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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 7, 1986)
May 7. 1986, Portland Observer, Page £ Problems With United Way b \ H i'h Lothian If United Way doesn't restore the $6,0UUil dedusted from ilscontrihutuin to the Urban League, the black com munity w ill find ways to go around Un ited Way and contribute directly to agencies that serve Northeast Portland, according to Ron Herndon “ We w ill also encourage others in the broader community to give money directly to agencies serving the poor and families in need rather than to Un ited W ay.” he said Herndon and Res John Jackson, co-chairmen o f the Blac k United Front, spoke Thursday at a press conference at King Neighborhood Center ” The black community is outraged at United Way's recent action toward the Urban League o f Portland,” Herndon said He referred to the withholding of funds from the Urban league because it held a fundraising dinner during the Un ited Way campaign last fall The Urban League held its annual Equal Opportunity Day dinner Oct 24. 1985 Keynote speaker was Sen Mark United Way campaign Ihe Interagency Food Bank was penalized $ I HOI) by United Way for the same reason Urban league and F»*xl Bank o ffi cials criticized the United Way action, and both organizations are appealing the cuts Urban League president Herb Caw (home called the penalty an insen sitive move by United Way officials jealous ol other agencies’ success in tundraising U nited Way president D avid Paradme said, however, that the sane lions were not penalties but deductions to ottsei tunds raised by the Urban league and the Food Bank But Herndon described that as a "w elfare mentality " "W hatever your hoy nukes, we're going to take it out ot your welfare It's that same kind ot douhletalk." he said I he SNMMi is desperately needed in the community, Herndon continued Yet even though the community 'v prob lems are reaching crisis proportions. United Way has cut funding Io agencies that provide services to k>w income blacks, he said "Problems in the black community are tar worse than they were tour years ago when the Urban league's United Way funding was I7*k higher,” Herndon said Only 3 1%. ot $392.567 out ot $12 m illion, went to agencies serving low income blacks in Northeast Portland this year, said Herndon, citing United Way figures According to United Way officials, the dinner violated a contract that bars member agencies from sponsoring fun draising events that compete with the Ron Herndon listens us Rev. John J. Jucksqn responds to questions d u rin g a press conference lust week concerning I nited \ \ ay's cut in funds to the I t han I eugue and Ihe Fond Bank. Juckson and Herndon ure co-chuirs o f the Black I nited Front. Photo by R ichard J. Brow n Celebration Washington Finally Has Council Majority b\ Jerry darner When Harold Washington was dc dared the democratic nominee for Mayor o f Chicago in I983. he vowed that if he became the C ity's first Black Mayor, he would stop the C ity's system o f patronage Under this system, jobs are given to Democratic committeemen according to their ward's production at Fully Cooked Boneless Ham 5 To 7-Lbs. Average y Golden Prairie Prairte / Or Smok-A-Roma. . , ^ tu Natural Hickory 1 smoked, corn- fed pork from America's heartland! J\ J j / ^^B^ v ■ ^BHll L O . Save Up To 6 9 ‘ Lb.. No Limit! 29 Assorted Pork Chops u,sl 39 Iceberg Lettuce Crisp And Flash Lb Tide Detergent Cottage Cheese 72-Oz. Box S O 99 Ea. fc* Blossom Tims, Small Curd. 16-Ounca _ fca.’ r CkxjbioElAXtK KXMMClMtk Pampers B lu e B o n n et M argarine G old en R ipe B ananas Great over cereal or dipped in chocolate! 29 Or spread, 1-Pound, Great for pancakes! Lb. 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ANNI TBSUr Hatfield the polls, and the committeemen in tum give jobs to the precinct workers Washington's plan to eliminate the patronage system and the fact that he was Black and led many White life longed dem ocrats to abandon Washington caused many to vote in stead for Bernard Epton, a Republican Washington defeated Epton in one of this nation's most racist elections in his tory In IMHf, Washington and Walter Mondale attended a Palm Sunday mass at St Pascal's Roman Catholic Church on Chicago's Northwest side They were confronted by an unruly crowd of Epton supporters who shouted epithets at them Since his election as M ayor, Washington's ability to govern the city has been stymied by rebellious White aldermen led by Edward Vrdolyak, Chairman o f Cook County Democratic- Party A ll this changed last week when Washington gained two more suppor ters on the council seat after a special election was held The election was the result o f a 1981 law suit filed by Blacks and Hispanics challenging the City Council’ s map reflecting population shifts found in the 1980 census The suit charged that the map reflected ra cial gerrymandering Gerry mandering is a redistncting o f voting districts to the advantage o f one party or race Re suiting in a federal judge ordering the remapping o f seven wards in the City and special elections in each ward Ger rymandering was a common practice used by Whites throughout the United States to keep Blacks out o f elected office until the courts ruled the practice illegal The victory by Washington suppor ters (a hispanic man and a Black wo man) now gives the Mayor 25 suppor ters on the 50-scat council The Mayor’ s vote now is the tie breaker The election o f the tw o pro- Washington aldermen is another indica tion that the once powerful Democratic- machine built by the former Mayor J. Daley was in ruins Daley used his post lion as Mayor and Chairman o f the Cook County Democratic Party as a power base* for more than two decades When White Democrats voted for Epton the Republican, this alienated many life long Black Democrats from the party This plus the failure o f Washington and Vnlolyak to reach a compromise during Washington's 3 years as Mayor contributed to the weakening o f the machine Although Chicago is known for its lough political battles, the political problems Washington encountered were new even to the City; once de scribed by the late Dr Martin Luther King, Jr as "th e most segregated large city in the Nation Hatred o f Washington was so great that a m illion dollar contract was placed on his life In 1983. a White millionaire real estate broker was charged with try ing to hire an undercover informant to murder Washington During this mayoral campaign, Washington opponents distributed posters with a picture o f a watermelon with a Black line drawn through the middle o f it At a banquet for Epton during the 1983 Election, the band played the tune "B ye-B ye Blackbird They were refemng to Washington Jackson, a former board member of United Way. said the tunds were needed tor teen pregnancy and youth summer programs, and a sickle cell anemia project We have to beg to do these k inds of things.” Jackson said Having more black representatives on the United Way hoard would help, according to Jackson Herndon suggested a community meeting with United Way officials and Northeast Portland social service agency rep resentatives Herndon said a letter was sent to Un ited Way explaining the community's position " I expect them to he rational.” he said " I f they w anllopresstheissue.il wouldn't be that hard Io come up with an alternative organization ïmpers Ultra P am p ers D ia p ers $1498 Ultra Thin, Ultra Dry. 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