INSIDE
Careers fo r the 1980s
Task force holds hearings on Black commission
The Governor's Advisory Com
mittee for M inority Affairs held one
of a series o f public hearings in
Portland Tuesday in an attempt to
define the need for and the potential
role o f a m inority commission for
Oregon.
The Advisory Committee was ap
pointed by the Governor to identify
concerns that are common to
m inorities and those unique to
specific groups; to determine an
organizational structure; and to
report its findings and recommen
dations within ninety days.
The push for a Black Commission
began fo u r years ago when the
Oregon Association for Black A f
fairs began work on legislation to
that end. The legislation was rejec
ted by the 1977 and 1979
legislatures. Hispanic Oregonians
also have unsuccessfully sought a
Hispanic commission.
According to Kay Toran, who is
chairperson o f the Advisory Com
mittee, Governor Atiyeh supported
legislation and is open to the idea o f
establishing a minority commission,
or two commissions, by Executive
Order.
The role o f the Advisory Commit
tee is to determine what the role o f a
commission would be, how it would
function, whether it is seen as useful
and necessary by the Black and
Hispanic communities. The next
issue, i f the commission or com
missions have community support,
will be access to funding.
One o f the major issues is whether
there should be one commission or
two. Although there is some con
cern about whether it w ould be
easier to fund one commission and
that perhaps it would be better to
accept one and later separate, the
general consensus is that two com
missions are needed.
Nick Barnett suggested that the
role o f the commission be advocacy
and research, since the Civil Rights
Division has the enforcement fun
ction.
D r.
B ill
L ittle
fe lt
that
PORTLAND OBSERVER
establishing a commission without
knowing what it w ill do could be
dangerous. I f the wrong people are
on the commission it could do more
harm than good. He also was con
cerned that little research exists on
which to base action. "W e don't
have much information on Blacks in
Oregon; we don’t have data."
Bill McClendon replied that "the
(Please turn to Page 6 Col 4)
Volum e 10 Number 25
June 28. 1980
IOC per copy
Two Sections
Hendrix represents Oregon youth
Reginald Hendrix was elected to
be governor o f the 1981 Beaver
Boy’s State by the 425 high school
ju n io rs in the Am erican Legion
sponsored educational program in
government held at the University
o f Oregon last week.
Hendrix w ill represent Oregon at
Boy’ s Nation in Washington, D.C.,
this year, and w ill preside over the
1981 session o f Boy’s State. Boy’s
State provides high school students
a first - hand opportunity to learn
how state government operates.
A junior at Benson High School,
Hendrix is m ajoring in electronic
engineering. He plans to take
Business A dm inistration or Elec
tronics Engineering at an as yet un
selected university.
Hendrix is involved in numerous
school
a ctivitie s.
He
was
secretary/treasurer o f the Junior
class, participated in a leadership
conference, assisted the eighth grade
recruitm ent and worked on the
blood drive, candy sale and T-shirt
sale.
He is a member o f the Benson
m arching and concert bands —
second chair percussionist -• and
was chosen Drum M a jo r and
President o f the band for the 1980-
81 school year. As a freshman he
.<?layed defensive tackle for the foot
ball team and during his junior year
threw the javelin, discus and shot on
the varsity team, earning a letter in
the events.
H endrix is active in Junior
Achievement, which teaches young
people the elements o f business.
REGINALD
This year he received several awards
Achiever
A w ard,
Ju n io r
C olum bia
Em pire
Achievers
Executive Award, $100 Sales Club
Association, which covers the area
Aw ard and 100°7o Attendence
o f a 30 mile radius o f Portland. He
A w ard. W inning the Executive
won an award fo r being in the
Award gave him an all-expense paid
second best discussion group at the
trip as a delegate to the National
Oregon Management Conference
Junior Achievement Conference in
and took second place in retailing at
Bloomington, Indiana.
the
Oregon
M arket
Place
He was president o f his Junior
Marathon.
