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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 1985)
. e». * — ; Page 2, Portland Observer, November 20, 1985 l Black capitalism: economic safety valve EDITORIAL/OPINION In the past year, the re have been several attem pts to prom ote strategics o f Black petty capitalist developm ent as a means to resolve some o f Black A m e rica 's pressing eco no m ic d ile m mas O ne n o ta b le exam ple is led by N a tio n o f Is la m lead er L o u is I arra kha n His economic netw ork is Mandela symbol of Black resistance to apartheid Nelsorf Mandela is a living example ot Black South African resistance to the racist and barbaric system ot Apartheid. Mandela, President ol the banned A frica n National Congress (A N C ), has been in prison since 1962. Mandela has been resisting Apartheid tor the majority ol his life. In 1952 he led a massive non violent protest. His skills as a political organizer were recognized by the repressive South African government which resulted in Mandela being ban ned and prohibited from engaging in political ac tivities. In 1956, the government tried once again to silence Mandela, he was charged with treason. I he trial lasted five years and he was acquitted. A lter his acquittal, Mandela was once again banned. Pretoria thought they Im aly had rid itselt ol Mandela in 1962 by charging him with sabotage. On September I I, 1962, Mandela was sentenced to life plus five years in prison. Hie government's efforts have failed. Mandela is the symbol o f hope for the m ajority ot Black South Africans, “ free Mandela” is scrawled on city walls throughout South Africa, fo r Mandela has shown Black South African', that freedom is the right o f all people regardless o f their color, and Blacks should be willing to die for this freedom. Mandela has refused to negotiate his own release from prison. Mandela's wile Winnie says “ W hen the South A frica n government offered my husband con ditional release, they were suggesting that men can go to prison for 23 years and be- prepared to come to exactly the same conditions they fought against those many years ago.” South A frica forced the A N C into an armed struggle attei the Sharpes die massacre ot I960. Sixtv nine Blacks were shot to death (52 were shot in the back) by police during a march protesting the killing ol four Blacks I Ins can be seen today on our local I V as government troops and police shoot Blacks like they were hunting ducks. I his action has only made Blacks in South Africa mote hungry for freedom. Nelson Mandela deserves credit lo r this. I his statement was made by M andela in 1962, “ W hat sort ol justice is this a mdiciary controlled entirely by W hites and e nfo rcin g laws enacted by a W hite Parliament in which A liica n s have no represen tation?" Letters to the Editor / he ( )bserver w«'Zi ornev letters In the editor I elters should be typed or neatlv p rin ted a nd signal ssith the author's name and address ladilresses are not usualls published! I t . rest, .<■ tin r ig h t to edit lor length Mail to I ’m t land Obseivei. P O Hus H 1'. Portland. < >H 9 2 ' is Police power goes unchecked Zb the I dilor Perhaps a Sym posium on the Poo land Police D epartm ent is long o v e r due. I his is not m eant as an in d ic t ment against the police. I ’ m in clin ed to be lie ve , u n ch e cke d p o lic e ■‘ d is c r e tio n " is a m a tte r o t serious co n ce rn lo p o o l p e o p le , esp ecially Blacks, given the high rates o l racial p re ju d ice am ongst Caucasian police o ffic e rs . B la ck and Reiss in th e ir stu d y o f B o s to n , C h ic a g o , and W ashington police point out that the great m a io ritv o l Caucasian o llic e rs ho ld a n ti Black a ttitu d e s ( aucasian o llic e r s , th in k in g the very w o rst o l b la cks the y e n c o u n te r, are in a p o s itio n to use th e n d is c re tio n a ry powers to the disadvantage o l Blacks I tie A m e r ik a n fr ie n d s Service ( om m ittee in its report on crim e and p u n is h m e n t in A in e n k a m akes the fo llo w in g o b serva tion " t h e justice system fun ctions