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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1980)
Page 4 Portland Observar February 21. 1960 Behind the Walls by I arry baker H.15U2I O.S.P. Correspondent THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN In a prison, men’s lives become entangled on the narrow path where racial hate, bitterness and tear have little respect. The color ol a man's skin and the difference ol their total beings are suppose to disintegrate all forms ot communication. This story is about two men who have spent many hours behind the walls o f Oregon's state penitentiary trying to acquire survival skills. These are tools, a beneficial form of progress obtained only through mutual cooperation. This is the story o f cooperation between two men. At age twenty-seven, the second ol eleven children, Isacc Alfred Boyd has seen as much life as any other Black man raised in the poverty-stricken East side of Chicago. In school he found himself in constant conflict, fighting with classmates and teachers. Fighting and stealing were necessary for survival on the east side. During his senior year, due to criminal activities, Isaac was expelled from school, ending his pursuit of a promising career in music. Now opportunity for scholarships at Wisconsin State, Prairie View, and Jackson State were withdrawn. Since Isaac had known no other world outside of Chicago and it’s n ig h tlife , his heroes had become Illin o is Jacque, Grover W ashington, H ubert Laws, and men like them, renowned men playing the saxophone and (lute and making their career in jazz. Isaac dreamed o f following in their footsteps with the sax he had learned to play in school and the darkened dives o f the crime infested Chicago suburbs — where one learns early in life, especially i f your face is Black, that money is the only freedom in life. Isaac’s mother encouraged him to participate in the neighborhood youth corps (N.Y.C.), and, for a short time, he enjoyed life by teaching music to youths. Soon, lack o f money to finance the "N ight life” got him involved in a robbery. In his efforts to avoid jail, Isaac came to Oregon to stay with relatives. In October of 1978, he was arrested for another robbery, convicted, and sentenced to ten years in prison. At the Oregon state penitentiary, Isaac received special training to pass the GEO (general education diploma) tests. Shortly thereafter he became interested in drafting and worked in the prison vocational drafting department. His decision to attend the prison’s full time college program acquainted Isaac with Guido Listella, a psychology teacher, the second part o f our (wo man story. Cell Talk David M nyhi *JíW/6 Assistant Editor by Asmar Abdu Seifullah aka Joe West H404O4 PRELUDE TO AN OBITUARY IN WORLD GAMES by Asmar A bdul Seifullah This night the poetry verses don’t flow .. .all that flows is vacant deep numbing pain heartbeats pounding, throbbing pain Guido Listella in stru cts' Isaac Boyd. This is the story o f two men. Guido Listella was born in Akron, Ohio, in 1928. O f Italian descent, Guido is the son o f an ¡migrant man who came to America and worked for thirty-seven years in a rubber factory to support his wife, daughter, and son. The Listellas were a very close, religious family, and Guiso’s father’s number one goal was to have his children receive an education. Listella was well aware o f his father’ s wishes and studied hard to fu lfill this dream. He worked part-time at odd jobs and saved his money for college. He attended the University o f Akron, majoring in Psychology, where he received his master o f Arts Degree. After graduating Guido was inducted into the army and served during the Korean conflict. Having fulfilled his m ilitary obligations, Guido settled in Portland, doing post graduate work at the University of Portland from 1954 to 1955. He then went to work at Fairview Hospital and Training Center where he is still employed as the unit director. Guido married in 1956. He has a son in pre-med, one daughter is a registered nurse, and his second daughter is attending Chemeket Community College where Guido has been teaching since September, 1958. He has also been a consultant to the Oregon State Hospital as a registered psychologist. Guido started teaching at the Oregon state penitentiary college program in 1976. and for the past five months Isaac Boyd has been one o f his top students. Two men...one imprisoned, the other free; one is Black, the other white. One man society finds disgraceful; the other is a model citizen. One has his youth; the other age; one is poverty stricken, the other middle-calss. One man has a religious background, the other acts as though he never heard o f the word. One is a teacher, the other a student. What goals could these two men find o f value through association? Or, better yet, why should they ever want to associate? Sometimes prison can develop strange relation ships with human beings. In the case o f Isaac Boyd and Guido Listella a great deal o f respect has been found. " M r. Listella as a teacher doesn’t care what the color o f my skin might be, only that I stop using it for an excuse when it comes to my ability to up-grade myself in deucatio.” stated Boyd, " fo r the first time in my life 1 feel that I have the opportunity to obtain an academic education and there is no one that is going to deny that except myself.” Isaac Boyd is a warm individual and I like relating to people like him in my classroom in this prison without any preconceived ideas,” said Listella. " I t ’ s only a show o f positive vibes that a teacher can develop between a teacher to student relationship and that is something you must learn to do on your own as a teacher.” When Boyd was questioned why he never applied himself toward getting an education before coming to prison, he answered, “ How many teachers would actually allow themselves to be as patient with their students as those we have here; and how many o f us doing time would take the time to see the values o f an education in the environment I was raised in?” "W hat do you get out o f teaching individuals in prison like Isaac- Boyd, who felt that the world owes him everything prior to his incarcerated?” Listella was ques tioned. "Self-satisfaction that I can teach Isaac there are other tools more positive than what he has been using to be success in life,” answered Listella, “ but the choice will still