BUF chairman calls for Blanchard resignation
" D r . Blanchard should make a
humanitarian gesture by resigning,”
Ronnie Herndon, co-chairman o f the
Black United Front, told the Obser
ver. "H e is being asked to reverse the
decisions he made over the past ten
years. It is ridiculous to think he can
put into effect a program which he
philosophically opposed in the past.
The Board needs to get a Superin
tendent who docs not philosophically
oppose what it is trying to do.
‘ ‘ Dr. Blanchard has repeatedly
said white kids w ill not be bussed to
the Black community. He instituted
and maintained a one-way busing
policy. Now we are asking him to do
something that runs contrary to that
policy.
‘ ‘ Black people d o n ’ t have any
faith that he or the administrators he
has hired can develop a plan that is in
our best interest. There have been
too many years o f deception; people
have been misled. They have been
provided no information and when
they have asked they have been told
no information was available.
"W e need someone who is more
sensitive to the needs o f Black
children. If you get him out, then
those who remain would understand
that they have to be responsible to a
community that wants constructive
change and not to the Superinten
dent who b uilt his reputation on
creating an inequitable program for
Black children.
Herndon states that nothing has
happened since the boycott was
deferred except that a few children
were enabled to return to the neigh
borhood schools.
The Black United Front has no
confidence in the A dm inistration’ s
commitment to change, he said. The
same problems historically experi
enced by Black students rem ain.
‘ ‘ There are s till insensitive and
hostile administrators; teachers hold
the same attitudes. The curriculum
does not address the cultural and
educational needs o f Black children.
Children are cursed at by bus drivers,
left at the wrong stops, missed
altogether.”
Herndon described the BUF a t
tempts to m o n ito r the d is tric t’ s
adherence to the short term policies.
"W e sent a letter to the area superin
tendents enclosing a list o f questions
we sent to principals. When we con
tacted the principals, many said they
were told to refer all questions to
Clint Thomas. The area superinten
dents said they didn't ask the prin
cipals to reply because they did not
recognize the signature on the letter.
"T h e letter clearly stated that it
was from the Front and they made
no effort to verify it. I accept the
responsibility because I should have
signed the letter myself, but I can’t
consider this as an indication that the
district is willing to cooperate with
us. Frank McNamara told me that he
gave the order for all inquiries to be
referred to Thomas."
McNamara, as Chairman o f the
School Board, sent a letter to several
groups asking them to participate on
a monitoring committee. According
to Herndon, the N A A C P and the
Urban League responded, naming
representatives to the committee.
Nothing more was heard from Mc
Namara. When Herndon inquired
about the status o f the committee,
McNamara said he would ask Dr.
Blanchard to convene it.
" A t that point, I said no. We will
organize the monitoring committee
and include those who want to help.
This committee needs to look at the
schools, the treatment o f children.
PORTLAND OBSERVER
receive complaints and act as an om
budsman for children and parents.
“ 1 have thought all along — and
Reverend Jackson has stated it
publically - that the Superintendent
who caused the confusion and in
justice we are now trying to correct
must go before legitimate changes
can be made. Now I am even more
convinced.
"W ith Dr. Blanchard developing
the plan or p ro v id in g the in f o r
mation needed to develop it, Black
people w ill continue to look on it
w ith suspicion. The plan w ill not
be adequate and w ill not receive the
support it needs to be successful. I
am ca lling on D r. Blanchard to
resign."
Volum e 9 num ber 43
g e ftfW p raS 1979
10C per copy
HC\J-
I
U SPS 959 680
Title VII committee protests information lack
The Portland School District has
requested a $100,000 federal plan
ning
grant
to
enhance
its
desegregation planning process.
Ihe grant would be divided into
three strategies, to develop statistics
necessary to design a plan, to gather
public input, and to provide a public
in fo rm a tio n process during the
development and implementation o f
the plan.
According to the proposal,
$18,(XX) would go to consultants to
conduct a study, analyze enrollment
data, facilitaties and organizational
patterns and to prepare recommen
dations o f possible school clustering.
" I o achieve the development o f a
comprehensive plan, there is need to
secure accurate up-to-date in fo r
mation and to have that information
analyzed and presented in useable
format so that the Board and its staff
can prepare appropriate strategies
Advisory Committee, who have the
responsibility to plan, monitor and
evaluate use o f federal desegregation
funds, complained to the School
Board Monday night that they were
left out o f the planning process. Mrs.
