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
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