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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 7, 1981)
Paga 2 Portland Obaarvar May 7 , 1881 Spotlight on Africa EDITORIAL/OPINION No school closures now The School Board is not ready to close high sch o o ls - it has no plan. O nly w ith a c o m prehensive, long range plan in hand should any communixy have to undergo the destruc tio n and d e v a s ta tio n th a t o c c u rs w h en a neighborhod high school is closed. There has been m uch c ritic is m in re ce n t years that the district has no plan - that school closures, reorganization, renovation, have all been done on a hit and miss basis w ith no con sid e ra tio n of the e ffe c ts on n e ig h b o rin g schools. Communities have been forced to ac ce p t m id d le schoo ls o n ly to fin d them to o small when they opened - Sellwood and M t. Tabor for example. Millions were spent on the m erger o f W a s h in g to n and M o n ro e , and developing magnet programs at Cleveland and Lincoln, only to talk about closing them now. Yet, the school board still has no long range plan. The school board spen t over a year designing a new desegregation plan and plans to th ro w o u t m any aspects o f th a t plan. It makes no sense. Much more planning needs to take place - cooperative planning w ith the City, Tri M et, Portland Community College, etc. The effects of closure in City planning, housing, economic d e v e lo p m e n t, tra n s p o rta tio n need to be assessed. M uch more research needs to be done on the educational program s. Can schools w ith under 1000 s tu d e n ts o ffe r co m p re h e n sive programs? How do schools in other cities do it? W h a t ab o u t sharing s p e c ia lty ieachers between tw o or more schools? Can advanced classes be scheduled so a fe w students can go to a neighboring school fo r an advanced class last period? W h a t is the p o te n tia l fo r career and vocational training, for skills cen te rs, fo r shared use of b u ild in g s fo r educational and related programs? Is it wise to close schools like Jefferson and Adams that are in the neighborhoods w ith the largest num ber of students? W ith the high c o st o f energy w h y n o t leave the schoo ls where the students are? W hy not a ten year com m itm ent to Adams to allow it to build its program s and its student body? W hat about middle school reorganization on the w est side - is th a t fo rg o tte n or should it be p art of the closure consideration? The school board has a lo t o f w o rk to do before it closes even one high school. If a long range plan is not developed firs t - the board w ill rem ain in a c o n s ta n t tu rm o il as n e ig h borhood after neighborhood goes through the last d itc h fig h t to save its s c h o o ls . A lo ng range plan would allow for the advanced plan n in g , the fo rm in g o f re la tio n s h ip s th a t are needed. It is much easier to adapt to change if that change can be forseen. The board d< <ssn't need to add any more crisis situations to those it already must face. Profits first A n o th e r exam ple of the Reagan A d m in i s tra tio n 's p re fe re n ce fo r p ro fits ove r lives is the effort to delay regulations on worker ex posure to lead poisoning. The Departm ent of Labor plans to delay im p le m e n ta tio n of the 1978 lead exposure standards to do a cost- b e n e fit ana lysis and re-e xa m in e m ore provisions of the regulation. The re g u la tio n s w e re issued in 1978 and went into effect in February of 1979, w ith a ten year phase-in to bring the allow ed exposure from 200 microgram to 50. micrograms of lead per cubic meter of an averaged over an eight hour day. The review of the regulation w ill be made under R eagan's p re sid e n tia l order to assess the co sts and b e n e fits o f all m ajor regulations. Medical studies show that lead poisoning, resulting from high levels of exposures to lead, can result in anemia, kidney failure, nervous system disorders, brain dam age and death. M ore than 800,00 US w o rk e rs in a p proxim ately 40 industries and exposed to lead in the job. The failure to require em ployers to protect the health and the lives of the em ployees is another example of Reagan's promise to "g e t g o ve rn m e n t o ff the backs of the A m erican people.” MULTIPLE LEGISLATIVE D IS T R IC T '/<!) 