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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 13, 1979)
— __ - ._ ’ -, M i r t w ' •? -~> n — r " • -»^«»»* P - ^« L Barnett eliminated City Council field narrowed to three The City Council pared its list o f six nominees for the vacancy created by the appointm ent o f C om missioner C onnie M cCready as Mayor to three men. The appoin tment will be made next Wednesday. Nick Barnett, executive director o f the Metropolitan Human Relations Commission; Doug Capps, former aide to Mayor G oldschm idt; and firemen’ s union leader Ron Usher were defeated in early b allo tin g . F inalists are B ill Stevenson, Representative Jim Chrest and Mike Lindberg Bill Stevenson served four years as State Labor Commissioner and eight years in the Oregon legislature. Stev enson told the Council that he is par ticularly interested in good housing, safe neighborhoods and ecomonic development. He considers many o f the recent policies developed by the Council -- energy, housing, trans portation - to be successful and would look foward to consolidating gains. Representative Jim Chrest cited his three terms as a legislator and years o f grass roots involvement. His concerns include housing, attracting new industry and keeping jobs that are here now, p ro tectin g neigh borhoods, employment, citizen en- volvement. Mike Lindberg has served as head o f Public Works and as planning director for the City. His priorities are job s, basic services, neigh borhood stability. Nick Barnett, who was eliminated in the first round o f balloting, told the Council that although he has a special interest in the needs o f those who do not have access to power, he has a broad spectrum o f concerns in cluding energy, transportation, land use and housing Barnett and Steven son were nom inated by C om missioner Charles Jordan. PORTLAND OBSERVER Volume 9 No. 30 Thursday, September 13.1979 IOC USPS 959 680 MHRC investigates suspensions » • • . j ■»« The M eiropoliian Human Rela tions Com m ission presented the P o rtlan d School Board w ith an Analysis o f Suspension and Enroll ment patterns based on 1977-1978 suspension data. Jim Sitzman, Commission chair man, advised that the District and MHRC work together to determine why there is not only a dispropor tionate number o f Black students suspended, but suspension statistics vary greatly between schools. He commented that differences might be caused by economic or social factors, specific students’ behavior, or by administrative practices. I f racism in buildings is operating to increase numbers o f Black child re n sus pended, this needs to be known. Mrs Edna Robertson was presented with the Greater Northeast Precinct Council annual award for Citizen Participation by Commissioner Charles Jor dan and Robert Phillips. The award recognizes Mrs. Robertson's encouragem ent and facilitation of citizen participation, her assistance in establishing the Council, her offering citizen's perspectives and concerns when they cannot be present, and her con stant dedication to the Council and the public. The study divides the D istrict’ s schools into six groups by percentage ol minority students, percentage o f m in o rity students who are ad ministrative transfer students, and ratio o f Black suspensions to while s u s p e n s io n s The study demonstrates that the extent o f disproportionate rates o f suspension between m in o rity and white students is highly dependent on Teacher rep questions value of Black History Carrie M iller, director o f the Port land Federation o f Teachers, speak ing fo r herself and not fo r her organization, attacked the School Board’s recently passed policy on mandatory training of teachers in Black History. The Board policy states that a course o f in stru ctio n in Black History, ethnic history and problems o f social class be designed and that it be mandatory for all teachers and administrators employed in schools involved in the desegregation/in- tegration program next year, Ms. M ille r objects to the m andatory nature o f the policy. “ My objections to the resolution are two-fold arguing: I) that in ad dressing the concerns o f one segment o f the community, it has violated the rights o f another, those o f district employees and; 2) that the proposal while providing the illusion o f a means toward social change lacks sufficient substance to achieve that change. . . “ My initial response to #7 o f the Board's resolution is that it lays a blanket insult on every educator in this d istrict. The course require ments, which appear to admit no ex ception, im ply that everyone em ployed, both now and in the future, by this district is or will be equally ignorant o f black history, o f other ethnic histories and area, or will be, equally insensitive to the problems of social class. Clearly that is the con clusion to be drawn when the Board requires that all its educators run the same educational gauntlet without regard to in d iv id u a l experience, education or special qualifications. “ Given this conclusion, par tic u la rly as it affects future em ployees in the desegregation/inte- gration program , the purpose o f items 5a and 9 o f this same docu ment falls into question. Item 5a provides that m inority representa tives and other interested parties