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
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! ■ 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!