Page 6 Portland Observar July 9.1961
Young, gifted, Black
Former Portlander teaches, writes
by Nathaniel Scott
Former Portland resident. Luella C renshaw M cK ay , has recently
published her book on American Blacks.
(D etroit) - W ith pride, pleasure
and appreciation I file this article
from the m otor city because it
presents to Portland and Oregon a
native Portlander: Luella Cranshaw
M cKay,
a u th o r/p u b lis h e r
of
“ A m erica’ s Slave Descendants o f
the House o f Israel” .
Ms. M cKay, a ta ll, slender,
graceful woman, obtained her fo r
mal education in Washington and
California. After that, she became a
licensed instructor in Cosmetology;
she
m arried
Jasper
Lewis
McKay(deceased) and had one son,
Nicholas W illia m , who resides in
C a lifo rn ia ; and she embraced the
Bahai Faith, in which she received
the distinguished title , “ Knight o f
Bah’ u ’ lla h ” , fo r pioneering and
teaching the Faith in Spanish
Morocco, North West Africa.
She holds many awards and is
listed in Marquis “ W ho’ s Who o f
American Women” , eighth edition,
and “ W orld W h o ’ s W ho o f
Women” , fourth edition.
The book, “ A m erica’ s Slave
Defendants o f the House o f Israel” ,
shows Blacks as Israelites. It is
specifically aimed at the American
Blacks — the descendants o f slaves.
She said that she wrote the book
fo r tw o reasons. “ F irst, so we
(Blacks) could become cognitive o f
our roots. And second, to know our
purpose."
She went on to say that “ we are
the descendants o f Jacob, and his
name was Israel, so we are the
descendants o f Israel. And we are
like the latent cream o f humanity.”
Ms. M cK ay's book is laced
throughout w ith verses from the
Bible and in conversation she main
tains that basic philosophy, but, the
gist of her words goes much deeper.
She said, “ We arc not in an environ
ment that’s conducive to education.
We are slaves to prostitution; slaves
to drugs; and the churches are inef
fective as far as 1 am concerned.”
She said the Black man is
progressing but he w ill never catch
up because he is at the back o f
society. And some o f the Blacks’
crim in a l plight (entering in to
crim inal patterns) is becaue o f the
unseen sin. “ The unseen sin is the
power and principles taking away
who we are; the taking away o f af
firm ative action,” she said. “ Iden
tity is very im portant because with
identify we will become confident in
ourvelves."
"The 60s was a beautiful era, but
we have gone back into our stupor.
Our p o litic a l Black leaders have
been attacked and dethroned. It is
because we have been stymied. Let
Black people ask themselves, ‘ Do
we have affirm ative action? Are we
progressing?’ We are stum bling
around in darkness -- we are in a
quandary.”
The book, “ A m erica’ s Slave
Descendants o f the House o f Israel"
may or may not reach the charts o f
the literary critics; it might not meet
with religious sect approval. If the
coming o f age is ever to be, it, as
well as other books that dispense in
form ation about a lost people (the
Am erican Blacks) must be read,
digested and accepted as in fo r-
mataive information.
Cell Talk
By Asmar A bdul Seifullah
Aka Joe West
(W rite r’ s
Comments:
The
fo llo w in g statements were taken
from the testim ony o f D r. Della
Henna, who testified as a expert
witness in the recent prison over
crowding case. The questions were
asked by a lawyer representing
Prisoners Legal Services o f Oregon.
Dr. Della Henna talks about the in
adequate medical services at Oregon
State Penitentiary. He addresses
the need fo r organization in the
medical department and other issues
but fo r this firs t installm ent we
will focus on his testimony concern
ing unlicensed medical technicians
and the tasks they perform in the
rhedical department.)
Q. Can you te ll the C ourt
whether or not fro m y o u r obser
vations and examination o f records
and other data whether, in your
opinion, these unlicensed medical
technicians are p e rform ing tasks
that should only be perform ed by
medical doctors?
