Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1980)
P ortlan d O bserver O c to b e r 23. 1980 Page 7 Cell Talk •100 total move in to vets. low dow n FHA, FHA 246, and conventional terms also. model open Sat. £t Sun. noon to 5 p.m. 92nd Ave. at Burton Road. Vancouver, Washington. Call for a showing anytime. By A s m a r A b d u l Seifullah “ The p h ilo s o p h y o f B la ck co n sciousness, th e re fo re , expresses g ro u p p rid e and the d e te rm in a tio n by the Blacks to rise a n d a tta in the envisaged o f self. A t the h e a rt o f th is k in d o f th in k in g is the re a liz a tio n by the B lacks th a t the m ost po te n t weapon in the hands o f the oppressor is the m in d o f the op pressed. " fB a n tu Stephen B iko) T h e n a ke d tr u th o f th e above statem ent is su b s ta n tia te d by the h isto ry o f the Black experience in A m e rica . M in d c o n tro l o f the op pressed masses has always been the focal po in t o f oppression. W hen the m in d is in a m e n ta l state o f o p p re s s io n , in f e r io r it y and s u b servience fo llo w a u to m a tic a lly and a n y a tte m p ts at lib e r a tio n m ust th e re fo re , begin w ith the m e n ta l processes o f the oppressed. T o act co n tra ry to this basic rule can only lead us dow n another ro cky road o f d isillu sio n and failure. V isually it seems as though Black people have lost sight o f th e ir o p pression because they are constantly p la c in g th e m se lve s in re p re ssive s itu a tio n s ; s itu a tio n s th a t lead to fu r th e r c o n tr o l o f th e ir c o n sciousness, th e re fo re , h a m p e rin g their thrusts fo r lib e ra tio n and total fre e d o m . I t ’ s a fa c t th a t B la c k p e o p le have been h is to r ic a lly , p o lit ic a lly , s o c ia lly and e c o n o m ic a lly d is in h e rite d and dispossessed. The past enslavement o f B la c k p e o p le has had a fa r reaching e ffe ct upon th e ir present status as Am ericans. T h e p h y s ic a l c h a in s have lo n g since been re m o v e d o n ly to be replaced by m ental chains that are very much apart o f the Black per sonality. S ublim inal suggestions has replaced the slaver’ s lash and Black p e o p le are m o v in g in c o n s ta n t circles o f s e lf im posed oppression because o f the p h yso c o lo g ic a l in ducements o f a repressive society. Because I ’ m a p ris o n e r and the obviousness o f m y oppression and the lim ita tio n o f that oppression can be seen by the physical trappings o f bars, walls, and orders o f w hat not to do, I'v e become acutely aware o f the need to protect my m ind fro m the mental bondage o f a prisoner - w h ic h is the u ltim a te goal o f in situations. I f 1 relinquish my m ental self to this physical prison, I become in fact a prisoner w ho is co n tro la b le in te rm s o f in s titu tio n a liz e d behavior. A n in s titu tio n perpetuates its e lf. T h is can o n ly be d o n e thro u g h consciousness. In this p a r tic u la r case the p ro p e r perspective o f consciousness is in B lackness, selfhood, pride and the casting aside o f the " m o ra lity a rg u m e n t" w hich prevents most o f us fro m going at it alone. ‘ ‘ B u t w h e re is a ll o f th is theoretical philosophy leading us to and how can it be applied to you, what revelance does it have to the co m m u n ity ? ” F ir s t, y o u m u st fo c u s o n the problem o f placing P o rtla n d police o ffic e rs in p u b lic schools, nam ely those schools w here Blacks are in m a jo rity . The effect it w ill have on B la c k c h ild re