are to be consulted in the selection o f desegregation/integration staff. Item 9 requires the appointm ent o f a director o f personnel who will seek out 'q u a lifie d m in o rity teachers,’ and who w ill, it necessary, ‘ be prepared to hire special recruiters' lor that purpose. Clearly, provisions 5a and 9 are intended to recruit into the cluster program teachers already presumed to be competent and sensi tive in the areas prescribed in item 7; yet there is no provision to exclude them or others equally q ualified from repetitive education.” Ms. M ille r also questioned the Board’s right to negotiate with the Black United Front on issues pertain ing to teacher preparation without including teachers and their collec tive bargaining unit, the Portland Association o f Teachers, in their discussions. She also questioned the validity o f the concept o f requiring knowledge o f Black History by teachers who teach Black children: “ Finally, I question the power o f these required courses to advance, even minutely, the laudable goal o f the Board and the Black United F ront, that goal being not mere desegregation, or the attainment o f a racial mix, but o f integration, the at tainment o f quality racial contact. While the certain means to achieve this goal is still shrouded in mystery, there are avenues which have been tried and proven ineffective. Courses in ethnic art, or literature or history do not change the human heart. Bayard Rustin, as far back as 1969 urged us not to be so deceived. Black demands for Black studies he warned were at best symbolic rather than social victories. At worst, lessons in Black history which focus on the op pression o f one race over another ac tually impede social justice. Writing in Harper's Magazine he revealed, ‘ I also question both the efficiency and the social utility o f an attack that impels the attacked to applaud and debase themselves. I am not certain whether or not self-flagellation can have beneficial effect on the sinner (I tend to doubt that it can), but I am absolutely certain it can never im prove the lot o f the unemployed and (Please turn to Page 2 Column 4) practices at the individual schools. Groups I and V are similar in their m inority enrollment, yet the average suspension rate for minority students in Group I schools is 15.31 per cent, 3.68 times the white suspensions. In Group V schools there are virtually no suspensions. Schools that use suspensions create conditions where m inorities are affected disproportionately. The data suggests that "one cannot solely credit the disproportionate suspen sions o f m inority and minority ad m in is tra tiv e tran sfe r students to either individual student behavior or to an association between suspen sions and the student's socioecono mic class background. I f improper individual behavior on the part o f m inority and m inority administra tive transfer students was at fault, then one would find higher minority suspension rates (than white suspen sion rates) at all schools. Yet, 39 schools, some o f which have ap preciable m inority and/or minority administrative transfer enrollments, do not find it necessary to suspend any students at all. Other schools suspend relatively equal portions o f m inority and white students. This would not occur i f minority students, in general, exhibited behavior dis proportionately deserving o f suspen sion than that o f their white counter parts in these schools. “ N or can divergence in socio economic class background alone be simply utilized as an explanation for higher m in o rity and m in o rity ad m in is tra tiv e tra n sfe r suspension rates. II this were the case, you could not explain the Group V schools, which possess a high level o f m in o rity adm inistrative transfers, yet suspend no m in o rity students; nor could it be explained why, in the G roup II schools, where a ll the minorities and while students are in district, and therefore, it is highly likely that both white and m inority students share a comm on socio econom ic class background, minorities are suspended at twice the rate o f white students.” M H R C recommended that the D is tric t closely examine the 39 schools that do not use suspensions to determine what enables them to function without suspensions. I he district should also examine schools that use suspensions but do not have a disproportionate number o f Black suspensions. These are: Sunnyside, Astor, Vestal, Creston, Portsmouth. “ I he D istrict should conduct a th orou g h investigation o f those schools that have high percentage o f m in o rity suspensions.” The in c re d ib ly high level o f m in o rity suspensions in some o f these schools, (Please turn to page 9 col. 3) Grisby case under investigation George Rankin, director o f the Urban League's Project LEAP, has informed the Observer that the U r ban League is investigating the cir cumstances surrounding the allega tions o f Kevin Grigsby that he was the target o f racial harassment while on a Portland General Electric job site at Boardman, Oregon. Rankin said the employee quoted in the press who said this was not an Urban League problem, nor was it a union problem—did not speak for the executive director or the LEAP program, and his assumptions were incorrect. “ It is definitely our responsibility and we are