O. J. Gates, who is not a member of
the ESAA committee, advised the
Board that its procedure was illegal
since federal regulations require that
the com m ittee be involved in all
phases o f the proposal. She advised
that this lack o f atte ntio n to
regulations could prevent funding.
Costella McCullough, a long time
Title V II Advisory Committee mem
ber, chastized the Board for failing
to provide the committee with the
rules and regulations it is to operate
under and failing to advise it o f its
rights and responsibilities.
Stating that the committee has done
some good work in the past in spite
and recommendations to address
issues that arise."
A dditio na l personnel to be em
ployed under the grant are a Citizens
Involvement C oordinator who w ill
manage and coordinate citizen
volunteers who can provide a net
work for providing information to
the public. This person w ill also
facilitate opportunities for citizens to
visit other desegregation programs.
A Public Inform ation Coordinator
w ill clarify and disseminate in fo r
mation to the public.
Charles Clemens, Director o f In
tergovernmental Relations, advised
the Board's desegregation/integra-
tion com m ittee that the d is tric t
should be notified in a week or so if
proposal is funded. Ihe committee is
to present it’ s first draft o f the com
pleted plan on November 21st.
Members o f the Title V II Advisory
Committee, now called the FSAA
o f the lack o f information, she etn-
phasized repeatedly that the commu
te has not been adequately informed
by the staff. Stating that most o f
their information on new regulations
was provided by Mrs. Gates rather
than the sta ff, Mrs. M cCullough
asked the Board to accept more
responsibility for keeping the com
mittee informed and involved.
The Title V II committee has met
with criticism from the community
due to its seeming inattention to the
severe problems facing Blck students
in the schools. The committee was
not aware o f many o f the inequities
identifie d by the C om m unity
Coalition for School Integration and
other studies, and according to
several o f the members, was not
aware o f or involved in the three fin
dings o f non-com pliance by the
Department ol Health, Education
and Welfare which made the district
(Please turn to page 2 col. 4)
CODA money, commitment questioned
by Donald M. f uller
CODA has not been forthcoming
on their proposed drug treatment
program . Now the com m unity is
asking where did the money go?
Public funds are involved, and
even though CODA is a non-profit
agency, the use o f these funds en
titles the King Neighborhood
Association to inquire...where did
the money go?
The funds (over one million
dollars) was a grant by the state Men
tal Health Division to CODA on the
basis of a proposal which would have
put a measly $170, (XX) in Northeast
Portland.
Part o f that money went into a
lease agreement Director Jim Rob
bins made before he got the advise o f
his board and before he had sent his
underlings to grease the community
skids fo r approval o f the local
methadone dispensing clinic. That
was stopped but . , . WHERE is the
money?
Contacted by the Observer, Jim
Robbins, CO D A’ s director, declined
the opportunity to clarify his agen
cies plans and budgets
The
King
Neighborhood
Association sent a written response
to Mrs Robbins, who chose to ap
pear before the Northwest Coalition
o f Neighborhoods weeks ago at the
invita tion o f that group but also
chose to ignore the reasonable
requests o f King Association to
respond in w ritin g to that body,
again showing his classically racist
style o f administration. But beyond
the question o f style, the need for a
drug-free treatment program is real,
and was clearly welcome within the
stip ulatio ns o f respect, and
cooperation King Association iden
tille d .
So. ..W H ERE IS I HI
M O N EY,Jim Robbins?
A nalysis
Is mis-appropriation o f funds now
to be added to the list o f ad
ministrative blunders? How long will
CODA Board o f Directors, allow
such sloppy management o f public-
relations and public monies to be
perpetrated by its staff?
The
com m unity
has been
restrained in the face o f arrogance,
disrespect and tom foolery, designed
in a slap dash, harm-scarem ap
proach to planning by CODA. We
have been patient too, when con
fronted with efforts to stampede and
circum vent com m unity processes
and input into a potentially volatile
enterprise. CODA has been viewed
as attempting to impose its will for
its purpose on the community, while
exploiting the high concentration of
m in o rity population, in the com
munity, for economic gain.
Now we ask...where is the com
munity liaison to develop an accept
able program? Where is the effort to
develop an advisory board from the
community? Where is the statement
and acts o f commitment to follow
through on the proposal before the
next funding cycle? Where is the
schedule fo r this urgently needed
program? and. W HERE D ID THE
(Please turn to page 2 col. 4)
New commissioner pushes affirmative action
by Tajadzwa Chibanguza
hi
M IKE LINDBERG
The City o f Portland has not done
a good job as it should on the a ffir
mative action issue, said Mike Lind
berg, Com m issioner o f Public
W orks, Fire Bureau and the
Emergency Communication Center.
