PORTLAND OBSERVER
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Black-on-Black Violence at Crisis Level
The killing of a Black male by
I another Black male in a parking
lot on Union Avenue a few weeks
ago illustrates the growing problem
of
violence
among
African
| Americans
There can be no blinking away
I from
the
fact
that
African
Americans are disproptionately in
volved in violent crime
both as
offenders and victims
Although
| African Americans constitute only
13 percent of the U S population.
I they make up 48 percent of the
prison population Some of this can
be attributed to bias in the jud
I icial system
However, the reality is this, in
I violent crimes committed by a single
person, the victims in a quarter of
the cases claim that the attacker
I was African American
Black-on Black homicide is cur
I rently the leading cause of death
of African American males ages 15
44 and it is estimated that homicide
may be responsible for one third of
all the causes of death of Black
males in this age range
Nationally,
African American
I males are at risk of being murdered
ten times more than White males,
and Black females are five times
more likely to be murdered than
| White females
The typical violent crime involves
I two young African American males
who know each other and get into
petty altercations, which in many
cases leads to serious injury be
| cause they both have weapons
In some killings the victim is an
|innocent bystander. For example:
’ Ben Wilson, a 17 year old bas
I ketball star, was shot in the abdo
men, as he walked with his girl
I friend, by a gang member in Chi
Icago last year. Wilson died a few
¡days later
• Keisha Jackson, age 13, was
Ion her way home with a group of
1 friends after spending the evening
roller skating in Detroit.
As the
group walked by, a 16 year old
Black youth saw the group and
| squeezed the trigger of his stolen
32 cal handgun. The bullet struck
I her in the brain, and she died a few
I days later.
Steven Watts, a former football
I star in Chicago, was gunned down
by a Black gang member as he
walked home from a high school
|dance
Why are Blacks disproportion
lately involved in violent crimes —
both as offenders and victims? Why
do African Americans kill each
| other at a higher rate than other
| ethnic groups in the U S ? What
can the Black community and so
ciety do in general to reduce the rate
| of Black on Black homicide?
The answer to this problem is
very complex said a local mental
health counselor. "It is very difficult
| to point to just one cause to explain
the high homicide rate among
African-American males. Personal
ly, I think there are many factors.
To reduce it to just one factor is
reductionist thinking.
By this I
mean to take a complex phenom
enon and say that it is caused by a
single factor,” said Dr. Oiodi T.
| Osuji
Dr. Osuji is acting Executive
I Director of the North/Northeast
Community Health Center in Port
land Dr Osup has a M S degree
I in Counseling and Psychology from
the University of Oregon and a Ph D
m Public
Administration
from
lU .C .L .A . Dr. Osuji's interests are
in mental health problems among
| minorities.
Dr. Osuji said before one can
I discuss the causes of Black on
Black violence, the conditions of
African Americans in the U S. must
first be examined
He said if one
does the above, they will find that
we are a minority people, we are
basically powerless people and that
we are subjugated people
These
conditions, said Dr. Osup. tend to
lead one to become frustrated
“ If you think about it, human
beings like to feel they are in control
of their own environment and want
to participate in the governing of the
society and the sharing of the
wealth." Dr Osup said. "This gives
individuals a sense of selfworth in
that they are contributing to the
well being of that society
For
many African Americans this is not
the case."
"America's society has con
sciously constructed an environ
ment which African Americans feel
like they are outsiders and not part
of the mainstream Consequently,
African Americans feel discrimina
ted against, powerless, and many
feel angry to what has been done to
them.
Instead of directing this
anger at the establishment who
caused this sense of powerlessness,
many Blacks and other ethnic min
orities vent their anger at each
By Jerry Garner
This theory has been criticized by
many
One critic of the theory is |
Dr Carl C Beil, M D Medical Di
rector. Community Mental Health I
Council and Associate Professor at
the Clinical Psychiatry U n iv e r s ity n t |
by Jerry Garner
Dr Bell gave a presentation en
titled "B lack-on Black M u r d e r
A|
Critique of the Subculture of Vio
lence Thesis A Chicago Example"
in Washington, D C at the Society I
for the Study of Social Problems in
1985 During this presentation Dr
Bell said, "Though the descriptive
nature of this type of murderer is an I
accurate portrayal, the etiology
which is focused in subcultural dy
namics is q u e s t ■, it ■ „ d leads to I
mappropri it»
i t i o n t fur |
murder, thereby disi ouraging fur
ther research and hindering the |
development of intervention stra
tegies "
Dr Bell went on to say that re
search on African American psy
sciousness (ASOC) research team,
casts serious doubt on the proposed I
"subculture of violence etiology of
Black on Black murder by offering a
more tenable explanation for the |
characteristics of African Amen
cans who murder.