n a n d th e re a c tio n preceeding the im p lim e n ta tio n o f th is p ro p o s a l. A t th is p o in t it 's necessary fo r us to take a lo o k at the h is to r y o f the P o rtla n d P o lic e D e p a rtm e n t and its de a lin g s w ith th e B la c k c o m m u n ity . S ta tis tic s show that 60®/o o f the people killed by P o rtla n d p o lice d u rin g the 70s were Black people and Black people o n ly c o m p ris e 5% o f th e c ity 's p o p u la tio n . O u t o f 700 policem en o n ly 13 are Black. Oregon leads all States in its rate o f in c a rc e ra tin g B la c k p e o p le a n d th e S ta te o f O re g o n ’ s B lack p o p u la tio n is o n ly 3*^0 o f the State’ s p o p u la tio n . These s ta tis tic s c le a rly d is p la y racism and its effects on the Black c o m m u n ity . H o w e v e r, w h a t is n ’ t represented in the statistics are the c o u n tle s s in h u m a n itie s and h u m ilia tio n s th a t th e P o rtla n d P o lic e D e p a rtm e n t has su b je c te d Black people to d a ily . The u n la w fu l practices, ra ilro a d jo b s , d isregard fo r c iv il rights and the o u trig h t van- d e lis m o f B la ck p e o p le ’ s h u m a n d ig n it y d o e s n 't a p p e a r in th e statistics. The re lationship between B la ck p e o p le and the p o lic e has always le ft sw ollen lum ps o f flesh and bleeding skulls. A re the Black people o f P o rtla n d going to be duped by this weak p lo y o f p u b lic relations. O u r children are scared, th e y represent o u r fu tu re and im m o rta lity , they are the lin k between bondage and freedom and th e ir m inds m ust not be tam pered w ith by an overt racist o rganization. R em em ber th a t H it le r d id som ething sim ilar w ith the children o f Nazi G erm any and the vileness o f his p h ilo s o p h y liv e s o n th ro u g h those ch ild re n and th e ir children. I f the ch ild re n are destroyed th ro u g h fu rth e r in d o c trin a tio n , the cause is lost. A re n ’ t there enough negative fo rc e s to c o n te n d w ith w ith o u t le ttin g racist p o lic e o ffic e rs paw n themselves o f f on o u r c h ild re n as good guys? Put it in this perspective...do you th in k that w hite people w ould enter tain the idea o f p e rm ittin g any Black o rganization to teach th e ir children that Black people are a lrig h t o r even « £ £ £ That s S300 00 a year that you could be saving tow ard your future financial security. Life insurance can help you m eet your goals W hether you d re a m of ow ning a hom e co lle g e for the kids or a b u sin ess of your own, life in su ra n ce could be your key to a b rig h te r future But first you need to find out about the kin d s o f policies available — and the b enefits of ow ning an in d ivid u a l insurance policy. O c ie T ro tte r E ast P o rtla n d A g e n c y 975 S.E. S a n d y B lv d . P h o n e : 234-6551 A ‘s t / l #1 IVU.V J <1fl WA p :» ’ i D tditutrd to Efcellrncr f o r I « no COMP.N. O»{GOH P o lic y o w n e r ! 8 ® C an y o u re a d? C an y o u w r ite y o u r n am e? Then yo u can re g is te r to vo te . I A » to IlW T T WK. ATTIC i ? s .