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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 28, 1981)
Page 10 Portland Observer M ey 28. 1961 U.S. wages war on Black women Part II By Dr. Manning Marable The oppression o f Black women workers can be illustrated in other ways, beyond the limitations o f the poverty line. For example, the median income o f a Black fam ily with both husband and wife in the w orkforce is $23,957. For Black married couples with only the husband in the work force, the median income is $17,477. For Black female householders where no husband or male is present in the home, the median family income is only $11,518. This figure is lower than that for white female house hold heads ($15,421) and for Hispanic women ($13,330). The median income for Black females over the age o f 14, who work fu ll time, regardles o f marital status, is $9793. In the Southern states, the income figure is only $8473. There has been a great deal o f rhetoric within Black politics about the impoverishment o f the Black male at the expense o f the Black female. Supposedly, sisters took jobs away from Black men because they were “ less threatening" to the system o f white male domination. This line o f argument suggested that Black women, more than males, were the chief beneficiaries o f a f firm ative action programs and ad ministrative posts within the private sector. When one studies the facts, however, one derives a radically d if ferent picture. First, it is important to isolate the sectors o f Black society who are in the upper income levels. According to 1979 Census statistics, there were 9,297,000 white families heads or householders who earned $35,000 or more annually. In sharp contrast, only 375,000 Black fam ily heads made $35,000 or more. That group amounts to less than 5 percent of all Black fam ily households - (.0046 percent). 61,000 Black fam ily 548,000 white men earned at least $75,000 in 1979. Less than 500 Black women earned that figure. 14,000 Black men earned $50,000 $75,000. Only 2,000 Black women were in this category. 46,000 Black men received $35,000 - $50,000 in come. O nly 6,000 Black women earned salaries in this range. 68,000 Black males received salaries o f $30,000 - $35,000 in 1979. A bout 8,000 Black women had this in come. In b rie f, the illu sio n that sisters are achieving at the expense o f Black men is not only false, it is a The YMCA Latch Key program is complete reversal o f the oppressive offering an "Early Bird Special” to conditions fo r Black women at parents who register by mail before every level o f the economy. June 12. The regular $5 non- Reagan’ s proposals fo r food refundable deposit w ill be waived for those who send $10, applicable to the first week’ s day care, with their registration form. Cost for all-day child care is $40 per week for one child, or $70 per week for two children, Ms. Breniser said. Three children may be registered for $95 per week. Fee in cludes a m orning and afternoon snack. Parents may register youngsters in the program on Latch Key Sign- Up day, June 12, at each center. For more inform ation, call the YM CA Latch Key program, 223-9622. households earned more than $50,000 annually, less than three- fourths o f one percent (.00073) of all Black fam ily households. Only 14,000 Black families earned over $75,(MX) annually. W ith in these upper income groups, Black women are severely underrepresented, to say the least. Four thousand Black men and Latch-Key care available The YM C A o f Colum bia Willamette’ s "Latch Key," a child care program which offers safe, supervised day care, will operate in five centers in the Portland area this summer. "W e provide supervised child care which has an in-depth impact on the growth of children and their fa m ilie s,” said Sharon Breniser, executive director of the Latch Key program. Summer locations include L in coln park School, Laurelhurst School, Creston School, Merely Davies School and Knott School. Center hours during the summer are from 7 a m. to 6 p.m ., Monday through Friday at all centers except Merele Davies; it opens at 6:30 a.m. NAACP Youth plan seminar The Vancouver NAACP Youth Council, will hold a Family Seminar on May 30th at Pacific First Federal Savings and Loans, C om m unity Room, 915 Broadway, Vancouver, Washington. The seminar w ill began at 10:00 a m., with the opening meeting and a video tape, "N o t By The Sword” on NAACP history. The following meeting w ill discuss the history o f Blacks and the N AAC P in Van couver. The additonal morning workshops will be on youth council organization and program. Shirley Hamilton will discuss the 1954 Supreme Court Decision and the current education situation. Afternoon discussions w ill be on the role of the Black Church and the NAACP program for the 1980s. Shelia Anderson, Youth Council President, and Valree Joshua, NAACP Branch President, urge the public to attend the seminar. Registration, including lunch, is $2.50 fo r youth and $3.50 for adults. BROADWAY SEAFOOD stamps would have a devastating impact upon poor Black women. To understand this fu lly, however, we must b rie fly review the history o f the program, what it does, who it helps, and why it may be destroyed. The food stamp program was enacted in to law almost tw enty years ago, and was designed p rim a rily to use up surplus farm products. There were only 425,000 people enrolled in the program in 1964, at a cost o f $30 m illio n an nually. As late as 1969, only 2.9 m illion persons were receiving food stamps. It was during the Nixon and Ford A m d in istra tio n s, iro n ic a lly enough, that the Food Stamps program began to grow rapidly. By 1980, there were over 22 m illio n Americans on food stamps. We hear a lot o f criticism about food stamp recipients. Ronald Reagan, Jesse Helms and other rig h t-w in g p o liticia n s tell white Americans that the program benefits students, the lazy and professional r ip - o ff artists. The realities behind the reactionary rhetoric are somewhat different. The average food stamp fam ily has an annual income o f $3,900. About 90 percent o f all food stamp recipients are below the poverty line, which fo r a fam ily o f fo u r is $7,450 per year. Over half have no tangible assets. 54 percent, or over 11.5 m illio n recipients o f food stamps are children. Almost 80 per cent are unable to work because o f age, disabilities, or other related reasons. Only 14 percent are adults who are able-bodies and are able to w ork. Less than 1 percent are college or graduae students. The Reagan A d m in is tra tio n ’ s budget includes w elfare cuts fo r pregnant women. According to the Department o f Health, and Human Services, the new legislation proposes that states not give welfare to any pregnant women w ith no other children, except in the last three months o f pregnancy. Thirty- fo u r states are now cu rre n tly making such payments. Here again, we see that the Reagan budget’ s assault takes a more aggressive posture against the m aterial in terests o f women, and particularly against sisters. The war against Black women continues. Pacific Power Christine Poole is Media Coordinator of Elementary Library Services for the Portland Public School District, where she supervises librarians and library aides and library book selec tion for elementary and middle schools. Ms. Poole came to Portland, w hich she describes as a 'beautiful city', six years ago Born in California, she earned a BA in Elementary Education in Stockton and a MA in Library Science at the University of Oregon. She taught for 12 years. Her most recent assignment prior to taking her present position last A ugust, was as librarian at Cleveland High School. Ms. Poole is a member of the Oregon Education Media Association, Oregon Education Association, and is past president of the Portland Association of School Librarians. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, the Urban League and the NAACP. Her hobbies include sewing and yard work. Mrs. Poole has gained the respect of students and staff alike in her pursuit of excellence. BROUGHT TO YOU BY Pacific Power If you want to stay on top, you have to stay in touch. MARKET & DELI 1815 N.E. Broadway • Portland 287 1221 c<s>^ Open M on. Sat 10 A M - 7:00 P M Sun. Noon 12-5 P .M . STURGEON............................................. $3.« (Reg. 4.281 FRESH HALIBUT....................................M » • 94.® FRESH CHINOOK SALMON.................. $5 « (Reg 4.»> (Reg 6.»> BUFFALO................................................ 11.7» ♦1.7» V. 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