Paga 2 P ortlan d O bserver February 28. 1980
EDITORIAL/OPINION
AFRICANA
By N. Fungat Kumbula
No School Board unity
The call for unity has been made in the press
and among School Board "W a tch e rs." This
call comes from the apparent confusion and
indecisiveness of the "N ew Board."
Some blame this on the fact that the new
Board is made up of seven highly independent
people each of whom sometimes finds it d if
ficult to subordinate his own goals to those of
the six other individualists. Board members are
being urged to unite and present a unified
front in order to gam the confidence of the
public.
We don t want a unified board. The "old
Board was a unified board, w ith the decisions
made by the superintendent and one or two
Board members, with automatic approval by
the remainder of the Board - often w ith out
public discussion.
Theoretically, at least, seven individuals,
each w ith their own unique background, in
open and free discussion, and w ith equal
sta tu s and respect, w ill reach the best
decision. Isn't that how democracy is suppose
to work?
The confusion on the Board is not the result
of having seven independent members. It has
several sources:
- Insufficient material provided by the staff
too late for Board members to make indepen
dent studies and w ith o u t the facts, figures,
ju s tific a tio n s and pro je ctio n s necessary to
make sound decisions.
- A shift in leadership and influence on the
Board. The new "m a jo rity" are under pressure
to produce, especially in the vital area of
desegreation, and chairman Bill Scott has to
prove his worth by firm ing up the process as
his predecessor was unable to do.
- Lack of confidence in the Superintendent.
Several members of the school Board have
serious questions as to the Superintendent's
ability and even willingness to adapt to new
policies and changed priorities. On the other
hand, the Superintendent has strong support
ers on the Board. Should a new Superinten
dent, one who will eagerly anticipate and par
ticipate in educational and structural changes
be selected? Until this question is addressed
and resolved, the tensions w ithin the Board
will continue.
This unresolved question not only affects
the Board s relationship w ith its superinten
dent, but causes instability w ith in his staff.
Those who have not yet determined where the
power lies are still walking a tightrope.
These conflicts have come to a head during
the past m o n th 's d e lib e ra tio n s over
Merriwether Lewis School. Most of the Board
members considered the inform ation present
ed by the Area II staff to be insufficient, yet
the Superintendent and staff members angrily
and hostily defended their performance. O ut
bursts of anger tow ard the Board in public
meetings do not add to the public confidence.
Neither does the excuse that Board members
are new and inexperienced and therefore are
at fault.
The "N ew Board" is having its problems -
but most of those problems are related to the
question of taking the power that is theirs as
elected representaives of the people.
To judge the candidates
The Congressional Black Caucus has adopt
ed a set of guidelines for evaluating president
ial ca n d id a te s . (See page o ne , These
guidelines cover a broad spectrum of issues of
vital importance to Black voters; em ployment,
h o u sin g , h e a lth , ene rg y, e d u c a tio n , c iv il
rignts, budget priorities, etc.
The Observer w ill use these guidelines -
w h ic h in the m ost p art parallel our ow n
editorial positions - in the endorsem ent of
political candidates. These guidelines - which
can also be extended to local and regional
issues - can provide the voter a m ethod to
e valuate the c a n d id a te 's s ta te m e n ts and
promises.
Notes from City Hall
By Charles Jordan,
Commissioner of Public Safety
/r « late night. You’ve just wit
nessed a crime. A police officer is
urgently needed and you're wonder
ing how do / get a police car to the
scene right away?
Call the Police Emergency num
ber 760-6911 and first tell the
operator the address of »here you
are, the reason for the call and the
telephone number of the phone you
are using
Don’ t hang up!!!
The operator may need more in
formation for your safety and the
safety o f the officers responding to
your call. So, stay on the line and
ans»er all the questions. ( If it’ s safe
to do so.)
Be prepared to provide a physical
description o f the suspect; i.e., male
or female, height, »eight, hair
color, skin color, type of clothing,
type of car, anything odd or unusual
about the suspect and the time of
day you saw the incident.
A police officer » ill respond in
most cases within 3 to 5 minutes.
This is one o f many questions I
» ill explore in this column each
week. It is o f vital importance that
citizens know and understand what
their police officer’s job is and how
he or she goes about it. It is equally
important that citizens understand
what their rights are and how to
conduct themselves during a ’ ’ stop”
to receiwe the best service from a
police agency.
It is evening. You 're in a hurry to
the grocery store. You look in your
rearview m irror and see red lights
flashing. Nervous and a little upset,
you p ull over to the curb. The o ff
icer turns on the bright overhead
spotlights. You don't like it. It is
embrassing to you and you 're won
dering, what next? Do I get out of
my car? W ill the officer approach
my car? What information will he
want? What inform ation must I
provide? Can I be arrested? Can the
officer search my car? What about
confiscating my property?
The grocery store on the cornor
was just robbed by a person w earing
a green jacket, blue gloves, grey
pants and a cap You're coming
home fro m a frie n d 's house and
you 're wearing a green jacket, black
gloves and light blue pants. Does the
police otlicer have probable cause
to stop you ’ Restrain you.’ Question
you? Arrest you as a possible
suspect?
