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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 1981)
Urs Frances Schoen-“ ewspaper Room U n iv e rsity of Oregon L ibrary t-ugene, Oregon 97433 Courts, police deny minorities equal justice Minorities suffer unequal justice at every level o f the n a tio n ’ s criminal justice system including the police, courts, and corrections, ac cording to a four-year study by the National Minority Advisory Coun cil on Criminal Justice. The study said, “ Minorities are not only more likely to be suspected o f crime than whites, they are also more likely to be arrested, less likely to secure bail, and more likely to become police statistics. Further, af ter being arrested, m inorities arc more lik e ly to be indicted than whites, and are less likely to have cases dismissed. If tried, minorities are more likely to be imprisoned and more lik e ly to serve fu ll terms without parole.” According to the C ouncil, the basic causes for this are political and economic exploitation and racism which have kept m inorities “ segregated, powerless and at a marginal level o f existence.” The main causes o f crime itself, the C ouncil said, are socio economic inequities. “ Crime in minority communities results from institutional failures, the impact o f inequality and racism. Crime also has increased because many within the law enforcement system violate the law and exercise their responsibility in violation of law and common decency. The public, including m inorities, hds become cynical and distrustful o f law enforcement personnel.' The Council warned that the con ditions that are in part responsible for high urban crime rates will not soon disappear. Because o f the high rate of unemployment among urban youth, those most likely to become involved in crime, as many as one- th ird o f m in o rity youth “ w ill remain in a condition o f hopeless ness and despair.” The report made several recom mendations fo r im proving the criminal justice system’ s response to minority concerns including: - A major effort should be made to placing more m inorities in decision m aking roles in the criminal justice system irf order to begin to alleviate in s titu tio n a l racism. - The federal government should commit itself to providing full em ployment, better housing, and equal access to social, economic and political institutions. - More research should be done on the causes o f crime in minority communtities. - Support for community-based corrections programs should be in creased. - Financial support for rninoritiy students in criminal justice careers should be increased. - Support for community crime prevention activities should be in creased. PORTWND OBSERMER USPS 959-680-855 . The Union Avenue hassles By Ullysses Tucker, Jr. FLIPPING OUT: Young tum bler, Oemetris Gar net Taylor, seeks thrill by vaulting from the top of play equipm ent at King C o m m u n ity Park. This dangerous sport is evidence of the need for direc ted recreation for neighborhood youngsters w ith abundant talent and energy. Dem etris landed on his feet this tim e, but next tim e he could be a can didate for a body cast or worse. (Photo: Richard J. Brown) According to Joe Reese, owner o f the Seaport (The Chicken House) Restaurant and Lounge located at 3909 N.E. Union Avenue, it is very difficult to operate an establishment in a negative social environment. In a recent conversation, Reese was open about his feelings as a businessman, the hardships that come with the business, and how Black people should utilize Black businesses more. When questioned about some o f the problems he has on (he "A venue," Reese answered frankly. "O ne problem is that customers in the com m unity come into my place complaining about how the drunks hanging out in fro n t o f Johnny and Lennies store harass them for money,’ said Reese. “ They knock on your car windows and curse you out if you don’t give them anything. I ’ve lost a few customers behind it. I want to be known for my good chicken, not for the wine heads that hang around here." " I ’ m complaining because people are holding me responsible fo r something I have no control over. Hold me responsible for the space I control, not what I have no control over .’ ’ Reese then reminds the w riter about how he was shot at twice by a wino with a rifle. He had chased the wino away for urinating against his restaurant. What about the Portland Police Department, are they offering any assistance? " A wino can drink out there on the corner all day if he wants,” said Reese. " I f the police catch him, he usually pours out the drink or if he is real drunk, the police w ill take him for a half hour ride and make him walk back. But all that does is make the wino that much slicker -- they post guards on each corner and take turns drinking and watching out for the man (police). It’s hard to stop them. "F o r example, they hide wine in the m ailbox by wrapping string around the bottle and drop it in the box when the police is coming. Once the police is gone away, they pull it back up and laugh. When the street improvement people were out there, the wino use to hide it in the cones to avoid police. Winos are too slick for the police,” said Reese. W hat other problems do you have? “ I have a T ri-M e t bus stop in fro n t o f my place that has also caused me some headaches. A ll it does is congregate the drunks who use it more than the riders,” Reese explained. "Everyday, I go out and clean up all the trash around the bus shelter. I t ’ s mostly wine bottles. I wash the windows almost six times a week.” Reese says he often wonders why the Tri-Met people put the stop in front o f his place because it is the only one in between Mason and Fremont on Union. " I t should be a Shaver," he said. “ We don’ t get any trade from the bus, just the hassle with the winos, the clean-up, and people wanting change for the bus.” How has the Union Avenue Im provement Program enhanced your business? “ It hasn’ t helped m uch,” said Reese. "They spent $12.5 million to plant trees and put in road dividers. Sometimes you have to go four blocks out o f your way to make a turn. I honestly think that it ’s used to