be DENTAL repairs ★ PfffCf f QtfOrffD Mf 4 0 V4N C I ★ •- Liberal CREDIT Terms N o Interest or Carrying Charges now catching brief glimpses of yesterday's dreams old dreams, new dreams, all dreams red-white-blue dreams a nightmarel two sisters, one brother, me... mama and the rats all fighting for bed space time out for the commerical while the roaches did the double bump people said daddy got shot for desertion on the corners of "what goes around - comes around" and U reap what U sow but we never did get the social security checks or the insurance money never did get the fringe benefits never did get the 200 dollars for passing go, for passing go and monopoly ain't really a game I couldn’t make the football team cause I suffer from malnutrition fear every smile bringing two all the small disappointments cancelled because I shall never let U down I and U equal the oneness ot creation stars sit birched in midnight blue with the moon as the tablespread the season come and go in perfect order sunrise signals the break of day and time exists in fleeting moments of memories and dreams today, yesterday and tomorrow are all one that which is to be is called fate and love has always been found in the hearts of those who believe if U believe.. .then saying I love U is secondary..."fa ith " only "Faith" is the true measure of love E “ What makes you want to trust the words o f Mr. Listella when your lives and upbringing have been so different” Boyd was asked. "Because the man is showing me things in a classroom that I have never known before,” answered Boyd. " W ill an education keep you out o f prison or committing a crime again?” Boyd was asked "H e ll, I don’ t know, but nothing else helped!’ ’ Boyd continued. " A t least I have begun to like myself for my ability to try ,” stated Boyd. And anyone who would allow themselves to be placed in these places could not have had much respect for themselves or others.” This is a story about two men. • BROKEN I CRACKED Denture* Mended MISSING TEETH Replaced In Denture« Bridge* A Partial* Repaired E mergency C ases Given Immediate Attention. . . Work Completed White You Wait in Most Cases We Operate Our Own Laboratory Phon— * Ask About Our LOW COST 227-2427 Quality DENTURES S B NOTICE King Improvement Association w ill hold its general membership meeting on Tuesday, February 26th at King Neighborhood Facility. There will be speakers present to discuss the advantages and dis advantages o f garbage fran- chisement. Also HCD projects for 1980-81 will be discussed. Interested in current books about African Liberation? » Accept«« Dt. Lawwtce 'Bciraid Street Level 51 5 sw D E N T IS T Ave. Between Alder fc W aihm qton OFFICES ALSO IN SALIM & lU G IN l) Park r * E E caairoi tot M ik e SW MOetlSO N visit: JOHN REED BOOK STORE In the Dekum Building 519 S.W 3rd Avenue Sixth Floor Or call 227 2902 who yesterday called me father in the world games what matters women of dancing ebony eyes crispy afro hair that sways in autumn wind whose lips held chance at bay and gave secret touch in whisperings of night where now stand the other Malcom or has he too fell in the red well of death maybe he lies in junky slumber or entomb in bars and granite walls that hide self from self echos speak and call but none have come to answer all seem lost-dead and buried in world games in the world games what matters men whose loin dry in timeless capsules or birth of sons a™* where's the dark eyed child of Alma who yesterday called me father. O D U S X/zZzZZUZZZ 'if//¿Vz/Zz/Zz/Z (SZZZzZ -Zzzzz/zZZZZzZ Xzz/zí’Z 1518 N E KILLINGSWORTH EXODUS PORTLAND. OREGON 9721 1 FEBRUARY 284 7997 GENERAL STATEMENT TO BLACKS OF OUR COMMUNITY ATTITUDE Let me take this opportunity during Black History Month to share one of my valuable publications with you. I have concluded that ATTITUDE is the foundation to the three primary demensions of Life Mental demension-physical demension-and spiritual demension. - To complain - To criticize - To condemn - To frown and appear non-attentive - To exagérate - To find the bad of a situation or circumstance W HAT ARE THE REWARDS/RESULTS OF NEGATIVE ATTITUDES? W HAT ARE POSITIVE ATTITUDES? - To respect others - To accept people and situations you cannot change - To encourage - To smile and be attentive - To be honest - To find the good of a situation of circumstance of circumstance W HAT ARE THE REWARDS/RESULTS OF POSITIVE ATTITUDES? MENTAL RESULTS: - depression - unrest - frustration negative friends - totally controlled by others never enough money MENTAL RESULTS: self respect - respect of others (others respect you) peace of mind - true friends independence of others with many options - unlimited capabilities to produce money and other wealth PHYSICAL RESULTS: - facial wrinkles - indigestion, ucler, and other illnesses PHYSICAL RESULTS: - looks younger longer ' ■ h a ^ r i,neSSeSOri,,prOducin9 hab^ Office Hour, — 8 ) 0 AM io S.PM — Cloud Soturdoy, DENTURES Rsllnsd lor Batter Fit X W HAT ARE NEGATIVE ATTITUDES? h is .” In the world games what matters men of ashy Black shells whose lips protrude in moving soundless shame whose sightless eyes dream of visions not yet full not yet real enough for life in the world games where stands shoeless sons of Africa whose bare feet kiss the dust of yesterday's gloried dreams whose spear has not yet touched the lion's blood the lion's blood or even sun in harmless practice and where's the dark eyed child of Alma - habits that lead to bad health - tension and stress SPIRITUAL RESULTS: - discomfort, no faith, very limited trust in others - others are unwilling to trust you, to any great extent - habits that lead to good health - feel better no tension and stress SPIRITUAL RESULTS: - comfort, faith, and belief in a higher greater power - others are willing to trust you with their valuable and confidence STATEMENT OF FACT Success. Happiness. Health, and Money are all directly related to the amount of energy projected from your General Attitude toward the experience of Life; and specifically to your attitude toward yourself and others, regardless of the existing situation or circumstance at any given time ..Life is perception through Attitude. Life is accurate and accountable and flows with time The results of your life experiences at any given time are balanced and measured against your Attitude which will be either Negative or Positive...WHICH IS YOUR CHOICE? Thomas Boothe Ph. D & I