< \* ' s i > * i (j) //» r in s u lr t iw , f ò M e a w rz th e . ^ & r re e o a o f And I d i - ' lo v W b u ild s I 7 fc ifiw ls t tw b & t k or b b h k e k y . T h e a * ¿ ¿ he h w id e th ^ ^ m / ^ n u N ^ jo n n /ns(M « > n v s lu e h im you n e e d e n o ^ h i /n S O W - f r e t ( l e n f t i x N id U n ) z / ^ p ^ n r m l , b d i i n i n e e O ) ' f e l l your need /o e ^ /,1 1 L ^ - o f r j « J*? ** w i l l C r t l you ¿ M M ir n p r v u e / h ^ c in s u lt A w ill r - - - t re n i (J, ¿ f i x e . V V -S Z Z '- sr«> ♦ ♦ S *, m e t e r * -O x 1 * j P.U .D .TA X j I » 1 4> O * 2 S ’• S f e ì & S f e ' f c l r - IV« m o re o w s -tt n „ „ /« e s I w t 4 * , Paid by Portland C ltlia n a A g elnat The G overnm ent Takeover 4242 SE M ilw au kie, Portland OR 4 7202, D.E. A bram , Ttaaaurar. M INN EHAHA BRANCH 47 St. Johns Road Vancouver, W A 98661 Phone 206 894 8577 Vancouver or 503 2238229 Portland, OR , c e e c é t < ® W / R e s id e n ts o f th e C o u n ty m a y resigter to vote up to and including election day. Voters w ho w ill be ab sent on election day may m ark ab sentee b a llo ts th ro u g h N o ve m b e r 3rd. C la r k a ls o re m in d e d C o u n ty residents that they m ay register to vote by m ail. R egistration form s can be fo u n d at m ore than 600 locations th ro u g h o u t the C o u n ty , in c lu d in g school, libraries, post office s, banks and trade un io n business halls. T o q u a lify to vote, a citizen must have been a resident o f the C o u n ty f o r 20 days p r io r to the e le c tio n date. ♦ NO on 11 ♦ I HAZEL DELL BRANCH 716DN.E. 99th Street Vancouver, W A 98665 Phone 206-574-15?? Vancouver or 503-241-3723 Portland, OR ,-^% ******* M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty ’ s E le c tio n s D ivisio n w ill be open fo r extended h o u rs u n t il th e N o v e m b e r 4 th general election to allow citizens to cast absentee ballots and to register to vote, D on C la rk also announced. C la r k sa id th a t th e E le c tio n s D iv is io n headquarters at 1040 S.E. M o rris o n Street w ill be open fro m 8:00 A M to 6:00 M o n d a y through F rid a y , beginning O ctober 13. On Saturdays, the o ffice s w ill be open fro m 9:00 a m . to 2:00 p.m . NO 8 This Model - 4 bedrooms w ith fam ily room, 2 baths, brick fireplace w /carpets, double garage, appliances, 10X20 concrete patio. Energy ef ticient w ith 10 year Home Owner Warranty. Pnce only 958,800. Other Models priced from 948,500. 16». R e g is te r ! Do you blow a t le a s t $ 2 5 .0 0 a m onth? th a t B lack people a re n ’ t a lrig h t? The p reservation o f w h ite n orm s, ideals, principals and consciousness is carried on by the w hite race. A n d th a t’ s why w hite ch ild re n grow up b e lie v in g th a t th e y can becom e p re s id e n t o f th e U n ite d S tates. There isn’ t a w hite man in the coun try th a t’ s going to let a Black man tam per w ith w hite ch ild re n ’ s minds. L ik e w is e , we m u st p ro te c t o u r c h ild re n ’ s m inds by ensuring that they receive a q u a lity education free fro m the influences o f w hite racism o r fear inducing mechanisms. Black co n scio usn e ss in B la c k c h ild re n w o n ’ t be p u t th e re by w h ite policemen. This assault on o u r children must be met w ith c o lle c tiv e resistance. C o m m is s io n e r J o rd a n has stated th a t he d o e sn ’ t th in k th a t B la ck parents w ill b o th e r to have th e ir ch ild re n excused fro m these police in filtra te d classes and th a t should te ll you where his head is at. But lets’ show the C ity o f P o rtla n d that we do care about the children; that o u r c h ild re n are p re cio u s and we w o n ’ t to le ra te anyone c o m m ittin g acts o f m ental, physical, o r m oral genocide upon them . “ N O T O U R C H IL D R E N !.'!“ „ , * I» m ................................................ | Corred. UftsT /ess And, in itony ftates Energy solutions. Itti take the two of us.1bu and The People at Pacific Power. < IMO Pac Ac Pow fc I .ght Company