Page 4 Portland O bserver, A pril 2 2 , 1982
EDITORI A L /O P IN IO N
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Racial diacrim lnation ia illegal In
all U.S. housing
The Civil Rights Act o f 1866 pro
vides that: “ A ll citizens o f the U nit
ed States shall have the same right,
in every State and T e rrito ry , as is
enjoyed by white citizens therof to
inherit, purchase, lease, sell, hold,
and convey real and personal prop
erty.”
In the case o f Jones v. Mayer, de
cided on June 17, 1968, the U.S.
Supreme Court held that the 1866
law prohibits " a ll racial discrimina
tion, private as well as public, in the
sale or rental o f property."
that should be pressuring the Board and the in
dividual School Board members to mediate in
good fa ith —to reconsider a decision that can
only divide and destroy.
The elected o ffic ia ls — the C ity C ouncil,
County Commission, Legislature— have a re
sponsibility to attempt to avoid a tragic situa
tion. The business com munity—which was so
quick to come forward to oppose the termina
tion o f the form er superintendent and to at
tempt a recall—also has a responsibility.
C onflict—which could easily become racial
conflict—will leave a mark on the city that can
never be erased. Not only w ill children suffer— 1968 Fair Housing Law, as
amended, by the Housing and
but so will business.
C om m unity Developm ent A c t of
The time has come for the real power struc 1974
ture to give the signal that it is time fo r the
In T itle V III o f the C ivil Rights
School Board to give in on this one and get on Act o f 1968 (the Fair Housing Law),
Congress declared a national policy
with operating the School District.
Good luck, Blazers
Portland’ s basketball entree in the National
Basketball Association did not make the
playoffs this year. Many people feel let down
because o f the ir fa ilu re to make the second
season.
Portlanders should be proud o f their
franchise and should note that there are many
teams in other cities that have never won a
cham pionship and hardly ever get in the
playoffs.
In ju rie s and retirem ent hu rt this year’ s
progress and rookies take time to adjust to this
level o f play. But the Blazer management w ill
rise to the occasion and w ill d ra ft or buy
additional players to fit into their plans and
with the city’s support we w ill see a champion
ship banner raised again soon. Good season
guys, we know we’ ll make it next year.
Next season w ill p roba bly fin d James
W orthy, Ralph Sampson, Clark Kellogg and
maybe even Pat Ewing on some N B A team.
The game gets better and better.
Make sure you keep your season ticket. I t ’ s
your addmission to excitement.
Good luck. Blazers.
um i*o ukc*
r o c c e tmosa
T U R K e rc PISRMPT
O U R M C C T lM fr
THIS T I K C t
Recently I had a conversation
with a close friend about the viru
lence o f anti-wom an, anti-poor,
anti-Black, etc., attitudes and ac
tions on the part o f the men in
power in the White House and Con
gress. She said to me that these peo
ple, if allowed to do as they wish,
would reinstitute slavery. I said the
people o f this country would never
let that happen again.
I am writing this letter to inform
you and your readers of proposed
federal regulations which would
bring us a form o f slavery. Reagan’s
budge, would save 5700 million by
doing the following:
Once a child turns 16, take the
mother o ff the ADC grant.
Reduce A D C grants dollar for
dollar by the amount of any energy
U P «
U w
Oregon
Newspaper
Publishers
Association
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cause slave labor would undercut
the regular work force. This unpaid
labor would not even come near
present minimum wage standards.
A two-person household on ADC
receives less than $300. What we
need in this country is an economy
o f fu ll em ploym ent, w ith parent
controlled, non-racist, non-sexist
child care. Not slavery.
The $700 m illio n supposedly
saved, by the way, is one o f the
figures proposed by Reagan for aid
to the repressive government o f El
Salvador.
Please, while the federal budget is
being considered, write or call our
Senators, Packwood and Hatfield,
and our Congressmen, AuCoin and
Wyden (in the Portland area,. We
must speak out now.
peh
Attoclallon - Founded 7M5
arrests. Sixty per cent o f Portland
ers killed by police in the past 10
years have been black. Most o f the
brutal, abusive officers are still on
the force.
With only 5 per cent o f color and
7 per cent women, the "n e w ” chief
and mayor oppose affirm ative ac
tion. More than ever, people of col
or, women, lesbians and gays, poli-
I t ’ s about time Portland Police
were watchdogged by some sort o f
Citizen review board. Mayor Ivan-
cie assures us, after a year o f police
scandal over racist possum in c i
dents, illegal drug busts, and $50
m illion in anti-police lawsuits, that
miraculously since the mayor took
over the bureau, i t ’ s "responsive
and conscientious,” without need
for civilian review.
