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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1980)
Page 2 P o rtla n d O bserver M a rc h 6. I960 BLACK EDITORIAL/OPINION PART I Introduction By N. Fungiti Kumbula One way desegregation The latest school desegregation plan pre No middle school: sented by Chairman Bill Scott in response to To a new arrival in Portland, you can overwhelm Black and come King 6-8 graders are added (along with one in this particular job or com one o f the most unusual things board members suggestions is not acceptable up with white. History, of course, Woodlawn, to the Columbia/Whitaker cluster pany.” Many a time I have heard about the city is the absence o f a has shown us which has been the from any point of view. It does nothing to ad although the District agrees that already 250 stories o f how the only “ brother” Black community. True, there are most consistent result. dress the inequities and deficiencies in the or “ sister” in this or that company students who live in the Columbia/Whitaker parts o f the city that could be called Rather than " in te g r a tio n ," did everything he/she could to make education of Black children. And it certainly Black. True, there are a number o f area cannot attend that school because of lack people should be striving for co sure another brother/sister does not cannot be called a "com prehensive individuals in Portland who do a lot existence. Integration says: " F m of space. These children have been get a job in the same company. In desegregation plan." o f things related to Blacks. None okay; you are not okay,” or "You recruited to other K-8 and middle schools. one case one such individual went so theless, a real Black community is are okay; I ’ m not o k a y .” Co The plan does not address the demands Humboldt middle school children will attend far as to try to prevent an applicant still glaringly missing. Could this be existence, on the other hand, says: made by the community through the Black from getting an interview. Ockly Green, correcting an earlier omission. because Portland does not have a " I'm okay; We’ re okay.” In that United Front. It does not keep faith with the That was only one side o f the Humboldt was the only Jefferson feeder real ghetto in the sense that Los case nobody drowns out no one. So, "evils of integration.” What about promises made by the Board in response. Angeles, Chicago and New York school left out of the Ockly Green cluster what has “ in te g ra tio n " done to pride, self-respect and self esteem? After six months of non-stop discussion and have ghettoes? This is most unlikely when it was created. Portland’s missing Blacks? It has so A casual stroll down any Portland because ••g h e tto " and "B la c k after many community forums, the Board has many people so bent on being ac Eliot will house a magnet school with selec street will soon show that all that is community” are hardly synomous. cepted that a Black community is come up with: tion criteria based on academic, artistic or in pitifully low supply too. Take the Anybody who has attended any anahtema. To be part o f anything An expansion of one-way transfers. case of hair, for example. Any time athletic ability. This is highly discriminatory Black function, be it public rally, exclusively Black is not only un Black students at Humboldt (grades 3-5) will when adm ittedly under educated Black you walk down any street, how speech, party, meeting or what have desirable but also very threatening many times have you seen beautiful go to Beach, but no Beach children will attend you must have noticed that in nine children must compete with the city's elite for to the ultimate goal o f final " im Black hair processed, “ cooked” or Humboldt. cases out of ten, there are more non mersion” into the white social set admission. This is not providing a middle tried half to death? Once upon a Blacks than there are Blacks. A up. Black children will be removed from King school in the com m unity for com m unity time, it was just women who were number o f exceptions could be It has also been said that those and go to Sabin or Alameda. No w hite youngsters. guilty o f this crime but now even cited, o f course, such as some o f the Blacks who could have provided the children will be transferred to King (or to men spend hours in beauty salons The notion of segregating out the achievers Black United Front meetings and leadership for the form ation o f a Sabin). trying to get that “ cool” processed African Liberation Day rallies but, at age eleven is highly suspect, especially in Black community have since been look. What for? As beautiful