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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1984)
Page 4 Portland Obaarvar, August 1, ,964 MR P ttS lD e u T ./ AltE CouCl EDITORIAL/OPINION Extend "new vision" to N.E. history in which increased developm ent pressures have altered, forever, their unique identities. They see inclusion in the plan as sim ply accelerating these pressures and don’t want to be considered part of central Portland. N ortheast P o rtla n d , especially the U n io n Avenue co rrid o r, where the C ity ’ s Black population is concentrated, has not been a m ajor focus o f public and private investment. The few projects and business loans which have been channeled to the area have not been enough to alleviate the basic underdevelopment o f the area relative to dow ntow n and other booming districts. Significant progress has been made, though, to improve the business image o f inner-North- east, and in itia l successes point to greater things to come. Inclusion o f the Union Avenue corridor within the bounds o f the Central City Plan would send strong signals to development interests o f the area’s viability and it’s im por tance for Portland. The process approved last week allows for modifications o f the planning boundaries, and we urge the inclusion o f at least part o f the Union Avenue corridor within them. In creating a “ new vision” for Portland, the Central City Plan could, and should, help change the way all of inner-city Portland is perceived. The C e n tra l C ity P la n — Com m issioner M arg aret Strachan, and her “ pre-planning” committee, say it will create a vision of central Portland for the next century. Her fellow com missioners apparently agreed and approved a process for developing the plan last week. But the City Council did much more last week than simply approve a planning process. The council provided city residents and the business w ith a new d e fin itio n o f central P o rt land w ill be seen as the appropriate area for during the planning process was approved, as was a physical boundary within which the im pact o f development schemes on those issues is to be examined. This newly defined central Port land w ill be seen as the appropriate area for focusing city-wide resources on development ef forts o f all types— economic, cultural, environ mental and so on. Representatives o f tw o P o rtlan d neigh borhoods want to be sure they are left out of the C en tral C ity P lan boundaries. M ean w h ile, community activists and business interests along the Union Avenue corridor want their area in cluded. The Council should take a closer look at why the boundaries are so important for these people. T h e neighborhoods, Southwest’s L air H ill and Northeast’s Elliot, both have a long history if inclusion in city-wide development plans— a B.U.F. deserves our support 2. Demanding a middle school in the com munity, more Black teachers and Black history to be taught and not just talked about. 3. Addressing the issue o f police b ru tality head on by supporting and organizing marches to educate the City o f Roses when she does not live up to her image. 4. Utilizing economic boycotts to redistribute the wealth of the Pacific Northwest. 5. Providing a communication link to those caught inbetween the fallacies o f the system and the realities o f it. 6. Actively worked on creating District #18 and the victory o f its first real candidate while nationally adding their color to the Rainbow Coalition. By no means is this list complete, but the gist is clear. As Portland matures, the action o f the BUF paves a foundation for a better life for our children. The members and supporters o f the F ront need to be commended for a jo b well done. And they need to be supported for jobs yet to be started. The National Black United Front took a look at themselves during their national convention July 19th thru 22nd, in Chicago, Illinois. It is time for us to take a look at them. The Portland chapter has been at the cutting edge of change by using progressive, confrontational tactics. Their actions have produced a reaction that put Portland on the map. In 1979, the B U F emerged as the voice for lit tle Black children who were bussed to an unknown neighborhood to attend an unfamilar school. The Front ate away at the status quo which left Blacks and low -incom e people powerless. They forced other so-called leaders to put-up or shut up. When a wrong is done, the Black United Front has positioned themselves on the front line to right it. W h at Jesse Jackson meant p o litically to millions, the B U F means the same to thousands in Oregon. W ith pride and direct action the BUF has improved the quality o f life by: I . Stopping a bussing program which bur dens Black children unfairly; C A N 'T w e v CAN'T F lit ClAtS ACTION SUITS AMP Jt & r Oregon faces continued jobs loss (C ontinuedfrom Page I, Column 3) many of their neighbors " The quality of the jobs in the state also effects the a b ility o f state government to fund needed social services. O ver 70 percent o f the general fund is financed th ro ug h personal income taxes, and these de crease with decreasing wages earned O reg o n E m p lo y m e n t D iv is io n projections are cited by the report as in d ic a tin g “ th at the sh ift fro m M a n u fa c tu rin g to n o n -m a n u fa c tu rin g , fro m good to poor jobs, w ill continue unabated. The report calls the trend a “ structural deficiency within the