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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
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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
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