as These changes are designed to make space light of the racial and economic discrimination. those are the exceptions rather than "g ive n ” good positions and, that Black hair is? in Humboldt and King for returning Black The selection of a few Black achievers for this the rule. Where is Portland's sense way, effectively silenced. Now, Black entertainers who are ot community? Being the curious, students, and to reserve space for white school will continue the talent drain on the rather than stick to their fellow per usually the role models for most ‘ ‘ nosy,” inquisitive new arrival that sons, the tendency is to go in the voluntary transfers. remaining Albina schools. Black children are sometimes the I am, J set out to find the answers opposite direction: they want to be Once again Black children are being worst offenders. This is 1980 and The athletic criteria insures a number of and what I came up with was, in considered "team players.” displaced to provide room for white pre Black students, but the parks are already full yet the “ Superfly syndrome” still some cases, less than savory. O f It is true economic considerations lingers. Look at James Brown, schoolers. course, these are only part o f the an always dictate what we do. It would of little Black boys dreaming of careers in pro Albert King, Tyrone Davis, Barry swer. Eliot ECE will be moved to Monroe, moving basketball. Are we really going to push them be a fool who would turn down one W hite, the list goes one. Black There is no real Black community of those high paying jobs (especially more Black children out of the community. into this dead end "track" at age eleven? children look at that and th in k in P ortland because o f what is in these days o f skyrocketing un Eliot could have been moved to Boise, which Nowhere in this plan do we find an analysis sometimes called the "integration that’s “ cool.” Then we talk about employment) but, do we really have not only would have enhanced Boise's of why Albina schools consistently score up to Black culture: how can we have a craze” : the need to be accepted into to abandon our people? Isn’t blood program, but would have helped the District's four years below grade level on achievement Black culture when the so-called the "m a jo rity” community. What is thicker than water any more? successful Blacks are rejecting stated goal of bringing white children into tests. Moving around w on 't solve that wrong with "in te g ra tio n ? " In its Having gotten an opening like almost everything Black and em Boise. present com plexion, everything. this, the logical thing would be to problem. bracing everything white? When you mix Black and white, you Scattering will continue: try to reach out and help other There is nothing to insure quality ad do one o f three things: you can NEXT: Black men, white women, brothers and sisters “ get up here” Scattering of Black children among white ministration and teaching, nothing but a band- freedom o f choice. either overwhelm white and come also but, is that the case? More of schools will continue as the District's volun aid approach to teacher training, and no ap up with Black, you can neutralize NEXT TO NEXT: Black men, ten than not, the tendency has been teer program will depend on the "hard sell" to parent motivating philosophy in curriculum both and come up with brown or Black women, the Black community to make sure that “ I remain the only and looking ahead. entice Black children away from the neighbor changes. hood schools. In short -- nothing is new. Rhythm Rap Letters to the Editor By Nyewusi Askari (a. k. a. kelly norman) America will destroy itself To the editor: When Brezhnev told Carter Feb. 22 " d o n ’ t get tough with us,” he wasn’ t talking like Khomeini that "Am erica is the great Satan” ; in stead he was talking as an equal or even superior, who could tell us to get out o f a lot o f places matching Cuba, Afghanistan, etcl He could remind us that we got our land from the Indians by force and fraud. To day, the critical issue is maintaining the balance o f power between the communistic camp and the demo cratic bloc—hence every aggression is duly considered. But as important, or more so, is the problem o f moral degeneration _ . o f Americans who have become so serious in ridiculous things—e.g., making a tremendous ado over such trivia as Olympics while inflation devours us alive. Here is really where the devil is! Imagine a great America hoaxed by a rock-and-roll wiggle-jiggle type o f mind? A Feb. 21 TV show interviewed some not able young women who shamelessly boasted about living and sleeping promiscuously with different