Page 2, Portland Observer, February 12, 1986
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O a r E d it« ,
Businesses Deteriorating
I asl October the I! S Census Bureau reported
that Black owned firms increased 47 percent het
ween I977 and 1982. I his report is very mislead
ing. a closer analysis o f the report reveals that the
condition o f most Black businesses actually de
teriorated during this period
I he Joint Center for Political Studies concluded
in its study entitled "Recent Changes in Black
Owned Businesses", that the average annual re
ceipts o f Black-owned firms tell from $37,392 in
1977 to $36,685 in I9K2 When inflation is taken
into account, the decline is actually from $37.(MM)
to $23,(MX) in constant 1977 dollars
Although the increase in the number of Black
owned businesses are important, wha, really is
important is whether those businesses are making
any money, and whether they are making more
now than they were several years ago
A deeper analysis of the census data reveals that
the vitality of Black businesses is declining The
number o f firms with paid employees declined
more than 3 percent between 1977 and 19X2 alter
increasing by 63 percent in the 1972-77 period
I he percentage of Black linns with paid
employees dropped from 17 1 jiercenl of all Black
firms in 1977 to 11 4 percent in 19X2
I he number o f people employed by Black-
owned Finns increased barely I percent from 1977
to 19X2. a marked contrast to the 15 percent growth
in overall business employment by Black-owned
firms
The rate of growth in receipts o f Black-owned
firms fell from 56 percent in the first period
(1972 1977) to 44 percent in the second (1977-
19X2), while receipts o f all businesses grew by 65
percent I he aggregate receipts of Black-owned
firms with paid employees increased in real terms
during the firs, period but declined during the sec
ond period
The most telling statistic concerning the plight
o f Black owned businesses can be seen in gross
receipts O f 108.(MM) finns added since 1977,
63.(MM) or 58 percent, had gross receipts o f less
than $5,(MM); 85 percent had receipts o f less than
$25,000
Overall Black owned businesses remain a very
small par, of the total business sector While
Blacks constitute 12 percent o f the total popula
tion. Black-owned firms still account for only I
percent of small business receipts and less than 2
percent of total business receipts The small level
of Black businesses could shrink farther it the
Reagan Administration rescinds an executive order
guaranteeing minorities a percentage of federal
contractors
Along the Color I. me by Dr. Manning Marable
racist."
Why don't Blacks like Reagan, when nearly all
other Americans seem to love the old boy? Didn’ t
Reagan sign the law which made Martin Luther
K ing's birthday a federal holiday Shouldn't we be
grateful to the conservative chief executive?
These are the wrong quetions to ask We recall
that Reagan personally opposed the legislation
w hich King and thousands o f desegregation advo
cates supported
the 1964 C ivil Rights A c . and
the 1965 Voting Rights Act We remember that
Reagan fought against the renewal o f the Voting
Rights A d provisions, and has packed the U S
C iv il Rights Commission with the enemies of
Black freedom We know that Reagan tried to
smear the memory o f King with red-baiting, anti
Communist lies, ami that he and his administration
are fully committed to backing the illegal anil in,
moral system o f South African apartheid
But it one single reason should be identified to
justify Black antipathy to Reagan, it would be this
the President and his administration do not treat
Black Americans as human beings, they relate to
us essentially as a series of problems. I here is no
recognition of the Afro American cultural and so
cial heritage, no comprehension o f our politic.d
perceptions, our economic status and educational
goals There is no interest in understanding that
Blacks are a group of Americans with a collective
history of oppression, and a unique political vision
of social justice Rather, we are identified, labeled
and stereotyped as a group o f public policy prob
lems
unemployment, welfare, housing, educa
lion, urban crime, healthcare, apartheid
When Reagan contemplates the Black expert
ence. he sees no humanity
only "p ro b le m s" to
be tinkered w ith, or relegated to obscurity Apar
,b a il's systematic murder of African children, its
brutal pass law system, its daily use of terrorism
and violence, are crimes against humanity But to
Reagan, the deaths of Black children are a problem
of "crow d control " I he oveiall Black tin
employment rate exceeded 14 5 percent in 19X5,
was over 12 percent for Black adult males anil I 3 s
percent for Black women Yet the Reagan ad
ministration claims that we have a " f u ll employ
m enl" economy, and charges that all those who
truly want Io work can find jobs I he economic
"p ro b le m " of Blacks is that they lack the self
discipline and motivation to w ork'
Reagan's "Negro Problem" is that we refuse to
accept second class citizenship, poor schixils,
non existing medical facilities, high unemploy
men, rates, and U S support for South Africa I he
creation ot a new federal holiday cannot obliterate
the absence o f complete democracy , economic op
portunity and social justice in fins country So long
as Blackness remains "p roblem atic" in the U S ,
anil so long as "W e Shall Overcome remains a
dream deferred, rather than a reality . we w ill con
tmue to he dissatisfied
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Alfred I
