Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 24, 1981)
Page 4 Portland Observer, September 24, 1961 OBSERVATIONS ROASTS FROM THE SIDELINES IRUMP OR ROUND TIP By Kathryn H a ll Bogle Police O fficer Carmen Sylvester is an " O ff ic e r F rie n d ly " o f the Portland Police Bureau. O f course she is friendly. By na ture she is a friendly person, but the tag "O ffic e r friendly” she acquired by her work for the last two years in the safety education section o f the Bureau's Traffic Division. Sylvester is one o f four persons designated as "Officers Friendly.” In a day’s work O fficer Sylvester visits any o f 28 schools in the Port land area. Boise, E lio t. Benson high, Central Catholic are all on her beat. O r, she could show up at a big picnic at Oaks Park It all depends on where she m ight be needed to keep juveniles in the general public reasonably aware o f the basic safety rules o f traffic. She is in charge o f Safety Patrols, she teaches safe bi cycling, and safe w alkin g on city streets. “ I ’ve been a police officer since I •ion. Police Officer Carmen Sylvester and fellow offi joined the force in M ay, 1974,” says cer» in the office of the East Precinct Traffic Dlvi- Sylvester. “ The A ffirm ative Action cation Assistance Program), a fed and the Black s ta ff o f P o rtla n d program o f the City o f Portland at eral education program. C o m m u n ity C ollege acted as co tracted my attention to the minority "This is a good profession I ’m in. sponsors for an inform al reception hiring possibilities open to me and 1 I ’ m learning. I ’ m earning. M y tu i on last Sunday afternoon, Septem gave it a ’try .’ I received on-the-job tion is paid, my uniforms are paid ber 20 at the Cascade Campus. training accompanied by tutoring at for by the City. 1 am given responsi The event was seen as a marker o f school, had my 18 months o f proba b ility . I am doing som ething for a most important step in the history tionary street training with follo w someone else. W here else can you o f the college as it pointed up the in up training at the Police Academy. get a ll this w ith o u t a college de clusion o f the first Black p ro fes I ’ve been on the force ever since.” gree?” asks Sylvester. sional to be named to a top manage Born and reared in Portland, Car A divorcee, Sylvester has fou r ment position within the P .C .C . sys men Sylvester said she had been as children between the ages o f 15 and tem. signed as a street patrol o ffic er in 11 years. W hen she cannot be at M any o f the guests in attendance the several sections o f the c ity — home with them, a neighbor family, were educators themselves and all N .W ., S .W ., S.E. and North for her or their own father, who lives near had responded g ra te fu lly to the first five years as a policewom an. by, rises to any emergent need the open invitation to attend. Standing She feels that her acceptance by the children may have, the mother said. beside D r. Williams to receive guests public in those sections o f the city A fter work hours, Officer Sylves were C ollege President D r. John was normal. ter finds time and pleasure in coach A n th o n y and M rs. A n th o n y. F all "Persons in those areas did not ing volleyball, softball and track at flowers in rich jew el colors, a tea seem concerned about my race nor H o ly Redeemer C ath o lic School. tab le laden w ith p arty fo o d , a that 1 am a woman. It was, and is, For sheer recreation she bowls with champagne fountain and the PC C the uniform that people see and re the “ Five G r a n d ," a C ath o lic Jazz Trio playing background music act to. Oh, sometimes I have heard Women’s league. kept the afternoon light and spar remarks directed at my race, but I W ithout overlooking the element kling. look like I mean business and I o f danger possible each day on her N icholas B arn e tt, o f the P C C know that in most instances people job, Sylvester does not let that fac staff and coordinator for the recep (in trouble) are really ‘talking to the tor weight heavily on her mind. Her tion organizers, was master o f cere uniform .’ fam ily had more than a few appre monies fo r the day. B arnett a r " I did work in Albina for a short hensions when she began but now ranged an hour’s program following while. There 1 received the most ver they see her job as a career, fulfull- an in vocation by the Rev. John bal abuse I ’ve ever had— from ‘ one ing for her and as an exciting part o f Garlington o f Marantha Church. o f us.’ It was very disappointing. her life. There was beautiful music by the They would not talk to a white o ffi Police O ffic e r Sylvester recom Joyful Sounds choir under the direc cer that way, I ’m sure.” mends police work " f o r any quali tion o f the incomparable Margaret M rs. Sylvester, a product o f pa fied young person who is a high C arter, a brief address by D r. A n rochial schools in Portland, attend school graduate and is over 20 years th o n y , rem arks by P C C Cam pus ed Holy Rosary. Immaculate Heart o f age." Executive Jim Van Dyke and more and St. Philip N eri. Lincoln High music by a Marantha trio. The ever- School also was a part o f her stirring strains o f “ L ift Every Voice secondary schooling. H er college To honor and welcome D r. Paul and Sing” gave the audience a studies, continuing at P o rtla n d Williams, the new vice president o f chance to sing-a-long. C om m unity College locations, are Portland C om m unity College, the The honored guest received an en being paid for by L E A P (Law Edu- Oregon Alliance o f Black Educators thusiastic welcome to the campus by USDAi CHOICE POUND <4 r (Photo: Thomas Golden) Dana Easly representing the Cas cade student body. In making his response D r. W il liam s, in his campus o ffic e since early sum m er, expressed his pleasure w ith his new position as vice president o f educational ser vices. In this role he accepts the re sponsibility to “ design and develop curricula and to set standards for faculty and course approval.” M rs. W illia m s w ill a rriv e soon fro m the couple's home in Stockton, Cal. Barnett named a few o f the per sons who had assisted in making the a ftern o o n a success. He credited members o f the several local chapters o f sororities and fraterni ties, D r. W illiam Gerald, president o f the O A B E , D r. Ernest H artzog o f the Portland Public Schools, who is also president o f the National A l liance o f Black Educators. Others named were. Odessa Hendrix. Belva Seabury, Julius Stokes, Yvonne Williams o f PC C and Jim Van Dyke also o f PCC staff. E E SHOP ■ENOW'S FOP B R A N D S you know V A R IE T IE S y o u lik e SU ES you w a n t • • • • • M U S I * M * m * .« *>»•» A » • • • 0a»6»ai«l® I 1 1 * 4 A M I O t'M « * M «• Baol«>^fc M ill» • i « n > 0 0 * . n U f n e w * • A M I • A • I Pi e ft • ta b « _ a ja M I A I •l0 )*4 e » ftl O4w«»W«* • Rlmg C**V • O» W W t l t I R O 4 I I I X -frierWrv&a» O D U S d M ca J ireia /a fu / J&t, i/m e e t/ 1839 N.E. Alberta PORTLAND. OREGON 9721 1 294 7997 From the Front Door Cell Talk by A smar A bdul Seifullah aka Joe West »40404 Prison is a breeding ground fo r tension and racial prejudice. It is the ideai environment fo r these civil germs because of institutional struc ture and policy which leaves the ra cial prejudices o f inmates un checked. This is reinforced by white and Black prison officials who en courage racial separation. Prisoners bring their racial prejudices to p ri son and so do the people who oper ate the institutions. The first thing that takes place when new prisoners (fish) arrive at this or any other state or federal in stitution is the separation o f ethnic, cultural, political and social groups. The current offense also plays a role in the breakdown and separation o f prisoners. T rad itio n ally men with violent crimes migrate toward each other, murders, armed robbers, and the rapist comprise this group. These men are considered heavies by prison officials because o f the long sentences they incur and their in clination tow ard the use o f v io lence as a means o f criminal expres sion. G enerally murders and armed robbers run state joints because o f the absence o f organized crime fig ures; who as a general rule end up in federal institutions. Burglars and thieves who have stolen a substan tial amount o f property are next on the list in the hierarchy o f prison rule. Also included in this grouping are drug dealers that are able to rise to the top o f the hegemony i f they can provide the same services inside. A t the very bottom o f the totem pole are the sex offenders. In most states these men are sent to special institutions because their life expec tancy isn’t very long on the big yard. But such isn’t the case in the Oregon penal system; sex offenders (rapos) walk the yard free from harm. Their haven is the prison chapel and the surest way to spot one is to go to Sunday services and count the amens. The most religious people in institutions are generally sex offend ers. They seem to find solace in re ligious doctrines while incarcerated. Beyond the above classifications and even stronger than the rule o f prison hierarchy is the racial break down. The first com m andm ent in prison: thou shalt not integrate. This com m andm ent is strictly en forced and those who transcend it find themselves ostracized by the prison population. Chicanos and Indians tend to maintain their own tines o f separa tion. They are very race-conscious but in a violent situation one would tend to believe that they would side with Black prisoners. O f course this is just an assumption on my part, but it has validity. Because race is such a strong de term ining factor in prison life , the actu ality o f racial violence is ever present. I f a white inmate assaults a Black inmate, all Blacks feel threat ened or shamed, and vice-versa. Most prison riots take racial forms at one point or another because it’s so easy to m arshall support along racial lines. The bigoted, racist men talities o f prisoners stand out for clear exam ination in most in s titu tions but I would have to say that it isn’ t as bad in Oregon as it is in other places. W hite prisoners who have never ridden a motorcycle in their lives be come bikers in prison. The attrac tion is found in the fact that the bik ers represent the strongest group in the white-prisoner hierarchy. Blacks who have never ascribed to any ra cial or political doctrine become the most militant o f prisoners while in carcerated. These alliances made through race are generally carried on a fte r release. W e must bear in mind that most prisoners come from very small worlds. Their social, eco nomic and educational identities are defined by their crim in al achieve ments. These attributes are rein forced while incarcerated and the in centive for change isn’t provided by prison officials. Recent racial disturbances at the Oregon State Correctional Institu tion were only ripples in the great tidal wave that could take place be hind the walls o f Oregon State Peni tentiary. The ingredients are all here — anger, frustration, overcrowding and racial hatred. A significant number o f m inority prisoners also add to the recipe for racial violence. The disparity in release has minority prisoners disturbed and their frus tration may find its expression in vi olent terms. “ Let us hope that this prediction never comes to pass but in all hon esty it could happen. People— both Black and w hite— are serving too much time behind these walls, racial hatred exists, discrim ination in re lease exists, administrative and leg islative ineptness exists and every body behind the walls is wondering where Judge Burns is with the deci sion to end this a p p a llin g situ a tio n ." by Tom Boothe Since the Exodus Clean Team was organized there have Keen u ported the Cleanliness Concept at all there have been o t h e r * h i ,s * ° ,avc not sup the concept, there have been others who have supported the concept a’ 7rm s “e i a t h " ^ from 10:00 a i ^ t i l 4 :W pm‘ A f X ^ r i X ^ o R o o i . drink’ ’and games we^e | d ‘d Food ranged from bar-b-que chicken, hamburgers, ho. dogs three diffeTem 7 prr° v,dcd X “ c ' n endle“ a” ° r" n' n' “ kw • nd X ' mg, Ms. Penny M y la r, Ms. Marsha G riffith , Ms. Linda Gray M s R o s a lie Johnny Johnson. M r. Daryl G riffith , Ms. Katie Wieland. M any o f th e n i d i H^ d M r' responsibility in organizing games and prizes. Some o f the games were sofibaU' ,O° k and horseshoes. It was a truly heart w e a rm m u ... ? Cre fo<)l races mumty Adults and Children having c o n s tru c tive ^ lea^’’"fu^and o f our C om * who ln A lbin’ who - - * i i X d I Wish to also acknowledge the Columbia Bus Company for nrovidin. i » those many contributors who donated to the Exodus Clean " f ,ransP °r'a" ‘»n; also that made this summer’s end picnic possible ,h° * d” " a"<’" ' Continue to donate to the Exodus Clean Team. You can actuallv see i n right now. because the Exodus Clean Team is working to m a k e n . * * d ° la rs a l w o r k safer place to live, work and do business ’ c our ‘■’«""»unity a belter and A public a w v ic brought to you by Houaa o* Exodua