“ Each manager should be respon
sible in achieving certain goals in
terms o f affirmative action. I suggest
a review to be done o f how well a
manager achieves certain goals in
terms o f a ffirm a tiv e a c tio n ,” he
said.
Lindberg, who filled in the vacant
seat left by Connie McCready on Oc
tober 26th, said the City has enough
resources to solve m inority unem
ploym ent which has doubled in
several ways;
- Use Man Power Training money
(CETA) to train for jobs in private
sectors that will exist.
- Encourage the training o f our
own citizens.
- Make available enough land for
small businesses to employ more
people.
- Continue the present practice o f
housing people, encourage better
transportation services, build more
recreation areas and facilities, main
tain clean streets and make education
better for all people.
In response to the debate in
Congress that local governments
should be responsible for paying the
heating bills o f the poor people Lind
...
• s
J a +
* »■ . '
berg said this is the jo b fo r the
federal government.
He added, “ This is should be done
on a federal or state government
level in terms o f taxes. The city
government cannot afford it.”
When asked what actions the City
will take should the proposal pass he
said, "W e will fight it until Congress
hears our side o f the problem."
Lindberg does not seem to agree
with some o f the procedures under
taken by the City Council such as the
present way a person gets appointed
to the Council.
“ I think the people in the com
munity should elect the candidates,
even in an emergency situation like
mine.”
He feels the city does not pay
much attention to community input
in decision making.
" I think the City should give the
citizens a chance to respond to
decisions we reach," he said.
An Oregonian by birth Lindberg is
the father o f three children. He
received his degree in Economics at
the University o f Oregon. For eight
years he worked fo r the Bell
Telephone system and from there he
was employed as assistant to the City
Council.
He became d irector o f Public
Works for the city fo r three years
and was also director o f Planning
and Development for same period o f
time before taking up his present oc
cupation.
A FA M ILY AFFAIR
Ms. Brenda Bryant gets a hand from daughter A ngela m elting
during a Portland C om m u nity College bread m aking class a t
High School.
(Photo: Richard
butter
Grant
_
Brown)
BUF holds police discussion
The Black United Front will hold a
public meeting to discuss police
harassment and brutality on Thurs
day, M arch 8th. The BUF is
receiving numerous complaints o f
harassment, brutality, profanity and
other abuses from all segments o f the
community. Complaints are coming
from “ people who d o n 't f it the
common discription o f those who
have problems w ith the police --
people with successlul jobs, who pay
taxes and own homes,” Ron Her
ndon, co-chairman o f the BUI ex
plained.
The BUF w ill facilitate a public-
discussion o f procedures and plans
that can be used to bring an end to
the abuses and to recommend policy
or procedural changes.
The meeting w ill be held at King
Neighborhood Facility at 7:00 p.m.
Minorities study law careers
The sensitization and recruitment
o f m inority students into the legal
profession will be the subject o f the
first M inority Law Day Conference
to be held in Portland November 10.
Deiz speaks
Judge Mercedes Deiz w ill be a
guest speaker at a Career Day
Seminar sponsored by the Urban
League o f Portland on November
3rd at the University o f Portland at
9:00 a.m.
This is the sixth consecutive year
for this seminar and more than two
hundred high school students have
pre-registered for all-day workshops.
Thirty-one representatives from
business, industry, education, health
care and social work w ill interact
with the students. Father Bernard,
Vice President o f the University, will
welcome the group.
The Jefferson High School band
w ill entertain during lunch.
A tto rn e ys, law school ad
m in is tra to rs and m in o rity law
students w ill jo in the H onorable
Jack E. Tanner o f the US District
C o u rt, N in th C irc u it (Tacom a,
Wash), and the Honorable Belton
H a m ilto n , A d m in is tra tiv e Law
Judge (Portland), during the full day
o f exchange and discussion,
scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and
conclude at 3 p.m.
Sponsors o f the conference include
the Oregon State Bar, which offers
the only bar run Affirm ative Action
program fo r law students in the
c o u n try , and the M in o rity Law
Student's Association from each o f
Oregon's three law schools.
The event, for which there is no
charge, w ill take place on the
Cascade Campus o f Portland Com
munity College. 705 N. Ktllingswor
th , P o rtla n d . Lunch w ill be
provided.
F urther
in fo rm a tio n
on
registration may be obtained from
Angel Lopez, D ire c to r o f A f f i r
mative Action for the bar, 224 4280
or 8OO-452-826O