Black United Front opposes desegregation plans
The Black United Front leadership
has rejected the School Board's
school desegregation plans and
reiterated its position that Superin­
tendent Robert Blanchard resign.
Stating that the Board's proposals
were designed by Dr. Blanchard who
“ was prim arily responsible for the
abusive busing plan that destruc­
tively bussed Black children all over
Portland” . BUF co-chairman Ron­
nie Herndon said his group does not
want the Superintendent to be
responsible for the planning
Dlannino and
im .
and im­
plementation o f a new desegregation
plan.
"W e can fin d no acceptable
reason why the School Board has
allowed Dr. Blanchard to remain as
superintendent. Dr. Blanchard was
one o f those p rim arily responsible
for the creation o f the abusive plan
that destructively bussed and scat­
tered Black children all over Por­
tland. He has been in charge o f the
system that has routinely expelled
and « ...„ .„ a - ,! m - t - u j j . . .
and
suspended Black child re n in
disp ro p ortion ately high numbers.
We feel that the planning o f our
chldren's future and the implemen­
tation o f that plan should not be
shaped in any way by the man who
has caused so much suffering for our
children and our com m unity."
"They are still recruiting students
out; Blanchard has not aggressively
tried to hire Black teachers and ad­
m in istra to rs; he knows Black
achievement is below the d istrict
.
. .
norm and has taken no aggressive
steps to change th is."
Reverend John Jackson explained
his belief that a voluntary plan will
not be effective. " I t hasn't worked
with us. They had to remove the up­
per grades and force the students
out. I doubt that many parents from
the West Side will want to send their
children here. It disturbs me that
when they talk about a school in the
co m m un ity, they ta lk about a
magnet school'. It ’s like they want
PORTLAND OBSERVER
U S P S 9 69 600
to give the im pression that it is
something different; they are trying
to induce people to come.”
Jackson also discussed the scat­
tering issue. "T h e school district has
scattered and shattered the Black
community. Through history Blacks
have had to come together and build
institutions like the church and social
organizations to provide support and
a sense o f community. We've had to
do this to survive.
“ Building these support groups is
dependent on a com m unity base.
The school district has shattered that
comm unity base by scatterng our
children until they don’t know each
other and have no sense o f com ­
munity. It is destroying us and our
institutions."
Regarding the need for Dr. Blan­
chard to leave, Jackson said, "T he
Board has the re sp o n sib ility fo r
designing a good plan. We want to
place this responsibility on the board
(Please turn to page 3 col. 2)
Volume 9 Number 47
November 29. 1979
10C per copy
Board discusses desegregation
The first reaction o f the Black
"E ither you want us to desegregate
community to the School Board’ s
or you don’t. Stop pretending . . .” .
proposed desegregation plans was
The same people who have been run­
not favorable.
ning it for 14 years "are still calling
The proposed plans are based on
the shots from the grandstand.”
volunteerism, with minor boundary
A lth o u g h the plans would
changes.
establish a magnet middle school at
Board member Herb Cawthorne
Boise or E lio t school, and would
told the public that “ Portland has
transfer all or part o f the Colum-
the o p p o rtu n ity to decide the
bia/Whiteaker Middle School to the
parameters o f the plan. We can
Adams High School building, no
discuss the ways that we. as a com­
p rovision
is made
fo r
the
munity, can deal with the problem.
desegregation o f the remaining six
The problem is real.”