1», Place Community Service ONPA 1973 Portland Observer The Portland Observer (USPS 959 680) is published every Thurs d a y by Exie Publishing Company, Inc., 220, North Killingsworth, Portland Oregon 9721? Post Office Bo» 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208 Second class postage paid at Portland, Oregon 1st Place Best Ad Result ONPA 1973 Subscriptions $10.00 per year in TriCounty area P ostm aster Send address changes to the Portland Observer. P O Bo» 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208 5th Place Best Editorial ONPA 1973 The Portland Observer was founded in October of 1970 by Alfred Lee Henderson Bruce Broussard Editor/Publisher M fM M * Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association MEMBER 1 ■ Honorable Mention Herrick Editorial Award N N A 1973 The Portland Observer is a champion of justice, equality and liberation; an alert guard against social evils, a thorough analyst and critic of discriminatory practices and policies; a sentmal to warn of impending and existing racist trends and practices, and a defender against persecution and oppression The real problems of the minority population will be viewed and presented from the perspective of their causality unrestrained ana chronoically entrenched racism N ational and in ternation al arrangements that prolong and increase the oppression of Third World peoples shall be considered in the context of their ex pkxtation and manipulation by the colonial nations, including the United States, and their relationship to this nation s historical treatment of its Black population. 2nd Place Best Editorial 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1975 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1978 3rd Place In depth coverage ONPA 1979 283 2486 > -i *1« ><V-. «» N ATiOWA N ational Advertising R epresentative A m a l g a m a t e d P ublisher* Inc N aw York I Sle&X*' ■*rw»»a»r» By Fungai Kumbula May is usually the m onth when our thoughts turn to Africa because o f African Liberation Day, for one; the day in the year when the Black community and our friends in this country observe, acknowledge and commemorate the co n trib u tio n s A fric a has made to the w orld. Events planned fo r this M ay are going to exceed anything Portland has yet seen. To begin w ith, John M akathini, a representative o f the A N C (A fric a n N ational C o u n cil), the organization fig h tin g fo r the liberation o f Azahia (South Africa) will be at Portland State University on the 12th. He is coming at the in vita tio n o f the Association o f A f rican Students in collaboration with the Black C ultural A ffa irs Board. M r. M a ka th in i w ill be able to in form Portland o f the current state o f the struggle in Azania in light o f the liberation o f Zimbabwe. Progress in liberating the African continent has been slow but steady. In 1957, it was: “ one down, forty- six to go.” By 1967 it was: it was 31 down, 15 to go;” 1977, 46 down, 4 to g o .” It is not yet 1987 and already it is 48 down and 2 to go. The way things are going, it could very well be: 49 down and one to go if not actually 50 down and 0 to go. The plight o f the African regugees in the H orn o f A frica has recently and belatedly caught w orld atten tion. On the 15th o f this month, the AAS (A ssociation o f A fric a n Students) w ill be presenting “ Refugee Awareness W eek” not only to in fo rm P ortland o f the plight o f the refugees bul also to let you know what you can do to help. There w ill be speakers from the a fflic a te d regions o f Som alia, I th io p ia , and Uganda who have worked with the refugees. On or about the 24th, Dr. Herbert U s h c w o k u n z e , Z im b a b w e ’ s M inister o f Health w ill be in town speaking about the changes that have taken place in Zimbabwe since the people’ s government came to power. A physician by profession, Dr. Ushewokunze is a particularly interesting person because he was the physician in charge o f treating the wounded and the sick in the guerrilla camps during Zimbabwe’ s W'ar o f Independence. He gave up a very lucrative practice in the then “ Rhodesia” to provide his badly needed services to the freedom fighters. In the twelve months that he has been Zimbabwe's Minister o f Health, he has also introduced some equally “ ra d ic a l” changes in the nation’s health system by combining tra d itio n a l medicine and western medicine so as to arrive at a more adequate health system fo r the fledging nation. Last year, the A frican students presented A frican C ultural Night, an event that attracted an overflow crowd at Portland State University’s Smith Memorial Center Ballroom. It was a highly successful event featuring dishes from all over the continent, plays depicting various aspects o f modern and ancient Africa, speakers, dances and an im prom ptu fashion show. The re sponse from the com m unity was such that we had no choice but to do it again. So mark your calendar; prepare your ears; tune up your taste buds; focus the eyes and prepare the shake a leg for another dazzling A frican C ultural Night is coming your way the night o f the 29th. This year, though the format w ill be pretty much the same: food dances, plays, speakers, etc., the theme w ill be very somber: “ The African Refugee: He/She Is Count- • t Then there is African Liberation Day, the planning for which is now swinging into high gear. As always, on this day, we look at Africa both on the continent and abroad. W ith “ possums” , police m is-conduct, police-community relations, school closures, unem ploym ent, budget cuts, Namibia, Azania refugees and the celebration o f the coming o f age o f Zim babwe, this year’ s A L D should be even bigger and better than ever. Also