You feet an officer has violated
your rights...during your encounter
with a police officer any number o f
things may have happened that you
feel were a violation o f your rights
as a citizen W ho do you call?
W here do you go? What in fo r
mation w ill you need? How w ill
your complaint be processed? How
long w ill an investigation take?
W hat alternative do you have?
Your guilt or innocence is a mat
ter of the courts. The street is not
the place where the law should be
debated or decided by citizens or
officers. It is my hope that these
scenarios w ill serve as a valuable
resource to those who choose to
read them, need them and use them.
In response to much community
concern, I hope that each week you
will find answers to your questions
in several key areas. 1 believe that
our citizens and police w ill work
together so that co n flic t w ill be
minimized when they both under
stand one another’ s expectations,
rights and responsibilities.
PORTLAND OBSERVER
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T S Z lW b
ALFRED L. HENDERSON
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NNA 1973
Zim babwe: The election
countdown has begun. The British
appointed governor. Lord Soames is
still doing his best to bar Robert
Mugabe trom contesting the elec
tions. W hen he was appointed, his
job, obstensibly was, to make sure
that the elections were conducted
treely and fairly, with a minimum of
intimidation. He was supposed to be
no more than an impartial observer.
Since he arrived in Zimbabwe, he
has made no pretense at im p a r
tiality.
Far from torm enting unity, he
has created and encouraged rivalry
among the Black candidates. He has
tried to drive a wedge between the
two wings o f the Patriotic Front,
Mugabe’ s Z A N U and Joshua
S ko m o ’ s Z A P U . W hile he has
deployed Rhodesian troops against
ZANU ’ ’ holdouts,” he has turned a
blind eye to Bishop M uzorewa’ s
private army which continues to
harass and intim idate the people.
Time and time again, Mugabe has
threatened to walk out o f the
agreement and go back to the bush
to resume the war unless some of
these injustices are redressed. Some
o f Mugabe's top lieutenants have
been barred from campaigning and
as many as 2500 o f his supporters
detained.
It is admist this background that
Zimbabweans w ill go to the polls
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
of this week Whether Mugabe will
be in the running is not yet clear
Soames is so alraid that il Mugabe
wins, then the Africans would really
be in control. On the other hand, if
Nkomo or Muzorewa wins, then the
status quo will be maintained.
East A fric a : The three East
African Neighbors Kenya, Tanzania
and Uganda used to be united in an
economic e ntity called the East
African Community. This was the
b ra inchild o f Tanzania's Julius
Nyerere, M ilton Obote and Jomo
Kenyatta, then president of Uganda
and Kenya respectively. A fter the
overthrow o f M ilton Obote in 1971
and, as each country began to
follow a different ideological path,
relations among the three countries
steadily deteriorated culminating in
the breakup o f the EAC in 1975.
With Idi Amin gone, the chill has
begun to thaw. Recently, Nyerere
met with Uganda’s Godfrey Binaisa
and Kenya’ s Daniel Arap Moi. This
was the first meeting o f the three
countries leaders in ten years. So,
understandly, hopes that the EAC is
about to
be revived
were
resuscitated.
West Africa: Guinea, which for
years isolated itself from the rest o f
the w orld, recently joined Sierra
Leone and L iberia in another
economic union called the Mano
River Union. Hopefully, this ven
ture will prevail despite the very d if
ferent ideologies luliowed by the
three member countries.
Namibia: Lt. Gen. Prem Chand,
appointed last month to command
the United Nations T ransitional
Assistance G roup (U N T A G ),
arrived in Windoek, Namibia, last
week to confer with South African
"authorities” on the future of the
disputed territo ry. However, not
much progress can be expected as
everybody is watching to see how
the "dram a” in Zimbabwe will end.
In the meantime, the buildup o f
South A frican troops w ith in the
country seems to be accelerating.
The figure is well over 65,000
already and still growing.
Zambia: The recent raids into
Zam bia by both Rhodesian and
South African troops exposed the
alarm ing vu ln e ra b ility o f that
southern African nation. The out
dated a n ti-aircraft batteries that
Zambia bought from England were
o f very little use in shoring up the
c o u n try ’ s defences. Recently,
however, Zambia purchased 16 MiG
21s from the Russians. Over 200
Zambians air force pilots and
ground crews have been training for
more than two months to fly the
MiGs. These new planes are the
equivelant of the Mirages used by
South Africa.
