Page 2, Portland Observer, September 3, 1906
---------------------------
The media's focus on crack, in an effort to
educate and warn the public about the dan
ger of the most addictive drug in society, is a
good example of what the news profession is
all about.
However, the manner in which the visual
media has relayed the crack problem to the
American public reveals the continuing racial
bias within the TV industry.
If one has been paying attention to the
major news networks (ABC, NBC, and CBS)
reporting on the crack problem in this country,
the viewer gets the impression that only
African Americans distribute and use the illicit
drug.
Such biased portrayal of African-Americans
by the networks isn't new, for TV has contin
ued to present African-Americans in a nega
tive manner. This is due to racism among the
networks which prevents African Americans
from becoming TV producers. There are very
few African American producers among the
three major networks.
The crack problem in this country knows no
social or ethnic boundaries. Crack has cap
tured the nation's ghettos and suburbs, Its
users come from all social strata and all walks
of life. It is not just an African-American pro
blem, like the visual media would like us to
believe.
Along the Color Line
by Dr Manning Marable
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"Black Families and Poverty"
No one doubts that the Black family, and by exten
sion, the entire Black community, is in the midst of a
major socioeconomic crisis Ebony magazine recently
termed it "perhaps the biggest crisis Blacks have faced
since slavery times " This crisis is characterized by
"a series of economic upheavals, exacerbated by an
epidemic of hard drugs and structural faults in the
American economy, (which) have undermined the
social infrastructure of Black America." The statistics
speak for themselves: Over 40 percent of all Black
families are headed by women, and more than half of all
Black children now live in poverty The poverty rate is
67 percent for all Black female headed households
The plight of Black families has lead to the revival of
the infamous "Moynihan Thesis". First proposed two
decades ago, the argument basically declared that the
Black family was "pathological", and that Black women
were "Matiarchs "
Another influential scapegoat
theory which is currently receiving critical acclaim has
been produced by Charles Murray, author of the book
"Losing Ground: American Social Policy." Murray
provides an intellectual rationalization for the destruc
tion of social welfare programs. Unlike earlier racist
theorists, he doesn't make the error of saying that we
Blacks are genetically or culturally inferior after all.
this is the mid 1980s! Instead, he claims that a liberal
social policy group since the Great Society programs
has made it economically attractive for poor people to
become dependent on government handouts. Murray
asserts that Aid to Families with Dependent Children
IAFDC) encourages women to have children, and
rewards promiscuity and laziness The result is a de
dining standard of living for many Blacks
The central contradiction of Murray's thesis is the
simple fact that, as federal government programs have
increased, poverty rates overall have indeed fallen
When public programs are cut back as under Rea
gan we have seen direct increase in overall poverty
What has helped to perpetuate poverty in the Black
community in the 1980s? Black low income families
have had to bear the bulk of the burden of the Reagan
economic agenda
According to the statistics of the
Urban Institute, during fiscal year 1986 over 37 percent
of the participants in Employment Training programs
were Black Americans; these programs were cut by 38
percent that year
Subsidized housing, reduced that
year by 11 4 percent, had 45 percent Black participants
Pell Grants for higher education, cut by 16 percent,
had 34 percent Black recipients
AFOC. reduced by
14 percent, had 47 percent Black participants
And
Food Stamps, cut by 13 8 percent, had 37 percent
Black recipients These cuts in human needs programs
undermined the economic foundations of literally hun
dreds of thousands of Black households
Conversely, areas of massive government spending
over the past six years have helped to hike Black job
lessness The shift in federal spending priorities from
human services to military hardware has lowered job
opportunities for Blacks. Hispanics, and other people of
color, because these populations are not represented in
those firms which receive military contracts If we use
1980 employment statistics, a shift in one million jobs
from educational institutions, social services and health '
services to firms which are military related would create
a net loss of over 60,000 jobs for Black women and
men The very real, and not hypothetical, shift in such
government expenditure has had the net impact of
disrupting thousands of Black families' conditions.
Some of the talk about the Black family's crisis is
indeed accurate Black on Black crime, spouse abuse,
and other mamfistations of anti social behavior are quite
real But at the level of national public policy, there is
an attempt to attribute all of the Black community's
problems to internal flaws that Black women are pro
miscuous. that Black teenagers are all criminally
inclined, that Black men are lazy or nonexistent hus
bands, etc. Such an effort, which has recently been
advanced by conservative Democrats as well as Rea
garntes, must be denounced for what it is an explicitly
racist attempt to shift the burden of responsibility to the
backs of Black people for the effects of racism If we
had full employment, universal health care, decent and
free public housing, most of the Black family's problems
would disappear The "crisis" is essentially a crisis of
the system in which Black people find themselves
■
—
■
■■— -■■■»a n
-
A L e tte r to th e C o m m u n ity
Despite Visual Media Bias, Crack Abuse Isn't Just a Black Problem
Each TV network almost always shows
African American husbands, wives, grand
mothers, sisters, and brothers being arrested
for possession of crack,
■
Letters to the Editor
EDITORIAL/OPINION
The rise in the use of the deadly and de
structive form of cocaine known as crack has
been well-publicized in both the visual and
printed media.