to m aintain a racist re la tio n s h ip between the Caucasian 4 m a jo rity and d ie b la ck, b ro w n , ted and v e llo w m in o r itie s in A in e n k a I lie com m and obedience structure ol ra cism has e xiste d in the c r im in a l justice system since the settlement ot the c o u n try .” A d m in is tra tiv e ly the police depai in te n ts o l A in e n k a a te tu n by Caucasian males W ith tew exceptions ( A t la n t a is o n e) the c lu e ! ad n n n is ira liv e o ltic e r o l the police force is Caucasian II is sm all wonder that mans Blacks conclude that the police are a Caucasian o c c u p a tio n force in Black com m unities th e police have been able to resist change la th er successtully because ol the enormous po litica l gams they have been able to am ass o u t o f th e in creasing bureaucratization o f cities In P o rtla n d , the police ate not un del d ie o p e ra tio n a l c o n tr o l o t the M a v o r I inter the guise o l keeping police sale fro m po litica l pressure, tire c iv il service system and the u n io n iz a tio n process have given the police amazing po litica l powei Since the p o lic e have a v ir tu a l mnnojvoly on the use ot legal force in our society, w tio should con tro l them, and how should they be c o n tro lle d .’ In short, who watches and om m aiids tlie p o lic e ’ th ro u g h s o c ie ty ’ s somewhat m istaken belie! that police could slo p or reduce crim e , we have a llo w e d them to amass pow er over out lives second in scope only to the |s iie n ti.il o l the m ilita ry torces I ven th o u g h Sir R o be rt Peel, I u g la n d 's H o m e S e c re ta ry , back in 1X22 recognized that the police c o u ld not elim inate crim e. we have nonetheless h e x'll deluded in to believing that more policemen, w ill, m in e gailgets and in creased p o w e is c o u ld som ehow reduce crime I he p o lic e have becom e such a p o litica l powei that most attem pts at reducing then discretionary au thon tv are met w ith intense resistance I h io u g li c iv il seivice p ro te ctio n and die u n io n iza tio n el to n among police dejv.iltm elits, police have become veiv power lu l th e s ig h t o l arm ed San I ra n c is c o p o lic e m e n on the picketlmes in 19'A signaled the poten tia l pow er o l the police over govern m enl W hile there was a cou rt order p r o h ib itin g such le r m ed POW I R 'P e o p le O rg a n iz e d and W o r k in g lo r Econom ic R e birth .” P ow er p ro po ses a system ot c o o p e ra tio n between B la c k -o w n e d firm s w h ich w o u ld sell personal ser vices and h o u se h o ld item s to Black consum ers I he cap ital accum ulated fr o m sales w o u ld be used to s ta rt sm a ll m a n u fa c tu rin g c o m p a n ie s . P O W E R received an in te re s t free loan ot $5 m illio n fro m I ibyan leader M u a m m a r k a d d a ti last M a v . and h u n d re d s o f B la ck w o u ld be en trepreneurs have applauded the con cept I veil I o re lta S cott k in g , w ho has c h a ra c te riz e d I a r r a k h a n 's statem e nts on Jews as " e x tr e m e ly h a r m fu l," supports the P O W I R ap pro ach to Black eco no m ic develop ment I tie P< lW J R strategy received a setback recently, however, when the Joh nso n P ro d u c ts C o m p a n y o l ( tucago d ro p p e d its p la n s to m ake household and beauts pro du cts w ith the n e tw o rk tin e spokesperson lo r Jo h n s o n P ro d u c ts ju s tifie d th e ir d e c is io n by b la m in g I a rr a k h a n 's " a n ti S e m itis t» " and other " c o n tr o versial statem ents." I he h e aled d e b a te about I a rra k h a n 's p o s itio n s on Israel and Am erican lews has u n to rtiin a te lv ob seined the kev e lem e nt o l Ills p ro g ra m , w h ic h is B lack econom ic developm ent W hv has l ’( )AA I R at tr a d e d s ig n ific a n t in te re s t a m o ng Black A m e rica n s’ And what aie the lim ita tio n s ot anv "B la c k c a p ita lis t" strategy ’ 1 he reasons tor its appeal to lilacks are based, in p a rt, on tlie harsh rea litie s o l eco n o m ic in e q u ity I he m aterial status ot vu tu a llv all sectors 4 f A long the ( olor I