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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1985)
Black colleges.......... because! /Continued from Page 4) perpetuating segregation under the guise o f maintaining historic cultural institutions and indoctrinating stu dents through " , . .racial organization o f instruction.. . ” Let's examine his first charge con cerning the lack o f quality education. Racism in funding as well as in soci ety at large has created public schools with weak or inferior curricula, fac ulty, plant and support services. Even the valedictorian from some of these schools has skills that are far lower than the national average. Are these students with lim ited skills that re quire " , . .certain types o f remedial education. . .(entitled to a) culturally and socially secure learning environ- dioons. that yo«r child can perform on a higher level, and that working under adverse classroom conditions can underm ine his attem pts. Be firm in demanding an im provem ent in the atmosphere, and be prepared to take your case higher if you are dissatisfied with responses. Become involved in parent advisory and interest groups in your child’s school and the commun ity. Remember that " th e squeaky wheel gets the grease." Enlist other parents in the cause. Encourage those w ith lim ited education to become more knowledgable about school politics. Make no mistakes about it — education is definitely in the political 1 interaction? Do not storm into school with deep hostility and a raised voice. Be prepared to demonstrate, through example of his work under other con- the civil rights laws based on racial or ethnic backgrounds. . . ” demands that Meyers feels subverts those laws we fought so hard to win We can then also rig h tfu lly dem and that those White schools that “ . . .refuse to de segregate. . ought to lose their tax exemptions and other subsidies from government." When such equality is achieved, if at all, we might ask the question, " W h y Black Colleges?” A nd the answers that ensue w ill have nothing at all to do with any form o f apologia, chauvinism or racism but simply be "Because. . . " /•’ew Black /acuity members were fo u n d in institutions o f higher education other than Black colleges before 1970. B y the middle o f that decade, 6 1 .2 * o f a ll B lack fa c u lty who were fu ll-tim e were fo u d outside o f Black institutions. ment. . .which is not well provided in other settings. . .” ? The U N C F article feels that they are so entitled, and their needs can best be met at a Black col lege. Is this reverse racism? In a study undertaken by Columbia University in New York, it was deter mined that there were great variations in quality education offered by Black colleges from the poorest to the best, but that at every level o f performance there was a q u a litative counterpart in educational institutions that serve W hite students. Score one for Black colleges, I thought. Is that enough to w arran t the continued existence o f Black colleges? Perhaps when we can be sure that education from the prim ary level to high school is emotionally supportive and academically rewarding, we may see fewer colleges that are racially identifiable. Then we can stop de manding " , . .m a jo r exceptions to The first boxa University of Atlanta University were bald In the above abandoned • cM I wer. The car was later rolled to the present aha of the (Photo. Courtesy of UNCF Archives) So called separata but equal Black schools under the 1890 Pleesy V. Ferquaon Supreme Court rullnq (Supplemental Photos) Meyers feels that a vigorous cam paign should be m ounted to force White colleges to hire more Blacks and enroll more minorities. W hat about .those students who need nurturing? W ill they find the support systems that they require in order to succeed? .O r will they increase the already 40% dropout rate o f m inorities (mostly Blacks) from W hite colleges? W hat will this failure do to the Black stu dent? According to the U N C F a rti cle, "B la c k colleges provide an a t mosphere more sensitive. . .to the institutionalized patterns o f injustice in the society.” Meyers asserts that tax dollars should not be used to further Black culture “ or to fund. . remedial type ‘prep’ schools.” How ever, tax dollars are being used to support infer ior public schools — schools that are supposed to educate and prepare youth for the college o f his choice. Whose responsibility is the educa tion of our youth anyway? Raasm and hostile educational envi ronments do not begin in college. The truth is that it starts, possibly subtly, nevertheless devastatingly, in the lowest level o f the elementary schools. Teachers who have limited ex pectations for their Black students, no m atter what their true ab ility is, create an atmosphere for a self-fu l filling prophecy to blossom: students who are expected to perform poorly will. O ne antidote Io this is parental involvement in and support o f their child's education. No matter that the adult in charge has a lim ited educa tional background, if a strong sense o f self-w orth is developed early in the child, along with personal am bi tion, coping skills and a positive atti tude towards learning, high achieve ment is possible. Role models who ex hibit a love fo r learning by reading regularly to the child from an early age. show an interest in the child's schooling and restrict and m onitor the child's televiewing w ill help to build a child's self-confidence. It is an established fact that supportive family units can overcome low teacher ex pectations. At First Interstate Bank, we’ve been saying ‘NOBODY DOES IT B E IT E K " in every area of banking But what does that mean to yon when it t omes to loans? It means that we offer competitive rales and our terms on loans .ire excel lent and varied Plus, we have a wide range of loans Other indications that the school is or is not fu lfillin g its responsibility toward a child's education include homework assignments — they should be assigned on a regular basis and the level should be comm ensurate with the grade level; completed and evalu ated papers that are sent home weekly (or daily) or the lack of same; and your child's attitude towards school. Investigate the interaction between the student and the teachers. Is it easy or do you detect a strain in either in dividual? Is the teacher's tone dismis sive and the child's surly or timid, or do they respond positively to each other? W hat can be done i f suspicions point to negative teacher/student including automobile, recreational vehicle, boat and personal loans. Some have extended terms available depending on the loan amount. And w ith the right credit infor mation, we ll process your loan application the very same day you apply. We want to make this as easy as possible. In fact, our automatic payment system even takes the hassle out of remembering to put the check in the mail. So, if you’re looking for a loan of any kind, visit a First Interstate loan officer today, and see for yourself th.it nobody does it better. With our rates and terms, we know you’ll feel better when you do. Ö First Interstate Bank & M i 'I I i I h '1 I-1 III Portland Observer, February 20, 1905. Section II, Page 11 i a