men. Imagine the ruinous effect this has on millions o f our youth? Worse, this rot is excused and defended by clever double-talk. Our own crime wave, ghoulish beyond expression, is only but another form o f a foreign invasion, etc. Dope, booze, licentious sexism, greed, etc., join this invasion in the name of eagle spread patriotism. So as one Russian said, "W e w o n 't have to fig h t you; you’ ll destroy yourselves.” Meantime, to guarantee this trend, a lot o f pious cant about ‘ ‘ God bless us” goes on, when we are cursing Him. Actually, figuratively, God has raised up a new "ro d o f anger” in the USSR, replica o f ancient Assyria as ex pressed by the O ld Testaments prophets who w ith one voice demanded "amend your ways or be destroyed by the sw ord” or its equivalents in slow mouldering and withering, etc. Paul Brinkman, Jr. Cannon Beach, Ore. Get rid of Blanchard To The Editor: In response to the article “ Get Rid ot Blanchard” by Ron Herndon (Jan. 24, 1980), I wholeheartedly endorse and support the demand of the Black United Front for the hasty resignation o f P ortland Public Schools Superintendent Robert Blanchard. I have been working closely with a group o f w hite citizens who organized last summer in support of the Black United Front and their call for a school boycott. In the past several months I have also become increasingly involved in the issue of desegregation, through, among other ways, membership on various citizen committees set up by the District. I have witnessed the ap parent confusion and discord among Board members, the lack o f participation in the process by those who should be most interested -- parents o f all classes/races — but most of all the countless ways in which a large bureaucratic structure can stifle c re a tivity, foster con fusion and aggravation, wait out most any controversy, and still be around next year and the next and the next... I say it is time for a change in the top administration o f the Portland Public Schools. W ith the new decade, let’s look for someone with vision and an open mind (and ears), not someone who is supposed to solve the very problems his policies created. Dr. Blanchard’s programs seemed to be appropriate at the time, but are not effective now and evidence is growing that the effects o f his policies (on some, i f not all students) are much more destructive than obvious to most. In my experience, it is the attitude o f the top adm inistrators that determine the tone o f the operation of the whole structure. Progressive people surround themselves with the other progressive people and together they do progressive things. P ortland P ublic School ad ministration is in dire need o f such vision. Sheryl Bushong PORTLAND OBSERVER T h . Portland Observer (USPS 959 6801 w publnhed «very Thurs- osy by Exie Publishing Company, Inc.. 2201 North Killingsworth P °£ta"d. Oregon 97217. Post Office B o, 3137. Portend. Oregon 9/Z0B Second class postage paid at Portland, Oregon Subscriptions »7 50 per year in Tri County area »8 00 per year outside Tri County area P ostm aster: Send address changes to the Portland Observer, P O Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208 J ? Por, ' la,,d Observer's official position is expressed only in its Editorial column Any other material throughout the paper is the opinion of the individual writer or submitter and does not neces sarily reflect the opinion of the Portland Observer 283 2486 ALFRED L. HENDERSON Editor/Publisher N ational A d vertisin g R ep resentative A m a lg a m ated Publishers. Inc. N e w York NWA Aasociatien - fo u n d e d ims ■.n usi a lE I - B i ■ I Oregon Newspaper Publishers A ssociation 1st Place Community Service ONPA 1973 1st Place Best Ad Results ONPA 1973 5th Place Best Editorial ONPA 1973 Honorable Mention He. nek Editorial Award N NA 1973 2nd Place Best Editorial 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1975 ==) 3rd Place ■ ! ■ Community Leadership ” ONPA 1978 The voice of two liberators: Liberator one: This Black com munity is an empty shell and its hard to tell who lives here anymore. Gone are the smiles, the ex citement, and dreams o f building a separate Black nation. Gone is Black love. And it hurts to see how de termined we are to destroy each other without second thoughts o f how easy it is to fill the void we strive daily to retain. Our Black rhythm is broken. Nights are no longer nights, but rather empty nightmares filled with echos of bleeding hearts, and false starts toward no new beginnings; making the end a welcomed thought. Our Black rhythm is broken and our strengths are no longer strengths, but rather empty emotions running