m e by Dr Manning Marable a c tiv ity , m any policem en chose to ignore it In ta d . the M avor reportedly leplied in e ltect, "w h o is going to uphold this order ’ " It was indeed a coercive and d isru p live show o l toice In tact, it gives us a glimpse ol die a b ility o l the police Io exercise con tact and a u th o n tv even above that o l the courts and elected officials M avbe it is an alarm ist posinon to tro l o l the people in N ortheast P ort land II tlie people o l ( Iregon do not soon develop an under stan din g d ia l the police aie b u ild in g , or have b u ilt, an enoiniouslv strong power base that mav u ltim a te ly be u n c o n tr o lla b le , then < Ire g o n . as a vv hole is heading lor s e n o u s do ub le I he biggest policy issue o l o u i dav mav be one o l not how io conn ol c i une. bu t how io con lio l the police Dr lamil ( herosee Save Antelope Io the I dilor I he s ta rtlin g tu rn o l events in the Antelope aiea these past lew weeks seems to have fostere d a belie! that fu rth e r e ffo rts by the Save A nte lop e ( o m m itte e are unnecessary a dangerous assum ption I he changes in A n te lo p e are p riin a iilv cosm etic W h ile the police fo rc e mav be re m o v e d , die K it "s e x u n lv " p a lio l continues to keep us under su rve illa n ce I he city cou ncil As the vc.o o l n u t r it io n against cancer com es to an e n d . and our television screens aie in un date d w ith com m ercials e xp ou nd ing the benefit ol high liber in helping prevent colon cancer, I le lt a need to com m e nt on these " n e w " discoveries (d ie o l the aspects o l c u rre n t medicine that frustrates me to no end is the tendency lo t scientific proofs to lag decades io centuries b e hind the obvious em p irica l find in gs o l clinical associations C o lo n cancer is one o l these areas in which the need l o w oik w ith in scientilic p io o ls has resulted in thousands o l deaths and a b lin d ac Sincerely, Jim and Jean ( Iprav Antelope, OR I9XX before they could risk endorsing a high tiber diet A n o th e r b o o k , I h e D iseases o l suggest dial the police ate out o l con tr o l o l the p e o p le in P o r tla n d ; how ever, it is nor to o fa ile tc h e d to suggest d ia l they are out o l die con H o m a n , I heir < auses a n d tre a t rnenl. bs H ollich, M D (c o p y rig h t IXXXJ states "AS hue bread is neither so wholesom e, nor vet so n o urishin g M. ,6 sho uld be sup po rte d c r itic a lly , they cannot resolve the massive problem s o f the Black p o o r. Black ca p ita lism , as such, rem ains m ore a safety valve lo r economic discontent, than a lo n g term strategy o f group advancement. Dr Manning Marable leaches p o litical sociology at Colgate University, Hamilton, New York as that w ith the b ra n in it. tho ugh a m istaken n o tio n prevails to the con i i . iiv Bran bread con tain s m ore o l the eleineiils required lo t the supjvort ol the bodv than pine Hour bread, it also relaxes the bowels in an easy and n a tu ra l m a n n e r, w h ile w h ite bread almost always constipates th e m .' (p 2411 I his b o o k goes on a b o u t the need to i lib e r and exercise in many conditions I hese a ie bv no m eans the o n ly b o o ks to assault w h ite f lo u r , w h ile s u g a r. and processed to o d s as c o il t r ib u lo is lo m any degenerative con d itio n x , n o t w ere thev th e e a rlie s t. I hev do show tha t o b s e rv a tio n s o t com m on fa c to rs in diseased [salients o fte n lead to tr u th s th a t can evade c u rre n t " s c ie n t if ic d e s ig n " to r decades AA hat is sad about all o l this is that we. the p u b lic, sutle r because the p o litic s and se ll in te re s t o l the lin 'd , drug and medical industries ol ten s t if lle tlie w o rk s o t b r illia n t in d iv id u a ls , and result in mis d ire c tio n and inapprop ria te jsolicies As A lb e rt I in s te in w ro te " I h e greatest o t s p irits o fte n e n c o u n te r v io le n t minds " te rn o l brillia n t o p p o s itio n fr o m m e d io c re So lias gone the general pal f u n d in g s u p p o rt fo r such individuals as I unis Pauling, M