to the
ground, restrained and put in a
police car. Berry claims the officers
used unnecessary force in their
dealings with him.
When Ivory White approached the
car to tell Berry he would call his
parents and to ask for the car keys,
White was pushed against the car,
searched and put in another car.
Floyd W illiam s was w alking
around trying to get officers’ names
and badge numbers. He was placed
in the car with Ivory.
David Bell rushed to a phone and
called Mrs. M ary Berry, K evin’ s
mother, telling her the police “ are
killing Kevin.” He told her to go
quickly to 15th and Fremont — that
the police o rd in a rily take young
Blacks to that corner rather then
directly downtown. He told her that
he had been taken there and beaten.
M rs. Berry said she got her
husband out o f bed and they drove
to the Tradewell parking lot at 15th
and Fremont where they saw six
police cars and numerous police of
ficers milling around.
Mrs. Berry, nearly hysterical, ran
up to some o f the officers screaming
over and over, ‘ ‘What have you done
to n;y child?” As she approached she
saw a bicycle in the trunk o f one car
and the top and trunk o f that car was
covered with blood. “ The back o f
the car was crimson red.” Thinking
her son was in the car she tried to ap
proach but was warned back by o f
ficers.
Then David Bell came running up
and told her Kevin was in another
car. She could see the girl slouched
over in the bloody car and also saw
Kevin bent over in the other car. As
she tried to get to Kevin, an officer
raised his fist and warned her to go
away or they would do the same to
her. She then knelt to pray, still
asking, “ What have you done to my
child?”
The officers then got in their cars
and “ drove o ff in every direction.”
One car blocked the Berry’ s exit so
they could not follow the car holding
Kevin.
Kevin continues his story. When
they arrived at 15th and Fremont,
the officers got out and discussed the
incident. “ They were running
around, slapping hands, saying ’Give
me five,’ and talking about what a
big success they had.”
Kevin described the profanity and
racial abuse as shocking to him. A f
ter they left 15th and Fremont and
drove south on Union Avenue, two
Blacks in a car saw him in the squad
car and started to escort the car.
Berry said the officers in the car —
ta lkin g
about
getting
some
“ niggers” — called for help and
eventually stopped that car. They
searched the occupants, called on the
radio for their records, and one of
ficer said “ I hope his license is
suspended. I ’ d like to get th e -------.”
The men were angry, and one officer
loosened the cover on his gun
holster. These men were released but
Berry says the officers called another
car and told them to get them for
something — “ anything.”
District Attorney’s office had infor
med the defense that Morrison had
no crim in a l record and that his
criminal record could have a sub-
stanial bearing on the case. Judge
James Ellis refused to dismiss but
declared a recess so Connall could
contact the Parole Board.
Morrison’s parole record -• he had
been supervised by the State o f
Oregon while in Portland - indicated
that he had an extensive crim inal
record dating from the age o f 16 that
included petty theft, burglary, and
grand theft auto and that at least one
crime involved a weapon. The file
also indicated that M orrison had
problems with alcohol and dr jigs and
had an explosive temper.
A fte r reveiwing the parole file,
Connall again moved for a dismissal
but Judge Ellis denied. He stated
that although the evidence had been
wrongfully with held and therefore
the defendent had been denied the
opportunity to use it during the trial,
dismissal was “ too extreme a
remedy” . He recessed the trial until
Monday to give Connall an oppor
tu n ity to fu rth e r investigate
Morrisons record and background.
Morrison was killed during a racial
incident at W inchcll’s Donut Shop
on Union and Jessup. According to
tegration, responded for the Coali
tion:
Any approach for desegregation
must have the same kind o f volun
tary and mandatory components for
both the M inority and the White
students involved.
It is very important that you as a
School Board make it very clear to
all o f Portland that the burdens and
opportunities o f any desegregation
program w ill be equitably shared.
We restated our principles and we
will restate the major inequities as we
see them in the current program.
These inequities need to be addressed
and changed to equitable policies
and programs.
1. Since the adoption o f Board Re
solution No. 3553 in March o f 1970,
the Black community has been faced
with mandatory elimination o f grade
levels and mandatory busing. This
has not happened in any other com
munity in the District.
2. When Black students volunteer
to be bused out o f their assigned
schools, they are expected to attend
schools outside their neighborhood
fo r the d uration o f their school
years. In many cases, these students
cannot come back to the assigned
school because their grade level has
been eliminated.
When White students volunteer to
be bused out o f their neighborhood,
(Please turn to Page 7 Column 1)
School decision angers Jordan
Com m issioner Charles Jordan
told the Observer that he was ex
tremely disappointed by the School
Board’s action in rejecting any con
siderations o f pairing Black and
white schools.
“ I honestly can’ t recall when I was
so hurt. In the last five years — with
all the problems I ’ ve had to deal with
— I ’ ve never been so hurt and angry.
“ The Board could have passed its
resolution in a more positive way.
They could have left the door open
instead o f slamming it shut. They
could have agreed to continue
discussions o f a way to transfer
children that would be fair and still
desegregate the schools.
“ There is a more appropriate way
to embrace citizens who have worked
so hard — to say ‘ let us put our
heads together.’ ”
Jordan praised the C o a litio n
members fo r their dedication and
urged the members to stay together.
“ We all need to pause and let the air
clear, but meaningful dialogue must
continue. -
“ The Coalition shouldn’t despair. It
would be easy to be discouraged
now. Some good has come from
their e ffo rt and there is more to
come.