A lb in a elementary schools other
Cawthorne explained that much of
than the goodw ill o f those whites
the negative feeling against “ volun­
who w ould choose to send their
tary desegregation” was that what
children into the schools. This is the
was previously called voluntary was
same criticism that the N A A C P
not voluntary fo r Black children
found w ith the "S chools fo r the
whose grades had been removed or
Seventies” plan as first presented by
fo r whom there was no space to
Dr. Blanchard. That plan converted
return to the neighborhood school.
a ll A lb in a schools to E a jly
The new plan would provide a choice
C hildhood Centers, sending older
for every parent - the choice to at­
students out o f the neighborhood for
tend school in the neighborhood or
the purpose o f desegregation, but
to transfer out.
le ft
the
elementary
schools
The proposed plans rely heavily on
segregated.
recruitment o f Black students to at­
School Board member Steve Buel
tend white schools and on recruit­
asked what has changed that would
ment o f white students to attend
make the Board believe that a volun­
m ajority Black schools. I f recruit­
tary plan would work when it has not
ment o f whites is successful, even
in the past. “ What has changed to
more Blacks w ill be required to leave
make this voluntary plan successful
to make room for them. One o f the
when we have operated a voluntary,
primary complaints o f Black parents
plus a non-voluntary, plan and it
has been o f pressure to transfer and
d id n ’ t create success? What is
o f the inability o f the child to return,
inherent that would make the coin-
because no space existed for them.
mitte think that one o f these can be
Vesia Loving, who has been an ac­
successful?” Also, he explained, this
tive member o f the C om m unity
year after parents were given a real
Coalition for School Integration and
choice over 380 students returned to
the Black United F ront, told the
the neighborhood schools and “ we
Board, “ I ’m not pleased with any o f
are behind where we were because
it. To me its the same old garbage
now it is voluntary.”
wrapped in a new package.” Stating
Buel said he saw nothing in the
that P ortland has deprived and
plan or “ down the road” to change
isolated Blacks and the school
the quality o f education offered in
d istrict has done no better, Ms.
"sch o o ls noto rio us fo r their
Loving said o f the voluntary plan.
educational in fe rio rity ” . He was
skeptical about the willingness o f
white parents to send their children
to a school that was at the lower
echelon academically just because it
is a multi-racial school.
Cawthorne responded that he has
faith that many whites would send
their children to King if the program
were good, because they would chose
an multi-racial experience.
Wally Priestley said volunteerism
might be seen as politically appealing
— that it is a political and not an
educational concept. He would
prefer that the subject be dealt with
through educational principles. He
agrees with the legitimate demands
o f the C o a litio n and the Black
United Front to establish a middle
school in A lb in a , but does not
like a magnet school. He prefers that
white children be assigned to the
middle school. Each child should be
assigned an elementary school, a
middle school and a high scholl and
students should go together through
Michael Grice, Portland teacher, opposes school board plan to close Adam High School.
that progression.
(Photo: Richard Brown)
Board member Bill Scott said the
problem o f how to get people to
volunteer is a question that must be
answered before the Board commits
Governor Atiyeh announced Tues­
its e lf to a v o lu n ta ry plan. D r.
agency adopt an affirm ative action
numerous complaints are received.
day a new affirmative action plan for
Blanchard took exception to Buel’s
plan that will include specific goals,
A ffirm a tiv e action has been a
the State o f Oregon, in his Executive
statement that Albina schools offer
an orgnizational chart and statement
policy in the past. Governor Atiyeh
Order
No.
EO-79-22,
the
Governor
inferior educational programs. He
o f responsibility, and a statistical
hopes to implement it at all levels.
said, “ The public policy o f Oregon is
said in those schools, "e ve n in
analysis o f the work force. These
that
state
governm
ent
shall
be
a
Boise , there are a great many
plans w ill be reviewed and the
leader among em ploying entities
students and parents who appreciate
programs evaluated regularly by the
within the state in providing to its
The Oregon Assembly for Black
the dedicated stalf and that quality
Affirm ative Action Office,
citizens and employees, through a
A ffairs w ill hold it annual member­
education is provided.
The goal is for affirmative action
ship meeting to report on the status
program o f affirm ative action, fair
C hairm an Frank M cNam ara,
to be im plem ented in each state
and equal o p p o rtu n itie s fo r cm-
o f the corporation and to elect o f­
stating, “ There is a certain amount
agency and that "th e spirit and letter
ployetnent and advancement. . . "
ficers and chairpersons o f standing
o f rhe toric and jin g o ism in the
o f EEO be adhered to and complied
committees.
