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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 9, 1981)
For the children o f Atlanta and for all children who are hungry, suffer and live in fear. National Black United Front organize for action By C. Eddie Edmondson fo r Crassroot News N. H'. Over 800 paid delegates to the second annual convention o f the N ational Black U nited Front (N B U F ), chanting “ Forw ard together, backwards never,’ ’ met in a B rooklyn high school this past Fourth of July weekend and ratified a consitution, by-laws and structure fo r NBUF members and chapters throughout this country to “ resist the suppression and oppression visited upon our people in this c o u n try ,” said the Rev. Herbert Daughtry, chairperson and spokes man fo r N BU F, and whose renomiation unopposed signals the trust fo r the man who recently publically challenged the leadership o f Urban League president Vernon Jordan, on the theory that the highly connected and well paid Black leader, who shares the same board rooms and tennis courts with some o f the richest and most power ful corporate executive in this coun try, is out o f touch w ith the needs and lives o f the m ajority o f Black people in this country who depend on modest or subsistence Incomes to live. Established a year ago, NBUF (pronounced "N -B u ff” by its mem bers) grew from a grassroot network o f six recognized chapters, including P ortland, Oregon and New Y ork C ity where Rev. Daughtry was ac tive in 1978 in establishing a net work o f Black UnitedFront chapters throughout the C ity and in Brooklyn where Daughtry is head pastor o f The House o f the Lord Church. Called the M e tro p o lita n BUF, the New York Chapter acted as host for the second convention. The first Black United Front was established in the 1960s in C ario, Illio n o is and is s till headed by its leader Rev. Charles Koen. Originally begun as an umbrella for almost all Black civil rights, civic and social organizations in the small bership w ith in the com m unity southern midwest Illinois town once regardless o f p o litic a l or social famous fo r its connection w ith ideologies ju st so long as the are Abraham L in c o ln , the BUF o f Black owned, run and funded C ario has been in a continued organizations Rev. Koen served as m ilita n t battle against the white a midwest regional coordinator for- leadership which denied the de the foundin g o rganizatio n a fte r mands o f the Blacks fo r c iv il and NBUF began last year. Ron H erndon, co-chairperson equal rights. Not unlike the o rig in a l C ario and spokesman fo r the P ortland BUF, BUF’ s under NBUF are com BUF, and who served as the posed o f various Black community national secretary last year, was organizations who apply for mem (Please turn to Page 7 Col 1) PORTLAND OBSERVER I July a. 1981 Volum e XI N um ber 37 2BC Per Copy USPS 959-680-855 Boise goes to Grant School School Board politics entered a new era Thursday as the Board, with its two new members, pushed through its plan to close Adams High School. A surprise move, with no advance notice even to the residents of the school area, was the closure of Jackson High School. In related action -- also un announced to the com m unity concerned -- was the assignment of Boise students who live in the fo r mer W ashington/M onroe district to Grant High School. Tubman students w ill not be assigned to a oard closes Adams , Jackson high school together, but w ill go to the high school in the area where they live or to a magnet school. The meeting was long and hostile, w ith Chairm an Forest Reike a t tempting to cut o ff public testimony and board discussions to end the meeting by 10:00 p.m ., and the public demanding to be heard. Herb Cawthorne, who called the meeting a “ travesty” w ith a pre-arranged decision, accused Rieke o f chosing from the speakers list, those he wanted to allow to speak. Steve Buel accused the board and staff o f hiding the fact that closure o f Jackson w ould be considered, stating that the had called the press and the Jackson residents to let them know. M any persons from Jackson said they had found out the afternoon of the meeting date. The 50 percent rule was raised again as Dr. Fenwick admitted the switch o f Boise students to Grant rather than Jefferson was fo r “ desegration’ ’ purposes. Frank M cNam ara had introduced an amendment to be included in the policy if the changes had put Jeffer- son over 50 percent m in o rity , however the shift o f Boise students probably prevents that. Among the members o f the public testifying were: Vesia Loving - “ The only thing removed is the chains and the shackles. Blacks are still enslaved in Portland. No racist, prejudiced in dividuals have the right to sit up and make judgement.” M ark R othert - N o rth w e st/ Southwest C o a litio n fo r a New (Please turn to Page 3 Col 1) Return students to neighborhood schools o f children, parents, and goodw ill in the community, the “ new board" a b ruptly closed Jackson High Several weeks ago, I indicated that should the “ new board” , School as well. In as much as the suit 1 had plan decide in public to close Adams ned to file centered on the closure o f High School, after the form er Adams and W ashington/M onroe Board has already closed as the only high schools closed, legal W ashington/M onroe, I would file counsel gave me the a ffirm a tiv e a complaint in federal court alleging sense that the case was strong, that that the closure of these two schools legal precedent supported it, and violated the Equal Protection that the “ burden” argument as an Clause o f the 14th Amendment and indication o f discrim inatory intent amounted to an act o f racial was sound fo o tin g on which to discrimination It was clear, accord challenge the decision in court. Now ing to press statements and official that the new board has voted to comments, that Adams was the only close Jackson as w ell, a suit school to be considered for closure narrow ly centered on the school in the summer months. As it turned closure outcome, seeking remedy out, however, in a move that can for extensive discrim ination, does only be considered the height of not have the legal strength my political manuvering at the expense By Herb Cawthorne lawyers think is essential if we were the legal standing. This action o f to spend the tim e, money and closing Jackson was a negative energy in litigation. Therefore, 1 am response to a positive opportunity. There was a trem endously continuing to assess the situation. 