A. W ell, they are perform ing
tasks - some o f the things they are
doing should be performed only by
doctors - yes.
Q. Now, are there other types o f
tasks that they could perform under
the m edical supervision o f a
physican?
A. Yes.
Q Can you elaborate briefly on
what they are domy and what type
o f supervision they should have?
A. They are doing a number o f
things. F irst o f a ll, they are
screening inmate complaints during
the dispensing o f pills downstairs
near the control area in the m orn
ing, and inmates come with various
medical com plaints, and its ’ s
through a door without any medical
instruments, without any examina
tio n table, w ith nothing except
being able to talk to an inmate
across a doorw ay. People are
screening fo r specific com plaints
and decisions are made as to
whether they should see the doctor
for that complaint.
Again, there are no guidelines for
this. And it’ s also an inappropriate
way to make that decision. So they
are in that capacity making
diagnosis and diagnostic decision
about the needs for treatment.
Q. Is there any accountability in
the work that they do to a
physician?
A. No. One o f the issues that I
addressed was the issue o f whether
there is any regular supervision o f
staff or whether there is any regular
audits or review o f medical records
in performance of staff, through the
medical records.
And another thing which in
dicated to me that Dr. Diaconi was
not really aware of how these people
performed was in his deposition he
was unable to give the name o f the
medical assistants And so that this
activ ity which again is going on
w ithout any w ritten guidelines or
any directions with people doing it
who have d iffe re n t backgrounds,
who are not licensed. It’s also going
on in a way that is unmonitored and
unauthorized.
(Z Now, they don'I even keep a
Ion o f contacts each day, do they?
A. There are several lists that
are generated. But i t ’ s clear to me
how many o f the activities is
represented in these lists. There are
lists fo r example, o f people who
come to see the doctor in the clinic
area. There is not a list or any entry
in the medical records of an inmate
that comes up with a complaint who
may be dealt w ith by the medical
assistant at the window, who never
does get to the clinic. The decision
for that inmate not to see the doctor
might have been the wrong
decision, but there is no reviewing
o f that. There is no record o f that.
(W riter’ s comment: Dr. Diaconi
is the C hief M edical O ffic e r and
C hief physician fo r Oregon State
Henitentiary. The above illustrates
the power o f unlicensed medical
assistants at Oregon State Peniten
tiary. It is clear indictment o f what
can happen if and when that power
is abused for whatever reason. Dr.
Della Penna goes on to talk about
the records kept on the actual
wards.)
Q. Doctor, let me ask you, did
you have an opportunity to examine
the records kept on the actual
wards?
A. Yes I did. And this is at the
penitentiary?
Q. Yes. A n d can you te ll the
C ourt in y o u r opinion, whether
those records are adequate records?
A. They are also inadequate
records. There were patients in there
with complicated medical problems
who might have been there for
weeks and weeks, but during that
period o f time they might have had
a note from three doctors for two or
three times. Again, inmates are also
w riting in those records. And they
did not contain any overall treat
ment plan. There were patients that
were on the ward fo r example, a
man had been adm itted fo r chest
pains the night before, yet, there
was no admission history or
physical or anything relating to the
admission other than the reason
why he was admitted there This is
unacceptable practice.
Q. Now sir, can you describe
fo r us, what, in your view, would be
the necessary tra in in g that the
medical technicians should have
that they currently do not have?
A. Well, it's d ifficult to answer
that question because at this point
they are perform ing at so many
levels. They are perform ing as
physicians at some levels and
therefore, a great deal o f training
would be necessary in order to bring
them up to that level.
I would say that the physicians or
the medical assistants, or the, let me
rephrase that. I w ould say that
many o f the activities that are being
performed by the physicians or the
medical assistants properly should
be performed by registered nurses or
physician assistants or nurse prac
titio n e rs, and I th in k that they
w ould have to have tra in in g that
those classes o f individuals have, or
the credential processes that they
have met.
