I
Governor appoints Black, Hispanic Commissions
Governor Victor Atiyeh has an
nounced th a t, in response to
recommendations by his Advisory
Committee on M inorities, he w ill
establish by executive order a
Commission on Blacks and a Com
mission on Hispanics.
The G overnor w ill prepare
legislation to be submitted to the
1981 Legislative Assembly to have
commissions continued and funded
by statute. This is also in accordance
w ith the com m ittee’ s recommen
dation, with the intention that the
commissions not be dependent on
the attitude of each governor.
Nominations and applications for
membership on the commissions are
being accepted and should be sub
m itted im m ediately to Ms. Kay
Toran, Depatment o f A ffirm a tive
Action, State Capitol, Salem 97310.
Ms. Toran, who is chairman o f
the advisory committee, told the
Observer that she was pleased with
the committee’ s report "w hich was
timely and significant. It contained
much in fo rm a tio n on issues that
Blacks and Hispanics consider to ef
fect their lives. We tried to cover the
state to get input from as many
people as possible.”
As far as is known, this is the first
time the State has gone out to get
input from minority communities.
“ The Governor is very accepting
of the idea o f two commissions, and
he hopes that people w ill rally to
support the legislation.”
The Commissions w ill m onitor
state agencies as they relate to
Blacks and Hispanics; do research;
be advocates; assist problem solving
on the executive and legislative
level.
The commissions are proposed as
having nine members each and
although membership w ill not be
restricted by geographic areas, state
wide representation is sought. The
Governor also hopes to include all
age groups.
The Advisory Committee was ap
pointed by G overnor Atiyeh to
advise him on the need for and the
role o f a commission on minorities.
This was the result o f refusal o f the
Legislature to establish Black and
Hispanic commissions.
Nl *1.,
MAIlONAl
PORTLAND OBSERVER
Volume 10 Number 36
September 18.1980
IOC per copy
M t W S A A A IA
USPS959 680
r
'Pleasure7 comes home
A n tic ip a tin g a "S p e c ia l H o m e c o m in g " fille d
w ith pleasure are: (standing L to R) Douglas Lewis,
N athaniel Phillips, Dennis Springer, M ichael Hep-
When it comes to their music,
Pleasure has always meant business.
They’ ve spent years honing their
craft, refining their concept, their
approach.
The members o f Pleasure all hail
from Portland, Oregon, although
Phillips and Donald Hepburn have
relocated to the Bay Area and
Michael Hepburn is currently at
tending school in Seattle.
As high school freshmen, Phillips
and g u ita rist M a rlo n M cC lain
started a band called Franchise,
soon jo in e d by drum m er Bruce
Carter. From time to time, different
members o f Franchise sat in on gigs
with a local jazz-funk group called
the Soul Masters, which included
Donald and M ichael H epburn,
Bruce Smith, Sherman Davis, and
Dennis Springer. Eventually, about
nine years ago, the tw o bands
merged into Pleasure.
On Special Things, their sixth
Fantasy album , Pleasure has
reached a high water mark o f both
artistic excellence and commercial
burn. Donald Hepburn, Bruce Sm ith. Seated L to
R: S h e rm a n D a v is , B ru ce C a rte r « n d n e w e s t
m em ber from Philadelphia, Tony Collins.
Principal speaks on education
Part II
school in the City...
whether ot not the symbolic act ol
Observer: What specific financial
being out accomplishes more. As a
resources?
principal, I ’m obliged to look at it
The need for Blacks in education,
G erald: We have T itle I ad
from the point that here’s a school
science and government has been
d itio n a l money, we have State
we hope your kids are here. I f they
constantly stressed by Blacks since
Disadvantage Fund, we have the
are, we are going to give them the
education became attainable fo r
Special Childhood Early Education,
best.
them. One such educator is W illiam
we have a different kind o f k in
Gerald, the new principal o f King
dergarten program in terms of an all
N o te : There's a considerable
School. Gerald, who is a graduate
day support system and we are
amount o f controversey regarding
o f Prairie View A & M College, w ill
working toward having one instruc
the issue that standarized tests are a
be one o f the speakers on the Black
tional aid for every teacher in the
true measurement o f Black
College Seminar to be held this
children’ s abilities, potential and
school. So resource wise we have the
Saturday at Adams High School. In
resources to keep us going.
accumlative knowledge. Recently
part II o f the interview with Gerald,
white educators and psychologists
Observer: W ould a boycott o f
aspects o f education im portant to
schools in October have an affect on
advocate that because o f continual
the Black community are discussed.
low scores on achievement and I.Q.
the school district financially?
