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Page 3
Pago 5
Volume XV
July 24, 1985
PORTLAND OBSERMER
PSUs St. John's
new book to come out
by Nathaniel Scott
Portland State University (PSU)
professor’s third book of poetry will
be published in 1986.
Professor Primus St. John, a pro
fessor of English, contemporary P<*
try writing, Caribbean, African and
Afro-American literature, wrote his
third book of poetry while on sab
batical leave last academic year.
Dreamer, which should be pub
lished in the winter of '86, follows
Love Is Not A Consolation; It Is A
Light and Skins On The Earth.
St. John also compiled the anthol
ogy textbook: Zero Makes Me
Hungry.
To write his third book. Dream
er, St. John decided to visit the Car
ibbean for a triad of reasons.
First, he wanted to change his “ phy
sical landscape" in order to do some
thing about the "imagery” of his
poems.
The second reason was to visit a
place he was interested in. St. John
not only reads a lot of Caribbean and
African literature, but as a teacher of
those literatures, he feels the experi
ence enhances his teaching ability.
The third reason for going to the
Caribbean: Puerto Rico, Martinquc,
Barbodos and Saint Lucia, was to ex
plore the possibility of setting up
educational travel seminars to Africa
and the Caribbean.
“ I hope that over the years some
positive relationships will develop be
tween the University of West Indies at
Cave Hill Barbados and PSU,” he
said, indicating that the initial ground
work had been laid.
Aside from, or in conjunction with,
his organizational talents, St. John's
strength is specific. He is deeply con
cerned about Black writing, particu
larly the African, the Afro-American
and the Caribbean aspects of Black
literature.
And second is poetry: His word
songs that speak the language of love.
But there is no common ground be
tween the two; no separation: they are
combined.
“ There is that tendancv for Black
Americans to look at the Black expe
rience as the Afro-American experi
ence,” he said. “ The Black commun
ity is far larger and more diverse than
we tend to think. And if we are going
to use it as ‘spiritual’ fountain we
will have to look at it more profound
ly "
"Most of the poems (in Dreamer/
are set in the West Indies, Africa and
the ‘middle passage’ on soul ships,”
he said. “ The ‘middle passage' is the
actual crossing over on the slave
ships.”
St. John said the major difference
between the people of the Caribbean
and Americans is the material
wealth.
“ The people in the Caribbean have
modern conveniences but not to the
extent that we do,” he said. “ There is
high unemployment but there is also
(an abundance of) ‘spiritual' wealth.”
The lifestyle of the people is more
relaxed; people enjoy talking with
each other, he said.
St. John said, "Barbados is a Black
country on the basis of numbers and a
Black country on the hasis of officials,
but the economic power is American,
European and white West Indian."
St. John believes his job as a pro
fessor is to guide and offer students
aids and devices that will help them
gain an education. One has to educate
him/herself, he said. “ I can only
assist them in the accumulation of
knowledge.”
“ One of the problems with teach
ing is it is very dangerous because it
can lead to an ego trip," he said. "A
PRIMUS ST JOHN
good teacher is someone you confer
with. What they give you is quality
in service.”
In regard to poetry, St. John said,
"I think the writer of poetry requires
a sense of sensibility and conscious
ness. One has to come to one’s own
self."
St. John believes that in order to
become a writer, a person has to de
velop an infection.
"You have to decide if you are
going to be directed by a passion,"
he said, adding, "A lot of people
think everything they write is wonder
ful. Thcr is a difference between
everyone talking and talking with
power. Writers talk with power!"
St. John has taught at PSU since
1973 He is a single parent with two
daughters, ages 14 and nine, and in
addition to putting on literature work
shops, he developed a multi-cultural
reading list for Portland’s public-
schools.
St. John said, "I would prefer
to write but 1 enjoy teaching." He
added his next book of poetry would
be about the Vietnam experience
A flyer circulated at Portland'« V A Hoapital. targeting the Union
President, who i« a Black female
Union harassment
by Lamia Duke
GRASSROOT NEWS. N W
pattern of union harassment is alleged
by Sylena Wilkes, president of the
American Federation of Govern
ment Employees, AFL-CIO, Local
2157.