“ The principles are the same; the
Board can’ t disagree w ith the
C o a litio n ’ s principles. The e ffo rt
now has to be to go on with the ef
fort to get the School Board and Dr.
Blanchard to find ways to carry out
those principles.”
Approaching the County Court
house, Berry said one officer said to
watch for Berry’ s parents, if they
were there to go to another en
trance. The parents had not arrived,
but they waited for some time for the
elevator, while the racial abuses con
tinued.
Berry claims that at no time was he
told that he was under arrest or given
his rights. "W hen I was ready to be
released, I saw the charges on the
paper I signed.” Berry had been
arrested for disorderly conduct and
resisting arrest.
Com m issioner Charles Jordan
said a complaint has been received
and that the Police Bureau Depart
ment o f Internal Affairs is investi
gating the incident.
Williams trial halted for investigation of victim’s record
The murder trial o f A1 Williams,
advertising manager for the Portland
Observer, was recessed until M on
day, January 29th, to allow time for
an investigation o f the v ic tim ’ s
criminal record in C alifornia. The
state's final witness, a supervisor at
Esco who had been called as a w it
ness to the character o f W illiam
Morrison, the man who was killed,
blurted out under cross examination
by the defense attorney that
Morrison was on parole or probation
when hired.
Des C o n n a ll, a ttorney fo r
W illiam s, asked the court fo r a
dismissal on the grounds that the
Coalition Response
H arry W ard, Chairm an o f the
Community Coalition for School In
“ H a rry W ard, in his opening
remarks, opened the door. He said
the Coalition was not adamant about
pairing, that maybe there is another
way.
Berry family charges police brutality
Kevin Berry, eighteen-year-old son
o f Edward and Mary Berry, report
that he witnessed and was the target
o f police b ru ta lity the night o f
January 17, 1979.
Berry slates that he and three other
young men drove into the parking lot
at Union Avenue and Shaver Street
to use the telephone. Jesse M ont
gomery went to the phone booth;
Ivory White stayed in the car. Berry
and David Bell walked across the
parking lot toward the restaurant.
Two police officers drove up in a
patrol car, stopped Bell and Berry,
told them to put their hands on their
heads and searched them, checked
their ID and released them. They
refused to reveal the reason for the
search.
Another patrol car arrived, with
two more officers. As these officers
approached they noticed a young
lady on a bicycle — Patty Cohens.
Although Miss Cohens is seventeen
years old she is small o f stature and
was first described as about thirteen
years old. According to Berry, an o f
ficer told Miss Cohens to get away or
they would arrest her. She retorted
that she was doing nothing and they
could leave her alone.
1 A fracass occurred in which Miss
Cohens was grabbed by the officers,
resisted, was searched, and in the
mele kicked an officer in the groin,
thier ID and released them. Berry
said the officers refused to reveal the
Reason for the search.
“ I turned around and saw her face
that cluster is sufficient to make the
tra n sitio n to the m iddle school
possible.
8. To increase recruitment o f ma
jo r ity students fo r attendance at
m iddle schools from attendance
areas fo r which m iddle school
clusters are not yet established.
9. To include the Area I portion of
Woodlawn in the Ocklcy Green mid
dle school cluster.
10. To provide appropriate
latitude for parents of upper elemen
tary grade students resident in the at
tendance area o f an Early Childhood
Center in a middle school cluster to
choose schools other than that mid
dle school for their children to at
tend.
The resolution also asked the
Superintendent to advise it on how
those objectives can be achieved.
Board member W ally Priestley
moved that the Board postpone ac
tion until the following meeting to
allow citizen and Board response to
the proposal. The motion failed for
lack o f a second. F ollow ing the
request fo r postponement from
many members o f the public Priest
ley again moved for postponement.
Evie C row ell seconded but the
motion failed to pass.
Williams, Morrison and Gary Paugh
came into the donut shop where he
and a woman friend were getting
coffee. Morrison said, “ I ’ m going
to get me a couple o f niggers!” He
repeated the threat again, pulled out
a buck knife, and Williams struck
him . D uring the struggle that
followed, Williams was cut on the
hand. Paugh then pushed Williams
against the wall and struck him in the
face.
D uring the fig h t W illiam s and
Miss McAllister asked the waitress to
call the police and she indicated that
she had. Williams went outside to his
(Please turn to page 8, col. I)
Harry C. Ward receives congratulations from his wife, Geri, following
presentation of the Russell A. Peyton Award. The award is made an
nually by the Metropolitan Human Relations Commission for outstan
ding efforts in the field of human rights.
Secretary of State Norma Paulus praised Ward's work as a volunteer
in many areas of civil rights, but especially in education. She pointed
out the fact that "today one arm of government honors him while last
night an arm of the same government didn't really slap him in the face
but It didn't pat him on the back either." Speaking of the Portland
School Board's failure to deal with tha issua of equity, Ms. Paulus said.
I think they are more cautious and mora conservative than the people
they represent. I apparently have more faith in the faith in the people of
the West Hills than the School Board has."
Ms. Paulus also spoke of the seism between feminism and race,
saying most feminists would consider the effort to rid the nation of
racism as tha more Important. "Without rights for minority races, there
will be none for women. I want In no way to equate our fight with that
for racial equality."
Mayor Neil Goldschmidt said justice and equality are slow in coming
and few are making the effort. "When were the good ever in the
majority?"
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