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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 13, 1985)
Page 4, Portland Observer, March 13,1966 BUT ITS OUST A 0 0 HOLE IN THE ÉrttoUND EDITORIAL/OPINION OH.NO- THAT'6 THE F oundation / Re-examine integration A fro-A m erican s. use A U T T l.6 IIA A 6 1 N A T I0 N Those w ho were employed to represent and upgrade us as a group sometimes forgot the group and cashed in on contacts made while the group became bankrupt in terms o f economic grow th, educational opportunity and political account ability. and race consciousness. Money spent in the Black com m unity stayed in the Black com m unity. As the demands for equality became more con frontational and less willing to com prom ise, in tegration was developed and grasped by the in stitutions as a solution to the problems created by the exclusion o f Americans o f color. Equal ity in education was interpreted as forced scat tering o f children away from their culture and com m unity schools, instead o f upgrading schools near their homes. A ffirm a tiv e action was supposed to get our foot in the door. But once in, the few individuals who benefitted either closed the door themselves or allowed the institution to close the door. F i nancially, the removal o f “ N o Colored Allowed” from m a jo rity owned businesses started the era o f capital leaving the Black com m unity, never to return. Hindsight is always 2 0 /2 0 and we need to evaluate the negative and positive aspects o f in tegration as a tactic and focus o f our struggle as we set our eyes on the 21st Century. The de cline and effectiveness o f the civil rights move ment occurred when our middle class leadership merged w ith the m a jo rity ’s values and institu tions. Therefore, our goals and tactics were de fined from a perspective o f the value system that perpetuated structural inequalities. In the 1970s Black children were bussed into a society which recorded their only significant contribution to Am erica as slavery. A t that time we never looked at the wealth o f theory and W e need to return to the policies o f self- reliance and self-determination. This was an in tegral part o f our history that got washed away during the thrust for integration. The Reagan A dm inistration is quick to point out the number o f A fro-A m ericans dependent on government resources. Y et, they remain mute when govern ment policies under both political parties encour age dependence rather than independence. The advice o f pre-integrationisLs should be re-examined. In 1892 Ida B. Wells, Black journalist, said, “ Let the A fro -A m erican depend on no one but himself for his salvation. Let him continue to put money in his pocket. W hen we have dollars in our pockets we can move away from oppres sion and injustice.” Educator M a rk M cLeod Bethune said in 1938, “ I f our people are to fight their way out o f bondage, we must arm them with the sword, the shield and the buckler o f pride — the belief in themselves and their possibilities. . .fro m our own history our youth will gain confidence, self- reliance and courage. W e shall raise their mental horizons and give them a base from which to reach out higher and higher into the realm o f achievement.” W h y did we forget their words in the 1970s? Integration was first welcomed by the masses and our leaders. But its actions and interpretation was superimposed on us by the m ajo rity in power. W e il, the illusion is over. The theory, practice and actions o f integration cost us more than what it gave. z eat So TOU HAÆ To w e c e S n iu iPowiwcr out ome RETAILS OF THE F IN A N C IN G ... stead o f A fro-A m ericans as a group. H istorically, our grandparents organized around the demands for basic human rights. In the 1940s and 50s, apartheid was draped in red, white and blue as race separation determined where you sat, ate and attended school. T o com bat this, our grandparents inherited a founda tion o f economic vitality, self-determination Street S knowledge that was penned by our pioneers. The practice o f integration in Am erica diluted our culture. C u ltu ral chauvinism integrated Afro-Americans into society as individuals in Integration, an afterm ath o f the civil rights movement o f the 1960s, has had dubious bene fits for the very group it was supposed to help — T he debate over state funding o f abo r tion was the topic this week as the Street Bea, team asked, “ Should the state allo cate money to pay for abortion for low- income wom en?” by Lanita Duke and Richard J . Brown Craig W ooten Student " In certain cases when the mother’s health is jeopardized or in ihe case o f rape.” ON SOUTH AFRICA Thursday, A pril 4 — Portland will join in the national observance of the assassination o f M artin Luther King Jr. The public is invited to the King Neighbor hood Facility for an event sponsored by the Black United Front and Portlanders Organized for Southern African Freedom (POSAF). Speakers to be announced. Saturday, April 6 — The annual March Against Racist Violence will begin at noon at Alberta Park. The march to the King Neighborhood Facility will be followed by a rally with details to be announced. Call Avel at 230-9427 for further infor mation. (April 6). Here in Portland, the two weeks will be marked by activities centered around the fight against apartheid and racism and foscused on the South African di vestment bill, H .B . 