Page 2 Portland Observer Thursday. Septem ber 6. 1979
EDITORIAL/QPINION
Ivancie strikes back
Boycott lessons
A Sense of Victory
Monitoring essential
by Herb L. Cawiborne
Frank Ivancie made a smart move when with
one vote he eliminated a strong candidate who
would have opposed him for Mayor next spring
and stole the role of "king maker" from Mildred
Schwab.
Realizing that he could not win the three votes
necessary for appointm ent as Mayor, Ivancie
voted for Connie McCready, along with Charles
Jordan, giving her that office. Thus Ivancie eli
minated the possibility of Lloyd Anderson, Tom
McCall or another prominent politician receiving
the appointment and being put in a position
where to run against Ivancie from a position of
power. He also denied Commissioner Schwab
the opportunity to select one of her favorites-
Anderson or McCall for the office.
Ms. Schwab, it should be remembered, cast
her first vote for Ivancie, thus preventing Jordan
from receiving the three votes he needed. This
was apparently the purpose of that vote since she
then deserted Ivancie. She also is reported to be
angry with Ivancie for giving the appointment to
McCready and has threatened to run against him
next spring if a strong opponent doesn't surface.
Commissioner Schwab's main accom plish
ment in this intrigue was to prevent the appoint
ment of Charles Jordan as Mayor of Portland.
Everyone's problem
Last spring a young m a n -a high school senior
stood before a group of Boise Elementary School
students and told them how they would have to
work hard to do well in high school, but "if you
try there's always someone out there to give
you a hand."
This summer the same young man —Kevin
Grigsby went to Boardman, Oregon to start an
apprenticeship with the Boilermaker's Union, still
with high expectations and hopes of success.
The next day he returned home, full of disap
pointment and fear.
While at the Portland General Electric con
struction site he was called "nigger," threatened,
ignored, and refused food by men at the con
struction site and at a restaurant along the high
way.
Now no one seems to think they have any
responsibility for what happened to Kevin, or any
authority to remedy it. The Urban League just
helped get the apprenticeship; the Boilermaker's
Union just placed him on the job; the Labor
Bureau just oversees the apprenticeship pro
gram, the construction company is just building
the plant, and PGE just owns it.
Discrimination is against the law in Oregon.
We call on the Governor to order a complete in
vestigation of what happened to Kevin Grigsby at
Boardman, leading to the prosecution of those
involved.
The leading question in the Black community
The power could be felt through
this week is whether the current school adminis
out the auditorium. The joy was ap
tration can lead the district to an equitable deseg
regation program? Can the superintendent put in parent. as 800 or more Black citizens
gathered at the King Neighborhood
to operation a plan he has always called impos
f acility to consider the work o f the
sible?
Board o f Education regarding deseg
Dr. Blanchard has repeatedly said that no regation/integration.
The sense o f victory was in the air,
neighborhood children are turned away from the
and
the leadership o f the Black
Early Childhood Centers because of lack of space
United Front was ready to acknow
if they register by the beginning of the school
ledge what had been achieved by a
year. As late as August, he reported to the community working together.
School Board, "Students living in the attendence
The boycott o f the public schools
areas of the early childhood education centers
was
called, not because some fringe
have priority to attend that school." He told the
leadership wanted to vault itself into
Board that" all students who registered this year
the spotlight o f public opinion, but
w o uld be accepted, although space could
because the Board o f Education had
become a problem in future years.
coldly refused to acknowledge the
LeRoy Moore, principal of King, said 50 neigh legitimate grievances of Black resi
dents. The board had dismissed with
borhood Kindergarten students had been turned
cavalier arrogance the massive report
away from King. Since the Board passed its new
o f the C om m unity C o a litio n fo r
desegregation policy those students have been
School Integration in November,
allowed to attend King and new classes were
1978. C ontrary to its pronounce
established for them. If the policy had not been
ments, the board was closed to true
discussion—it was "o p e n " to discuss
specifically changed, they could not have
only w ithin the framework o f its
remained at King. Moore also said that about 50
inequitable and discriminatory ap
neighborhood Kindergarten children have been
proach.
turned away each year.
Where is the District's credibility?
While a boycott was a drastic step
to some unaware o f the energy
As the school year begins it is even more ob
already devoted to solutions, it was
vious that the strong monitoring committee the
an appropriate move to many, many
Black United Front requested is essential. The
in the community.
school board decided to allow the establishment
Those people were present on
of a monitoring committee and allow it access to
Thursday, August 30th, and they
know that their unity, their support,
the information it needs, but provided no fund
their
quality ol commitment had
ing. The BUF had requested that the committee
brought
about meaningful change.
be provided a full time director by September 1st
The Hoard ot Education, working
and a more extensive staff by January 1st.
many hours through d ifficult resolu
Examples of reported incidents that point to
the need for a monitoring committee include:
A Black m iddle school student denied a
language class until his parents threatened to call
a School Board member. The school claims let
ters were sent to parents last spring but this
family received none. Surprise: No other Black
students in language classes at that school.
