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
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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
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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 .”