The U.S Department o f Justice is
now investigating police abuse o f
black citizens beaten, falsely arrest (Continued fro m page I col. 6)
ed, and racially slurred by Portland
jection o f society, serious personal
police. A 1982 Portland M etropoli
problems, depression or family cri
tan Human Relations Commission
sis. Every year one m illio n young
study showed that Blacks, Latinos,
sters run away from home. The
Native and Asian Americans, and
teen-age suicide rate increases each
women are discriminated against in
year.
•Eleven per cent o f the students in
grades 7-9 and 15 per cent in grades
10-12 sufier from alcoholism. Sev
enty-two per cent o f high school stu
Portland Observer
The P o rtla n d Observer (U S P S 959 6801 is published every
Thursday by E«ie Publiehing Company, Inc . 2201 North Killing«
worth. Portland. Oregon 97217. Post Office Box 3137, Portland,
Oregon 97206 Second class postage paid at Portland, Oregon.
A . Lee Henderson, Publisher
A t McGilberry, Managing Editor
A ! Williams, Advertising Manager
Ih The
e C O complaint
IIIp lil
may be referred by
HUD to a State or local agency that
administers a law w ith rights and
remedies which are substantially
equivalent to those o f the Federal
law. I f (he State or local agency does
not commence proceedings w ithin
30 days and carry them forw ard
with reasonable promptness, HU D
may require the case to be returned.
In any case, the complainant w ill be
notified o f the type o f action to be
taken.
Upon receipt o f a com plaint,
HUD will furnish a copy to the per
son charged with the discriminatory
act. The person charged may then
file an answer in w ritin g , which
should also be notarized.
Court action by an individual
A person may take a com plaint
directly to the U.S. District Court or
State or local court under Section
812, within 180 days o f the alleged
discriminatory act, whether or not a
complaint has been filed with HUD.
In appropriate cases, an attorney
may be appointed for the complain
ant and the payment o f fees, costs,
or security can be waived.
I f H U D or the State or local
agency is unable to obtain voluntary
compliance, the complainant may
file suit in the appropriate U.S. Dis
trict Court.
The court can grant permanent or
temporary injunctions, temporary
restraining orders or other appro
priate relief. It may award actual
damages and not more than $1,000
in punitive damages. The courts are
also directed to expedite cases under
Section 812 and assign them for
hearing at the earliest practical date.
Court action by the attorney
general
Inform ation about possible dis
crimination in housing may also be
brought to the attention o f the A t
torney (general. I f the resulting in
vestigation indicates that there is a
pattern or practice o f resistance to
fu ll enjoyment o f rights granted
under Title V III, or that a group of
persons has been denied such rights
and the denial raises an issue o f gen
eral public importance, the A tto r
ney (iencral may bring court action
to ensure fu ll enjoyment o f the
r,^ht> granted by Title VII.
How the 1866 Civil Rights Law is
enforced
The 1866 C ivil Rights Law p ro
vides a quick, direct method o f ob
taining a remedy against racial dis
crim in a tio n in housing: the com
plainant may take the case directly
to a Federal court.
The court could stop the sale or
rental o f the desired housing to
someone else. It could make it pos
sible for the complainant to buy or
rent the desired housing. It could
award damages and court costs or
take other appropriate action o f
benefit to the complainant.
NfwyiM* /
1961 I H ,
283 -2 4 8 6
National Advertising Representative
Amalgamated Publishers. Inc.
New York
tical dissidents and striking worke
need citizen control o f police. Mo
than the "auditing commission” o
dinance now before C ity Counci
we need a board selected by groui
in the harassed communities wit
the power to discipline, hire an
fire, and set humane police policy.
Adrienne Well«
Portland Radical Worn«
M ilitary spending harms poor
Rose Gangle
Subscriptions: 910 00 per year in the Tri-County area Post-
m e etar Send address changes to the Portland Observer. P.O.
Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208.
MEMBER
M M A
This last proposal amounts to un
co nstitu tio n a l in vo lun ta ry servi
tude, or by its better known name,
slavery—with the owner being the
government. I t ’ s anti-w orker, be
and/or; discriminatory advertising
is used;
Single-Family houses not owned
by private individuals;
Single-Family houses owned by a
private individual who owns more
than three such houses or who, in
any two-year period, sells more than
one in which the individual was not
the most recent resident;
M u lt(fa m ily dwellings o f five or
more units;
M u ltifam ily dwellings containing
fo u r or fewer u nits, i f the owner
does not reside in one o f the units.
Act not prohibited by the 1968
Fair Houeing Law
The follow ing acts are not cov
ered by the Fair Housing Law. It is
im portant to remember, however,
that these acts are covered by the
1866 C ivil Rights A ct when discrim
ination based on race occurs in con
nection with such acts.
