2 Portland O bM rv.r Thui
17 1*71
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Inner Northeast Council
Divide and Conquer?
by Herb L. Cawthorne
Twenty-five years later: No desegregation here
" It is safe to assert that no aspect of
deprivation under state procedure has been more
dam aging to the Negro than the racially
deg regated school system. Under it the Negro
has been de-fused' before he could get a start in
life . . . The Negro child was crippled by the
criminally unequal and inadequate Jim Crow
School. He could not do much because he had
not been permitted to know much."
These words were spoken by Roy Wilkins in
Virginia in 1966. They could just have well be
spoken in Portland, Oregon in 1979.
Twenty-five years after Brown vs Board of
Education, the Portland School Board and its
administration are still resisting desegregation.
In 1970, Federal Judge Damon Keith, ruling on
the Pontiac, Michigan case said, "The harm to
another generation of black children w hile
awaiting implementation of long-range plans to
integrate simply cannot be tolerated, and no
degree of expense is unbearable when placed
along side the unbearable situation that exists for
those black children."
In Portland, another generation is suffering.
For fifteen years the Portland Public Schools
have endured some type of desegregation
program, yet it continues to support majority-
Black schools. Federal money earmarked for the
education of low-income Black children is used to
upgrade early childhood education for upper-
class white kids while Black youngsters are
neglected.
The sizes of classrooms in "Early Childhood
Education C enters" that are supposed to
educate "disadvantaged" children are a disgrace
— 30 to 35 students to a class, many already two
or more years behind.
After fourteen years of so-called compensatory
education, where are the Black majority scools?
Still at the bottom of the heap.
M artin Luther King, Jr. Early Childhood
Education Center, ironically named for a Black
man who gave his life to brighten the future of
Black children, is absolutely at the bottom
academically. And what is the raction of the
District - no surprise and no concern. It's just as
they expected. They blame their inability or un
willingness to teach Black children on the low
socio-economic level of the neighborhood.
If the socio-economic level is to blame, why
not allocate personnel accordingly? W hy put
twenty four-year-olds, 68 per cent of whom are
white upper and middle class children, in a
classroom with a teacher and an aid, while in the
same building another teacher struggles with thir
ty or more third or fourth graders, nearly all "poor
Blacks"?
The answer is simple enough. The District has
not had to deal with the Black community. The
Community Coalition for School Integration, like
the NAACP and other organizations before it,
demanded equitable integration. The District
said no. And that's where it ends?
Twenty-five years have passed, but school
desegregation still has not come to Portland. And
neither has the quality education th at
desegregation is supposed to foster.
A life of service
A. Philip Randolph died today at the age of 90.
Randolph attained national notice for his work
in the 1920s organizing the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters, a union of poor and
powerless Black porters who brought the arro
gant Pullman Company to its knees.
It was Randolph who, threatening a March on
Washington in 1941, forced President Roosevelt
to sign Executive Order 8802, the first fair em
ploym ent practice ruling. He won a 1948
Executive Order from President Truman, barring
racial segregation in the armed services.
Randolph organized the 1963 M arch on
Washington which took 250,000 Americans to
Washington to demand "Jobs and Freedom".
A strong union supporter, he spoke out against
racism in the trade unions and called on
organized labor to join in the Black workers'
struggle for freedom. A socialist, he believed a
decent and well-paying job is the first step toward
social and political reform.
In his magazine, "The Messenger", he early
called on Black and white workers to unite. "The
history of the labor movement in America proves
that the employing classes recognize no race
lines. They will exploit a white man as readily as a
Black man . . . they will exploit any race or class
in order to make profits. . . The combination of
Black and white workers will be a powerful lesson
to the capitalists of the solidarity of labor."
The struggle is not finished and 'T h e Gentle
Warrior" will be missed.
Letters to the Editor
No justice for Blacks in Portland
T o the Editors:
I can’t get over the justice we have
in P o rtla n d , O regon to d ay fo r
Blacks. We pick an all-white jury to
try a white man accused o f killing a
Black man. The all-white jury finds
the white man innocent o f killing the
B lack m an . W h a t was th e ir
reasoning, beyond me.
Lewis M angum was drunk and
verbally abusive — obnoxious per
haps That is no reason to be mur
dered. H e was accused o f being
physically th reatening . How ? He
said he was going to whip Burbach’s
tail, he said he was going to get his
beer.