deter crime. By this being a high crime area, they finally figured out how to curb mobility. " I f the police is chasing you on Union, they have more o f an oppor tunity to trap you because you can’ t make a lot o f turns. And if you’ re been chased up a street that crosses Union Avenue, you’ll never know if it is a through street or a road divider. This was suppose to be a state highway project, but the city had more to do with it than they did. I could think o f more positive ways to use that much money. But to answer your question, it’ s done nothing for my business." Reese pauses for a moment, as if another thought had flashed through his m ind. “ W hat would really help my business is for Blacks in the area to start buying from me instead o f going to Church’ s or the Colonel. They would much rather go there than to come to me The quality o f my chicken ranks up there with theirs. We should start suppor ting each other.” Reese specializes in southern fried-crispy chicken. Reese also owns an oil company and a co n stru ctio n /re m o d e lin g firm that is located across the street from the "Chicken House.” Again, he wishes for more community sup port. “ People in N.E. buy oil outside o f the area all the tim e," said Reese. “ But when a crisis like the ice storm hits, those companies don’ t have time for N.E. customers. Then they call on me - how come they wait un til then? They put me in a bind because I have a limited surplus and three regular trucks -- if they would call on me more often, I’d be ready ( Please turn to page 7 col. 3) Black exodus/ white flight A disturbing pattern o f resegrega tion is developing within many o f the nation's suburbs after a decade o f rapid Black surburbanization, according to Rutgers U niversity Professor Thomas A. Clark, an ur ban planner and geographer. Clark is the author o f “ Blacks in Suburbs: A National Perspective", part o f a three-year study o f the movement of Blacks from the cities to the suburbs. According to C lark, Black m igration to the suburbs has spawned residential patterns that resemble the housing discrimination that occurred in the central cities. Even though the Black families moving to suburbia are predom inantly middle class, many have, on a nationwide scale, been steered to the older and poorer sections o f suburban communities in the older ring of suburbia that surrounds the central cities. Clark’s study found, for example, that 42 per cent of all suburban Black families reside in housing built before 1950. Hence, new Black suburbanites share neighborhoods with poorer Blacks. The white middle class tends to reside apart from its Black coun terpart in the kind o f neighborhoods that fit the description of the ideal suburb - one-family housing, tree- lined streets and expansive lawns. The racial home-buying pattern in many o f these older suburban-areas is predominantly white to Black, or Black to Black. From 1967 to 1971, fo r example, 65 per cent o f the housing sold in certain o f these areas was sold to Blacks. Twenty- two per cent o f the houses passed Hilliard joins Pulitzer panel By Kathryn H all Bogle For the th ird tim e W illia m Hilliard, assistant managing editor o f the Oregonian, has been selected to serve as one of the jurors for the Pulitzer Prizes in journalism. The Pulitzer Prize jury for 1981 is made up o f 55 jo u rn a lists from around the nation who will evaluate work published in 1980 for awards in each of 12 categories. The Pulit zer Prize board receives the recom mendations o f the jury and passes its final selections to Colum bia University. H illia rd is one o f two N o rth west journalists to be selected for the honor o f serving on this panel. WILLIAM HILLIARD hands from whites to Blacks, and 43 per cent o f the houses were pur chased by Blacks from Blacks. Between I960 and 1977, the num ber o f suburban Blacks increased by 1.9 million (71.8 per cent), while the proportion o f all Blacks who resided in the suburbs increased by a mere 4.2 per cent during the same period. Clark began his study by asking, “ Why in the mid-1970s have the suburbs remained predom inantly white?’ ’ The following trends and patterns were found: Patterns o f Black migration differ from region to region. The N or theast had the lowest increase in Black surburbn growth, while in the West the Black surburban population increased by 61.2 per cent. W hile Blacks have moved to suburbia, the median income o f white suburban families exceeded the Black suburbian by 44 per cent. The Black m iddle class is replacing poor Black surbanites, who are moving back to the central cities. For every 2.2 Black persons moving to the suburbs, one w ill move out. Despite the increased income level o f Blacks' race continues to be a major factor in determining access to the suburban housing market. Clark also predicted a new era of white flight. “ I think the 1980 cen sus will indicate that middle and up per income whites are leapfrogging father out into the suburban and exurban realm and they are creating new suburban localities in which they can again control the instru ments o f exclusion. Street dividers and wine bottles vie for attention of would-be customers of Union Avenue businesses, (Photo: Richard Brown) Republican Partyteeeks administrative candidates Thomas Kennedy is receiving ap plications from persons who are in terested in appointments to govern ment positions by the new ad- m inistrati^fi. These include second level administrative positions in the national level, and area and regional administrative positions - none o f which come under civil service. Kennedy was asked by the State Republican P arty and O regon's national committeeperson to recruit interested Blacks. " l a m asking in dividuals to submit their resumes an am in the process o f collecting them now,” Kennedy told the Observer. The resumes w ill be submitted to the state party for screening prior to their going to the administration. “ P o litic a l appointm ents are not limited to Republicans,” Kennedy explained. “ People o f both patties arc welcome to apply.” Kennedy welcomes phone calls to his Port land home, or applicants can call the Republican Party at 246-8221.