Tribute to a Blackman
by Asmar A bdul Seifullah
a.k.a. Joe West »40404______
In the past Black people have
I write these lines because within
been grossly negligent in acknowl our own community there are Black
edging and supporting their Black leaders who need our support and
leaders. Too often has such ac protection. There are many brothers
knowledgment been after the death and sisters that I could call attention
or exile o f a dedicated Black leader. to but I don’t have the space or ex
Dr. Martin Luther King was a great pertise to m ention them all.
man while he was alive but it seems However, I would like to mention
as though we’ ve attributed further one brother who stands a little taller
greatness after his death. The same than the rest. Brother Ron Hern
is true about M alcolm , Garvey, don, the co-chairman o f the Black
DuBois and others. Such an attitude
is like finding a cure after the dis United Front, deserves such recog
nition. He’ s been active and com
ease has run its course—-the cure
mitted
to the struggle since the late
may be great but it doesn’t help yes
sixties. Ron gave the community its
terday’ s victim.
first Black bookstore and was the
Then there are Black leaders on
founder o f the Black Educational
the community level that live rather Center.
obscure lives nationally and die ob
The B.E.C. is geared to address
scurer deaths because as a people.
the needs o f Black children in terms
Black people are very slow in recog
of education with a chocolate fla
nizing their contributions to the lib vor. Ron Herndon should be com
eration struggle. As it stands mended for the work he’s done with
now — the only real leaders that
the Black children o f our commun
Black people have are dead. I ’ ve o f ity. For too long we have neglected
ten heard brothers and sisters say the importance o f a healthy educa
such things as, "H a d Martin lived tion for our children. We’ ve left the
things would be d iffe re n t,’ ’ or
future and immortality of the Black
"M alcolm was just coming into his community in the hands o f the white
ow n.” When in actuality had we educational system. I f this continues
supported them fully, their deaths the best we can hope for is a bunch
may have been avoided. Had the o f Black children singing God Bless
white world been put on notice as to Amerika and feeling inferior for the
the well being o f Malcolm and Mar rest o f their lives.
tin and the possible consequences
Many o f us are beyond redemp
involved if something were to hap tion but damn, “ What about the
pen to them, they might still be alive babies?” There is a commercial on
today. What I’ m saying is that we TV about the United Negro College
must protect our leaders with full Fund which says “ A M IN D IS A
support and acknowledgment to the TERRIBLE T H IN G TO WASTE”
ninth degree.
but it seems as though too few Black
What do you think would happen people identify with its importance.
if Khomeini or Castro were assasi- I'm sure that Ron Herndon under
nated by some unknown cracker. stands its importance and on behalf
You don’ t see the leaders o f the o f the three hundred-plus Blackmen
great world powers knocking each inside O.S.P. I'd like to say thanks
other o ff because the consequences f o r caring, thanks f o r being so
are too great. I f Jomo had been damn Black and beautiful. We
murdered by the colonialist govern-
really appreciate the work Ron is
ment.-in Kenya, Mau Maus would
trying to do in assuring that our
still be taking heads. There would children receive a quality educa
hade been war without compromise
tion— brother, we're with you in
Or quarter.
spirit and soul.
When the country recognizes that
It’ s important that we remember
Black people w on’ t tolerate any
that Blackmen have been killed for
more happen-chancc executions o f doing less than what Ron is trying to
its leaders they’ ll stop killing them.
achieve. It's not really that fa r
W e must support our leadership to
fetched for Ron to be the victim of
the maximunv—national support is an unfo rtu n a te accident. When
the oatv thing that will spare us the yo u 're ta lkin g about a qu a lity
education for Black children, you're
grief we’ ve experienced in the past
Support is protection and a means
talking about whitefolks spending
to the realization o f freedom for all
money. If a cracker will kill a nigger
oppressed people.
about a white woman, what do you
think he’ ll do about a nigger mess
ing with his bankroll? They’ ve al
ready proven how vicious they can
be and if you think about it Martin
d id n 't get offed un til he started
ta lkin g about Vietnam and the
dollar bill.
History as a way of repeating it
self and historically we’ ve lost a lot
o f our leaders because we did n ’ t
fully support them. Have you evej
thought what would happen i f a
Blackman killed Carter or even a
racist like Wallace? Man, there
would be Black blood spilled from
Oregon to New York; we’ d need
passes to go to the store. What I ’m
saying is that i t ’s the threat o f vio
lence that prevents violence, like
having the bomb to protect yo u r
self. When people know yo u ’ ll
defend yourself and your leaders
they 'll leave both alone.
A white racist policeman could
shoot
Ron
Herndon
down
tom orrow for a tra ffic violation.
The verdict would be ju s tifia b le
homicide and most of us would be
gullible enough to go for it. The
movement would have a dead hero
and Ron's children would be just as
fatherless as M artin’ s children As a
Blackman that's not able to assure
anything to anybody, I can say with
assurance that should the com
munity lose the like of Ron Hern
don and people like him, the loss
will be greater than the passing o f
one man. Our development has been
such that we can’ t afford to lose
another soldier without resisting.
D o n ’ t be misled by my w ord
play—I ’ m not advocating violence
for the sake o f violence. What I'm
talking about is an attitude that has
been lacking in Black people. An at
titude that transcends the monkey
business and deceitful games that
society plays on us. an attitude that
will allow us to defend our struggle
for freedom and equality without
the needless and wasteful death of
Black leaders. There is no hope
without support and your presence
carries greater weight than your ab
sence. Support Ron Herndon and
the members o f the Black United
F ro n t— i t ’s our children they 're
fig h tin g f o r and i f they lose our
children lose.
Thank you for reading these lines
and may A lla h bless those who
believe in and support the rnnypun.
ity beyond rhetoric.
"
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Community leadership
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ONPA 1978
Portland Observer
Box 3137
Portland. Oregon 97206
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