Observer: H ow do you view the
tests, Blacks and other minorities
Gerald: I f children are out during
issue o f desegregation?
are therefore " in fe r io r ” intellec
the critical period in October, yes
G erald:
Desegregation and
tually to whites. These inductions
the district would lose financially.
bussing is a very d ifficult dilemna,
have acclaimed wide coverage by all
Observer: There are many people
because you have to set something
factions o f the media. But on the
who believe that children should be
out before you answer it. I think the
opposite side o f the issue, there are
in school regardless o f political and
most important aspect is the paren educational issues. As a principal,
both Blacks and whites in the field
tal choice. I f you get into the ad are you relieved that the boycott was
o f education who advocate that the
m inistrative transfer in attending postponed?
"standarized” tests aren’ t an ac
schools outside o f your community,
curate monitor o f Biack children’ s
Gerald: I ’ m glad that children are
capabilities and accum ulative
then that’ s alright for that particular
in school, that’s my job. My job is
group o f kids. I f you choose to stay to have a program for the children.
knowledge, because Blacks and
in your community or be an integral
and minorities come from different
We were going to stay totally out of
culture backgrounds, the format o f
part o f your own culture, there must
the political arena, in terms o f the
be that choice also. The important
standarized tests are in direct con
boycott. We went ahead and I in
flict with their culture. These induc
thing to me is that it is a true choice structed the s ta ff to prepare a
tions have hardly caused a peep
and that you don’ t have circum program fo r the children at that
from the media. In the midst o f this
stances that prevent you from
level. I f the children came, to
controversey, there are some who
making that choice as long as the present it to them, i f they d id n ’t
choice is there.
believe that Blacks and other
come, then to give it to them when
minorities
should adapt to the stan
Observer: In comparing suburban
they arrived to stay totally out o f the
darized tests geared to white society.
schools in the Beaverton area to
po litic s o f the boycott w ith o u t
schools in the Black community, are passing a personal judgement on
Some m inorities have been suc
cessful, others haven’ t. On the other
there few er financial programs f o r
whether children should be used in
hand, there are educators who think
Black schools?
political issues. I think that each
Gerald: There’ s probably fewer
separate tests, geared to the culture
parent must make that deter
fo r the Beaverton area. We
o f Blacks but equivalent to stan
m ination fo r their own children.
probably have more resources here
darized tests should be used.
They must decide whether or not the
at King School than any elementary
( Please turn to Page 10 Col 1)
merits o f having a child in school or
By Stephanie Cole
appeal. I t ’ s the second time they've
produced themselves - their previous
effort yielded the top ten R&B single
"G lid e ," which won them a share
o f the pop audience as well. Special
Things contains exceptionally con
sistent, h ig h -q u a lity music that
should help make Pleasure a
household name.
“ The music in d u stry needs
Pleasure,” declares keyboardist
Donald Hepburn, "because we dare
to be ourselves. We set our own
standards, and we’re not interested
in being a clone o f whatever group
or trend is happening at the
moment.
" O f course, if you’re going to be
an in d iv id u a lis t,” Hepburn con
tinues, “ you’ re going to get
criticize d , and we’ ve gotten our
share. People have said we’ re too
radical, and one writer actually said
that Pleasure was too good for its
own good!”
“ We do try to be d iffe re n t
m u sica lly,”
adm its
bassist
Nathaniel Phillips, “ but i f people
get into what you’ re trying to do,
that raises the concept o f popular
music to a whole new level. For in
stance, i f you listen to "T a k e A
Chance, ” on the new album, there’s
a lot o f unusual s tu ff going on.
There’ s a very hard groove, and
th a t’ s the vehicle-on top o f that
there’ s all that dissonance, and
muted trumpets. Not your average
pop tunel But people react very
strongly to it.”
Pleasure's nine individuals are
very much com m itted to being a
unit and to growing together as a
band. " I can hear more o f a group
approach on Special Things, " says
M ichael
H epburn,
Pleasure
keyboardist. “ I t ’ s less focused on
what a particular person wants to
realize
as
an
aesthetic.
Collaboration is very important to
us.”
Adds Phillips, “ There isn’t one
song o f mine which hasn't been en
hanced by an idea from someone in
the group. That’s definitely how we
work - it ’ s the team ball.”
(Please see Page 6)
School Board bungles first personnel hearing
The Portland School Board held
its first public hearing on a person
nel dismissal Monday night, at the
request o f form er school d istrict
employee C. Eddie Edmonson. All
district employees who are demoted
or dismissal have the rig h t to a
hearing before the School Board,
which must be held in private
unless the employee choses to have a
public hearing.