Wilkes, employed in the cardiology
section at the Veterans Medical Cen
ter, said her effectiveness as a negoti
ator for employees' rights, wages and
safe working conditions made her a
More ethnic teachers needed
in Portland Public Schools
by Lanila Duke
GRASSROOT NEWS, N W. - In
its end of the year report to the Port
land School Board, the Desegrega
tion Monitoring and Advisory Com
mittee (DMAC) submitted a proposal
to stimulate the hiring of ethnic teach
tion of equality of education in Port
land schools.
"Integration is pluralism rather
than assimilation with respect for
cultural differences. Being a 'good
American’ does not require the Afri
can-Americans. American Indians,
Hispanics and Asians to forfeit their
ers.
cultural heritage or become facsimiles
Their proposal is in response to
of European Americans or Euro
"the effort and lack of creativity
peans,” said Halim Rahsaan, DMAC
exhibited by district administration
chairperson.
staff responsible for hiring out-of-
The report praised and thanked Dr.
state teachers. . . (which) leaves a lot
Matthew Prophet, Superintendent of
to be desired.”
Portland Public Schools, for impie
Maxine Selling, chair of DMAC’s
menting teacher training in the area
Staff Hiring and Training Subcom
of multi-ethnic curriculum.
mittee, issued a six-step plan to ef
Bui DMAC echoed its concerns
fectively promote, recruit and retain
regarding a number of problems re
personnel of color in the district.
lating to the higher percentage of
Selling proposed that the district
children of color in Special Educa
personnel efforts target and com
tion, those getting suspended or ex
municate with large metropolitan
pelled from school and the achieve
areas with a concentration of non
ment gap between African-American
whites.
children and majority children
She added that preliminary inter
DMAC recommended the contin
views should encompass information
uation of Dr. Asa Hilliard's contract
about Portland and School District I.
as national desegregation consultant
An aggressive follow-up procedure
and suggested that Hilliard start to
should start and trail the student
work with the Special Education
teacher until graduation. Once in
staff to develop a system to reduce the
Portland, new teachers will be met
high percentage of children of color
with a structured hospitality plan and
trapped in special education.
process.
The major accomplishment this
Other concerns addressed by
DMAC throughout the year still trou vear was the acceptance of a fusion of
cultural knowledge and academic ex
ble this committee which was set up
cellence.
in 1980 to monitor the implementa-
target of lower management harass
ment.
“ My supervisor did not like the tact
that at any time I could leave my
worksite and perform union busi
ness," Wilkes said
Employed by the V.A. since 1974,
Wilkes quickly rose from shop stew
ard to Union President in 1983. Dur
ing her three-year reign she has Filed
150 grievances. " I h a t’s a lot for a
facility this size,” she added. I here
are 3XX) dues-paying members, but the
union represents all 1,44M) employees
at the V.A.
Wilkes documented a series ol
harassment and backbiting from her
supervisor which culminated into a
questionable accident while she was
seven months pregnant
On November 5, 1984, Wilkes used
a step-stool to avoid reaching up. Since
tfvcrc was no written indication that
the stool was faulty, Wilkes stood on
it and fell backwards.
"The supervisor knew it was un
safe, watched me move the stool into
tlie file room and later defended his
actions by saying he instructed an
other employee to remove it," W ilkes
said.
Wilkes received a concussion and a
whiplash Currently, this accident is
under investigation.
As union president, Wilkes repre
sents employees struggling with on-
the-job harassment from supervisors
and discrimination in job promotions.
She also negotiates labor contracts
and monitors bills in Congress that
affect government employees
“ 1 started doing things that were
perceived as stepping on people's
toes Rumors spread that they were
going to try to break me physically or
mentally," Wilkes added
When she returned to work in May,
a derogatory flyer picturing the Union
President vaporizing out of a mop
bucket labeled “ scum bucket" greet
ed her.
Carl Printer, assistant chief of the
V A , said they were never able to pm
the flyer down. "We did not know if
it came from the outside or from
union employees."
