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Jackson State were withdrawn.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