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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1981)
Mrs Franees ?c''c '•’ ?''r,° r Peca U n iv e rsity of < • "on L .t. y Committee studies police abuse investigations Com m issioner Charles Jordan has named a thirteen member C iti zen’ s Task Force on Internal Affairs which w ill review the citizen com plaint process w ithin the Portland Police Bureau. C itiz e n ’ s com plaints regarding alleged abuse or m isconduct o f police o ffic e rs are cu rrently in vestigated by tlie Internal A ffa irs department o f the Police Bureau. This fact and dissatisfaction over investigation procedures and results has led to com plaints that the Bureau cannot police itse lf adequately and suggestions that a citizen police review board be form ed. Com m issioner Jordan has re sponded by enpanelling the commit tee fo r a period o f six months, to review the process currently used to determine i f it is “ fa ir, e ffic ie n t, thorough, responsive and concerned equally with the rights o f the com plaining citizens and the accused o f ficer.” The committee is also asked to make recom m endations to the Commissioner, i f it is determined that changes in the process or a new process is needed. Com m issioner Jordan em phasized that he wants the commit tee to be objective and independent. “ The most im portant criteria fo r this committee is objectivity,” Jor dan emphasized. “ The members w ill have to be independent, see all sides o f the issues. Internal A ffa irs not only has to insure that the public’ s rights are protected, but it also has to guard the rights and the reputations o f professional police officers when they are wrongly ac cused. The com m ittee w ill be in dependent, whatever their findings are, whether the evaluation is positive, or whether they recom mend change I ’ m sure the process will be positive and beneficial to the Bureau.” Most o f the committee meetings w ill be public, but some must be closed so the committee can reveiw investigations and discuss person nel. The com m ittee w ill not in vestigate charges o f police miscon duct, but w ill review investigations done by Internal Affairs in an effort to judge their competency and ob jectivity. Committee members are: Robert E lfc r, Oregon State Bar Association; Jeff Rogers, American Civil Liberties Union; John Bridges, high school student; B ill T a ylo r, retired police captain; Johnny Parks, In te rn a tio n a l Longshore men’s and Warehousemen’ s Union; Grace Gallegos, IM P A C T ; Bud B razil, N a tio n a l Conference on Christians and Jews; D r. Clarence P ru itt, N A C C P ; Darlene Lem ly, League o f Women Voters; Linda Torrence, Urban League o f P o rt land; Ron M a rtin , Oregon State Prison s ta ff; attorney B radford Shiley. The appointm ent o f the C h a ir man will be announced Friday at the committee’ s 10:00 a.m. meeting at C ity H a ll. A d d itio n a l members might be named later. PORTLAND OBSERMER USPS 959-680-855 _____ __________________________________________________ ________________________________________ An Appropriate Holiday M artin Luther King’ s leadership gave all Americans...white. Yellow, Black, Red and Brown...a new sense o f worth and purpose. His leader ship helped Americans gain a new understanding and appreciation o f our interdependence in the journey toward our national goals. M artin lifted our level of awareness that the paths to fu lfillm e n t fo r all Americans...regardless o f race or co lo r...a re intersecting paths. Establishing Dr. King’ s birthday as a national holiday w ill especially help American youth o f today and tomorrow recognize the nobility and worth o f his life and work. Dr. K in g ’ s prophetic denun ciation o f war as a denial o f univer sal brotherhood and violation of the scredness o f human personality strengthened our alliance with people o f peace and good w ill around the world. His vision o f the day when peace with justice would “ roll down like waters” challenged all o f us to turn from greed to generoisty; callousness to caring; violence to non-violence and from death to life . His com m itm ent to non-violence undoubtedly spared the nation from traum a o f the destruction that would have accom panied the social change that might have come through alternative means...a change had to come. His leadership provided the op p o rtu n ity fo r a nation which claimed to "tru s t in God” to tran slate our profession in to a procession o f ju d icia l, legislative, and executive acts which M a rtin clarified as moral imperatives. His leadership brought together a coalesence o f com m unities and disciplines that demonstrated the unity in diversity that portends a greatness unparalleled in n a tio n hood...under God. His leadership personified the s p irit o f a people whose historic dedication to liberty caused them to tread the unknown, dare to do the dangerous, pioneer in to the perilous...knowing that the reward o f liberty is more precious than the price the struggle compels us to pay. W illin g to pay the price, M a