Statements by Humboldt's principal that space
will be made for returning Black children even if
At the C om m onw ealth prim e
they have to be put in the halts’ How about send
m inisters’ conference in Lusaka,
Zambia last month, alter a lot o f
ing home some of the cross-town white 4 year
jawboning, Britain was tinallv forced
olds to make room for neighborhood third
to concede ground to the demands o f
graders?
the Africans. Before coming to this
Students stand in the rain all around King
conference, Margaret Thatcher and
School w aiting for buses Last year Mike
her government had hinted on more
Mathias said it was because 72 buses couldn t
than one occasion that they were
ready to recognize the govern
stop at the front door, all in an hour. What is the
ment of Muzorewa and io lift sanc
problem this year and w hat about the school
tions which would open up trade be
board s promise of shelter and supervision?
tween Rhodesia and Britain again
It is unreasonable to expect a volunteer com
legally for the first time since 1968.
m ittee of interested parents and com m unity
I he Africans, fresh from their highly
successful Organization of African
people to monitor the school system. It requires
Unify summit meeting in Monrovia,
paid staff — selected by and responsible to the
flexed those si ill bulging muscles and
citizen committee.
Another Rhodesia Parley
forced Thatcher to do a complete
about turn. Thus Britain has forced
to concede that the Muzorewa
regime that she was going to
recognize had certain very serious
deficiencies. She was further forced
To the editor:
o f American prisons and wanted no
makes little difference if one dies by
to accept the African demands for a
part o f sending a man to one o f the,
an overdose o f aspirin, by fire or by
whole new round o f talks that would
I agree with your stance that Carl
if not the, most degenerate prison
hanging, in the final analysis: death
lead
to new elections in which all
Hass should not be returned to Ala
systems in the world.
is death.
Zimbabweans
would participate and
bama But I lake exception to your
This doesn't mean K e ntucky's
In the fin a l analysis prison is
which w ould be m onitored by
statement that Alabama's prison is
prison is better or worse than
prison and to say one is worse, one is
Britain.
“
.one o f the nation's most brutal
Alabama’ s, or that southern prisons
better, is to defeat the purpose of
On September 10th, this particular
prisons."
are better or worse than eastern or
reform.
meeting
will take place in London.
It may well be worse than some
western prisons. The Swedes had
Vour editorial deals with why Carl
The
participants
will be a delegation
prisons, but once anyone interested
heard o f Am erican prisons as a
Bass should not be returned to Ala
from Robert Mugabe's ZAN U (Zim
in the plight o f prisoners begins to
whole and that is how American
bama’ s prison rather than reform,
babwe A fric a n N ational U nion),
compare and to label prisons as some
prisons should be considered. Once
but the reason he should not be
another from Joshua N kom o's
better, some worse, the very act o f
the argument ensues that Arizona’ s
returned is because o f what goes on
ZAPU (Zimbabwe African Peoples
com parison defeats the goals o f
prison is worse than Washington's,
behind the walls in Alabama. And
Union) and the third delegation will
prison reform.
or that Oregon's prison is better than
that should be the concern o f every
come from the clowns in Salisbury,
This year the Supreme Court of
Iowa’ s, the attention that should be
one. Everyone pays for the results,
the so-called Muzorewa government.
Sweden refused to extradite a man
directed toward reform is diffused.
whether it is Alabama, Kentucky,
As with everything else connected
who had jumped his appeal bond
Granted, some prisons are worse
Attica, Oregon
.
with that charade, this delegation
and had been sentenced to 59 years
than others, but all prisons in
Sincerely,
promises
to be just as ridiculous.
in Kentucky The Swedes had heard
Am erica are n o to rio u s ly bad. It
Donald Danford
Even though Muzorewa still claims
to be in charge. Smith has demanded
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to be included in this delegation. The
Community Service
British had expressed the hope that
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delegation from Rhodesia A ll this
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makes for a very interesting con
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and Sithole straddling the
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All prisons are 'worst'
PORTLAND OBSERVER
N 9 /A
tions, did make substantive policy
who are afraid ol Black freedom and
changes. First, for the short-term,
growth could not stop the thrust
the Board gave Black parents choices
forward.
which most whites in the community
The lessons we have learned are
have always enjoyed—the choice to
im portant ones. First, unity can
send children to schools close to
produce results, whereas the
home. Secondly, in the long-term,
begging, hat-in-hand approach will
the board made the commitment to
give us nothing except a few silent
develop a comprehensive plan
voices in high places. Second, a
The comprehensive plan will speak
willingness to combine community
to the demands o f the Black United
action with institutional politics can
Front, the Coalition, and many other
produce change, whereas activism in
groups. It will include plans for a
the com m unity that ignores the
middle school in the Black com
reality o f "power positions in insti
munity, as well as an equitable way
tu tio n s " drains our spirits by an
to integrate all grade levels in the
in a b ility to construct solutions.
Black community. This is a major
Third, the threat o f aggressive action
victory for those who want quality
is positive, whereas the mealy-
education fo r our children, along
mouthed acquiescence that never
with an integrated experience when
wants any kind o f conflict keeps the
possible. The gains are tangible and
community in a lifeless coma
worthy o f support!