Achievem ent Com pany and was
Hendrix was secretary o f the Jack
elected to the 1980-81 board o f
and Jill sponsored Portland Chapter
directors and vice president o f the
Teens in 1977 and 1978 and will be
Organized commitment
By Ben Priestley
The public education system o f
Portland Irom a Black frame o f
reference
covering
several
generations is perceived as not
designed or intended to be o f benefit
to Black children. Often it has been
in collusion with and in the service
o f those constituencies who use
custom, law and public policy as
mechanisms for Black oppression.
Thus public education was man
dated to conform to other con
ditions o f living for Blacks that are
earmarked by a continuous stream
o f experience filled with injustice,
cruelty, deprivation, terror, tyranny
and other symbolic forms o f bar
barism.
This made it imperative that the
Black United Front organize within
its ranks a skilled corp o f observers
and analysts who would give close
scrutiny to the indifference, insen
sitivity and cruelty that this school
system has directed at appalling
numbers o f Black children and their
parents over the past ten years. This
was to r the express purpose o f
having school boards and ad
m inistrations acknowledge that
Black children are human and
educable.
The recent recall announcements
are the decisions and options o f
those who are involved. The Black
United Front in its projected recall
o f three school board members is
not misguided nor is it a misreading
o f signals. It is not even a retaliation
to the activities o f those who at the
prodding of the media, crawled out
o f the w oodw ork to announce
themselves to be faithful troops in
the legion o f backlash. For the
Black United Front or any similar
group, any reaction to this would be
an exercise in futility. But the Black
United Front w ill keep before the
Black population an awareness of
the social and political wrong doing
o f those who are expected to know
better.
One battle in the struggle fo r
lib e ra tio n is slow ly but surely
changing course. The centripetal
forces that draw Black persons to
their own group are becoming more
effective da ily. The centrifugal
forces pulling Blacks in other direc
tions are becoming less compelling.
It is increasingly more difficult now
to find Blacks to lend comfort and
support to racist norms, in
stitutions, programs and values.
One function o f the Black United
Front is to keep the Black com-
munity informed o f the distressing
circumstances for Black children in
this educational environment. Con
tinuous concerned efforts are put
lo rth to dispel fear, remove con
fusion and prevent despair among
students and parents. The sense o f
worth and dignity o f the individual 1
in the Black community has reached
an unprecedented level o f con
sciousness. This happened despite
bad schools, high unemployment
and a host ol other externally im
posed difficulties. The Black United
Front has demonstrated that abuse
of Black children in the schools and
their parents in the outside would
have not caused Black people to
turn in on themselves. Black in
dignation is stronger, the voices of
protest are more unified and will not
be silenced and the spirit of resist
ance w ill not be deterred.
A n indisputable adage in
American life is that white racism
cannot exist without oppressing the
Black population. This o f necessity
requires the Black population to
assume a posture o f resistance to all
human oppression. There is an eter
nal conflict between white racism
(the system ) and Black humanity
(the resistance).
Front challenges recall effort
By Stephanie Cole
HEN D RIX
The Black United Front issued a
press release June 22, 1980 at the
King Neighborhood F acility, the
press release was issued in regard to
several prom inent figures in the
Portland Community soliciting the
recall o f the fo u r School board
members who voted fo r the ter
mination o f Portland Superinten
dent Robert Blanchard.
Prominent leaders in the recall
campaign o f Herb Caw thorne,
Sarah Newhall, Wally Priestly, and
Steve Buel are: Bob Hazen o f Bcnj.
Franklin, the Lloyd Corporation,
Charles Davis form er Public
U tilitie s Com m issioner and Bob
Feurgson o f the N eighborhood
Schools for Kids.
June Key from Cleveland and Ellen
In response to the recall campaign
Law from Franklin.
the BUF is asking the Black com
Barbara Friday, adm inistrative
munity and it’ s friends to withdraw
assistant at M t. T a b o r, was
th e ir partronage from Benj,
promoted to probationary elemen
Franklin, and to support a possible
tary principal and assigned to Mary
economic boycott o f Lloyd Center.