rtin Luther King, Jr., sought freedom for all God’ s children knowing that those who mind the chains that bind (others) are also bound. His leadership taught us that re vo lu tio n a ry change can occur w ithin the context o f non-violence when a people inspired and motivated by a sense o f justice and the efficacy o f love are so deter mined. Yes, the designation o f Dr. King’ s birthday as a national holiday w ill do deserved honor to him, and will likewise honor the nation and the fam ily o f m an...and I respectfully urge and support its immediate im plem entation. Such an act could very well be the force that launches nationally a new and urgent journey toward brotherhood. Believe me, the nation needs such leadership today. Yet, I am compelled to say that such legislation...isolated and apart from the continuing enactment o f measures that co n trib u te to the goals delineated by King’s life and “ dream ” ...w ill ring w ith hollow sound, and echo the fru s tra tio n which currently enfolds us. In 1970...20 m onths fo llo w in g M artin’ s tragic death, Black family income reached as high as 61<?o o f white fa m ily income. Today, however, 1 am saddened to report that Black fa m ily income has declined to 57-59<^o of whites, which is only slig h tly better than 1957 when SCLC was founded and M ar tin Luther King, Jr. led the begin ning o f that historic movement. Black unemployment today is o f ficially indexed at 2 and '/) times the rate o f white unemployment. It is more inaccurately stated at J to 4 times higher. So to be tru ly m eaningful...as im portant and urgent as it is ...th is legislation designating Dr. King’ s birthday as a national holiday must be enacted as one o f many important steps in an accelerated march tow ard the realization o f the dream o f this great and martyred American. A dream which is in essence the American dream: That this land will tru ly become the land o f the free as well as the home o f the brave. The bravest o f w hom ...as did M a rtin gave their lives fo r the dream .. .not realizing the promise themselves but having seen it afar...so willed it for their brothers and sisters, sons and daughters that they lay down their liv e s ...in the hope that we w ill carry on the struggle tow ard the day when “ every man might sit under his own vine and fig tree and none need be a fra id ” ...nor hungry., nor unem p lo ye d ...n o r ill housed...nor w ithout adequate h e a lth ...n o r educational opportunity... In the hope that we w ill carry on the struggle toward that day when in M a rtin 's words “ empty stom achs...w ill be fille d , and brotherhood will be more than a few words at the close o f a prayer, but rather the lirst order o f business on every legislative agenda..." In the hope...that we will carry on the struggle toward that day when in the halls o f social and economic ju s tic e ...c o lo r w ill be irrelevant; toward that day when Black will not be asked to get back; when Brown can stick around; Red can get ahead and white will act all-right. Cawthorne loses chairmanship In a surprise move Monday night, School Board member W ally Priestley denied his vote to Herb Cawthorne and after several split votes, Cawthorne w ithdrew his candidacy fo r another term as Chairman of the School Board. Priestley explained that his refusal to vote for Cawthorne was a result o f Cawthorne’ s support o f a successful move to postpone selec tion o f a new Superintendent until lanuary of 1982. The m otion, offered by Sarah Newhall, removes the responsibility o f appointing the new Superinten dent from the current School Board and places it in the hands o f the board that will be elected in March. Robert Blanchard was terminated in July by a vote o f fo u r school board members - Cawthorne, Buel, Priestley, and Newhall. W ith the selection o f the new Superintendent taking place this Spring those four members would have had a strong in luence, if not a deciding vote, on tl.i selection o f the new Superinten dent. Priestley expressed his opinion U-nt this board most closely '^presents the genetal public - the students and parents o f the district - and would select a Superintendent with an educational philosophy and administrative style that would best serve the people. Postponement o f the decision means that Priestley, who does not plan to seek reelection, w ill not be on the board when the selection is made. It is possible that Sarah Newhall, who faces election in M arch, also w ill not be on the board. The expected result o f the election - which traditionally draws few voters - is that Priestley’ s seat and possibly New hall’ s w ill go to p o litic a l allies o f the Scott - M c Namara - Rieke faction. I f that happens neither Cawthor ne nor Buel w ill have an effective voice in selecting a new Superinten dent. C aw thorne’ s seat is also up for reelection but no one has filed for his position. W ith Priestley denying Cawthor ne his vote, Buel made an im passioned plea to B ill Scott, Joe Rieke and Frank McNam ara to support Caw thorne, stating that Cawthorne had been