Some Black on Black violence
could be attributed to psychiatric
disorders
This theory raises the |
D r O io d i T O su ji
question: Are mentally ill patients
Photo by R ichard J. Brow n more predisposed to violence?
other " Dr. Osup called this phen
Some say that murderers who are
onmenon "displacement of anger." accutely psychotic have a higher in
Displacement means that due to cidence of comas
Researchers
the consequence of directing their
found that of 108 subjects 49 re
anger at the source (White Racism)
ported having had at least one epi
some African Americans direct their
sode of a coma
Out of these 49
anger at those they perceive as subjects, 25 reported the coma they
powerless, therefore, they react had experienced was moderate
against other African Americans. "I (lasting more than 30 minutes) or
am not saying that displacement is severe (lasting more than 24 hours)
the only cause of Black on Black intensity Although the population
violence, but it could be a factor. in this study was not examined for
However. I would say that some the prevalence of violence, these
Blacks react violently towards other findings indicate a clear direction
African Americans because of the with respect to the study of the
stored anger which they have cause of Black on Black violence
against the majority culture." said
Dr Bell said the high incidence of
Dr Osuji.
coma in the Black population is
Dr. Osuji said many African
■consistent with epidemiologic ob
American males who are victims of servation that head injury is morel
Black-on-Black
homicide
suffer prevalent in lower socio economic |
from frustration as a result of being groups. "If one considers the rela
chronically unemployed
He said tionship of head injury, neuropsy
when a person is unemployed, his chiatric impairment, and coma to be I
or her self esteen is low, saying that subsequent episodes of v io le n c e |
society expects people to be pro­ (e g., homicidal aggression or sui
ductive and to have jobs
cidal behavior), the importance of |
"When one loses respect for one
the ASOC research finding as an ex
self (which happens to many Afri
planation for Black on Black vio
can Americans) they are more likely lence that runs counter to the sub
to lose respect for those like them
culture of violence theory becomes |
selves Therefore, making it easier clearer," said Dr Bell.
Both Dr Bell and Dr O suji agree I
to destroy that which you don’t
that prevention of Black on Black I
respect," said Osuji.
murder will depend on alterations in|
Besides the factors given by Dr.
Osuji on the possible causes for the
the current dynamic interactions be
high rate of Black on Black vio
tween the African American popu
lence, some psychologists (mostly
lation’s environment, interpersonal |
milieu, and intrapsychic matrix
White) attribute Black on Black vio
As Dr Osuji says, "Poverty, lack |
lence to the "subculture of violence
of adequate medical care, made
theory."
quate nutrition, inadequate hous
This theory says that the urban
mg, and inadequate educational op |
ghetto environment produces a type
portunities will significantly influ
of murderer that is characteristically
ence values and attitudes about |
a young African American, lower
class male who is quick to respond worth of human life "
Although the problem of Black
to narcissistic injury with lethal
on
Black violence should be the |
agressive intent. This type of mur­
derer was felt to be predisposed to concern of the entire nation, Afri
can American churches, civil rights I
using lethal agression as a means to
organizations, lawmakers, and the I
an end, and criminal violence to ob­
media must become more socially
tain material goods which would or
active
in reducing Black on Black |
dinarily be out of his reach. Thus
murder, Unless this occurs, thou
the etiology of this type of murderer
was said to have its roots in a sub­ sands of Blacks will continue to ex I
terminate their own race, which is
cultural and social milieu that en
the
first step towards extinction [
courages physical agression
25$
O regon S tate Bar C o m m itte d
to A ffirm a tiv e A c tio n
Illinois
chiatric and nonpsychiatric popula
tions done at the Community Mon
tai Health Council IC M H CI in Chica
go by the Altered States of Con
Volume XVI, Number 44
Lee C olem an. D irector of the Oregon S tate Bar A ffirm a tiv e Action
Program The Program '
is an e ffo rt by the Bar to increase the
num ber of ethnic m inority attorneys practicing la w in O regon."
Photo by Richard J Brown
gon, said since the program was im
In 1973 there were only 19 minor
plemented in 1973, the number of
ity attorneys who were members of
minority
attorneys and students has
the Oregon State Bar out of a mem
increased significantly.
bership of 4.400
Recognizing the
For example, before the Affirma
under representation of minority
tive Action Program, minorities
attorneys and law students in the
made up less than 1 percent I 48%)
state, the Oregon State Bar created
of the Bar’s total membership. By
an Affirmative Action Program.
1985, minorities comprised 2.1 per
The Oregon State Bar's Affirma
cent of the total Bar membership, or
live Action Program is an effort by
160 our of 7,916 attorneys.
In
the Bar to increase the number of
1985 86. minority enrollment in Ore
ethnic minority attorneys practicing
gon’s law schools increased to 6 5
in Oregon," said Lee Coleman, Di
percent of the student population,
rector of the Affirmative Action Pro
or 105 of thu 1.604 students en
gram
rolled, compared to 4.2% in acade
Coleman, who has a B S in Pub
mic year 1976 77 or 66 of the 1.572
lie Administration and Juris Doctor
students enrolled
degroe from the University of Ore
Coleman said, "The Affirmative
Action Program functions both as
an advocate for the interests of
potential and present minority attor
neys and law students, and a re
source for individuals and groups
working to further those interests "
The program offers a host of
financial programs to assist minority
law students They are: the Con
ditional Loan Program, Emergency
Student Loans, and Tutorial Grants
to law schools The Bar also offers
a separate
Minority Scholarship
Program." This is a separate non­
profit corporation established by the
Affirmative Action Committee to
raise funds from private sources for
student scholarships.