economy." Senator M ae Y ih .f D - A lb a n y ) , noted the report's im plication that even w ith in the h ig h -tech n olog y firm s, the " p a y scales are not very h ig h ," fo r most employees. C o rt- right added, the higher paid high- tech engineers come fro m both within and outside o f the state. Em p loym ent statistics show the "recovery" is not sufficiently strong to revive lagging industries nation wide either, according to Economic Notes magazine. The table presen ted below shows that Oregon is not alone in suffering from the flagging economy. NBUF convention (C ontinuedfrom Page I, Column 6) A vel M a y fie ld attended the w orksho p on A fric a n w om en organizing " W e examined the role o f women in the struggle. W hether it should be two steps in front of the m an, tw o steps behind, or next to him. W hat I heard is that it's beside him. We balance one another o u t.” She said the highlight for her was the acceptance speech by Bishop's mother. "She talked about the need to co n tin u e the m o vem ent. A ls o , being around so many brothers and sisters actively involved in trying to im p ro ve the q u a lity o f life fo r Black people in their com m unity." In 1983, N B U F held their conven tion in P o rtla n d and next year, it w ill be held in H o u s to n , Texas. Those fro m P o rtla n d , atte n d in g , left feeling refreshed and ready to continue their successful work here. by Lenita Duke and Richard Brown Support our advertisers Say You Saw It in The PORTLAND OBSER VER Last w eek, Miss A m e ric a made national headlines. The Street Beat team asked, “ How do you feel ab o u t the Miss America incident?" Zimbabwe marshalls resources M a n y Z im b a b w e a n s , alth o u g h faced with severe drought, are m ar sh allin g th eir resources th ro ug h projects such as new water wells and b u ild in g o f b ridg e dam s, an Am erican Friends Service C o m m it tee staff couple pointed out today. P atricia and James Seawell are on hom e leave a fte r fiv e ye ars’ techn ical assistance w o rk in southern Africa. “ Zim babw e is one o f 31 A frican countries being ravaged by drought, but m any o f its people are d e te r mined to act on plans for their own liv e lih o o d such as the wells and dams, in addition to increasing food yields, granary storage, and correc ting soil e ro s io n ,” James Seawell said. T he Seawells, based in H a ra re , have w orked in the M h o n d o ro D istrict, a form er tribal trust land, 60 miles south o f the capital city. James Seaw ell has m ade several visits to neighboring M ozam bique to determine the needs there caused by the worst drought in 50 years. Thousands o f M ozam b icans have fled to Zimbabwe in search o f food, fu rth er taxing the economy there. A F S C is sending some emergency aid to those refugees as well as to people in Mozambique. “ T h e c o m m u n ity p ro jects in Zimbabwe are based on maximizing people p a rtic ip a tio n at the grassroots level. " P a tric ia Seawell declared. " M a n y are good exmples o f cooperation between whites and Blacks. In some cases, the projects focus on the critical need o f water co n se rva tio n . W om en and men w ork together in digging w e lls ." M o z a m b iq u e , w hich in some regions has also been h it by disastrous floods, is due to receive a shipm ent o f m a ize , sorghum and possibly bean seeds being assembled by A FSC . A total o f 800 pounds of vegetable seeds has been received fro m the Q u a k e r o rg an izatio n by the M o za m b ic a n M in is try o f A g ric u ltu re , and an o th er A F S C shipment o f clothing, medical sup plies and g ard en ing equipm ent is scheduled to be sent in September Valerie Stokes Currie Student I Housewife " L o o k in g at the n atu re o f those p ho tos, even i f it d id happen in her past, it's best that she stepped dow n ." A lfred Fisher Security O fficer "T h o s e pictures were taken when she was 19 years o ld . They were taken in confidence which was violated." z Th» Portland Observer 7USPS 959 5801 is publishad »vary Thursday by E mi » Publishing Company, Inc . 2201 North Killing» worth. Portland, Oragon 97217. Poal Ottica Bos 3137, Portland. Oragon 97208 Sacond class posi »g» paid at Portland Oragon Tha P o rtla n d O b v r v t r w as »st »Wished m 1970 MEMBER Subscriptions S15 00 par yaar in tha Til County arsa Post m aatat Sand addrats changas to tha Portland Observer. P O Bos 3137, Portland. Oragon 97208 A lfre d L. Henderson, Editor/Publisher A l Williams, General Manager Association • Potinslad IB M IS PORTWND OBSERVER □ 115 tor ona yaar □ »25 tor tw o t Box 3137 Portland O « 97028 ltd I Ml 283 2486 @[LLILP M m Apt aiawart* National A d vartM ng Rapraaantattva Am algam atad Publisher» Inc N aw y orb * 2 8 * < z o M ichelle Rogers M o th er Qlen Williams Corrections " I t could have been handled better. I f she had not been Miss Am erica, they would not have been pub lished. I heard the other w om an is suing. I hope she w ins." M ci "T h e Miss Am erica officials were stupid. T hat whole thing is passe. I see no reason fo r them to ask for her crown. She could have kept i t ." Portland Observer Mt MRI ► - £9 Rosemary Huntington Unem ployed STATE ZIP " I d o n 't th in k it was fa ir p rin tin g them w ith o u t c o n sulting her. T h e pictures were not that b ad ." "T hey were taken before she was Miss A m e ric a . The pageant did w hat they had to do. I feel badly for her. Maybe she will come out on top in the long ru n .”