Along this line, I would point out
to you when I asked both the
medical assistants, as well as the
nurse at the penitentiary, about the
continuing medicai education, they
said there is no continuing medical
education fo r ongoing services or
teaching for the staff at the peniten
tiary.
(W riter’ s Comment: We will con
tinue w ith Dr. Della Henna’ s
testimony and that o f Dr. Gualitieri
who also testified as expert in the
case. This material is brought to you
to broaden the picture o f the
medical facilities at Oregon State
Henitentiary.)
program at no cost to the State.
The bill passed the House with a
44-15 vote and went to the Senate
M onday. It has been referred to
Ways and Means, where supporters
fear it will be shelved.
Beware check protection plan
The b u ilt-in checking account
protection plan intended to prevent
checks from bouncing is one o f the
many services offered to consumers
by financial institutions.
“ An account protected by this
type o f o verdraft service usually
costs the consumer more than a
regular checking account, and the
bank will protect checks only up to a
certain lim it,” says Marilyn Lunner,
Clackamas County Extension agent.
Those who have one o f these
protective features w ith their
checking accounts and find them
selves relying on it regularly might
be getting in to a debt problem
butch caarç
Phone: 284 1897
H O T C U T S S P E C IA L
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Vigil seeks prison visitation
A vigil on the steps o f the Capitol
Building in Salem will continue until
the prisoner visitation bill is adopted
on the legislative session ends. The
bill would allow corrections officals
to establish a fa m ily visiting
give me the m o tiva tio n to take a
stance here. 1 have noticed in my
It’ s interesting how young people early life how cruel this w orld can
view themselves and the w orld be How can I or anyone else stand
around them. As a young person, 1 back and let things a ffe ct them
view m yself as in te llig e n t, goal without saying or m aking any at
oriented, proud; but most o f all, tempts to do something about it?
Now, I know the question is, how
young, gifted and Black.
Young, G ifte d and Black; a can we. as young people, do
theme that can never be over used, something? I t ’ s very simple: Take
for all Black youth are gifted. The pride in ourselves and in what we do
problem is that we as youth don t and positive things w ill come to us.
Read, listen and become aware. I
know it or utilize that knowledge.
We should know by now that we guarantee you young people w ill
can’ t depend on Hortland Hublic lend an ear.
Another im p o rta n t th in g is to
Schools or sim ilar instituions to
teach us our heritage that indeed have a goal; the desire to strive for
make us proud. We are going to something. I f you are young, gifted
and Black or know someone who
have to do it ourselves.
Do you know what makes me the is, give me a call at: Urban League
proudest? The walking historians in Northeast Youth Service Center at
the Black community, who, unlike 288-6708, just so we young people
the generation before me, are taking w ill know what we have going for
a stance and holding ground. They us!
By Mane Martin
rather than protecting themselves
against overdrafts.
“ Face the fact that you are
writing checks for money you don’ t
have when you use this service,”
Ms. l unner advises. “ You are, in
effect, asking for a loan each time
you use the protection. These loans
may be easy enough to pay o ff now,
but if you continually rely on them,
your debt may continue to grow ."
Using an o ve rd ra ft service,
especially on a regular basis, is
going further into debt. Consumers
should stop this practice before the
debt problem gets out o f hand.
$15.
IN T E R E S T IN G
FACTS
Brought To You Every Week
B Y A MERIC A N STATE BA NK
Although Franklin Roosevelt won all 4 of his
presidential elections by big margins, he never carried
his home county - Dutchess County, New York.
•
New Year's used to be celebrated on March 25 in
the English speaking world until the present calendar
was adopted in 1752.
•
Oddly, hardly anyone knows who w rote the
w orld's most popular song, ''H appy Birthday To
You." It was written by two forgotten sisters, Mildred
and Patty Hill.
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