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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 10, 1980)
/ Portland Observer July 10, IMO Page 7 Strayhands honored By Stephanie Cole FOR COLORED G IR L S .. . Triumph!! By Nyewusi Askari "Pursuing the way o f h fe/ within the colors o f vision/between the Black and the Black, " (H a k i R. MadhubutiJ I f anyone doubts the talent, a b ility , dedication and professionalism o f Portland Black Repertory Theatre, those doubts w ill be quickly extinguished, once one has seen its performance o f Ntozake Shange’ s " F o r Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is E n u ff ” And...in order to realize the im mediate and future im pact this Black theatre w ill have upon our lives as an institution, one must see the perform ance o f "C o lo re d G ir ls ," which can be seen every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings beginning at 9 p.m ., through Sept. 22, at Catlin Gabel Cabell Center for Performing Arts, 8825 S.W. Barnes Road, Beaverton. Reservations can be made by calling 281-5658, 9a.m. to 5 p.m. See and believe, believe and see, support and encourage the Black Repertory Theatre, fo r it is fast becoming the " o n ly ” theatre in town... The congregation o f the A llen Temple C .M .E . C hurch w ill be hosting a celebration in honor o f Rev. Thomas L. Strayhand and his family. Rev. Strayhand has served as Allen Temple’ s pastor for eleven years. The celebration is in appreciation o f his achievements and involve ments within the church and com munity. Rev. Strayhand has served on various community and church boards and has sought to strengthen the bonds o f family life. He also has worked to bring direction to some o f the co m m u n ity’ s misguided youth. Rev. Strayhand is described by fellow pastors as being a modest, humble man, and a devoted defend er o f Christian faith. P rincipal speaker fo r the celebration w ill be D r. O.B. Williams, pastor o f Vancouver First Baptist Church. Special churches on the celebration program w ill be: H ighland C hurch, First A .M .E . Zion, Bethel A.M .E ., Mount Olive and a host o f others. Included also w ill be various choirs from the community. The celebration w ill be held July 13th, at 3:30 p.m ., at The Allen Temple C.M.E. Church located at N.E. 8th and Skidmore. The com munity is invited to come and par ticipate in the celebration. Bryant trains Pvt. Charles L. Bryant jr., son o f Mrs. Brenda S. Bryant, is attending basic tra in in g at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. D uring the tra in in g , students receive instruction in drill and cer- monies, weapons, map reading, tac tics, m ilita ry courtesy, m ilita ry justice, first aid, and Army history and traditions. Prison riot: An eyewitness report (Continued from page 1 col 6) began to eat his lunch. Fantastic --’ yes...but that’s ,what actually hap pened!!! It shquld also be added that this wasn’ t a planned or organized action on the part o f the inmates. The frustration and ten sion became overpowering and the result was confusion. When the prison administration finally responded to this incident it was with violence and forcefulness. C orrectional o ffice rs from O .S .C .I., O.S.P. and the State Police took part in quelling the disturbance. I was waiting for them to issue some order for surrender but none came. I think that if they had asked for those parties not involved in the disturbance to come out quietly, that 90^0 o f the inmates would have come out. But they issued no such order or warning. Instead, they came in with guns blazing, shooting indiscrim inately at anything that moved, which in my mind is very irresponsible action. I can under stand their w anting to restore security and saftey, but there was a total disregard for the lives o f in- nocent inmates when trigger happy guards were given the okay to shoot first and ask questions later. I can’t see where i t ’ s necessary to shoot people armed with table legs and sticks when gas would have been a better alternative. Plus the six in mates that now lie wounded and maybe dying, wouldn’ t be suffering now. When the shooting began, two other brothers and 1 dove under my bed. I prayed to Allah not to let me die in the middle o f all this madness. I heard orders being issued for in mates to go into their cells, and gun- smoke and fear permeated the air around me. Someone called out - " I 'm s h o t!" An o ffice r replied, "D o n 't move your asshole or you 're dead!” It was all so senseless that I wondered if there was a sane person on either side. Reason seem to evaporate w ith each passing moment. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, the authorities regained control and I thought that they were going to shoot us all in our cells but they didn’t — praise Allah! At 3:30 a.m., another inmate and I were ordered to clean up the mess. There was blood everywhere and I still don’t know why 1 was chosen for this job. Nothing remained in tact; the sick smell o f blood was ap- pauling and all I could think of was do it and d on’ t say anything - they’ re waiting on you to refuse. Do it and go back to bed. Not that it ’ s all over, one thing lingers in my mind. There is no ex cuse for senseless violence or the w illful destruction o f property. I ’ m sure that most inmates w ill agree with me that the authorities used more force than was necessary and that the casualties were low con sidering the type of people who had the guns. I pray Allah that I never again ex perience such a night o f terror and fear. And I know now how so many inmates died in the Attica riot. May Allah protect us from the irrespon sible actions o f fools - both inmate