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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 1985)
Page 4, Portland Observer, March 20, 1965 in n o ves catch no Meese EDITORIAL/OPINION Shape up, Oregonian Portlanders o f color, progressive concerns, and is- sues affecting low-income Oregonians are being misrepresented by the homogenized, status quo re porting by Portland’s only daily newspaper — /h e Oregonian It’s unfortunate that there has yet to emerge a daily competitor to compare the elitist journalism decimated by The Oregonian. We still have a bitter taste in our mouths as we recall the sharecropper’s attitude and double standard superimposed by The Oregonian's editorial board on former Commis sioner Charles Jordan. Jordan stated tha, a person o f color could replace him on the C ity Council to ensure adequate repre sentation o f all Portlanders. The all-white male edi torial board hinted that Jordan’s remarks were re verse discrimination. Pnor to the general election, Jordan accepted a position as Park Commissioner in Austin, Texas. The editorial board said Jordan owed it to the voters to serve his term. The double standard o f journalistic racism met the deadline as other white politicians who upgraded their lives were given a sendoff with praise while Jordan receive the brunt o f their criticism. Because o f the business-as-usual status quo, per spectives employed by their political reporters The Oregonian could not see stagnant Frank Ivancie’s predictable defeat in the prim ary election. They cov ered the mayor’s race with blinders on as they ig nored Bud Clark and a large percentage o f their readership. Their basic reporting o f events, individuals and issues affecting Portlanders o f color is paternalistic at best and racist at worst. Whenever there is a re medial program covered, an A froA m erican is pic tured. Our youth are given ink as king as they are dancing, singing or involved in sports. In reporting the disaster last week at Harriet Tub- man Middle School, The Oregonian reporter de fined Tubman as the school built by “ loud protest from the Black United Front.” This is far from the truth, and the results o f this under and mis-reporting perpetuate stereotypes in the majority community. Their art critic did an injustice to the Member’s Callery, a group o f Afro-Am erican artists and pho tographers, by printing a review o f their exhibit on the day it closed. There are hundreds o f other re views published days and weeks in advance. It was not fair to their readership to inform them o f an exhibit on the day i, ckised. It would require pages upon pages to recount the narrow, racist and uncreative journalism fostered by Jhe Oregonian. The bottom line is that we are not being served journalistically by them. And as subscribers and readers, we should not allow this type o f journalism to continue unchallenged. Chal lenge their journalistic racism and poor Affirm ative Action record. It makes no difference if an editor is Black when a rainbow perspective is not incorpo rated in its journalism or in the newsroom. In 1964, a study conducted by the American So ciety o f Newspaper Editors reported o f the 49,6iX) professionals in the newsrtxxn, only 2,862 were Black. The study also found that 61 percent o f the nation’s 1,693 dailies did not empkiy any people o f cokx on their staff. There is no excuse fix this j<xir- nalistic apartheid, especially when progressive issues are getting front page coverage. We have an investment in how people o f color are represented. And until structural changes occur in mass newsprint, we will continue to monitor and challenge our interpretation by outsiders. t A Street eat The Street Beat team gave Portlanders a chance to rate the mass media with, “ How would you evaluate the coverage the media gives issues and individuals?” by Lanita Duke and Richard J. Brow n ON SOUTH A FRICA Mighty Clouds of Joy removed from cultural boycott list Unity in A ction, an organization lha, aims lo end the collaboration o f artists with the apartheid regime in South A frica, has secured a Id le r o f agreement from gospel recording a rt ists, The M ighty Clouds o f Joy, pledging that they “ w ill not be return ing to South A frica until the situation as it now exists is completely turned around.” A planned picket o f the scheduled January 26 performance o f the group at the Beverly Theatre in Beverly Hills was averted owing to timely and productive discussions between the group’ s manager, Zachary Glickman. and Unity in Action during prcceed- ing weeks. Unity in Action has property noti fied the United Nations Center Against Apartheid, A frican Nalional Con gress, and at filiate organizations. As is customary. Unity in Action grate fully acknowledged other activist pro liberation forces whose concerted, very visible, and embarassing protest demonstrations were the major force which brought about this victory. The Mighty Clouds o f Joy agree ment signals yet another major break through for local, national, and inter national anti-apartheid forces who are continuing the campaign to keep artists and athletes out o f South Africa. The Cultural Boycott barring artis tic collaboration with the racist apart heid state is part o f United Nations and Organization o f African Unity imposed sanctions intended to isolate the inhuman regime. The U N. has termed South A frica ’ s system o f forced racial separation and oppression “ a crime against hum anity.” The following is the text o f the Mighty Clouds o f Joy letter sent to Mr. Ron W ilkins, chairman o f the cultural boycott: "D ear Ron, “ During the telephone conversa tion last week between myself, on be half o f The Mighty Clouds o f Joy, and you, the cultural boycott imposed by the United Nations on South A fr i ca was explained to me. "W hen The M ighty Clouds o f Joy went to South A frica several years ago, they went as ministers o f