The defense a tto rn e y said M r .
B urbach ’ s actions were “ reason
able” because he honestly believed
his life was in danger. Yet Lewis
voluntarily opened his jacket reveal
ing and stating the fact that he had
no knife.
According to the dictionary "re a
s o n a b le " is ra tio n a l, possessing
sound judgement. Where was Bur
bach’s sound judgement after Lewis
opened his jacket revealing the fact
that he had no knife — at the end o f
a 38 revolver?
Defense attorney said Lewis did
not allow anyone to search him. He
was never asked i f anyone could
search him. W hy should a customer
o f a grocery store who had not been
accused o f stealing, after voluntarily
opening his jacket, have to submit to
be searched?
Justice is supposed to be equal.
Then why is Albert Williams sit
ting in Oregon State Penitentiary a f
ter d efen din g h im s e lf against a
young drunk white, who according
to witnesses, had a knife — in fact
used that knife on Williams. Why
is Williams in Salem? Because an all-
white jury put him there. Williams
goes to jail for defending himself
against a white. Burbach is set free
for shooting down an unarmed Black
man. Given a raise, patting on back
and told if he wanted to return to
guard duty he can have his gun back.
In essence, get a few more.
As defense attorney told the jury,
M r. Burbach is not the "brightest”
man, and it is because o f this lack o f
brightness my husband, Lewis M an
gum, was unjustifiably shot.
When a white kills a white, you
may see one or two Blacks on the
jury, and the person is usually found
guilty, but we have a long ways to go
in Portland to get a Black on a jury
where a white is accused o f killing a
Black. Burbach was described as a
nice young m an and th e re ’ s no
reason to believe he did anything
wrong. Lewis Mangum was a nice
young man, a very much loved man
and more important than that — a
human being.
Yes, there is every reason to know
Burbach did something wrong — he
took a person’s life.
W JJIl Mangum
I
Bessie
Congressional representation for DC 'ominous'
To the Editor
I do not make it a habit to re
spond to newspaper editorials, but
occasionally an editorial requires a
logical and th o u g h tfu l response.
Such is the case with your editorial o f
M ay 3, 1979, entitled: "W atch their
votes!” That editorial condemned a
m a jo rity o f the members o f the
House o f Representatives for asking
for public input on the very ominous
question o f granting congressional
representation to the people in the
nation’s capitol city.
The amendment would treat the
city o f W a s h in g to n , D C . " a s
though it were a state,” by giving it
all the benefits of a state with vir
tually none o f the responsibilities
borne by the rest o f the country.
The amendment is poorly worded,
little discussed, and raises serious
Constitutional questions that have
yet to be answered. Amending the
world’s most important document o f
civil rights is not something that
should be rushed in to n or done
without having all the answers to
serious and perplexing questions.
Those questions in clud e: W ho
would appoint a successor to fill a
vacancy in Washington, D .C . if one
were to occur? W ho reapportions the
city every ten years? H o w w ill
Washington, D .C . participate in the
ratification o f future Constitutional
am endm ents?
N one o f these
questions has been adequately an
swered, except for “ the Congress
will do it .’ Well, that is not good
enough for me.
It was the concern over these
unanswered questions and the feel
ing that we were moving too rapidly
in passing this measure that led a
m ajority o f the House to vote to send
the issue to the people o f Oregon for
discussion. W h a t is wrong with
allowing the people the opportunity
to express thetr opinions on a matter
as important as a change in the U.S.
Constitution?
Oregon has until 1985 to ratify the
amendment, but ratification is final
and irrevocable. Valid constitutional
and legal questions rem ain unan
swered and unresolved at this time.
So why must we feel compelled to
ra tify the am endm ent during this
legislative session when there are
three m ore sessions during which
ratification may be considered?
I believe our decision in the House
o f Representatives was a good one. I
disagree with your statement that
those o f us who supported the ad
visory vote referral will be seen "re
peatedly voting on the wrong side o f
issues that are o f special concern and
importance to this com m unity.”
It is a p lo y very com m on in
America — when politicians want to
get something accomplished a.yainst
the grain o f a vast m ajority o f the
B lack c o m m u n ity , th ey seek to
divide and conquer. And that is exact
ly what is happening with the ap
pointm ent o f an In n er Northeast
Council to study possible economic
development projects for the Union
Avenue area.