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Henderson. Editor/Publuher
A l W illiams. Cenerai Manager
ters put their nAcis logeuxi. irouotc
shooting from a realistic standpoint
The sudden impact of social re entry
had to be considered, the shock
pressure of life in a dollars and-cents
world had lo be anticipated and pro
vided (or during those first crucial
weeks alter release, a period in which
the ex convict is traditionally known lo
fail on parole
Immediately upon release, IOP
clients would require Ihe basic neces-
silxs
food, clothes, lodging and job
referrals
in amounts tar greater than
anvthing offered by a low budget State
Subsidy Program Some members
would need the services ol drug or al
cohol counselors, some would need
emotional or marriage counsel, and
otlxrs would simply need to talk with
soirxorx who understood the thorny
transition Irom prison lo tree w xxly
Assistance, advice and direction had lo
he available 24 hours a day if clients
were expected lo succeed in the real
world, and it was unanimously agreed
that these goals could be accomplished
only through community support
From those first discussions on the
yard. Inside <lulside People cam
paigned with the Oregon State Penitcn
tiary administration, submitted a ,or
inal proposal, requested uppoininxnts
w uh various prison officials, and at last
perseverencc paid olt IOP were per
milted to hold weekly meetings in the
Activities Room
Attendance was large Irom the start,
prisoners attracted by IOP s novel ap
proach. and new members were sworn
in at each meeting Formal positions
were appointed, responsibilities dele
gated, and when newsletters were sent
lo judges, lawyers. Corrections otti
cials. Governors. Mayors and anyone
else who seenxd likely to take interest
in the program. IOP began getting re
sults Many viable links were soon es
tablished with tlx outside
I he organization is the brainchild ot
Donald McMillan, a sincere, dynamic
black man who hails originally Iron,
Southern California s Hay Area where
he had spent a large portion ol his
luvenile and adult lile Ix'hind bars tor
ollenses ranging Irom Petty I arceny lo
Armed Robbery tie understood the
ways ol |x*nal systems, intimately. and
when lx landed in the Oiegon Stale
1‘eniteiltiaiy at Ihe age ol 44 he saw
much potential lor positive change,
both in his own life and in ( fregón Cor
reel ions
In June ol 19X4. If If’ Pounder. Direc
tor and President McMillan was re
leased Irom prison He carried the
young program to his Portland honx
and left behind a strong, dedicated
stall According lo the tentative plan.
Ale A,iHan would deliver Ihe message lo
ihe public . establishing a sound base ot
operations, and nxm beis still within
the walls would re enforce the Found
eis efforts with letters, phone calls,
and by w halevet nx.ins they could m us
ter
Ihe fledgling organization had all
tlx right ingredients tor success there
was an honest cause, a real need lor
proposed IOP services, and there were
enough loyal men to make it work It
was inevitable that the program would
soon beconx a household wold
Crisis struck Just a lew short weeks
alter his release. Me Afilian learned that
he- had terminal caixet ol the pancreas
and lowei lungs With no other mem
bets on the outside who could match his
lortutude and expertise, the collapse ol
Inside Outside People was loretold by
pessimists tai and wide I ven to the
most ardent members, the luture looked
bleak lor their would tx- organization
No one but the Pounder hmisell.
however, accounted lor the taw power
ol human w ill
Irom his bed al I uianixl Hospital,
between exploratory surgeries and
kemotherapy treatments. McMillan
ontinued lo promote the cause As his
condition gr.nlu.illy stabilized he was
allowed lo return honx, an out patient,
and. with his own mortal end looming
so ixar. he worked hmisell lo exhaus
tion each day delivering the IOP nxs
sage
Other nxmbers have joined in the
drive with McMillan since those dubi
ous limes, shouldering the work load,
community support grows steadily, so
cial empathy tor a higher ideal; and to
date IOP is credited with some major
>
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MtaMXwrt n 1970
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Inside t lulside People got then tools
in the Spring ol |9X4 I he organization
began witha tew nxelings on Ihe prison
yard in Salem. Oregon, enlightened
convicts discussing Ihe many problems
akin to then social status. Hading
thconcs and ideas, ottering solutions
"I want to try a ixw w ay," seenxd
to be tlx recurrent theme among these
men. I |ust want lo gel out and live a
noiuial hie
Viler years ol residency
in v.moils Corrections systems. It If’
hopeluls weie ready to hang up their
guns, tlioiouglily tired ot prison lite
Gone were the Bonnie A Clyde ide
als. gone were the romantic aspirations
to last loitune. and tlx problem remain
mg was how to enact new hie prac tices
on the streets, no small dilemma lor
uxn long branded criminals
I hcv wanted a Ian chance at a Ian
start otl the outside I arly IOP suppor
M«A**P**
L N a 1
Subacremon*
00 par raar m tha TrcCounty area Boat
maarar Sand a VHaat changa» lo iha PnrO itd O ttener. P 0
Bo> 3, J7. Portland Oregon 97206
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I o I he I ditor
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Thursday by Em* PuMaZwvg Company Inc . ,«63 N E K *ng»
worth. Portland. Oregon »7211 Poa« Ortica Bo« 3,17 Portland
Oregon 97208 Srxond e lm postaga paid a, Portland Oregon
rtva /Xw-rtoorf Otnrrrrr M
Sincerely.