Kay Toran, A ffirm a tiv e Action
discussion that disturbs me” , said it
with by all officers o f State agencies
Persons interested in seeking
Director for the State, explained that
is easy for other board members to
and any employing units.”
positions
should contact the
under
the
old
plan
agencies
were
en­
make critical comments. It is easy to
Administrators, managers, super­
nominating committee at Box 12485,
couraged to hire m in o ritie s and
say that what we want in front o f
visors and personnel officers w ill be
Salem 97309 before December 5th.
women but there were no specific
every e lfo rt is im provem ent in
evaluated on affirm ative action per­
The meeting will be held December
goals and guidelines.
(Please turn to page 2 col. I)
formance and a system w ill be devel­
8th
at 10:00 a.m. at teh Holiday Inn
I he new plan requires that each
oped to monitor agencies on which
at Wilsonville, on lnterstate-5.
Governor launches action initiative
OABA meets
Portland youth persues actor's dream
By Stephanie L. Michael
Barry Organ, a native Portlandar. look, forward to an acting career.
■»«
The ambition o f being an actor
may have started as a fourth grader’s
dream for Barry Organ. But the 25-
year-old claims only a trememdous
amount o f w ork, fa ith and more
work w ill bring his goal into realism.
Organ, a Portland native has been
liv in g in Los Angeles, try in g to
promote his acting career without a
manager. He says acting has always
been in his blood. The young actor
says his mother and sister have both
been active in the entertainm ent
field.
Over several years, in trying to
show his artistic talents. Organ has
managed to get a m ajority o f small
roles. In the MGM film production
"Kansas C ity Bombers,” he por­
trayed one o f the skateboys. In
several television programs, "G ood
T im e s " and the "N a n c y W alker
Show,” Organ played a small role
character. He has also performed in
some o f the nightclub circuit.
Recently, actor, comedian and
social a ctivist R ichard P ryo r,
produced his own film production.
The film “ Family Dream,” w ill be
released sometime in the spring o f
1980. Barry Organ has a small role in
this movie, film ed in the state o f
Washington.
“ I have a small role in this film
where I w ill be walking down the
street with a lady. W hile walking
down the street, Richard comes out
o f a tavern talking with a group o f
kids. I ’ ll be wearing a blue hat and
red jacket.”
It's tough for us young Black ac­
tors to get a break There aren’t that
many Black film s being made let
alone productions with Black act«
being produced. Most o f the tii
productions are looking fo r the
older actors with names and agen
Sidney Poitier and Richard Pryor a
just now getting into w riting ai
producing their own film produ
tions. Lets face it, most whi
producers are not doing Black film
They are not Black, and they real
don’ t know anything about Blacl
and don’ t care. Most supposed Bla«
shows have white writers trying i
write Black for Black actors. Richai
Pryor helps as many as he can. E
tries to find good Black actors an
actresses and put them into w orl
He’s got alot o f contracts coming u
in the future. But the choosing o f
cast, directors, extras and so on, i
not really up to h im ."
Over the years the themes o f Blac
film s and television shows hav
developed in plot and images. Orga
says Black actors and actresses ar
trying to bring about a change in th
ind ustry. He says film stars ari
tryin g to show m
•’ ositive ap
proaches concerning . ,ack peoph
and their lives.
Organ says, "T h e true realism
about Black people should have beer
shown a long time ago. Blacks don’ l
want superflys and all those crazy
types o f movies. But I must say some
o f those types o f flic k s are s till
around u nfo rtun ately. Black per­
formers want to get rid o f those types
o f movies because it sterotypes them
into a specific role. White producers
feel if they play that particular role
and do it well, that’ s the only type o f
role they can play. Any Black actor
(Please turn to page 12 Col 1)
Little Ifetayo Moore looks st a display o» art from Cameiooi at ma
Portland Art Museum.
(Photo: Richard Brown)