The sale or rental or single-family
houses owned by a private individu
al o f three or fewer such single
fam ily houses if : a broker is not
used; discrim inatory advertising is
o f providing fair housing through
not used; and, no more than one
out the United States. This law
house in which the owner was not
makes discrimination based on race,
the most recent resident is sold dur
color, religion, sex, o f national o ri
ing any two-year period.
gin illegal in connection w ith the
Rentals o f rooms or units in
sale or rental o f most housing and
any vacant land offered for residen owner-occupied mulfidwellings for
two to four families, if discrim in
tial construction or use.
atory advertising is not used.
A cts prohibited by the Fair
Limiting the sale, rental, or occu
Housing Law
pancy o f dwellings which a religious
The Fair Housing Law provides
organization owns or operates for
protection against the fo llo w in g
other than a commercial purpose to
acts, if they are based on race, col
persons o f the same religion, if
or, religion, sex, or national origin:
membership in that religion is not
Refusing to sell or rent to, deal or
restricted on account o f race, color
negotiate with any person; discrim
or national origin.
inating in terms or conditions fo r
Lim iting to its own members the
buying or renting housing; discrim
rental or occupancy o f lodgings
inating by advertising that housing
which a private club owns or oper
is available only to persons o f a cer
ates fo r other than a commercial
tain race, color, religion, sex, or na
purpose.
tional origin; denying that housing
How the Fair Housing Law is
is available for inspection, sale or
enforced
rent when it really is available;
D iscrim inatory acts covered by
"b lo c k b u s tin g ” — fo r p ro fit, per
suading owners to sell or rent hous the Fair Housing Law can be report
ed to: Fair Housing, c /o the nearest
ing by telling them that m in o rity
groups are moving into the neigh HUD Regional Office.
borhood; denying or making d iffe r
The com plainant may state a
ent terms or conditions fo r home
complaint in a letter or use a com
loans by commercial lenders, such
plaint fo rm . The com plaint form
as banks, savings and loan associa
may be obtained from the nearest
tions and insurance companies;
HUD Office. Complaints should be
denying to anyone the use o f or par
notarized,
if possible, and must be
ticipation in any real estate services,
sent to HUD within 180 days o f the
such as brokers’ organizations, mul
alleged discriminatory act.
tiple listing services or other fa c ili
I f the d iscrim in a to ry act is
ties related to the selling or renting
covered by the law, H U D w ill
o f housing.
investigate the co m plaint. I f the
Housing covered by the 1968 Fair
Secretary decides to resolve the
Housing Lew
com plaint, H U D may attempt in
Prohibitions contained in the Fair
formal, confidential conciliation to
Housing Law apply to the following
end (he d iscrim in a to ry housing
types o f housing:
practice; or, inform the complain
Single-Family housing owned by
ant o f his or her right to seek imme-
private individuals when: a broker
d ia te co urt action. In appropriate
or other person in the business o f
cases, HUD may refer the complaint
selling or renting dwellings is used
to the Attorney General.
To the editor:
Federal regulations affect Oregon families
assistance received. This in effect
means no energy assistance for
mothers and children on ADC. This
is not proposed for low-income el
derly. O bviously the elderly s,ill-
have some advocates. Please, would
people advocate fo r women and
children too?
Freeze funding for school lunch
programs. Combine child care and
school breakfast programs and refer
them to the states for block grants,
with 20 per cent less funding.
Require
m andatory
work,
without pay or benefits, by ADC re
cipients for public agencies or p ri
vate non-profit agencies.
a n d / o r - d i s r r i m i n a t n r v a d v e r ti« in a
Portland Police need watchdog committee
Letters to the Editor
To the editor:
April
A pril is is hair
Fair Housinu
Housing Month.
Month. The
The
follow ing is an explanation o f the
two major Federal laws dealing with
d iscrim in atio n in housing in the
United States.
Thank you, Jackson!
The students o f Jackson High School, who
staged a one-day boycott to support the Black
community and to protest the closure o f their
own school, took a step that should be followed
by Portland’s white community.
The School Board has made an arbitrary deci
sion that is opposed by the Black community. It
refuses to reconsider. It has sent its Superinten
dent out to begin meaningless mediation—one
way mediation that recalls the one-way busing it
forced on the community for years. It has re
quested a court injunction to deny the commu
nity its only voice— peaceful, non-violent pro
test.
Where is the white community? Where is the
League o f Women Voters, the Ecumenical M in
istries, Schools fo r the C ity, the Jewish
Womens’ Federation, the unions, the PTA, etc.,
etc.? These, and others, are the organizations
Live where you want to live
Register
and
Vote.
dents drink, 34 per cent smoke mari
juana, 12 per cent take stimulants
and 5 per cent use cocaine.
•According to the FBI every two
seconds a crime is committed; every
8 seconds an assault or robbery;
every 28 seconds a car theft; every
48 seconds an assault and battery;
every 58 seconds a holdup; every 6
seconds a rape; and every 23
seconds a murder.
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