Iievor A Dorothy Purcell
fm h im tl »«•■ m / oka til C d titile I niter m I \
4/<>rry iht ( «»/or / m e a p p e a r i in «»»rr /4fJ n rw ,
Portland Observer
.»« M i t i •
(here is jn uneasy sileixc among
minded Americans about U S ag
gressive posturing against Libya
I he (J S carriers Saratoga and Coral
Sea have just completed exercises of,
the coast o f Libya in what Ihe Reagan
administration calls a "w ar ot nerves
with Col Muammar Qaddaft The
exercises were said to be non-
provocative
a blatant insult to the
intelligence ol those who have been ob
serving U S -Libya relations Appa
renlly dissatisfied with not having pro
voked Libyan forces into a light, the
U S now plans to send Ihe carriers to
the Gull ol Sidra next week, and this
lime they may enter ihe area claimed by
Libya lo he national waters but con
tested bv ihe ( 'tilled Slates Is this not
provocation '
The administration justifies these he
ligercnt actions as ret.dial ion lor Qad
dali's support lor the Rome and Vienna
bombings, even though it now seems
Syria may be Io blame Hui terrorism is
merely a pretext tor tlx I S lo bully
Ihe vulnerable I ibya. as well as
Nicaragua and Cuba, have long been
identified by tlx Reagan administration
as countries against which our govern
irxnt could 'take out o tx ol their
pieces'' oil the geopolitical checker
board In the meantime. the CIA has
been desperately trying to undermine
tjad d ali's government
IJ.idd.di is erratic. lie exalts terrorists
to Ireedom lighters, and indications are
that tx facilitates their training on Li
bvari soil (The question ol who is lo he
deluxe) asa terrorist still remains i Hut
none ol this should not be an excuse to
use military agression, instead ol dip
lomacv. against I ibya VV hal it another
country were to commit its torces
against the t X as retaliation lor
Reagan s training and sup|»>rt ol Ihe
Conlias. who murdci and maim mno
cent civilians in Central America.’
lerrorism dixs not spring out ot
some primordial devilish instinct, it is a
product ot political conflict Ihe con
llicl in this case is the Israeli
Palestinian issue and tlx t S partisan
position Instead ot attempting lo settle
this conflict diplomatically. however,
there has been a myopic attempt to use
military means, and an arrogant etlort
tocixrce public support by appealing lo
tlx leai ol terrorism I he public and the
media are falling tor it. hence the
sheepish silence»
I his disturbing silence seems to arise
I rom a recent ielre.it I rom reason and an
appeal to nationalist dogma, a dogma
which has rekindled tlx w idcspre.nl but
contradictory feeling that the I S
brands ot treedom. iiistice and democ
racy ate so ‘ cortee, that the rest ol the
world
particularly small weak conn
tries
must tx- whipped into compli
ence
I lx policies ot this administration
max be ,vopulur now. but as the- nans
gressions ol individuals committed in a
littul monieni ol exc ilemenl come back
to haunt them, so too will the moiticn
lardy popular but unjust policies ot
government Justice reserved lor only
those who aie ideologically compatible
is not justice And Ireedom that sur
vives bv aggression against the weak is
not Ireedom
tan
“ Reagan’s ‘Negro Problem’ ”
l ast month's celebration ol Or Martin Luther
King, J r 's birthday as a federal holiday gave the
media a golden opportunity to project the view that
America had transcended its racism I he stalwart
voice o f American capitalism, the Hr/// Street
Journal, announced with smug satisfaction that
"th e nation has come a long w a y " on race rela
tions Indeed, since King's assassination "racial
integration has ceased to be an issue
I he Journal
noted that " a 19X0 survey showed that 90 percent
o f whites favored integrated schools, compared
with 64 percent in 1964 and only 32 percent in
1942 By 1972. 97 percent o f whites favored equal
opportunities for Blacks, compared to only 45 per
cent in 1944.”
