July 16. 1986, Portland Observer, Page 5
the OBL is concerned about. "The
whole issue facing us is economics
There is a difference between the
economic realities and wh.it is hap
petting to us because of racial
undertones '*
Debnain was asked whether the
OBL will erwforse McCoy sometime
in the future. "The OBL has a po
licy of not endoising political candi
dates, however, the OBL supports
African American candidates who
will work for the interests of the
Black community."
Hl
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N ational A ssociation of Securities Professionals m em bers John
B row n IL) and Sam uel Cole. Jr. 1C) briefed m em bers of Oregon
Business League (OBL) on their trip to the 2nd A nnual C apital
M a rk e ts C onference in A tla n ta . Georgia
Presiding over the O B I
m o nthly m eetin g w as Chad Debnain IR )
Photo by Richard J. Brow n
OBL Takes Economic Development
Leadership and Responsibility
Th« Star Spangled Banner, our National A nthem , w as originally know n
as ~ The Defense of Fort M cH enry* and printed on an 1814 handbill w ith o u t
the nam e of Francis Scott Kay
MRS. C’s
WIGS
by Jerry Garner
Northeast Portland has been
suffering from the lack of continu
ing economic development for
years. Realizing that the rebuild
ing of the African American com
munity must come from within, the
Oregon Business League (OBL) has
assumed leadership in starting eco
nomic development and investment
in business ventures in Northeast
Portland
OBL. which consists of 20
African American owned business
es, is an arm of the National Bust
ness League
The national Bust
ness League, formerly the National
Negro
Business
League.
was
formed in 1900 by Booker T Wash
ington.
Chad Debnam, Chair of the OBL,
said the purpose of the OBL is to
develop and support Black Bust
nesses in hope that the community
can help itself This, says Debnam,
will decrease the high unemploy
merit
among
African American
youth and adults.
During the OBL meeting held last
Saturday at the Otherside Restau
tant, League members told Senator
William (Bill) McCoy that some
thing must be done about the com
petition between nonprofit organ!
rations and small business for eco
nomic development money for
Northeast Portland
Debnam said, "I believe this is a
very critical issue facing African
American business people.
Non
profit organizations can go to the
Portland Development Commission
IPDCI and gel money targeted for
Northeast
development
This
leaves little or no funds for small
business (especially African Ameri
can business)."
Debnam said small business in
Northeast is being crushed trying to
compete with large nonprofit enti
ties that have a social agenda,
"Furthermore, some of these organ
izations have profit motives Those
who run such organizations are
making great salaries, they have all
of the benefits of a profit organi
zation under a nonprofit umbrella."
Senator MaCoy said he would
look into the matter, but the pro
blem could be a PDC problem "I
don't know whether the legislature
has jurisdiction in this area." said
McCoy.
Another issue the League is con
earned with is Senate Bill 2406
If thia Bill is put into law. women
will be included as minorities in
the 1966 Surface Transportation
Assistance Act. This, says Dr. E.C.
Ogbuobiri, a League member, will
reduce the number of Blacks and
other minority participation in state
and federal highway projects. The
League voted to submit a letter to
Oregon s Congressional and Senate
delegation stating their opposition
i n <;n idnr.
League memebers were also
briefed by John Brown, President
of Brofam Enterprises, about his
participation in the National Asso
ciation of Securities Professionals
(NASP) that was held in Atlanta
Brown told those African American
business leaders that if the Black
communities are to have economic
development, they must have capi
tai formation, teach community re
sidents how to invest their money
and make the legislature aware of
the needs of African American busi
nesses.
"If we as Black business are to
survive, if we are going to have
economic development in our com
munity, we must form capital lor
mation. There is no way around
this
African Americans must de
velop capital in their own commu
nity. Our people do have the re
sources to develop capital," said
Brown.
Brown said Merrill Lynch, the
largest brokerage firm in the world,
has 2.600 vice presidents; of that
amount, 26 are Black Of these 26,
2 are on the capital or development
side of the market,
Brown said there are only a few
minority brokerage firms in the
country. The majority of minority
brokers work for majority firms.
"This does little for us as minority
business owners, we need broker
age firms who will take our com
panics and invest in them and take
them out into the mainstream."
NASP's objectives ate to achieve
equal opportunity for minority pto
fessionals in the secunties industry,
to foster growth and development
of minorities and minority control
led institutions in the security indu
stry, and increase jiubiic awareness,
especially among minoiity Amen
cans, about public and private fi
nance, investment and career op
portunities NASP provides profes
sional and off n ial foiums to .hate
resources and ideas and to pro
teet minority men and women who
need expertise to interptet the im
pact of securities industry issues
that focus on minority economii
development.
According to Brown, NASP orga
mzed itself to lie a f>art of die tinan
cial world so minorities ( an have
rejiresentation in the majority sec
tor The minority sector and major
ity sector will alternate leadership;
one year the majority sector will
have the leadership, and the next
year the minority sector will have
die leadership.
Brown said tins
arrangement ws one of the fine
negotiation points agreed to when
the organization was formed in San
Franciscoon April 13, 1986.
Brown and Sam Cole, who also
attended the Atlanta conference,
will tie working with the brokerage
firm of Blackwell, Suctiy Invest
ment
Another issue that was discussed
at the OBL gathering was making
Black officials accountable to the
community "W e must understand
that d we put individuals in elected
positions ot they are appointed to
represent our interests, we must
hold them accountable on the re
curd " said Calvin Henry. Henry,
who is President of Oregon Assam
hly for Black Affairs, said Black
officials have a |ob to do.
This
(tuestion must be asked Aie these
people doing their jobs?"
Henry told OBL members that his
organization is putting forth legi
station programs which deal with
economic development issues and
urge OBL members to work with
them
Henry asked OBL members to
support Gladys McCoy's hid to be
come Ctiair of Mulnomah County.
' We must elect someone from our
own community to become Chair of
the County, in an effort to address
our needs and hold them account
able " Henry said the best thing
that could happen to Northeast is to
get McCoy elected as County Chair.
Whether you like her politics or
like her personally, the point is what
do you as Black business people
want in torrns of jobs from that pat
ticular body?"
Henry said the Chair position has
a lot to do with whom gets jobs
Betty Cab-na Proprietor
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U If it hadn’t been for the
pilone company Id probably still be pkiyii
piano at Hazel)» Momirlg Glory Bar. W
I was always pretty fair at making played ‘Downtown Rambler’
right over the phone for him.
tunes up. . But I never knew much ngnt
"And the rest, as they say. is
about writing tunes down.
history. Just like Hazel s.
“Which could have been
“Of course, nowadays, the
the destruction of my
young
guys tell me they have a
career.
computer they just plug into the
“See, back in *27- o r
keyboard. You play a little riff
maybe it was ”28 - the
old Hoot Wilson Orches • and it comes out anywhere they
have a phone—all printed up.
tra must have heard
Sheet music.
about me. 1 got a letter
"And when the time comes,
if I’d send them
I expect the phone company’ll
music of my
have something worked up I can
music? M an, I
use when I’m composin’on
w hat to do.
aharp*'
back before
and
A t Pacific Northw est B ell,
we’ve always been more than
long distance or fiber optics,
or even
data trans
mission.
AtPNB,
(g) N«ttÊ»est
«U I
been the future."
COMfwKr
•I