Rieke school. Thelma Brown, Eliot
The BUF and its supporters will
unit leader w ill be principal o f Rice.
also begin to plan the recall o f the
three board members of Frank Mc
A n organizing meeting fo r all per
Namara, Joe Reike, and Bill Scott,
sons who warn to take constructive
who in the BUF opinion have shown
action to oppose the a ttem p te d
their commitment to defend white
recall o f School Board members will
racism. When asked by the Observer
be held at King N eighborhood
what the Black United Front hoped
Facility on July 9th at 7:00 p. m.
to accomplish by w ithdraw ing
patronage from Benj. F ra n klin ,
Herndon stated, "W e hope to show
that the black com m unity is not
going to put its money in to
organizations aimed at hurting
In 1975 he was the recipient o f a
Black children."
Fulbright Scholarship to travel in
Herndon further expressed that,
India to study that nation's history
"th e black community is disappoin
and culture.
ted to see so many well known cor
porations involved in a racist cam
The Study-Tour is sponsored by
paign to deny Black children even
the Japan F oundation and the
the possibility o f achieving a quality
N ational C ouncil fo r the Social
education. M r. Blanchard ran an
Studies. Its purpose is to explore
educational system that maimed the
ways that the study o f contem
lives o f thousands o f Black children.
porary Japanese society and its
Its discriminatory polices and prac
culture m ight enhance global
tices are well documented. These
studies, a new area o f required study
corporation s never organized to
for Oregon high school students.
protect defenseless Black children
president for 1979 and 1980 He was
elected alternate to the conference in
Santa Clara.
Hendrix was a delegate represen-
ing Puerto Rico at the recent
Republican Mock Convention for
Oregon high school students.
The busy young man also loves to
ski, drive cars, meet interesting
people and water movies. He is the
son ot Mr. and Mrs. George Hen
drix.
and their improverished parents in
their struggle to obtain a quality
education.”
When asked if Dr. Blanchard was
fired because o f pressures from the
Black community Herndon stated
that, "some o f the media has been
suprisingly inaccurate by charac
terizing Blanchard’s termination as
a result o f criticism he received from
the Black community. That is one o f
the reasons he was fired. There were
a number o f other issues that were
the major causes for their action.”
Once again the Black U nited
Front is depending upon the Black
community to unify as one and fight
to protect Black children’s rights for
a quality education.
Gerald heads King School
B ill Gerald w ill move to King
Elem entary School to replace
LeRoy M oore, acting school
superintendent James Fenwick an
nounced. Gerald has been principal
o f Arleta, Mt. Tabor and Irvington
Schools.
He w ill replace LeRoy M oore,
who has been under fire from the
Black United Front.
A d d itio n a l changes in A lb in a
schools are the assignment o f new
principals to W oodlaw n and I r
vington. John Chadwick, who w ill
be p rin c ip a l o f Irv in g to n , is a
teaching fellow at the University o f
Oregon, where he is seeking his doc
torate. He previously was a coun
selor in Elm ound, llln o is , and a
high school teacher in Cook Coun
ty.
Pam Blumenaur, who is a special
education director in the Gresham
school district, w ill be assigned to
Woodlawn.
Four Blacks were promoted to
p ro bation ary
vice
prin cip a l
positions. Alcena Boozer w ill be a
vice principal at Grant; Lois Irving
and A .W . " T o n y ” W illiam s at
Adams; Audry Haynes at Franklin.
Retiring Black vice principals are
Washington wins Japan travel
HERMAN WASHINGTON
Herman A. W ashington, Spec
ialist fo r Social Studies w ith the
Oregon Department o f Education,
is one o f six recipients o f the I W
Japan Foundation S tudy-T our
Awards. The six-person team was
selected by the National Council for
the Social Studies fro m 135 ap
plicants and w ill depart form San
Francisco on July 7th fo r a two
week visit to Japan.
Washington is a candidate for a
doctorate in political science at the
University o f Colorado at Boulder.
Dwayne Cunningham visited Portland with "Circus Vargua." From
Philadelphia. Cunningham wae ona of 10 to ba ehoaan from 6.000 ap
plicants to attend clown achool In Florida. Ha waa ona of 16 graduetea
to ba hlrd by Ringling Brothers. four yaara ago, but latar loft to Join
Clrcua Vargua. ha enjoys the fraadom of a amall clrcua and la abla to
do a aolo performance.
(Photo: Richard J. Brown)