a x G e rs o n and o th e rs , w h ose research m o n ie s d is a p p e a r as thev began leading to truths that ran con traiv to accepted beliefs o l our tunes li w o u ld be one t ilin g it o u r avoidance o l Ihe tr u th was due to a conservative public safety issue or just a m isunderstanding o l Ihe issues, but it apjx'ars that m uch o l this blindness is a chosen p a th o l sell interest and p o w e r w h ic h a c tu a lly je o p a rd iz e s p u b lic h e a lth and o b s tru c ts the fre e d o m o f cho ice th a t sh o u ld be a guarantee to all Americans. I have to adm it that I have learned ab ou t m uch o t th is " s e ll in te re s t” th ro u g h my recent years as a N a tu ro p a th ic D o c to r i l l O re g o n AAhile in Salem in 198.3, I heard an (ire g o n M edical Association member privately slate to a gro up (shortly a l ter having te stifie d to the legislature on I tie need to re m o ve o u r pro fe ssio n's p re scriptive privileges), that tie hoped fo r a tune in the " n o t to o d is t a n t - f u t u r e " in w h ic h no N a tu ro p a th y w o u ld p ra c tic e w itlu n ih e state o t O re g o n . AA e have seen M D s deliberately misrepresent our p ro fe s s io n lo le g is la to rs , and laws w h ich, like this yea r’ s, req uire us lo " p r o v e cost e lte c liv e n e s y " p r io r lo insurance coverage (not demanded o f o t p ro v id e d bv M D s) and cer (itic a tio n entena to i p ro v id in g home b u llís (all O regon citizens can deliver a baby at ho m e, on ly N a tu ro p a th s have lo be certified) It is clear to me that ihe American Medical Association continues its role ol h a rra s s m e n l o t a lte rn a tiv e medicines and that its ancillary groups are n o t o n ly v io la tin g my con s t it u lio n a l r ig h ts , but are also v io la tin g ihe rig h ts o l a ll A m e rica n citiz e n s th e re is a need f o r legal redress o t this c o n d itio n , but u n lik e the lim itle s s c o tte rs o f m a in stre a m m e d icin e , we w h o o ffe r less expen xive, non insured alternatives cannot a ffo r d the cost o f these legal fig h ts . H o p e fu llv our ju d ic ia l system w ill at some jsoini protect ou r co n s titu tio n a l rig h ts fr o m the c o r r u p t a c tio n s o f special interest groups The 1USPS ‘4M bHh' is iMjtjfcsfMíd »vwy Tburviflv by Hw» Pvjhh5bw»q (,(.nx»«r)y Inc 1463 N E Killing* wYorrh Portland Oragun 97211 Post Ottic« Bo« 3137 Portland Oregon 9720B Second d a « postage i»a<1 at Portland Oregno $ IS to< <»»!♦• y fit’ $?*> * i n . iq r e u correctly that the receipts fro m Black owned firm s can become a p o te n tia l c a p ita l base fo r the p ro m o tio n and developm ent ot other B lack-oriented social projects. In the long ru n , the only re a listic means to reduce and u ltim a te ly elim inate unem ploym ent and poverty in the Black co m m u n ity is a strategy which directly targets tlie governm ent, not the p rivate sector O nly th ro u g h massive fe d e ra l jo b s p ro g ra m s , the strict enforcem ent o f a ffirm a tiv e ac tio n , h o u s in g and h u m a n service p ro g ra m s , can the vast m a jo rity o l B la ck p e op le a c tu a lly o b ta in some m easure o l e c o n o m ic e q u a lity . A lth o u g h c o lle c tiv e p riv a te -s e c to r o rie n te d n e tw o rks such as I ’ OW I R Portland Observer M" J p ORTMND OBSERVER rates sig n ifica n tly greater than whiles since 19X1 J he cu tb a c k s in fe d e ra l governm ent social pro gra m s and a f firm a tiv e a ctio n have checked Black p ro fe ssio n a l u p w a rd m o b ility in the public sector S im ila rly in tfie p riva te sector, the econom ic c o n d itio n s o t m ost Black owned tu rn s have also de terio rated A c c o rd in g to a recent re p o rt by the W a sh in g to n , I X based Jo in t (. enter lo r P o litic a l Studies, the average a n n u a l re c e p its to r B la ck businesses d ro p p e d fr o m $ 3 7 ,(MX) in 1977 to $ 2 3 ,(XXI by 19X2, in c o n s ta n t 1977 d o lla rs O t lOX.lXM) B la ck o w n e d turns created since 197"', 63,(MM) have annual gross receipts ot under $5,(MX); XX jvercent have receipts o f less than $ 2 5 .