One lesson which we must not
At the N A A C P Freedom Fund
forget:
Those who joined in the
Banquet Saturday, September 1st,
movement made positive contribu
the famed civil rights catalyst, Rosa
tions, those who did not come for
Parks, said, "W ’e must realize that
ward with support were negative.
not only must we light to change
The pressure o f those who had the
prejudice and discrimination, but we
courage to come forward was felt by
must light to gain rights for Black
the Board o f Education. The
people who will not fight with us.”
pressure produced the will to find a
Her comment was aimed right at the
solution. The solution prevented the
heart o f some Black people in Port
boycott.
land.
When the Black United Front an
On the other hand, those organiza
nounced the boycott, some Black
tions and individuals who refused to
folks screamed, " N o ! " When the
speak out in favor o f the boycott
movement gained momentum, some
dissipated the pressure and, in fact,
Black people tried to cut the cords of
contributed negatively to the motiva
unity with razor-sharp lies, distor
tion to find a satisfactory solution.
tions and hall-truths. The threads of
Let's not forget who was positive
unity, much to their chagrin, were
and who was negative in this move
made o f steel; and this chicken-
ment. It will help us keep our eyes
breasted betrayal by Black people
wide open next time!
jjB S s r I
by N. f-ungai Kumbula
delegation. At the moment all indica
tions are that nothing much has
changed.
Smith may no longer be the titular
prime minister o f Rhodesia but he
still manipulates everything as much
as ever. The demands the Africans
made in 1976 have not been met and
so they will be presenting not merely
a sim ilar package but even more
‘ radical’ demands. The Africans are
in a much stronger position now than
they were in '76 and Smith is in a
more desperate position. Muzorewa,
who came to Geneva boasting the
largest popular fo llo w in g ot any
Zimbabwean leader, comes to Lon
don cutting a very ridiculous figure.
A ll his pretensions to be ‘ in charge’
in Rhodesia have been exposed time
and time again to be mere preten
sions. He comes to London, not as a
Black leader as he so often claimed,
but is seen for what he is: a stand-in
for the whites.
While the British would very much
like to see Muzorewa continue as
prime minister o f Rhodesia because
he has proved to be the "good boy” ,
they are also painfully aware o f the
ridicule in which all A frica holds
him. After Lusaka, Britain seems in
no particular hurry to confront the
Africans again. To avoid any further
Anglo-African standoff from which
Britain might once again be forced to
back down, Britain will therefore be
playing her cards much closer to her
chest. Gone are the days when they
could " t e ll these natives what to
d o !”
Given this scenario, it's highly
unlikely that there w ill be an early
resolution at this upcoming con
ference. One demand the Africans
w ill be pressing and which both
Sm ith and Muzorewa w ill very
strongly resist is the dismantling o f
the entire Salisbury regime; the
‘ government,’ the army, civil ser
vice, the police, everything. The
Africans are proposing that all this
would be replaced by a government
o f the people which w ill then in
stitute a national army, choose a
proper c iv il service and a more
responsible police force. This, Smith
w ill resist because without the armed
forces in their present make-up, he
can forget it. Once a Zimbabwe
national armed forces take over, all
those outrageous white privileges
w ould also be swept away. The
wealth o f the nation would be more
equitably distributed and all Z im
babweans can then enjoy the fruits
o f true citizenship in their own land.
This is all that Smith is afraid of;
that soon, very soon Africans would
have access lo all the opportunities
h ith e rto reserved exclusively lo r
whites.
The fro n t Line states ot Mozam
bique, Zambia, Botswana, Tanzania
and Angola would like to see a quick
solution io the 15 year old Rhodesian
deadlock and B rita in is just a-
anxious io be rid of this problem once
and for all. For the Front Line slates,
an acceptable solution would mean a
normalization o f relations with Zim
babwe, an acceptance o f the
"prodigal son" back into the told
for the first time since 1964. The
liberation war has been costly to all
o f southern A fric a not only in
terms ot money but also in terms of
human lives, ruined economics,
deterioration o f social services and
interruption o f international trade as
well as disruption o f communica
tions.
II the Zimbabwe situation could
be amicably settled, all those
refugees who have Fled to Botswana.
Zambia and Mozambique can return
home to Zimbah*ve;>Jambia, which
suffers perennial corn shortages
would have a ready market once
again and ease her dependence on
South A fric a ; M ozambique can
proceed w ith her reconstruction,
unhampered by the fear o f frequent
cross-border raids from Rhodesia,
and Botswana would have access to
Black Africa for the first time
On the other hand, if this latest
diplomatic exercise fails, it will be
back to the battlefield Neither side is
likely to give up. And the chances of
a solution through the barrel o f a
gun? I l ’ s not something that can be
expected to take place tomorrow It
could take six months to a year but,
with as many as 50 people getting
killed each week, the price will be
horrendous. In the end, when it's all
over and done w ith, the task o f
reconstruction will be something else
again A ll the conferees will be aware
o f this and we would hope thaï for
once, common sense will prevail.
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