T h e s itu a tio n developed when
President Carter came to Portland
on M ay 4, 1978. H e brought with
him a grant from the Economic De
velopm ent
A d m in is tra tio n
__
S12.O8O.2OO! P ortlan d was desig
nated a Comprehensive Economic
Development Strategy City and the
federal funds would be used to im
prove the unemployment outlook in
the City.
On acceptance o f this grant, City
H all signed an agreement with the
Economic Development Administra
tio n . P a rt o f this agreem ent
required that the city seek participa
tion from m inority representation.
The "employment requirements” o f
minority people were to be woven in
to the development strategy. The
City made the agreement and before
the ink was dry on the bottom line, it
set in motion mechanisms to ignore
the right o f minority people to parti
cipate in the decisions on how this
money was to be spent.
Several groups in the community
responded quickly. A suit was filed.
The suit is pending. There have
been few genuine efforts to seek re
conciliation. There are some who
believe that the funds are already
earmarked to insure a comfortable
transition for Wacker, the German
chemical firm which is coming to
Portland. Some believe the C ity does
not want us involved because our
plans may be d iffe re n t than the
priorities already established.
U nw illing to try much else, the
C ity now comes to us with The Ploy.
Instead o f making efforts to help
unify the concerns and encourage
their expression to the appropriate
departments, the City has decided to
Divide and Conquer.
Thus, the creation o f the Inner
Northeast Council. The Council will
be used to show that the C ity is in
volving the m inority community. It
will undermine the foundation o f the
suit. It has been conceived and staff
ed, not by those who have a vested
interest in the economic development
o f the Black co m m u n ity, but by
people loyal to C ity H a ll. The Black
people who have asked to serve on
this mechanism for division and de
feat should stop and think.
They should ask, " W h y are six o f
the most reputable organizations in
our community suing the C ity, the
C om m erce D e p a rtm e n t, and the
Economic Development Administra
tion ovet lack o f participation?”
They should ask, " W h y didn't the
City officials appoint some represen
tation from within the membership
o f those organizations who have de
fined their complaints?”
They should stop and ask, “ W ill
my efforts on the Inner Northeast
Council serve to divide the Black
community and make it easier for the
M a y o r’s O ffice to use the division
for its own purpose?"
T h is is the P lo y . D iv id e and
Conquer. The City is banking on a
lack o f communication in the Black
community. It is banking on the dis
trust which it can foster; a distrust
which w ill m ake us break in to
camps, each one o f which will be too
weak to be productive. The camps
can be manipulated. And the Black
community will lose.
I f we expect to gain anything from
cooperative efforts with the C ity, we
had better make certain that we are
unified in the pressures we bring to
the political process. Since the suit is
pending, since the course o f action is
already set in m otion, we should
scrutinize the purposes o f the Inner
Northeast Council very, very closely.
Let's not fall for The Ploy this
time!
Britain inches to the right
by N. Fungai Kumbula
tne big news last week has been
the election o f M arg aret T h a tc h
er, the C onservative P a rty leader
as Britain’s first female prime mini
ster. She also becomes Europe’s first
woman prime minister and only the
fourth female parliamentary head o f
a country’s government. The other
three are S irim avo B and aran aike
who led Sri Lanka (Ceylon) from
1960 to 1965 and again from 1970
through 1974, Isabel Peron o f A r
gentina who was finally ousted in a
military coup and Golda M eir o f Is
rael. Thatcher’s election was there
fore being hailed as a m ajor victory
for women.
T h a t last m isconception was
quickly dispelled when she announced
her cabinet. There was not a single
woman appointed to this cabinet.
Only one was chosen to be a junior
minister without portfolio. On this
score, the outgoing Labor govern
ment had a much better record.
The above mentioned information
was o f sig n ifican ce because her
choice o f cabinet appointees had
long been predicted which leads us to
the next headache. A num ber o f
other predictions made about the
direction in which she will steer Bri
tain are even gloomier. Having come
through on this first one, she is
therefore expected to push through
with the rest o f her non too popular
programs. H er policies will definitely
be much further to the right than
were those o f the Labor government.
A few months ago, she made the
headlines when she supported the
p osition o f B r ita in ’ s n e o -N a zi
National Front. This “ fro n t” , the
counterpart o f the U .S .’s KKK has
been calling for the expulsion o f all
im m igrated Britons — those are
people who have migrated to Britain
from Com m onw ealth countries in
A frica, Asia and the Caribbean.