The district has not had p rio r
public personnel hearings. Most
employees take their grievances to a
hearings o ffic e r, who subm its a
report to the School Board. The
School Board then uses that report
to confirm or deny the action o f the
Superintendent.
There was considerable confusion
about the procedures - with board
members Wally Priestley and Steve
Buel basically objecting to the for
mat. The district’ s case was presen
ted on the w ritten record o f the
hearings o ffic e r, and Edmonson
was given forty minutes to explain
his case. This format allowed for no
questioning of supervisors or fellow
employees.
Priestley questioned whether that
could be considered a “ hearing”
Two near fatal accidanta, pata being hit by earn,
numerous fender bendara and the high apaeda at
which vehiclea traveled through Williams Avanua
prompted
the
Hum boldt
Neighborhood
Aaaociatlon IH N A I to seek to have the street
closed to through traffic. According to Madelyn
and whether the district could or
should lim it his rights. School at
torney Don Jefferies explained that
Edmonson's attorney had agreed
that since Edmonson had a hearing
before a hearings o ffic e r, they
would lim it themselves to a forty
minute presentation to the Board.
The attorney had objected to the
fact that the earlier hearing was not
before the Board, that the hearings
officer is a school district employee,
and that witnesses were not under
oath.
Edmonson, who is Black, was
( Please turn to Page 10 Col 3)
Nosbush of HNA, the action started in March ot
1979, continued through months of negotiations
w ith the City Traffic Departm ent, and ended
Tuesday with the closing of Williams Avenue at
Jessup Street.
(Photo: Richard J. Brown)
Nicaragua government launches 'Year o f Health 9
The next twelve months have been
delcared
the
“ YE A R
OF
H E A L T H " in Nicaragua. The
Nicarguan National Government of
Reconstruction (N G R ) targeted
health care as one o f three main
priorities follow ing the successful
overthrow o f the Somoza dictator
ship by the Nicaraguan people and
the Sandanista National Liberation
Front (FSLN) in July o f 1979. The
other priorities were and are the
literacy campaign and physical
reconstruction. The first phase o f
the literacy campaign was recently
completed with the teaching o f half
a million people to read and write
in a few short months. Physical
reconstruction continues and the
next year w ill see health care as a
central focus.
H ealth care is an urgent and
pressing need in Nicaragua. The
bloody war against Somoza and his
hated National Guard left 40,000
persons dead and another 100,000
wounded, over h a lf o f whom
require on-going care. This situation
is compounded by the destruction of
schools, factories, hospitals and
crops ordered by Somoza and
carried out by the National Guard
as they fled the country, not to men
tion the looting o f the N atio n al
Treasury by Somoza. On top o f all
this, the 40 year Somoza family dic
tatorship left a legacy only partially
reflected in some o f the following
figures:
• Malnutrition, 80% o f children
under the age o f 3
• In fa n t m o rta lity , 121 per
thousand births, as compared to 1-2
per thousand in wealthy areas o f the
U.S. .
• Life expectancy, 32 years, as
compared to 73 in the U.S.
• Illite ra c y (p rio r to recent
literacy cam paign), 80% in the
countryside, 40% in the cities.
• 8 2.4 % and 36% o f urban
population without sanitation.
Because o f this situation, the
N ational Government o f Recon
struction established the health care
prio rity and within weeks o f the
Sandanista led victory over Somoza,
began an immunization program for
children against polio and other
diseases. W ithin a few days, over
80% o f the country’s children were
immunized. But even this kind o f
spectacular com m itm ent
and
m o b ilizatio n o f the Nicaraguan
people cannot imm ediately over
come the realities o f the Somoza
legacy. A reporter fo r the
Oregonian recently visited the coun
try and has noted that due to lack of
supplies etc., patients are two (2) to
a bed in some hospitals and
everywhere there is a lack o f sup
plies and fundamental equipment.
Shortage o f medical supplies and
the sparseness o f international aid
(with a few exceptions) make the
struggle for decent health care in
Nicaragua difficult. Some aid has
come to Nicaragua from various
L atin Am erican countries and
European nations. A id from the
U.S. has been tied up in Congress
for some time and only recently did
President Carter finally release the
aid so it could be sent.
The Portland Nicaragua Support
C om m ittee, an a ffilia te o f the
National Network in Solidarity with
the Nicaraguan People, is a local
group of students, working people,
clergy and professionals that has
been working for over the last year
to share information about the new
Nicaragua and other countries in
Latin and Central America. It has
( Please turn to Page 10 Col 1)