fand staff!!! Anytime reason gives way to ignorant emotion the out come is always violence and pain. A fter the night o f June 27th, one has to wonder who the real criminals are??? Dick Gregory defies travel ban (Continued from Page 1 Col 6) HIS PROPOSALS Mr. Gregory said he believes the impasse in Iran can be resolved and he set forth cer tain suggestions which he is convin ced could ease the tensions and perhaps lead to the freeing o f the hostages. It is Gregory’s conviction that the American perception of the tu rm o il in Iran as “ a p o litic a l revolution” is in error. He sees it as a "re lig io u s re vo lu tio n . His proposals include liftin g o f economic sanctions against Iran, release of impounded Iranian funds and a program whereby America would buy back from Iran billions o f dollars worth o f araments and m ilitary equipment which he says America sold to that country during the Shah's regime. M r. Gregory describes these sales o f arms as " c y n ic a l" because, he says, the m ajority o f these transactions in volved equipment so sophisticated that "th e y could not be possibly used by the Iranians." The purpose of these transactions, Gregory con tends, was to enrich America at a staggering cost to Iran. He says his research reveals that monies thus spent by the Shah totalled more than the Iranian national budget on < social programs. Gregory accused the Carter A d ministration o f ignoring clear war nings that the Embassy could be seized and hostages taken. He read to me excerpts from certain documents purported to be internal State Department papers. One o f these, dated August, 1979, clearly stated that the embassy could be seized if something were not done to stem the rage of the Iranian people over Am erica’ s protection o f the Shah. F inally, M r. Gregory proposed that a grass-roots Citizens C om mission o f Americans be sent to Iran on a fa c t-fin d in g m ission. Among persons he suggested fo r membership on such a commission are Andy Young, C oretta Scott King, Ralph Nader, religious leaders like Dr. William A. Jones, President of the progressive Baptist Conven tion, religious leaders o f all faiths and “ some poor folks on welfare.” He said he doubted that the American Government would go along with the latter idea. "President Carter doesn’ t want folks coming over here because he’s afraid they will recognize that there are some truths here which can no longer be ignored.” Mr. Gregory’s final statement as the interview ended was that "G od and prayer” are the answers to the tense situation. He added, however, that, no doubt, “ the Almighty wan ted to see some compassionate and moral movement on the part o f the oeople o f the earth.” He emphasized that leadership in such movement should come from the international community. He asked prayers be sent to him - by religious leaders and by citizens and organizations. Prayers fo r peace and for justice and which ex press no political bias whatsoever. He asked that these prayers be sent to the offices o f newspapers which are w illin g to cooperate. These prayers should be addressed to Dick Gregory, care o f this newspaper or forwarded directly to The Ministry o f Communications - to the atten tion o f Dick Gregory - 1697 Broad way, Suite 405, New York C ity 10019 - for forwarding to him. The transcript o f the interview with Gregory w ill be carried in full in the August-September edition o f the BLAC K C O L L E G IA N Magazine. Thomas J. Brown was rscsntly alactad Grand Maatar of the Most Worshipful Prlnca Hall Grand Lodga of Oregon and Its Jurisdiction, FErA.M. E. Jean Dillard waa alactad Grand Worthy Matron of tha Prlnca Hall Grand Chaptar, Order of Eaetern Star. Self Portrait Community Calendar "Drylongso” is Black English for "ordinary,” and in DRYLONGSO: A Self-Portrait o f Black America (June 30, 1980; $12.95), John Langston Gwaltney, a professor o f anthropology at Syracuse University who is blind and Black, presents the narrative voices o f forty-one o r dinary Black Americans describing their lives and situations, and their feelings about white America. What emerges, in the words o f the people themselves, is the explosive and disturbing news that racial o p pression in America is as brutal as ever. With funding provided chiefly by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Gwaltney set out in the 1970s to record the thoughts o f the men and women who represent the vast majority o f Black Americans. In more than a dozen urban Black American communities, he inter viewed his fa m ily, friends and friends o f friends, and found a culture within a culture o f people who do not fit into the conven tionally rom antic or sociological notions o f what comprises Black America. As Gwaltney explains, " T h is book is...not another collection o f street corner exotica but an ex plication o f Black culture as it is perceived by the vast m ajority o f Afro-Americans who are working members o f stable families in pur suit of much the same kind of hap piness that preoccupy the rest o f American society.” DRYLONGSO has already been hailed as a master work in the oral- history tradition o f The Children o f Sanchez and A ll God's Dangers. Advance critics have praised Gwalt- ney’s vivid portrayal o f what Studs Terkel calls a "k n o w in g nation w ith in a largely unknow ing nation.” Represented are the lives o f, among others, "d o m e stic workers, ind u stria l w orkers, teachers and the retired.” These are the people w ith steady jobs and family ties, who stay out o f trouble and therefore out o f the news, and who uphold the values o f their forefathers. Othm an S ullivan, when in te r viewed, said, " I th in k this an thropology