Coleman said these scholarships
are conditional and repayment is
waived if the recipient becomes an
active member of the Oregon State
Bar within one year of graduation
The Bar also offers minority law
students employment opportunities
through their Summer Clerkship
Program and Job Placement Assi
stance Program.
In an effort to give minority stu
dents an opportunity to meet with
potential employers, the Bar spoil
sors an annual Minority Students
and Attorneys Retreat
Another
purjxjse of the rotreat is for students
to meet others who support the ef
forts of the Affirmative Action Pro
gram and a time to meet other min
ority law students.
The Bar’s Affirmative Action Pro
gram is funded by dues paid by
members of the Oregon Stato Bar;
it is the only program of its kind in
this country Besides Director Cole
man, the program is staffed by a
secretary and has a 25 member
steering committee comprised of
attorneys, law students and repre
sontatives of minority attorney or
gamzations.
Volunteers Build Bunk Beds For Needed
Northeast Children
by Jerry Garner
A group of church members from
the Amity Assembly Church of God,
Amity, Oregon, donated their time
last Saturday and built six bunk
beds for Grandmothers Against
Drugs (G M AD)
The bunk beds
which sell for $40 each, or $80 a
pair, will be sold to low income
families in the Northeast area
G M AD was created last Decern
ber to provide moral and financial
help to grandmothers who are left
to care for their grandchildren due
to drug addiction by their children,
according to Vera Benson, founder
and Director of GM AD
Walt Jaquith, one of the volun
teers, said he donated his time to
make bunk beds for the children
because of his belief in God.
"W e ’re doing this because of Christ
and Christianity The Bible tells us
this is the type of religion that is
acceptable to God. Religion isn't
just going to church and being pom
pous; the type of religion God ac
cepts is to care for tho people who
are in need So when we hear of a
need, it touches our hearts and
makes us want to reach out as fol
lowers of Christ ."
Linda Simposon, another volun
teer, was helping GM AD and Vera
Benson. "W e both serve the same
God and Savior
It makes us all
brothers and sisters working to
gether for one common goal and
that is to show people that Jesus is
the only answer in this troubled
world. It doesn't matter if you're
in a poor community or a rich com
munity."
Benson siad the Amity Church
members are very helpful to this
community.
In the past, they've
donated clothing to the back to
school clothing drive "W e provide
clothing to needy children, especial
ly those who attend King's School "
Benson feels that the African
American community in Portland
should do more to help those in
need in their community
"I feel
that this community should got in
volved I know that everyone has
their programs, but I feel like there
are many members, but one body
It s not a one person program, it’s
the community's jirograms."
Benson said she tries to work
with all community programs. " I’ve
worked with almost every agency in
Oregon Our agency, the House of
Refugee Mission, matches funds
with every agency and church, wo
have no boundaries.
However,
many organizations do not get in
volved in programs that benefit the
noedy in our community "
An example of this non involve
ment by the community, says Bon
son, is her back to school clothing
drive
"Last year I wrote every
black church in the community ask
ing them to contribute to the drive
Not a single church responded All
of the response we received came
from outside of this community
Last year the 700 Club donated $500
to the back to school drive, this
year they gave us $1000 We also
get help from the House of Zion in
Woodburn.
They bring us food,
clothes and help us in every way
they can with the children at King
School."
"This year I tried to get some
churches in the community to parti
cipate, and |ust as last year, none
responded
Benson was asked to
explain the non involvement by the
local churches She replied, "I feel
that they don’t have time to work
with people who don’t have name
familiarity The peojile in the com
munity are looking for peojile with
big names If you have a big name,
then you have big publicity
It all
depends on who you know
I am
not after this, I am trying to help
people. This is a true Christian pro
gram, oven if someone comes here
and tells a lie to get help, they still
receive assistance."
I am not asking these organize
tions to abandon their program and
come here because we neod the
support I fool that different organ!
zations within the community who
are concerned about the children
could work togetfior in an effort to
serve more who are in need of de
cent school clothes "
"I think the lack of networking
among different social organizations
in our community is counterproduc
five
Unless we get together, the
social problem facing our commu
nity will only got worse W e were
taught during slavery to compete
against each other Dr King said to
us, 'We shall overcome ’ It's time
for us to overcome this envy and
jealousy "
PCC Fall Term Classes
Start Septem ber 22
Fall classes will start Monday,
September 22, at five Portland
Community College campuses and
other locations throughout the five
county college district.
A total of 4,860 classes are being
offered this fall, according to figures
released by the PCC Department of
Research and Planning
Information requests should be
directed to 244 6111
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