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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1981)
Portland Observer April 23.1981 Paga 7 Flemming directs activities Author interprets historic origins Grassroot News, N .W .- Among the political apparatuses to emerge as a viable force in the 80s, is the Black United Front. The F ront has remained quite resilient as they m ount offensives and defenses against social, political and economic inequalities. On an educational level, the Black United Front is elevating the A fro - American community’ s conscious at the grassroot level by sponsoring in ternationally known historians and educators. Last Wednesday, at the M allory Avenue Church, Dr. Ivan Van Ser- tima, author o f They Came Before Columbus, shared his wisdom and knowledge w ith the Black com munity. Dr. Van Sertima is part o f a unique group o f pioneer historians which include Chekh Anta D iop, Asa H illa rd and Chancellor W illiam s. They’ ve devoted their talents and education to offsetting the absence and misconception o f A fricans and their decendents in European dominated history. Dr. Van Sertima is currently a professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He holds degrees in A frica n Studies, Linguistics and Anthropology, and is well-known in all three fields. He began his address by stating that traditional historians concentrated their tim e on one period o f history and on one section o f m ankind in A fric a -- the "prim itive.” "B o th Blacks and whites are en closed in one chapter o f history in what I call the Columbusian Room. This room has become a prison in many ways. Most o f our attitudes and conceptions about ourselves, and the way we are conceived by other people are just aimed at events o f the last 500 years. That has made us think o f ourselves in an extremely negative and lim ited way, because 500 years is a very small time when we consider that they are finding the first bones in Africa that dated back five million years. The difficulty o f reconstructing the history ot Africa Earle Flem m ing has been ap pointed A c tiv ity D ire cto r o f the Salvation A rm y M oore Street Center. Flem m ing comes to the Center through the Field Experience Pro gram o f George Fox College, where he is majoring in social services. Flem m ing w ill set up programs and tournam ents fo r youth and adults. Sports programs which he plans to initiate include basketball, so ftb a ll and fo o tb a ll. Center ac tivities w ill include ping-pong and pool tournaments as well as swim ming meets. Flemming, who was born in Can ton, Mississippi, has been active in varsity basketball and baseball at George Fox College. and these Americans, not only are created by great prejudices that exis ted yesterday and today, but that people have focused almost ex clusively on p rim itiv e com munities.” Having done research on African decendents’ effect on the space program. Dr. Van Sertima went on to show that Dart Vader is not the only Black in space. “ The leading Technical A stro naut who entered the Space Shutter with the two other Astronauts was Fredrick G regory. C urrently Gregory is designing the cockpit shutter, a program that w ill last into 1990. Gregory completely revolutiona- lized the landing o f the aircraft in this country and the world. There are also Black women in the Space Program, specifically speaking, Dr. Pat Cowens. Dr. Cowens has de vised a method akin to Yoga, that allows Astronauts to exercise w ith out moving from their seats. In space, Astronauts must perform some form o f exercise because there is no weight pull as on earth, and as a result, w ill cause llu id s to collect in the body. This just proves that there’ s a vast amount ot know ledge even in our own time that we have no knowledge o f.” During his presentation. Dr. Ser tima linked people o f color to their tra d itio n a l hom eland. Even though we can no longer return to A fric a , A fric a is our ancestral home. It becomes im portant because we have our roots in A fric a n and people judge us by saying who are you? In spite ot the problems o f modern Atrica, most of what we hear on television about A fric a is the begging bowls, thus, we have no idea o f the potential of A fric a or ourselves. This is why biological theories o f racial d if ference can arise.” He goes on to discuss his book and the long-term effects on history. "There w ill be great fights over it, and many parts will be contested for a long time. 1 feel that now people w ill no longer look at p rim itive s. M ore and more Blacks w ill move away from the images that was built up. This body o f evidence is grow ing everyday. If these discoveries were made in other parts o f the world there would be no sur prise. But there’ s always a sense o f surprise because it involves Africans who always support to do nothing. This recovery o f history is im port ant. "T h e Jews became pow erful because they made their history sacred. They remembered their history and people who remember their history become as powerful as the history they enshine. People who forget their history w ill lose themselves. I t ’ s c ritic a l to know history. You did not come from slavery, although that’ s but a chap ter of history. Our roots lie in larger things, in greater things, in things that go back to the very heart o f the w orld. A resurrection o f con sciousness is at hand. People o f Africa decendents can now recover something that was lost.” In this recovery, a new awakening is expected from Afro-Am ericans; particularly the young who will find something more than what they now have. No longer w ill they have wander aimlessly, because a correct interpretation o f our people is all that is needed to restore our people to their traditional greatness. not justice, it is racism. Once we come to realize that white c o u rt rooms are synonymous to white supremacy and the perpetuation o f white norms and values — we can 9 la w .A 1 » EARLE FLEMMING THE 2 5 HOUR CONTACT LENS IS HERE After years of waiting, the extended wear contact lens is on the market And we have it In stock, re a dy for you. Work, play, sleep Doit all in the 25-Hour Lens At the Contact Lens Clinic of Portland our only business is contact lenses C ontact Lens Clinic ot Portland Portland Medical Center 224-5367 By Asmar Abdul Seifullah then attack and expose the system for what it is. The application and implemen tation o f justice is designed to protect the rich and suppress the poor. Never has there been such a blatant display o f economic, political and social