P a g e 1 0 , P o r t la n d O b s e r v e r , F e b r u a r y 18, 1 9 8 7
OPEN LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY
Where Were They, The So-Called Leaders?
Does anybody remeber Kent Ford? Is there anybody in this community
who remembers those lonely activist years Kent inherited and met the chal­
lenge as guardian of basic human and civil rights? Does anybody know
what Ron Herndon, Herb Cawthorne, Margaret Carter, Ollie Smith and
Albert (Skip) Collier were doing when Kent Ford was going to jail for the
very programs and offices they now hold?
If you, the people of this community, don't know what Herb, Ron, Mar
garet. Ollie and Albert were doing during those years, then it is understand
able as to how anyone can claim responsibility for leadership over you and
this community, for you are not informed
Are you aware that Harold Williams should have been your candidate
for office for State Representative for District 18 and not Margaret Carter?
Mr Williams was tricked into a jury rigged contest and blugeoned to death
by what is now known as the Black Leadership Conference who had influ
ences on the media The Black Leadership Conference had chosen Repre
sentative Carter as their choice before the meeting began
Harold was
clearly the front runner and the community's choice Mr Williams agree
mg to participate in the candidate choosing witti the Black Leadership Con
ference was his fatal mistake that doomed his candidacy Mr Williams had
no access to the press The Black Leadership Conference simply painted
him as sour grapes and a sore looser when, in fact, he had won I will bet
that you, the community, did not know that Well it is too late for Mr Wil
liarns We are sorry We did not know
Kent Ford knew, of course Kent Ford always knows He is informed
about the irresponsible acts of the so called Black leadership
Did you know that Herb. Ron. Rep Carter and George Hendrix met with
the Willamette Weekly lor an interview to discuss their views as supposed
leaders of our community and disallowed the involvement of the African
American press? Nor did they attempt to share a prospective with the press
in the very community they propose to represent Kent Ford knows Of
course. Kent Ford always knows He is informed about the irresponsible
acts of the so called Black leaders But we, the community, are all sorry
that happened W e |ust did not know
Did you know that Ron Herndon inherited all of the fruits of Kent Ford s
labor ? Of course, when Kent was laboring, the fruit was on Union Avenue
for evidence I have no idea where Ron stores his fruit
Did you know that Kent was indicted, picked up and locked up the same
morning that Ron proclaimed himself our community leader?
Did you know that just recently, Rev Jessie Jackson was brought to
town by the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon? Did you know that the com
munity endorsed and voted for Governor Goldschmidt. Multnomah County
Chau Gladys McCoy and City Councilman Bob Koch, while the Black Lead
ership Conference endorsed and recommended it's own agenda? Kent
noticed
Did you know that none of our self appointed leadership represents busi
ness interests of our community? You should ask why ft has been my
understanding of our system that when a community has operating bust
nesses owned by and invested in by community members employing and
training community people, it no longer needs lip service from self appoint
ed leadership that can be paid to be vocal or to shut up
The day has come where we in this community can no longer stand on
the outside of reality and proclaim innocence on the grounds of ignorance
' I did not know will not work for us anymore* We. as a community, must
become accountable and ies[>onstble for our own development as a com
munity
The community is allowing the present state of disarray perpe
tuated by individual community members posing as leaders without respon
sibility or accountability
We live in a free enterprise system where others are allowed to capitalize
on one's weaknesses I submit to you that we are all born wrth enough
weaknesses to last a lifetime; therefore, we do not need any manufactured
weaknesses in the form of front leaders strategically placed to misinform or
not inform us in our media
A Native Oregonian
Joyce L Brown
Qiiotfis From Ray Hanson On Northeast Politics__________________
W ho runs the Steering C om m ittee?
"The N E Housing and Community Development IHCD) Steering Com
mittee is illegitimate It is a political farce Ron Herndon and the Mayor
have stacked the deck Charles Bedford, Chairman of the committee, is a
puppet on a string The Mayor holds one end of the string and Ron Hern
don holds the other end When (he Mayor and Herndon pull the string,
Bedford jumps Bedford don't ask how high, he just jumps Herndon votes
to give CDC the money The Mayor says. Why not?' Commissioner Bogle
sits on the sidelines and laughs The big question is. 'Will Commissioner
Koch enjoy Bogle's sense of humor?’ These are federal funds to fix up poor
IHCD) neighbor hoods Koch lives in an HCD neighborhood Bogle and
Herndon do not Will Bob Koch allow these funds to be wasted on a politi
cal pork barrel?"
W hich man do you tru»t?
'Ron Herndon does not represent one square inch of Portland He was
never elected by anybody He don't represent Blacks He don't represent
whites He don't represent Northeast Portland He only represents a hand
ful of agencies and a small click of people He sure don't represent my
neighborhood There is only one agency that represents my neighborhood,
and that is the Sabin Community Association My president is James Hall,
not Ron Herndon. James Hall was elected by the people Ron Herndon
was selected by the Mayor Which man do you trust?"
Herndon a million dollars? This is nothing but a political slush fund Hern
don says the people of Northeast Portland voted to give it to him That is a
lie The King Center Committee was a stacked deck Most people in North
east Portland don't even know what is going on ."
S ho w do w n at Sabin
"Sabin has been a divided community for years Fifteenth Street is like
a railroad track It separates rich from poor Black from white It is like an
iron curtain or the Great Wall of China Even the federal government uses
Fifteenth Street to draw the line on poverty If you live east of Fifteenth,
you are OK If you live west of Fifteenth, you are condemned to dispair
You may be eligible for poverty funds, but what you get is poverty pimps
Instead of getting ripjxrd off once, you get ripped off twice
The last time
Blacks rose up in anger, Mayor Clark said divide the neighborhood This
time the people, Black and white, are saying No*' W e want Sabin to be
one neightxrrhood with united leadership and no political corruption We
don't need apartheid in Portland Come to Sabin School February 23 and
vote for justice
N um ber one am bulance chaser
"Ambulance chasers are attracted by problems and money Ttiey show
up at the scene of an incident and holler until they get paid off Can't any
one find Ron Herndon a legitimate job? Can't we elect him to office and
send him to Washington? I wish Ron would cry wolf for the last time pi< k
up the money and leave town "
Beech Street Bonanza
The problem at Beech Street is not what to do. but wtio is going to do
it Mayor Clark. Commissioner Bogle and Commission«'! Strachan picked
Ron Herndon for the |ob Sabin Community Association was not consul
ted Our old president was a friend of Commissioner Stiai han That's why
the old Sabin board rubber stamped Herndon and CDC Herndon was paid
off for campaigning for Margaret Strachan in the last election But this is
a new ball game now James Hall is Sabin's new President Bob Koch
is our new commissioner We have minority contractors who can build
the houses We don't need Pacific Rim and we sure don't need Ron Hern
don's political machine
M illio n Dollar M an
"W hy does Mayor Clark and Commissioner Bogle want to give Ron
Right w in g, left w ing and rudder
Did you know that James Hall, Dick Bogle Bob Ko< h and Ray Hanson
are all members of Maranatha Church? Maranatha is a community church,
with a vision of justice and peace for all people We believe in both faith
and works As the Bible says, Faith without works is dead." Maranatha
Church, therefore, is like a dove of peace with two wings One wing is
called "faith' and the other wing is called "works" It takes both wings to
fly Bogle is the right wing of faith Koch is the left wing of works James
Hall is the rudder of righteousness that keeps the ship going straight."
N eighborhood M o tto
It you like Portland, you will love Sabin."
"Care for your community and your community will care for you "
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