2001, that is in the Oregon State Legislature. Monday, March 25 — A speaker from the African National Congress will be at Allen Temple Church at 7:00 p.m. No charge, donations wel come. Tuesday, April 3rd — Hearings on the divestment bill sponsored by M ar garet Carter and M ike Burton will be held at 1:30 p.m. in Salem. Call 282-1300 for further information. Events mark King's death Across the country during the weeks o f March 21 - April 6, many «immunities will take part in actions commemorating important events in South African and American history: the anniversary o f the Sharpeville massacre in South Africa (March 21), the assassination o f M artin Luther King, Jr. (April 4, and the execution of African National Congress free dom fighter Solomon Mahlangu Internal problems threaten GOP Along the C olor Line by Dr. M anning M arable Despite his 49 state sweep and 59 percent electoral mandate. Ronald Rea gan and the Republicans are in trouble No, the Democrats have their own set of difficulties, and should present little organized opposition to the O O P’s aus terity agenda The has*. problems of the Republicans an- pnmar.lv internal First, Reagan's populantv among white voters did not translate into a (ongressainal realignment I just sear the Republicans gained only 14 seats in the House and lost two Senate seats. Eight of the fourteen House seats kst had been held by Southern "Boll Wee vils” who were alrradv backers ol Rea gan Afro-American voters provided the critical margin of support to elect three white Senators and at least eight Demo cratK representatives Reagan «cried Iowa, but liberal populist Tom Harkin defeated ultra-nght Republican Senator Robert W Jepsen The President won in Illinois, and liberal Democrat Paul Si mon received only 43 percent o f the white vole in Illinois. But with 87 percent o f the vole from Blacks, Simon defeated powerful Republican Sena tor Charles Percy. There were other anomalies as well. Reagan carried Los Angeles County by 55 percent, but a “ Jobs W ith Peace” referendum on the same ballot, calling for cuts in the military budget to lund jobs programs and human services, passed with 61 percent. The odds are probable that the Democrats will take back the Senate in 1986, since nearly twice as many incumbents seeking reelection that year will be Republicans. Repre sentative Tony Coelho, chairman o f the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, emphasized to Reagan. "Y o u are a lame duck. " I f it’s a life or death situ ation, I believe it’s O .K .” Accept it. Elected officials do not have you to contend with any more.” New Right leader Richard Viguerie agrees, predicting (hat “ Reagan faces two years with a hostile Congress — and the likelihood o f an electoral disaster in the 1986 congressional elections.” For the Republicans, Reagan’s re- election simply meant that the strug gle for power between the moderate conservatives vs. the radical Right would now be fought without quar ter. Moderate conservatives "w o n " the first round last year, as veteran Senator Robert Dole o f Kansas, de nounced by New Right Congressman Newt Gingrich as the “ tax collector for the welfare state," handily de feated New Right candidate James McClure for the post o f Senate M a jority Leader. Liberal Republican John Chalee o f Rhode Island also de feated ultra-rightist Jack Carn of Utah to become chairman o f their party’s Senate Conference Com m it tee. The Republican New Right suf fered other blows as well. The removal of presidential adviser Edwin Meese to the post o f Attorney General will reduce the rightists' immediate access to Reagan. The resignation o f K irk patrick from the U N , lamented V i guerie, was “ a loss from which Rea gan’s foreign policy will never recov er." The battle to succeed Reagan is now on, and its resolution may well determine the future o f the Republi can Party. Currently the best known Republican aspirants are traditional conservatives: Dole, former Senate M ajo rity Leader H ow ard Baker o f Tennessee, and Vice President George Bush. If Reagan remains “ neutral” in the 1988 campaign, the Republican presi dential nomination will probably be won by a New Right leader. The two candidates to watch are Jack Kemp and Lew Lehrman. In 1984 Kemp campaigned personally for nearly 100 Congressional Republican candidates, and raised $220,000 on their behalf. Kemp is a favorite o f the Moral M a jority, and should have the powerful backing o f major academic and fi nancial institutions, including the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Smith Richardson Foundation. Millionaire Lew Lehrman, a conservative Repub lican narrowly defeated by M ario Cuomo in New Y o rk’s 1982 guber natorial race, has created the “ C iti zens for America (C F A ).” The C F A recruits "leaders" from the small business sector to mobilize conserva tives in Congressional races; recently it has advocated the deployment o f the National Guard in "high crime areas" o f major cities. Lehrman’s C F A is now established in over 225 congressional districts and although he has never held public office, po litical observers note that his private wealth is such that "there’s no limit to what he can spend.” Given their internal divisions, the bitter battle to succeed Reagan inside the G O P gives the Democrats the opportunity to make substantial gains — IF they are able to achieve unity themselves. D r M anning M arable leaches p o litical sociology a l Colgate University, H a m ilto n , N ew York. "A lo n g the Color L in e'' appears in over 140 news papers internationally. Portland Observer Mt MUI • The P ortlan d Observat fU S P S 959 680) it published every Thursday by Erne Publishing Company. Inc , 2201 North Killings worth. Portland, Oregon 97217, Post Office B om 3137. Portland. O regon 972 08 Second cla ss pottage pa«d at Portland Oregon The Portland Obstrvtr w et estab«. 4»ed in 1970 member Subscription! 115 00 per yeer in the I r County area Poet m a tte r Sand address changes to the Porllend Observer. P 0 Bo» 3137. Portland, Oregon 97208 A lfre d L. Henderson, Editor/Publisher A I Williams, Ge.teral Manager Aaioc/alioo - Founded (M3 Ruth Corner Seles “ No, I don’t believe in abortion. I don't want my tax money paying for something I don’t believe in .” F PORTLAND OBSERVER P. J. Rnk Student Nur*« “ Absolutely not. The state should provide birth control and not abortion.” National Advertising Repreeantetive Am algam ated Publishers. Inc N ew York mt? §< §§3*3 U) 5 x Apt 1 c ity »25 lor two B o. 3137 Portland OR 97208 1 Street 1 V »15 tor one 283 2486 s ta te z ip 30 < 2 rn 2» — z * H o r X •w A •A > 33