Printer refused to answer specific
questions regarding harassment and
ÄCCopy
Two Sections
referred inquiries to Kim Cook, the
public information official Cook was
unavailable for comment.
When Wilkes was first elected pres
ident, she said the head of Cardio
logy, Dr Henry DeMots, instructed
her supervisor to harass her. Lois
Hart, Wilkes’ supervisor at that lime,
refused "DeMots asked me to keep
track of ridiculous things. Also, when
it came time to promote Sylena from
tvpist to technician. DeMots did not
want to do it. Hut that is how things
were done and after 1 promoted Sy
lena he eliminated the typist posi
tion," said Hart.
DeMots denied Hart's statements
and said fie never experienced any
problems with Wilkes. "II she lias a
problem, she can come talk with me,”
he concluded.
à
SYLENA WILKES
"For Sylena, the V.A. is an awful
place to work because she will not put
up with any mess. She knows the rules
and regulations. Thus, she knows
more than they (management) do,"
explained Hart
"Whenever cm
ployees have any problems they run
Io her."
In June, 1984, Wilkes' knowledge
of occupational safety conditions led
the Occupational Safety and Health
f( 'ontinued on 1‘age 2, t ol 6)
Supporters send ambulances to Nicaragua
by Robert Lothian
Nicaragua supporters adopted a
hands-on approach Saturday. They
gathered around an ambulance being
donated Io that troubled country by
the people of Oregon and Washing
ton and put their hands on it, to bless
it and speed it on its way. Then they
sang the Sandinista Hymn
The occasion was a sixth birth
day party for revolutionary Nicaragua
sponsored bv the Portland ( entral
America Solidarity Committee
The ambulance, one of 11 pur
chased with funds raised across the
country, stopped in Portland and
other cities on its way from Seattle to
San Francisco. It will join a sister
ambulance in San Francisco and leave
for Nicaragua with a shipment of
other goods worth $100,000, said Bob
Reed, Northwest coordinator of the
ambulance campaign
A nationwide fundraising drive
led by the Veterans of the Abraham
Lincoln Bngatc (American veterans
of the Spanish Civil War), raised over
$200,000 for the ambulances, said
Reed, a VALB member from Seattle
Nine new Toyota ambulances will
be shipped directly from Japan, he
said. Two used ambulances, including
the one that visited Portland, were
purchased at a cut-rate price ol $5,(XX)
each from a sympathetic Seattle am
bulance dealer, according to Reed.
“These ambulances will save lives,
Reed said. No conditions were put on
their use. They could be used in war
zones or in the larger cities where the
roads are good, he said.
The Spanish Civil War veterans
initiated the project, Reed said, be
cause of similarities between the Span
ish war and the war being waged
V,
v Ï f ‘
Supporters blesa ambulance bound for Nicaragua
(Photo: Krl« Ahuchar)
against Nicaragua by counter
revolutionary contras.
He spoke in front of the ambulance,
which had been pulled up on the grass
in Wallace Park, in Northwest Port
land The shiny 198(1 Ford Econolne
was equipped with a complete set of
emergency lights and oxygen fittings
A message of solidarity painted on
its side read: “ From the people of the
slates of Oregon and Washington, for
peace and friendship and against
North American intervention.”
AL so on hand was Multnomah
C ounty Commissioner Gretchen Ka
foury. a member of the advisory board
of the Corinto, Nicaragua, sister
city committee Projects like the am
hulance campaign arc appropriate for
local communities, said Kafoury.
•'World peace will only come from
neighbor to neighbor activities,"
she said.
The number of small contributions
from around the country outstripped
expectations, Reed said. A newlywed
couple donated a check given to them
by a well-wisher, and children in a day
care center baked cookies and sold
them to purchase a $10 share. Port
land raised about $I,(XX) out of the
$32,000 total for the Northwest.
I he two ambulances on their way
to San Francisco will be packed with
badly needed medical supplies such as
surgical gloves and dressings, said
Steve Clements, a Vietnam veteran
and driver of the ambulance that
visited Portland
On Sunday, the ambulance was at
Neighborfair. Its crew offered free
blood pressure checks to those who
stopped by.
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