(XX) I he p e rcen ta ge o t B la ck owned firm s w ith paid employees lias d ro p p e d Iro n ) 17 I pe rcen t o l a ll Bla. k turns in 197"? to 11 4 jxTcent by 19X2 I he callous neglect and budge' c u ttin g o l the R e ag anite s, p lu s the s im m e rin g m a te ria l h a rd s h ip s o l Black w o rk in g class and even m id dle income jveoplc, has culm inated in to a desperate demand tor some sort ot sell m o tiv a te d a tte m p t to resolve the crisis W hat is m ost s tr ik in g a b o u t l ’( )W I R is its close kin ship to earlier Black "s e ll h e lp " program s Nearly a c e n tu ry ag o, c o n s e rv a tiv e B la ck e d u c a to r B o o k e r I W a s h in g to n launched the N ational Negro Business I eague, a c o a lit io n o t B la ck en Negro l actones C o rp o ra tio n , a group o l Black businessmen w h o attem pted to seize con tro l o f the Black consumer m arket G a rve y's B lack S tar steam ship line p ro je cte d the m a rk e tin g o f B la ck p ro d u c ts to ( a rib b e a n and A fric a n markets. Ihesc earlier efforts were unable to reverse the basic tre n d s o f i n s titu tio n a l econom ic oppression, par tiallv because Blacks are denied access to investm ent c a p ita l, and m ore inr- jvo rta ntly, because o f the in a b ility ot sm a ll e n terprises to c o m p e te e fle c liv e ly a g a in st la rg e , m u ltin a tio n a l turns Such strategies also assume in by Steven Radey N. D. I, is im p e ra tiv e th a t the p e titio n d riv e c o n tin u e W e urge everv t Iregoman to sign it at the earliest op portunilv rescind any changes they have made at any lim e We hope these recent c o n c ilia to ry a ctio n s are m ade in go od fa ith but p r io r e xp e rie n ce w ith th is g ro u p makes us skeptical I he only wav we can make sure abuses do not re occur is to disincorporate. Black unem ploym ent remains over 1? percent, and ro u g h ly 50 percent fo r teenagers; B la ck m ed ia n fa m ily in- com es arc o n ly 55 percent o f c o m p a ra b le w h ite fa m ily in co m e s, the m ost s ig n ific a n t in co m e gap in tw o decades Black professional and white c o lla r w o rkers have also experienced severe h a rdsh ip I con om ist R ichard M cG ahey has estim ated that lederal agencies have dismissed m in o ritie s at tre p re n e u rs , w h ic h p ro m o te d the de velopm e nt o f a ll B lack insurance firm s , fu n e ra l hom es, groceries and re ta il e sta b lish m e n ts. A g e n e ra tio n la te r, in the 1920s, Ja rn a cia n B lack nationalist M arcus G arvey created the Healthwatch ceptance o t to ta lly in a p p r o p r ia te dielarv habits I he need tor liber and avoidance ot highly relined toods has been w ritte n about and discussed bv doctors in the held lo r over a hundred vears In k e llo g 's bo ok ( o lo n H ygiene (c o p v n g h l 1916), the in d e x lists am ong oth er sub je cts; " ( a n c e i, o l colon, resulting h o rn consll,ration p (49 " lie w rite s th ro u g h o u t this bix>k that the com b in ation o l high red meat and w h ile Hour are resjvoiisible lo r m any o l the cancers, and c o litis c o n d itio n s fo u n d th ro u g h o u t A m e ric a R e co m m e n d a tio n s o l in creased d ie ta ry lib e r , re d u c tio n o l w h ite su g a r, and e xe rcise are discussed th ro u g h o u t th is b o o k , winch leads us io wonder why it took the A m e rica n ( ancei S ociety u n til re m a in s HX) "« R ajne esh and can o f the B la ck c o m m u n ity have c o n tinued to stagnate du rin g the "R eagan r e c o v e r y " o f 1983-198?. O v e ra ll ' i “ i '. f Tb« Por Hanti i>ÒArr»rr eras esteUisbed m 1970 I I" Me m 0 < 0 m m m X 2 z a -t I c S' 'N I 0 m in > -( > SR lx* D --( us rs z .w FWW m A * « I O /* *•* MEMBER Sob*« options $15 00 i * * year m the Tn County area P o *t m a tte r Send a d d re « (.hangm to tbe fJbxrrvrr P O B o i 3137 Portland Oregon 972CJB ■Ufrvd I Henderson. E ditor/P ublisher A t M illiams. General \1anaqer Atsoci^t'on - Founded 1M5 A « » 8 > 288 0033 N a tio n a l A d v e rtis in g R e p re s e n ta tiv a A m a lg a m a te d P ub lishers Inc N e w York