is just another way to call me a nigger.” H arriet Jones told the author, “ I don’t see myself or most people I know in things I see or read about Black people.” In D R YLO N G SO , G waltney in troduces the "g o o d talk and profound dialogue" o f what he calls “ core Black culture.” Coming at a time when the issues o f civil rights are once again in the news, DR YLO N G SO is a con troversial glimpse into the lives o f the people who, G waltney says, “ will not be the first to take to the streets, but will be the last to leave.” John Langston Gwaltney has drawn together - for all readers -- accounts o f, in the words o f Kenneth B. Clark, "being human in complex and difficult circumstances.” Zoo M usic Your Zoo and A ll That Jazz at Washington Park Zoo moves into the realm o f classical music with the talented Woodwind Conspiracy on Wednesday, July 23rd from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Concerts are free with regular zoo admission. (Rain date is Thursday evening, same time.) Middle School (Continued from page I col. 6) district’ s desegregation office, is the community agent. In a ddition to explaining the school program and asking fo r ideas, the Wednesday meeting was seen as the initial step to forming a School Advisory Committee. Jamea Gist la the newly alactad Grand Worthy Patron of tha Prince Hall Grand Chapter, Order of Eaatarn Star. ’ The H um boldt N eighborhood A ssociation is growing plants, that is to be sold at their booth at Neighborfair. There w ill be a surprise item also. Proceeds will be used toward a neighborhood cleanup later this year. Hum boldt neighbors and friends are asked to contribute slips o f their favorite house or garden plants. Call Madeline Nosbush, 289-2712, or Opal Strong 283-3250 for more information. Members are asked to volunteer their ser vices and support o f our booth. Archibald Cox. On Thursday, July 24th, National Board Chairman o f Common Cause and former special Watergate Prosecutor Archibald Cox w ill visit Portland. A reception w ill be held for Cox at the Portland H ilton Hotel in the Pavillion Room from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.00 per person and available in advance at the Oregon Common Cause office, 519 S.W. 3rd, Room 605, or by calling 228-3047. The general public is invited for refresh ments, a no-host bar and entertainment. OM SI nawa. A multi-media presentation titled “ Volcano — M t. St. Helens Awakes” will be showing daily in OM SI’ s Planetarium throughout the summer. The show deals with the evolution o f the solar system and earth in particular, with emphasis placed on volcanoes and how they work. A Planetarium matinee at II a.m. daily titled "N o t for Children Only” (sub titled "Voyage to Spacey Places” ) takes viewers on a trip into the far, distant reaches o f the universe. An additional Planetarium presentation called “ A ll the Stars’ shows daily at 2 p.m. A ll shows in the Kendall Planetarium are free, after the regular OMSI admission. An Open - A ir Fooda ft Crafts Market. Booth's children’ s cornor scheduled demonstrations, activities, music, food, flea market, 2nd Saturday of every month starting July 12th, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 4815 N.E. 7th, ad jacent to King Park. Sponsored by the CRIB total home environment. For more information call 288-0371. The relatives of the early Roslyn. Washington Black plonesra are planning the 91st year anniversary celebration o f the Black migration to the Northwest. The celebration w ill be held Saturday, August 2, 1980, beginning at 9:00 a.m., at the Pioneer Park, the former Roslyn ball park, Roslyn, Washington. Roslyn is 80 miles east o f Seattle, and 56 miles west o f Yakima. August 4th is the day most o f the Black pioneers have observed as BLACK EM ANCIPATION DAY. Last year’ s turnout was over 350 people. Please bring food and beverages as this w ill be a smorgasbord/potluck picnic. Everybody is welcome. See you there! Black Educational Canter R ecaption. On July 17, 1980, 10:00 p.m., The Black Educational Center w ill host a reception for the cast o f " A IN 'T M ISBLHA V !N ," at Geneva’s. A $5.00 donation w ill be requested at door. The donation will cover all the food you can eat! Don’ t miss it! Portland State U nlveraity’a Smith Center w ill be the site o f WOMEN AN D ENERGY, workshops on skills, opportunities, and action. On Satur day August 2 from 9AM to 6PM, these workshops w ill introduce, inform, and involve women in various aspects in the energy field. Women who are in terested in sharing resources or skills, or for further information, call Nancy Cosper or Sarah Weisberg, workshop organizers at 222-9311 in Portland. Urban League of Portland. Beginning July 21, 1980 all 19 and 20 year old males must registar for the M ilitary Draft at local post offices. I f you are concerned and would like to seek further inform ation the Urban League Northeast Youth Service Center w ill be sponsoring Draft counseling services to the community on Thursday July 10th and 17th between 12:00p.m. and 3:00p.m. The center is located in the King-Facility at 4815 N.E. 7th Street. For more information call Marie Martin at 288-6708 extension 44. M arshall High School class o f 65 reunion committee is trying to locate members o f the Marshall High School graduating class o f 1965, and would appreciate any help and assistance you can give us in this regard. The reunion will be held at Blue Lake Park, Space 18 A & B, August 23rd, from 12:00 noon to Sunset. Please contact Luana Mulkey at 656-9582. who is compiling a list o f class members names and current addresses for mailing information. 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