discrimination as exist in the United States crim inal justice system. The P atty Hearst scenario is just one o f many insults reaped upon poor people by the c rim inal justice system. It was always clear in the minds o f Black people that Ms. Rich Am erica would never receive the full measure o f what should have been strict justice. Compare the Hearst case with that o f Joan Little and you will have a small idea o f the type o f justice America has to o ffe r Black people. It is a c h illin g experience fo r a Black man to stand before the bench o f justice -- the gavel, the black robe — and understand that the next stop is the hanging tree. Once you have had the unfortunate experience o f spending time in one o f Am erica’ s prisons, you under stand that there aren’ t any lengths the system w on’ t go to ensure the contiuance o f white supremancy. The most d isturbing fact o f all is that most Black people - those who have been lucky at not falling into the vindictiveness o f the crim inal justice system actually believe them selves exempt from the atrocious treatm ent reaped upon less fo r tunate Blacks. They continue to live their lives in rat infested ghettoes, content, passive and blin d to coming destruction o f their debased existence. "U n ite d we stand, divided we fa ll.” Never has it been clearer that we must come together in opposing all form s o f racism. The idea we must bear in mind is that the system is inherently racist and that it w ill not give us our freedom, we must take it! We must stand up and roar like a m ighty black thunder, flin g our lightning bolts at the object o f our oppression. The systematic racism perpetuated against Black people comes in many form s...this article is one o f them. The main point is that we must recognize our oppression in whatever form it comes. D on’ t exclude my op pression in your struggle sim ply because you can’ t feel my pain or N Dr. Ivan Van Sertima shows ancient African art. (Photo: Richard Brown) Cell Talk Since the inception o f the United States Criminal Justice System, one slogan stands out above all else; "innocence before g u ilt." The righteousness o f the slogan has been the banner o f democracy promised w ith in the U nited States crim inal justice system. Innocence before guilt signifies the equality o f men under the law. It is a guarantee against racial d iscrim in a tio n and bigotry within the system o f law. It promises every man a day in court, Counsel fo r defense, due process and the right to face one accuser. Also entwined in this mesh o f legal safeguards is the ju ry system which guarantees a fair and impartial jury of peers. As we closely examine the criminal justice system we find that it has one very apparent weakness and that is that it does not take into account the inherient prejudices o f our society. History has documen ted the incidences o f racism in the criminal justice system..."remem ber t he Scottsboro Boys, Sacco and V anzetti.’ ’ The release o f four Miami police officers responsible for the death o f Arthur McDuffie is ndicative o f the brand o f justice neted out under the jury system. It is all too clear that the distribution »f justice in America has a tendency 'o favor the majority stock holders, a ho in this case happens to be white people. It is not realistic for us to believe ifiat white juries w ill render just verdicts to Black defendants. They are too wrapped up in their personal prejudices to judge fairly. The in stant they see a Black face in the i >urtroom they assume that he is guilty or he w o u ld n 't be charged with the crime. They refuse to ac- iv p t the testim ony o f Black w it nesses over white witnesses who display racial preference in terms of truth. C ourt appointed lawyers rarely zealously defend Black clien ts. Due process is often circumvented because most Black defendants are i :norant to the law. The state’ s ob jective is to try a case as quickly and inexpensively as possible. Expedien ce at the expense o f the defendant is .1 |N DP VS because you have been brainwashed into believing that I am crim inal, when it is the system that is criminal. May Allah guide us to the light ot understanding. May he bind us together into a united front against the continuance o f racism in all forms. Dr James H Vale Optometrist Dr Philip Stockstad. Optometrist Visa and Masterchorge We'come Financing Available on Approved Credit C .A .G . Construction Co. G eneral C o n tra c to r Licenee f t Bond Concrete • Curbs • Sidewalk Remodeling Basement 3334 N.E. 41at St. For Funeral Insurance In fo rm atio n Call C. Don Vann at 281 2836 (503) 283 5256 TEEN HOSTESSES - W elcoming guests to the annual 4-H In te r national Culture Fair Saturday evening, from 5 to 9 P .M ., at M a tt Dishman Center, will be Teen Leaders (Left to Right) Kim Kimmons, Royce Hardy and Lisa McConnell. Mrs. Betty Hardy is coordinator of the colorful event, and invites the public to join in the festivities. 4-H holds culture fair Over 200 youngsters and adults w ill share the stage Saturday, April 25, at M att Dishman Center when the Urban 4-H s ta ff and leaders present the fo u rth annual 4-H In ternational Culture Fair. The program will open with a per formance o f Cinderella by the New Rose Theater, under the direction of C laudia Johnston. Doors w ill be open at 5 p.m ., w ith food tasting and exhibit presentations following the opening performance, and con tinuing throughout the evening. The 4-H pledge and flag salute w ill be follow ed by songs by a 100 voice youth chorus, putting the program theme to music, " I t ’ s a Small World, After A IL” Also to be presented are the FRESHIE M argarin e Chinese Benevolent Lion Dance, songs by the Sons o f N orw ay, Laotian Dancers, Woodlawn School Dancers, P ortland Indian T rib a l Club, African Dancers, Sabin Super S trutters, King Acrobats, Youth Band and Al H arris w ith A frican and Carribean Music. The fair w ill continue to 9 p.m ., and is open to the public admission free. A special invitation is extended to the Northeast community to take part, announces Ira d. M u m fo rd , extension agent. “ It is hoped that our program w ill again this year prom ote better understanding among the many ethnic groups o f the com m unity and foster frie n d ship between us all.” Cubes Save 25 each SE ZOth b D IV IS IO N SE ZInd b FLAVEL NE lSth b FREMONT W BURNSIDE etZte« SAN RAFAEL - is t « NE 1 In . Forest Grove 2329 PACIFIC Oregon City - 8 7 8 MOLALLA Candy - 1051 SW Ist LLOYO CENTER tZZnd 14410 SE D IV IS IO N 3986 SE POWELL NE 74th b CLISAN HILLSBORO SSO SE OAK I