Theoretically, Britain has an open
door policy to all Commonwealth
citizens who choose to reside in Bri
tain. They are supposedly offered the
same status as a ll o th e r B ritis h
citizens. Some o f these people have
come to England, usually London,
seeking employment opportunities
which are non-existent in their home
countries. It might also be added that
most o f these countries have become
impoverished as a result o f British
exploitation.
So over the years, various m inori
ties have begun to fo rm sizeable
communities. As Britains through
one economic set-back after another,
the racial climate has turned ugly,
spawning the birth o f the National
Front. The National Front redirectly
places the blame for the country’s
economic woes on these minorities.
T h e re have been several racial
clashes over the past several months.
The “ Front” has been calling for
the expulsion o f all Asians, Africans
and West Indians so as to improve
the em ploym ent prospects fo r
Britain’s white citizens. This in spite
o f the fact th at u nem plo ym en t
among their people is two to four
times higher than in the rest o f the
population. P overty, neglect and
disease abound in the Black and
Asian ghettoes. M argaret Thatcher
spoke out in support o f this
definitely racist sentiment: to expel
non-white Britains. Now that she is
in power, calls for such expulsions
will probably never be carried out.
Watch out for more racial violence
to come.
In th.e ‘foreign areas, look fo r
trouble with a capital T . To begin
with, she is a firm believer in “ free
e n terp rise" and, by now , we a ll
know what that means — give the
corporations all the rope they need to
strangle the little people. She has al
ready said that she will resist any
calls for the imposition o f economic
sanctions against South A frica. This
will definitely check the progress that
opponents o f the apartheid regime
were making. These people, as we
recall, have been calling for, among
o th er things, divestm ent and the
withdrawal o f foreign corporations
from South A frica, as well as a trade
embargo.
I f the British government comes
out in support o f the corporations,
that will have a decided impact in
this country too. O u r efforts will
now meet with more resistance. The
previous labor government had not
been so chum m y w ith the c o r
porations and tended to be more re
ceptive to the pleas o f the anti-apar
theid groups.
In the Rodesia quagmire, Thatcher
has indicated that her government
" w ill move to lift sanctions” if it is
determined that the elections were
free and fair and that Britain would
recognize the government thus elect
ed. The U N had imposed the sanc
tions in 1968 o f the instigation o f
B rita in , the fo rm e r " c o lo n ia l
power.” The idea was to cripple the
rebel Smith regime and bring it back
to legality. Now, Margaret wants to
’legalize" that same illegal regime.
She really is sticking very close to her
watch-word: “ corporate profits at
any cost.”
This will have disastrous implica
tions for Zimbabwe. It would allow
the Muzorewa-Smith clique to pur
chase more weapons and prolong the
war. Creating the mass slaughter o f
innocent civilians and delaying the
successful conclusion o f the peoples
re v o lu tio n . I f B rita in recognizes
"Rhodesia-Zim babwe,” that would
also put a lot o f pressure on
P resident C a rte r and U N A m
bassador, Andrew Young who, all
along, have insisted on the inclusion
o f the freedom fighters as a pre
condition for U.S. recognition and a
lifting o f sanctions. So much for Bri
tain’s first woman prime minister.
PORTLAND OBSERVER
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Baat E ditorial
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only in Its
tditonal column Any othar malarial throughout (ha papar » the
Sincerely,
Gary L. Wilhelms
State Representative
(Editor s Note: Attorney General
Jim Redden ruled Monday that the
House used the wrong method to
refer the D.C. voting rights amen
dment to the people, that the only
method fo r the Legislature to refer is
through a properly adopted statute.
Opponents hope to avoid another
vote on the issue this session.)
It was charged that the city neglected
its responsibility to involve a wide
and diverse segment o f the com
munity. As one informed observer
said, "G o ld s c h m id t did w hat he
usually does and that is, use his exag
gerated and hollow commitment to
minority participation as a lever to
get the funds here and then he
proceeds to ignore the Black com
munity as though we did not exist."
—
• Ub*n't ‘ " • " " * > «
nacaaaanly raflact tha opinion of tha Portland Observer
ALFRED L. HENDERSON
Editor/Rublisher
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A m a lg a m a ta d Publlahara Inc
N a w York
H o n o rab le M e n tio n
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