The H'«// Street Journal added with hopeful
enthusiasm that Blacks were also "becom ing more
independent in their voting patterns, and whites are
showing no hesitancy to vote for B lacks." The
later statement is. o f course, a gross distortion of
reality, despite the recent election ol Douglas W il
der as V irginia's first Black lieutenant governor
Statistically, less than 2X percent of the while elec
torale votes for a first-time Black mayoral candi
date Whites are far more race conscious in their
voting behavior than Afro Americans But most
disturbing to conservatives is the lack of support
Blacks show toward President Reagan, who cur
renlly has at least a 66 percent approval rating
among whites According to the BusZi/zig/ou
/ ’ovr/ABC poll of early January . only 23 percent ot
all Blacks approve o f Reagan, and a decisive
m ajority are convinced that the President " is a
4 ==*
Letters to the Editor
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Black
•
288 0033
P O R TW N D OBSERVER
They have been git,cd with a large
house in N E Portland, courtesy o f
Tom Boothe and American State Hank
With considerable repair and remodel
ing. jxrhaps even a new coal of paint.
Me Millan and his stall plan to have the
IOP house ready to receive clients by
early Summer of 19X6
they have twice appeared on N I
Spectrum (Rogers’ Cable Systems. Ch
23). a I V talk show which covers cur
rent events in the Portland Metro area
It)P representatives have appeared in
court several times to stand behind
clients in need of their interjection, o f
fering alternatives to long, needless
prison sentences, and while IOP have
had only limited success in these en
deavors. judges have begun to take
notice ol their solid principles, their
progressive approach to a stagnated
situation As IOP gains credibility with
the courts (a slow process with the na
lions' most conservative institution),
members are confident that they will
have a real atlecl on the How ot lives
bureaucratically destined to, the Cor
rections warehouse
IOP have been in touch with many
Portland business people who have ag
teed to consider IOP clients for job
placement With this approach, clients
can begin immediately to gam stability
as productive, working nxmbers of
six lety as opposed lo ihe stereotyped
ex convicts who are on their way back
to prison Irom the monxnt they 're re
leased
An IOP Youth Program waits in Ihe
wings i.McMillan's personal project)
which will enable youngsters to earn
money by collecting garbage in their
respective neighborhixxls. a productive
alternative to the current slug thein-
and run ethics practiced by so manv
young people today Logic dictate' that
the moral condition of tixlay's youth
will determine the quality of the future
either positive or negative, law abid
ing or criminal, an excellent case study
in social preventive medicine
Dear Editor.
Re the Editorial,Commentary in the
Jan 29 issue by N kenge loure Re
productive Ireedom is a Black issue I
am distinctly uncomfortable in taking
the opposing side or view when it per
tains to a seemingly positive gixxl
work, but I am duly bound (required by
conscience) to express serious alarm at
the thought of my people marching to
assert the right to abortion
in the
name ol "reprixluctive treedom
There is no such thing — outside
rape
as "forced childbirth." just as
there is no such phenonxna as "reverse
discrimination." something ot which a
still relatively powerless minority is
simply incapable AAe need to look
closely at such loaded and tricky slo
gans
Have we really tried to deal with our
moral weakness (absorbed as a cultural
influence) and the problem of teenage
|iiegnancv ’ I think we are just now fully
recognizing the problem and |ust now
getting m a position lo do something
about it I he talk of coal hanger abor
tions seems an attempt at sen
sationahsm AAe as a group may be
much mote perceptive than is thought
and this "sit back" on this issue for a
ttixxl cause And there are several
Black organizations beginning to suc
cessfully deal with adoption ol Black
children
N kenge loure asserts that 9tJr< ol
the inmate population of Attica were
born to teenage mothers Questionable,
but very shixking indeed if true But
the- statement that "m ost ot the wonxri
using these clinics (abortion and family
planning) are Black women " simply
has to be untrue
I would suggest that we address the
issue ol "babies making babies" from
our own perspective After all. is it re
ally that difficult lo imagine the end
results ol our interrupting the life pro
cess at will, and further encouraging
our young people in irresponsibility ’
l et us continue to search for our own
solutions
Family planning is only intelligent, a
must tor our people and any civilized
stxiely. but "family planning "and
"abortion" are not synonymous
Sincerely.
Nabeeh Musíala
115 for one veer
$25 for two years
31 31 Portianrl 0« 4M*
Mrs
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