conducting our own in vestigation. Our responsibility goes beyond just placing an apprentice in a jo b . It involves assuring that working conditions are proper.” Rankin said the Urban League has placed another Black apprentice on that job site and that he reported that he has been treated fairly and likes his job. Gary Gomez, d ire c to r o f the Oregon Bureau o f Labor said his agency is investigating the charges. Grigsby filed a complaint against the contractor. Combustion Engi neering, Inc. Combustion Engineering, Inc. has contacted the C ivil Rights Division in response to the complaint and is considering a predetermination set tlement. In the meantime CRD is continuing the investigation in case a settlement is not negotiated. Gomez said he had personally talked to Grigsby to assure him that an investigation is in process. Methadone 'treatment' constitutes genocide h by v Don r if in F u lle r Fuller _________ : • _ j / l s «■- money is involved; (b) Too much Black power (independent o f white Caught o ff guard by the now suc control) is involved; (c) Too much cessful grass roots organization o f white power (to oppress and exploit) the Black U nited F ro n t, w hite is threatened supremists and “ lib e ra l” w hite supremists are using Afro-Saxons to take the offensive against the Black community. Fighting deep sleep in Portland’s Black community, which had been induced by fear o f white racism was d ifficult, but fighting a drug induced “ nod" would be im Who are the “ liberal suprema possible. That is part o f a long range cist? ” Those radical chic who white supremacy plan. had more successfully in itia te d The Black United Front might not any activity that resulted in making know what the CODA proposal to ex-slaves p o w e rfu l. Those w hite establish a neighborhood clinic in socialists or white communists or Albina represents, but the way in white feminists or whatever. Left-of- which CODA approached the Black center racists have always held out community Monday night indicates the carrot o f hope and dependence, that the BUF call for a boycott to while the right-of-center racists ap improve our minds was a declaration plied the brutal whip. But all these o f war. white folks ride our backs and our The white supremacy response... movements to death, our death. Provide free dope “ to put those Those white "lib e ra ls" are push niggers to sleep.” CODA is a drug ing the dope pushers into the Black treatment program that provides community with all the arrogance o f regular amounts o f methadone to your standard redneck, racist cracker. addicts. Methadone is also addictive, Ite m : No pre pa ra tion , in fo r some say worse than heroin. Abuse is m ation, no studies or any other a national disgrace. material was made available by the This was because: (a) Too much imported (out-of-state) director o f Analyses the proposed fe derally-funded p roject. He appeared unable to document any o f his assertions with hard data, and yet wanted approval that night, Monday, September 10, 1979 This proposed director o f this proposed project does not live in the Black community, doesn’t know the politics o f the Black community and doesn't love his own people enough to try to protect us or live with us, much less respect us. It wouldn’t be a surprise to fin d such people politically or otherwise in bed with our enemies, because they have demonstrated the mental illness Dr. Welsing speaks of: self hatred. They apparently want to be exploited, ac cording to her theory, and in turn they exploit us as a people. Item: Genocide is defined in the Genocide Convention, signed by one- half o f the nation’s in the world ex cept the U.S.: any official a c t.. .in cluding the administration of drugs, that would destroy a people. Genocide means the destruction of a whole people. A fte r viewing the film on methadone shown Monday there can be no doubt that the Black people have been moved by our ene • * mies, from the degeneration o f phy sical enslavement in America to men tal enslavement through drugs as a “ target” population. Giving dope away to the Black community is an act o f war that offers no money, and no mercy should be given to such enemies o f Black people. There are addicts in the Black community. They do need help. But the approach to treatment must be built on a drug-free counseling with a cultural basis. Just as the Native American uses the "sweat-lodge,” we must use the values and culture unique to our people, our com munity and our families. Education and prevention are key to a cultural approach to drug treatm ent we demand to control as a people faced with genocide. This cannot be done in arrogance or without the respect and cooperation o f the Black people o f Albina. These are the issues that were never presented by C O D A . The director o f that program must be able to meet cultural criteria and live here or be identified as a pusher o f m ethadone and p im p fo r w hite supremacy. t In t h . FRONT DOOR. OUT THE BACK OOORI Approximately 140 Black youngsters arrive et the front door of Beaumont Middle School •ech m o rn in g -p a rt of the Portland School District's reorganization/ da.agreg.tion effort About 10 w h it, s tu d .n t. . . c a p . through t h . back DUtHct ■tt#nd M< T -b ° r SchO° ' ~ * * transportation p r o X T b y £