there is greater cooperation and com m unication between PSU’ s A fric a n Students Association and the community, as well as w ith the Black Studies Department. May 1981: the start o f the begin ning o f a greater awareness o f the African wherever he or she may be. Opposes comprehensive plan To the Editor: Who owns Portland? Raise your hand if you know the long-range impact o f the Portland Comprehensive Plan. Despite years o f planning, count less citizen inpul hearings, etc., many Portlanders still don’ t com prehend the plan. It is a massive rezoning plan w ritten to com ply with the goals and guidelines (laws) o f the appointed state agency called LD C D - Land C onservation and Development Commission. Our grassroots all volunteer group is hoping to place the issue before the voters and are currently involved in a tedious petition drive. Some reasons why people should oppose the plan are: 1) Urban crowding; the plan calls for higher density in the inner city. We believe that everyone needs elbow room . Forcing people to live in smaller, closer quarters is not going to in crease the City population. In fact, people w ill not choose to live in Portland if they can a ffo rd to live elsewhere. 2) Destroying existing single family neighborhoods - Politicians got elected on a platform o f single f a m ily n e ig h b o r h o o d s , re h a b ilita tio n o f existing low- income single housing, neigh borhood schools. Now the game is changed again! The “ add-a-rental” to single fam ily houses violates the quality o f neighborhoods, neigh borhood schools are being closed, taxes are up - how can we attract people to live in Portland? 3) fin a lly - We oppose the LCDC deciding what we should do, especially everything we should do. Once this plan is approved by LC DC, forget about complaining at the local level. Power is transferred to the non-elecied LCDC. We hope to be effective in asking the LCDC board not to approve the Portland Plan so it w ill go back to C ity Council and a more objective form o f citizen input w ill be possible. M eanwhile we w ill con tinue our petition drive. O f all the illustrious goals o f L CDC not one thing is mentioned for the protec tio n , conservation, and enchace- ment o f Oregon’ s Urban environ ment. City dwellers are not second class citizens. Fran A ri niello Coordinator Neighbors For Neighborhoods Appreciates Herb Cawthorne To the Editor: I am a ninth grade student at Wilson High School. I also belong to Allen Temple CME Church, (my home church). I would like to thank Herb Cawthorne for helping all the Black children o f the com m unity. He has done so much for us. He has always put the children first. Herb has been trying to improve our schools for years, and right now he has worked so hard, that we the Black children can go to the schools we wish. He has always spoken up fo r the needs and interests o f the Black community. On Sunday, M arch 29th, Herb Cawthorne held a “ Vote fo r V ic to ry ” com m unity-tea. Before the tea, myself and many young people worked on the campaign, and the tea to make it a success. We had a talent parade fo r the com m unity and 550 people came to support the Black children and Herb. Herb Cawthorne has won the election and I know he w ill continue to make a difference! Once again, thank you Herb C aw thorne. You really helped us (the Black children) to see the light! Sincerely yours, Kimberly Martin Interested in current books about Civil Rights? Visit: JOHN REED BOOKSTORE In the Dekum Building 519 S .W 3rd Avenue Sixth Floor Or call 227 2902 1 r ----------------------------- i Be concerned! 1 Be informed!! i know the facts!!! | SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 1 ONLY $10 PER YEAR t ’ Name......................................................................................... I Address...................................................................................... 1 City........................State............Zip............. « i______________________ — _____________________________ A Professor Abdul Raham Mohamed Babu, fo rm e rly the M inister o f Planning and Develop ment in the Republic o f Tanzania is currently a visiting lecturer in the H um anities Departm ent at San Francisco State University. He also teaches in the A fro -A m e rica n Studies Department at UC Berkely and writes a monthly column for the A fric a n magazine, The N ew A fric a n . He was one o f the brains behind the Arusha Declaration o f 1964 that set Tanzania on her p o litic a l track and has w ritte n several books on economic and development themes. Professor Babu, truly one o f the keenest min ds around today will be the keynote speaker on A frican Cultural Night and his topic will be “ Africa In The World Today.” Letters to the Editor • I in on You!” The proceeds from the sale o f the tickets w ill be forwarded to the refugees as our contribution to this continuing human tragedy. One would be hard pressed to come up with a worthier cause. Portland Observer Box 3137 Portland, OR 97208 1