1 positive coalition o f Northeast and w ill not file at this time the law suit which was prepared since the factual Southeast parents who were circumstances have been substan w o rkin g to make Adams a high school with renewed vigor, a much tially changed. Nevertheless, the very act o f better program and more students. secretly deliberating tow ard the The School Board could have en closure o f Jackson as a p o litic a l dorsed this positive energy. Instead, they closed Jackson without notice choice to avoid the possib ility o f litigation underscores the legitimacy to that community and without any serious respectful attempt at public of the Black community’ s claim that involvement. there is gross and unjustified burden The entire process has produced a placed upon Black children and clear message and it is one 1 think parents in the school closure process the Black community w ill heed. The and results. The “ new board” decided to close Jackson, and this is message is clear: Continued involve ment in the adm inistrative transfer no way minimizes the impact on the Black com m unity, even i f it alters (Please turn to Page 12 Col 1) Benson graduate heads for chemistry career M rs Edna B h ^ ke tt jo in s c o m m u n ity m e m b e rs , p aren ts and students to protest School Board plan to close Adams High School. M arch to July 2nd School Board meeting was sponsred by the Black United Front. (Photo: Richard J. Brown) Angie Davis joins PDC Board M ayor Frank Ivancie has ap pointed Mrs. Angie Davis and M r. John Piacentini to the P ortland Development Com m ission. Mrs. Davis is the employment manager fo r the Portland o ffic e o f Pacific Northwest Bell. The 5-member Portland Development Commission oversees P o rtla n d ’ s urban renewal ac- tiv itie s . Under its d irection, the Commission staff develops plans, acquires properties, relocates per sons displaced by project activities, assists in the rehabilitation of homes and buildings, contracts fo r the design and construction o f public improvements, promotes industrial grow th and the expansion o f business in the City of Portland. Assassination plot exposed A lenghty investigation by PNS correspondent John Dinges has un covered significant new leads in the s till inconclusive o ffic ia l in vestigation o f the murder o f four Am erican missionaries in El Salvador last December. The new evidence sharply contrasts with the official theory o f the crime -- that it was com m itted on the spur o f the moment by young soldiers acting beyond the control or authority o f higher m ilitary or government of- ficials. Instead, these new leads in dicate the murders may have been a m ilita ry operation planned and authorized by superior officers. If this theory proves correct in sub sequent investigations, the result could have far-reaching im plications for U.S. policy toward the Salvadoran regime. Mr. Dinges was the author o f the PNS in vestigation into the accuracy o f the State Department’ s White Paper on El Salvador. (Please see page 8) » Grassroot News, N.W . - By now our proud 1980 graduates have put their gowns away and have hit the pavement in search o f employment. One graduation occured without the public fire works that it warrants. In 1981, Benson High School had its first Black female graduate, Toni Marie Graves. In the last four years, there has been a threat o f a school boycott, a new School Board and the death o f the school Superinten dent. W ithout fanfare during this period, Toni survived P o rtla n d ’ s West Point. Did she have any doubts about at tending an all boys school? “ I put that in the back o f my mind. I was attracted to Benson because of their math and science programs. My first week, I was hiding behind the corners and running up the halls. I went to the office during this time because I wanted to leave, but I followed the advice o f the principal and gave it a month. In that month I started to look at my future and their science and math program. I kept telling myself that I was there for the education and not just ap pearances.” In many cases Toni was the only girl and the only Black in many of her classes. She gave an account of how her fellow classmates respond ed. “ A t firs t it was very rough. Their reaction was like ’ What are you doing here?* It was bad but I had to ride out the rough tide. There were so few brothers there to sup port me but the few that were there, did.” Y ou’ ve probably heard stories where someone who w».s a first in 4 something, had a teacher to put them under their wings. Toni had no such teacher. “ I was on my own to ta lly. Most o f the teachers were men who were close to retirement. They reacted like you shouldn’ t be here. This is an all guys school. What are you doing here? " A lot o f teachers d id n ’ t like it and they would show it in various ways. For instance, they would pick on me regarding a problem and ride you i f you did n ’ t know it. When I asked fo r help they w ould try to make you feel dum b. You know, like you should really know this. A typical day for Toni was atten ding classes, doing research, and bringing a mountain o f home work home to burn the midnight oil. She indicated that she received a great deal o f support from her home. “ My mother and father always told me i f someone else could do it, so could I. They just said keep on at it.” And keep at it she d id . Toni graduated in the class o f 81. The first and only Black woman to sur vive Benson Tech. C urrently, she’ s w orking at the C orp o f Engineers and is boning up on her math at Portland State. She plans to attend Oregon State University this fall as a m ajor in Chem ical Engineering. There’ s no way to conclude this ar ticle , but w ith the concluding thoughts provided by Toni ” 1 have arrived. A ll the people who said I couldn’ t do it; all the people who did n 't want me to do it; well, I did and I ’ m looking forw ard to other Black females to do the same.”