a good chair man. He reminded them that Cawthorne had been careful to in clude them in all board deliberations and committee assignments. Cawthorne withdrew. Buel voted fo r Priestley; Priestley voted fo r Buel. The others, including Cawthorne, voted for Rieke. Scott nominated McNamara for vice chairman; Priestley nominated Buel. Newhall, Priestley and Buel voted fo r Buel w ith Cawthorne joining with Scott, Rieke and Mc Namara to elect McNamara. In more im portant business the Board gave Buel the authority (con firm ed the a u thority given by the voters) to research the P ortland d is tric t’ s dropout problem , in cluding talking with staff, parents and students and reading student's files. Currently approximately one- third o f the state’ s students do not complete high school. Following the meeting Priestley said he is fond o f Cawthorne and HERB CAWTHORNE has no complaint about his perfor mance in his first term as Chairman, but his vote to postpone the Superintendent was not responsive to the needs o f the district’ s students and especially the students o f North Portland. “ Unless his direction and his votes are clearly in the interest of the working class student and parent - those who supported him and put him in office - then it doesn’t matter who is Chairm an and I felt no obligation to vote for him .” (From testim ony o f Joseph Lowery, President, SCLC, to the Senate Judiciary Committee) House committee holds meeting The Com m ittee on Aging and M in o rity A ffa irs o f the Oregon House of Representatives will hold a public meeting at the King Neigh borhood Facility on January 20th at 7:30 p.m. According to com m ittee chair man Wally Priestley, the purpose of the meeting is to alllow members of the community to share their issues and concerns w ith the committee members and to discuss possible legislation. Among the issues expected to be discussed are: m aking M artin Luther K ing's b irthday a state holiday; the Washington D.C., con stitutional amendment; the Black and Hispanic Affairs Commissions; making racial harassment a felony; and re-apportionment.I All interested persons are urged to participate. During the afternoon o f the 20th, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., the commit- tee w ill meet with senior citizens at Smith Center Auditorium, Portland State University. Persons with ideas or in fo rm a tio n ; prospective legislation or law changes are urged to attend the meeting. The committee will also meet with other m in o rity groups during the Portland visit, which is expected to be the com m ittee's only meeting outside Salem during this session. Artists honor Martin Luther King A tribute to D r. M artin Luther King Jr., will be celebrated through the arts at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, 1030 N .E . U n io n , Thursday, January 15. from 8 to 11 p.m. Sponsored by the M inority Artists Consortium, the tribute w ill feature art exhibits by local artists depicting Dr. King and his historical period, an historical period, an historical program by Charles Tatum and a special perform ance by Thara Memory and his Creative Jazz En semble. An admission charge o f $6 will be dedicated to the development o f a visual and performing arts center in Northeast Portland. Artists Bobby Fouther, Chonitia Henderson and Henry Frisen w ill contribute to the program events. Henry Frisen is one o f the artists who painted the m ural on the Albina Human Resources Center. Dr. K ing’ s birthday celebration on Thursday, January 15, the actual day o f his birthday, is to bring at tention to the effort to declare the Nobel Peace Prize winner’ s birthday a state holiday. Representative member* of the Governor’* Commission on Black Affairs pose after swearing- in ceremony at the State Capitol: Frank Wilson. Pat Creai. Pearl Spears-Gray, Matthetta Williams Bruce Broussard. Black Commissioners take office Nine members o f the Governor’s Commission on Black A ffairs were recently sworn in to o ffic e by G overnor V icto r A tiyeh. The Governor signed executive orders creating a Black and a Hispanic Commission on September 30th fo llo w in g several months o f hearings and discussions by a Governor’ s Advisory Committee on M inority Affairs. The Commission on Black A f fairs will monitor existing programs and laws designed to meet the needs o f the Black population; w ill iden tify and research problems and issues that affect Blacks; w ill make recommendations to the Governor including prospective legislation; will act as a liaison to the Governor. Members o f the Commission on Black A ffa irs are: Pearl Spears- G ray, C hairm an, Oregon State U niversity a ffirm a tiv e action o f ficer; Geraldine C h ristia n , phar macist; Thomas Kennedy, manager o f the U nion Avenue Project fo r PDC; Bobby N unn, P ortland Public Schools; Barbara P atrick, City Bureau o f Human Resources; Frank W ilson, U.S. A ttorney’ s o f fice; Bruce Broussard, publisher, Portland Observer; Pat Creal, Lane County Com m unity College; Mat- thette W illia m s, State Farm In surance Company. I
