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)