January 21, 1987, Portland Observer, Page 3
Human Relations Specialist Says
Racial Intolerance on Increase—
route home from work Two white men were convicted of Reed's
death A witness of the murder testified in court that the two defen
dents wanted to "break in" the blade of a new hunting knife with the
blood of a nigger
• Ramiro Lojiez was gunned d o w n in C e da rto w n. GA, by an unemploy
ed white construction worker in 198) His attacker allegedly told the
Mexican immigrant, "You're the reason I don't have a job."
• M ich ae l Donald, a 19 year o ld Black y o u th , w as killed by tw o Ku Klux
K lansm en in M o b il, Alabam a, in 1981
A fte r killin g D onald, the y le ft
his b o d y hangnrng fro m a tree O ne o f the de fe n d a n ts in vo lve d in the
m u rd e r te s tifie d th a t D o na ld w as a b d u cte d at random and killed be
cause he w as Black, to "s h o w Kian stre n g th in A labam a
B o th de
fe n d a n ts w ere fo u n d g u ilty o f m urd er, o n e received a sen tence o f life
in prison, the o th e r received a death sentence
• V in ce n t Chin a D e tro it m an o f C hinese descent, was beaten to de ath
w ith a baseball bat in 1982 by tw o u n e m p lo ye d w h ite a u to w o rk e rs
w h o th o u g h t he w as Japanese The tw o m en blam ed Jap an fo r pro
blem s in A m erican au to in d u stry The Chin s case dre w na tio n a l a tte n
tio n after the m en responsible for this de ath w e re c o n v ic te d in a state
c o u rt but sentences on ly to p ro b a tio n
The sentences w e re de n o u n
co d by Chinese co m m u n itie s and civil rig h ts g ro u p s Later, one o f the
m en w as c o n v ic te d in federal co u rt o f vio la tin g C h in' civil rig h ts But
a federal appeals c o u rt ove rtu rn e d the c o n v ic tio n last S eptem ber
G eorge H endrix, the n e w ly elected president o f the P o rtla n d B ran ch o f
the N a tion al A sso cia tio n tor the A dva n ce m e n t o f C olored People (N A A C P I.
also fa u lts th e Reagan a d m in istra tio n for the rise in racial ten sion and vio
lence that is o c c u rrin g across the na tion
H endrix said in .i recent in te rv ie w w ith the P ortland O bserver th a t "the
Justir e D e p a rtm e n t has been d o in g thin gs to create a clim a te in w h ich
racial in to le ra n c e can o ccu r
He said w h a t ha pp en ed in H o w a rd Beach
Dr
D apo S o b o m e h in -' Racial intolerance and violence is on the increase,"
P h o to b y R ic h a rd J B r o w n
by Je rry Garner
The recent racial a tta ck upon three Black m en tn H o w a rd Beach N ew
York, try a gang of w h ite youths, tha t resulted in the death o f one o f the
m en, is an exam ple o f the rise o f racial violence th a t is o c c u rrin g across the
c o u n try says Dr D apo S bo m eh in, a hum an relatio ns specialist w ith the
M e tro p p o lita n H um an R elations C om m ission.
In m y o p in io n , fro m m y
o b se rva tio n and fro m th e cases tha t co m e to m y desk as a h u m ,in relations
specialist, I w o u ld say racial in to le rance and vio len ce is on the increase
said Dr S o b om e hin
He a ttrib u te s som e o f the increase on the w o rd s and a c tio n * o f public-
o ffic ia ls
" I t s ta rts at th e to p w h e n A tto rn e y G eneral Ed M eese o p e n ly
fig h ts against a ffirm a tiv e a c tio n W h ile o p p o s itio n to a ffirm a tiv e a ctio n ta n
be p o rtra ye d as an e ffo rt to create a color b lind society, w h en translated
in to the reality o f a race co n scio u s w o rld , it co n ve ys an a ttitu d e that the
cu rre n t pro blem s o f m in o ritie s to act tho se ho stilitie s o u t Espei tally w h e n
the social and e co n o m ic policies o f the g o ve rn m e n t are placin g m ore and
m ore o f th e m in o rity p o p u la tio n in to e co n o m ic h a rdsh ip As alw ays w h e n
the g o in g ge ts to u g h , as a scap eg oa t is so u g h t, and for m an y th e ta rg e ts
are tho se m in o ritie s w h o , w ith a ffirm a tiv e actio n, are ta kin g scarce |obs,
said Dr S o b o m e h in
Dr. S o b o m e h in said even those w ith scarce jobsr appear fn teke th is
in se n sitivity and the n h o s tility to heart
"A lth o u g h no one r an say w h at
exa ctly m o tiva te s th e m , I have received tw o re p o rts re ce n tly of s ch o o l tea
chers a c tin g aggressively against A fric a n A m erican stu d e n ts O ne student
was strapp ed to the b la ckb o a rd and another w as slapped in the far e
F urthe rm o re, he said the atm osp he re created d u rin g the last six years of
the Reagan a d m in is tra tio n give no am ple cause to p o n d e r on w h a t is tie
r o m in g o f th is society and the strides w e have m ade in civil rig h ts and im
(Moved h u m an relatio ns
Dr S o b o m e h in said the u ltim a te q u e stio n is w h e re do w e go fro m here?