"
B U F - Asset or Liability?
To many people the answer to this question is simple,
but after a quick glance at who and what the organi
zation is. the question becomes a little harder to
answer
Three individuals, all males, make up the nucleus of
the Black United Front (BUF) organization The trio are
Ron Herndon, Rev Jackson (the two co chairs) and
Herb Cawthorne (the silent partner). Although these
three individuals represent the BUF collectively, they
tend to operate quite independently of each other This
makes it very difficult to investigate just who said what
about whom and which organization they were repre
senting at the time The Black Leadership Conference
or The Black United Front Or are we to assume that
they are one and the same? Is the Black Leadership
Conference a front for The Black United Front? The
members of groups such as these and The Urban
League should examine their allegiance
When they
serve in these capacities, are they representing their
respective organizations or are they collectively repre
senting the BUF?
Mr Ron Herndon is the most out spoken of the trio
At any time that the Oregonian wants or needs a sensa
tional headline, they need only call one person in the
entire N /N E section of the city: our very own Ron Ron
has a good way with the press and rises to the occasion.
His remarks will, 9 out of 10 times, make the paper
Usually, his comments are taken out of context which
tends to change their meanings
For many years now, people have been using the
BUF for their own private wars and hidden agendas
Many of the individuals are not fit to represent them
selves as individuals, let alone an organization like the
BUF. Local papers and KBOO radio have been the
targets for hate propaganda by these individuals When
asked why these individuals use the BUF to hide be
hind, Mr Herndon replied, "There are many that think
they speak for the BUF, but if Herb, Rev Jackson or
myself does not say it, it was not said by the BUF."
Well, that's fine, Ron, but how and when are you going
to address this problem which is out of hand? This is
a problem in your own camp
Then there is the great Rev Jackson He is the lone
warrior He was recruited by Herb and Ron to add a
certain amount of credibility to the organization. He
was to serve as a figurehead to bring legitimacy to the
organization Ron did not have it. and Herb certainly
did not have it, but "Rev." Jackson, he had a little. So
the trio was born and all of a sudden the figurehead
started to speak Ron and Herb tried to control him, but
he got loose and is running amuck. At this point, he
is the single largest liability within the trio.
On to Herbert Cawthorne. He is a man driven for
power A stint on the school board, and he is ready for
City Hall and on to Mayor Unfortunately, Mr. Bogle
broke his political spirit, and he was forced into political
exile as Director of the Urban League
Herb is interested in playing in the maiors but is still
considered a minor league player Many felt that his
association with the BUF helped Bogle That IS possible
but remember a sexual harassment charge some time
ago that involved Mr. Cawthorne It died and began
to resurface just before the City election This little item
may come back to haunt him later.
Herb carries some hidden agendas, also, but most
people read his like a book Herb, you want to be some
body and some day you will
Our question still remains Is the BUF an asset or
liability?
As an organization. I believe they can regain some of
their lost credibility They must rise to meet the com
munity's challenge for activism and mobilization. There
is a maior drug problem in the community Prostitution,
teen pregnancy, crime, education and many more pro
blems affect the lives of both black and white in the
community. These are problems that need to be ad
dressed n o w They are growing day by day. and very
few people are trying to do anything about them
Instead of reacting to a major blow up, as the BUF
has done in the past, why not investigate and bring the
problem out into the open first
The BUF can be a great asset to the community by
addressing the problem, not by attacking other mem
bers of the community who are also trying to do some
thing If the BUF can work on providing support and
leadership, the community will rally to their aid
The liability that the Front carries with them is their
incredible vendetta against one of the community’s
most influential political families
Gladys and Bill
McCoy must represent all the people in the districts
They care about the community, have raised 7 children
in the community, and intend to continue to serve the
community. If ever the BUF or any other group or
organization wants to look at their records, make com
ments to them, or have a problem with something they
have done, they should feel free to discuss these things
openly with them
The cheap shots in the press and th e back stab
bing m ust stop There are too few people willing or
able to be active politically in the community. Let's
not continue to fling spears from behind trees in orde’
to make points. And let's learn to talk about our dif
ferences. W e might be coming from different points of
view, but we are all looking for the same end: A better
quality of life and a brighter future
Let's put things into perspective before we go. If we
as a community are going to dig up past, negative
deeds by individuals in the community, let's not be
selective. Let's look at everybody But a better sugges
tion would be not to dig up negative deeds and tear
people down, and instead, work to solve our problems
to g eth er
Remember, they are all our problems.
Is the BUF an ASSET or LIABILITY? It's not such a
simple question after all.
LaVerne Davis, pre kindergarten 2nd grade coor
dinator at King E lem entary School, helps parents
register their children on Tuesday, the first day of
school.
Photo by Richard J. B row n
A Concerned Citizen,
Paul McCoy
7045 N.E. Cleveland
Portland, OR 97211
Portland Observer
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