scared o f what the next moment will bring. Our Black rhythm is broken and so are our spirits. Our faces are long and our hearts sing no happy songs because nothing can replace whats been lost. And fo r all we know ..we may never be human again. L ib e ra to r Tw o: We are liberators/fighters/Black men and women learning the ways o f this world; the good, the badd, the ugly and we believe in the possibility of victory in our children’ s lifetime. Today, the winds blow softspeed through the visions o f our minds, touchin upon the dreams, sights, sounds, smells and spirits we w ill shape into tomorrow’s future. The moon follows, touchin the souls o f fellow w arriors and it chastises us for our negative, un necessary comedown on our people. We touch the breeze, the moon, each other, and ask fo r forgiveness...forgiveness for creatin badd moments, badd weeks, badd fears and never endin tears. And we dig on the breeze and feel ourselves growin, knowin that we love being who we are, what we are and who we will come to be. Liberation will be ours again as a people, ours and maybe yours, if you’re diggin on creatin something more beautiful, more magical than the rhythms you just played o ff as being unw orthy o f your com passion, understanding, dedication and compromise. We touch the breeze, the moon, ourselves and wait for the sounds of our souls, minds, hearts and spirits grindin/findin/screamin/creatin— smooth dances as we move in the direction o f a united love; a profound love; a love built on the principle that we can survive on our own merits; that love, substance, and an unending desire for freedon from all types o f oppression still exist among us. That’ s the rhythm we seek. That’s the rhythm we will achieve. © copyright 1980 Nyewusi Askari Notes from City Hall By Charles Jordan, Commissioner o f Public Safety A police officer will respond to my call in 3 to 5 minutes? Yes, in most cases! Last week we discussed what in fo rm a tio n citizens should be prepared to give when calling the police emergency number (760- 6911) fo r immediate response. However, many citizens might want to know WHY and HOW IS TH AT DETERMINED? D uring w inter, the police emergency receives an average o f 1350 calls and during the summer, 1575 calls per day. The most ef ficie n t way to assure your best protection is to prioritize all calls. The p riority code for dispatching police officers is determined by the E m e rg e n c y C o m m u n ic a tio n s Operations Center (ECOC), a com bined facility o f Portland, M u lt nomah, Gresham and Troutdale. A quick review o f those priority codes may enlighten many to the mysteries o f police response. A P R IO R IT Y CODE I (EM ERGENCY) is assigned when life is in immediate danger or when tim e is c ritic a l. Violent crimes against persons receive the highest priority. Murder, rape, aggravated assult and kidnap would be classed in this group. A P R IO R IT Y CODE 2 ( IM M EDIATE) is assigned when life or property may be in danger or a crime is or may be in progress or when rapid response may result in an apprehension. Serious crimes against property, such as arson, robbery, burglary and auto theft would be included here. may be expected. In these situations, ECOC personnel w ill make every attem pt to advise citizens o f the potential delay along with an estimated time. A P R IO R IT Y CODE 5 (D E L A Y E D ) C A L L is assigned only at the request o f the citizen in situations when a citizen cannot immediately meet with an officer. When available, their call is re assigned the appropriate p rio rity code. A P R IO R IT Y CODE 3 Vour knowledge is understanding (PR O M PT) is assigned when the how your calls are prioritized is very situation is not an emergency but important and the information you timely police response is necessary . share with the operator when calling to provide asequate service. to assure proper response to reduce crime. A P R IO R IT Y CODE 4 (R O U TIN E) is assigned when the So-called "v ic tim le s s " crimes situation is “ cold,” response time is (prostitution, illegal gambling, drug not a factor, no hazard will occur if abuse) are usually dealt with by o f response is delayed and the delay ficers assigned to the Special Inves will not result in the loss o f eviden tigations Division in Vice or Nar ce. cotics but unless we are, or have When the demand for police ser been victimed, we usually fail to vice has exceeded available police recognize W HO ARE THE V IC resources, priority 4 (routine) calls TIMS OF SO-CALLED “ V IC TIM are subject to “ stacking” and an LESS” crimes? appreciable delay in police response Join me next week!