the gospel o f Jesus Christ. Neither they nor myself were aware o f (he cultural boycott. There was no intention on their pari for (heir presence in South Africa to mean that they in any way approved o f the apartheid or the ruling government. "Since our discussion, I can assure you that The M ighty Clouds o f Joy will not be returning lo South A frica until the situation as it now exists is completely turned around. “ Please accept this document in ihe spirit in which tl was written and utilize it as you see fit in helping to stop the apartheid in South Africa. “ Sincerely," Z A C H A R Y G L IC K M A N Manager, The M ighty Clouds o f Joy Letters to the Editor The Observer welcomes tellers lo the editor. Tellers should be typed or neatly printed and signed with the author's name and address fad dresses are not published). We re verve the right to edit fo r length. Mail to: Portland Observer, P. O. Hox 3137, Portland, OR V72OH Nate Nickerson M ental Health Director " I don’i Ihink minorities arc portrayed very fairly. But the minority media does a good jo b .” Chris Jenkin» Drivwr Carl Buchanan Security "Sometimes ihmgs are oui o f proportion. They go far out on one thing and not far enough on others.” “ Il depends on (he issue. They are pretty correct, but un the recent clerk’s stnke, they left a kx o f information out." Michael M cCorm ack Upholstery W orker “ Seems stale, The same old things are reported. I would like to see something on the human side and more hunxx Rachel Warier» Student P re ach er “ Sometimes they print things that aren't true just to sell pa pers. ft WXl • R o b e rt N e w s o m “ Not so gtxxl. I’ve been other places where the cover age was better." Portland Observer «satoisat T he Portland Observer /U S P S 959 6801 it published every Thursday by E«ie Publishing Company. Inc 2201 North Killings worth Portland. Oregon 97217. Post Office Bos 3137, Portland. Oregon 97208 Second class tx»staqe pawl at Portland Oregon «» 'QU®**' M «\»a»»a * • * Tha Portland Observer was estab« ned m 1970 MEMBER ««•deration - Foundad (MS S ub K n ptioni «15 00 per vasi in thè I r County area P o ti m a tta r Send addrett changst lo thè P aritene Observrr. P O Ho» 3137. Portland. Oregon 97208 Alfred L. Henderson. Editor/Publisher A l Williams, Ge.teral Manager 283 2486 National Advertising Representative Am algam ated Publishers. Inc N ew York No more "nigger" To the Editor, This is written by a white man. I f I can be allowed an observation on the Black human condition, I wish to make it here, for there is something that bothers me greatly. It is a word. The word is "nigger.’ ’ It is a blight, this word, one I thought was eradicated from all bul the igno rant plantation mentalities o f the Deep South. It is a word I grew up learning was an evil part o f the irra tionality o f racial distinction. Ycl the other day. near my house in Northeast Portland, I witnessed a Black man call his young son "rugger." A Black friend o f mine was shcaked when I told hint this story. “ He called him W H A T ? That is really terrible.” He said even among his friends, " n ig ger" is reserved fo r heated arguments on the basketball court. But I frequently hear Blacks ad dress each other this way. Perhaps as an insult among friends it has a harm less role, no differently than we may say " m o ro n " or "lu n a tic " in fun. But when I heard a man call a child ^0“ ” Boa 3137 Portland OR 97288 "n ig g e r," there seemed to be some thing angry and derisive in the use o f the epithet. Even a white man calling a Black man “ nigger" can be vaguely undcrstixxJ But to use it on another Black — and a child — is truly wrong. Truly objectionable. Black men call each other nigger The statement begs to become a ques tion, for disbelief is inherent: Black men call each other "n igger"? Dick, Gregory wrote, 20 years ago in his autobiography, “ Nigger": "A n d now we’re ready to change a system, a system where a white man can de stroy a Black man with a single word. Nigger." Has anything changed? I wonder how the realist Gregory’s words could be reversed in such a sad fashion, and by Blacks. Not whites. Is it rebellion? By calling each other "nigger,” do Blacks seek to deny the potency o f the epithet used against them by whites for so many cruel years? Is it pride? To turn a name of shanx- into an expression o f amaradene'* I don't think this is what Rosa Parks had in mind. They called her a nigger and it must have hurt. James Meredith was shot and the bullet said, "nigger.” Rev. M arlin Luther King's elo quence o f 1961 might have been very different if he had imagined Blacks calling each ixher (he very thing lynch mobs aixl corrupt not p o la r wielded when killing and humiliating Black men, women and children. “ 115 for one yea» $25 for two years Rev. King would have spoken not o f a Dream but o f a nightmaie. I try to imagine what that little boy must think when his father calls him "rugger.” I think he is too young to know the power o f words, even care less ones. But he is not too young to FEEL them. His father’s intent may not be negative, but the boy’s sub- conscxxis is mature, and the word is nothing casual “ Nigger" has rxx be- come impotent with age. It is power ful and learsome If it has a contem porary purpose of protest ix cixnara- dene, those nx-anings seem minute com pared to the real, ingrained force o f the wixd For ihe boy knows that to call an other person "n ig g e r" is another way o f crushing his w ill, o f denying his humanity. KIRH Y N E U M A N N REA Thanks for good coverage To Ihe Editor, I want to thank you and others at the paper responsible fo r this very favorable coverage o f an event I wish could have Deen avoided. II was not the happiest way to end my deanship, but I am heartened by the reawakening o f A ffirm a tiv e A c tion concerns spurred by my action. Thanks again fo r your good co v erage D E A N D ER R IC K BELL 8!W