Do w e take p u rp o s e fu l a ctio n to reverse th is da n g e ro u s trend , or do w e sit
back and observe, w a itin g u n til th e situ a tio n w o rsen s, ro ts and <!••< ays in to
w id e spread violence?
Does h isto ry indeed have to repeat its e lf’
Dr S o b o m e h in said he is e xtre m e ly co n ce rn e d ab ou t the A tm an
A m ericans in this society "F o r the past 300 years they have not yet tasted
the fu ll blessing o f th is s o c ie ty .'th e land o f the free ' W h e n if ever do they
be com e fre e ? "
D espite denials by th e U S J u s tic e D e pa rtm e nt C ivil R ights D ivision
violent e spa w n ed b ig o try and p re ju dice is not disap pea rin g in th e Uniter)
S tates Last S ep te m b e r, the N ational In s titu te A ga in st Pre|udir e and V,o
lent e to ld a g a th e rin g o f law e n fo rce m e n t, h u m an rig h ts and c o m m u n ity
leaders at a co n fe re n ce in C rystal C ity VA that "a c ts o f ra< ism on ttie in
crease, m ay in fat t be m ore viru len t and d e stru ctive than on ce th o u g h t
The In s titu te based in B altim ore, w as e sta tilish e d in 1983 and re< eives
fu n d in g fro m the state o f M a ryland
The o rg a n iza tio n has been s tu d yin g
racial and religiou s vio le n ce across the na tio n C o n tra ry to po pu lar belief
in cid e n t o f racial and e th n ic vio len ce results in far m ore physical and em o
tion al harm tha n th e p u b lic assum es A p ilo t stu d y by the In s titu te fo u n d
that one 'o u rth o f the a< is o f in tim id a tio n based on race or ethnir o rigin s
are p h ysica l assaults against in dividu als Here are exam ples o f such physi
cal assaults w h ic h are o c c u rrin g n a tio n w id e
• S tanley H Reed, a Blai k secu rity guard, w h o was m arried and the
fa ttie r o f a sm all ch ild , w as sta b b e d to death tiy a w h ite m an in Port
land, O regon, as he rode his bike along N o rth ea st U n ion A ve n u e in
w .is an e x a m p le o f the rai tai ten sion that
th ro u g h o u t the co u n try
lurks |u * t b e lo w the surface
Vbu've come
a long way, baby.
VIRGINIA
SLIMS
VIRGINIA
s| IMS
g
Menthol and
Lights Menthol
Tips For E xp ectan t Parents
Prepared Childbirth Association will offer a one night program of tips for
expectant parents on Thursday, January 27, 1987, from 7:00 to 9:00 p m.
in Conference Room 3 of St. Vincent Hospital, 9205 S W Barnes Road,
Portland
Topics include newborn care, purchasing practical clothing,
equipping a nursery on a budget, and choosing a doctor for your family
The instructor is Glenda Peterson, R N , a former public health nurse Cost
is $5 00 per family, and preregistration is required Call PCA at 245 3196 by
January 23rd to enroll
S top — Look — Read
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The N ew Partnership in M en ta l H ealth: Fam ilies, P rofessionals and the
Patient is a w o rk s h o p sponsored by D elaunay M e n ta l H ealth C enter on
February 12. 13, 1987 The first day is a survival skills w o rk s h o p fo r fam ilies
F
in w h ic h cu rre n t u n d e rta n d m g s o f schizop hren ia and its tre a tm e n t are pre
sented P rofessionals w ill a tte n d b o th days for a w o rk s h o p o f p sych o e d u
catio na l a p pro ache s to w o rk in g w ith fam ilies The w o rk s h o p leader is Jan
Larson, M S W , D irector, Fam ily E du catio n and S u p p o rt Program , th e M en
Ì
ninger F o u n d a tio n , Topeka. Kansas For re g istra tio n in fo rm a tio n , call De
launay M e n ta l H ealth C enter, 285 9871
Delaunay is pleased to o ffe r this
w o rk s h o p d u rin g its 25th year o f serving the c o m m u n ity
V e te ra n s B enefits & C oncerns
David Collier and representatives from a variety of Veteran orgamza
Hons will be available to hear your concerns and questions at a meeting to
tie held Wednesday, February 4, from 7 until 9 00 p m. at Sunnyside Com
munity School. 3421 S E Salmon
R efreshm ents w ill be p ro vid ed
M ale and fem ale vets are w e lc o m e
m ore in fo rm a tio n , c o n ta c t B ob M orris, 280 6228
For
S U R G E O N G E N E R A L 'S W A R N IN G : S m o k in g
By P r e g n a n t W o m e n M a y R e s u lt in F e ta l
Injury, P re m a tu re B irth . A nd Low B irth W e ig h t.
Menthol 14m j l it 0 9 mg nicotine lights Menthol 8 mg
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