t I
PORTLAND OBSERNER
Volum e XVII, Number 22
A pril 8, 1987
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B U F Sponsors March Against Racism______
by Je rry Garner
A m ixe d c ro w d o f B lacks and w h ile s y o u n g and o ld p .irtu ip a te d in an
a n ti racism m a rch spo nso red by th e P o rtla n d Chapter o f the Black U n ite d
F ront The m a rch w as held to « till a tte n tio n to the resu rge nce o , racist vio
lence th a t is o c c u rrin g in O regon and th ro u g h o u t th»» U n ite d S tates, and as
a tim e to c o m m e n o ra te th e de ath o f the late Dr M a rtin Lu ther K ing Jr
The civ il rig h ts leader w a s slam A p ril 4 1968 in M e m p h is Term as he
s to o d on a m o te l ba lco ny w ith frien ds Dr K in g h a d i om e to M e m p h is on
b e h a lf o f s trik in g s a n ita tio n w o rk e rs
The w o rk e rs w e r e p ro te s tin g the
c ity s un fair tw o tier w age system w h ic h pant w h ite s a n ita tio n w o rke rs
m ore tha n Black w o rke rs
The m arch began at th e K in g N e ig h b o rh o o d F.n ility a n d ended at A lb e rta
Park As the m arch ers tra ve le d th ro u g h th e s tr e e ts o f no rth e a st P o rtla n d
m arch ers c h a n te d a variety o f slogans in c lu d in g
D o w n W ith Reagan
D o w n W ith Racism
S o u th A tm a M ust Be Free
and D o w n W ith The1
Kian
W h e n the m arch ers passed the W a ln u t Park A d u lt Theater they
s to p p e d and c h a n te d "C lo s e It D o w n Close It D o w n
C o m m u n ity o rg a n iz a tio n s , in c lu d in g the Hla< k U n ite d F ront have b e e n
try in g fo r years to get c ity o ffic ia ls to close d o w n th e x rater) m o v ie h o u s e
They said the th e a te r's presence in the n e ig h b o rh o o d i o n tn b u te s to the
p ro s titu tio n and crim e p ro b le m in th e area th e re fo re , re d u i m g the liv a b ility
o f the area A lth o u g h a S u p rem e C o urt ruling has g iv e n i ity • flu ials broad
p o w e rs to rem o ve x rated m o vie houses fro m re sid e n tia l a n d com m e rcia l
areas. M ayo r B u d Clark and th e P ortla nd C ity C ount il h a v e n 't .in n o u n t ed
any plan to use th e high c o u rt's de cisio n to eradn ate th e m and p l.n e the m
in re stricte d areas.
I
A fte r th e parade, m arch ers gathere d under the ram shelter at A llie d ,,
Park to hear several speakers, in c lu d in g the Rev J o in Jai kson pastor of
M r O livet B ap tist C h urch and co hairm an of the P o rtla n d Chapter of the
B lack U n ite d Front, P o rtla n d C ity C om m issioner Dick B ogle Georg»' Hen
dn x, pre sid ent o f the P o rtla n d B ranch o , the N a tion al A ssm i.itio n for the
A d va n ce m e n t o f C olored People, and the Rev Colin Jo n e s an A n g le .in
priest fro m S o u th A frica w h o is serving as in te rim pa stor at S o u th m in s te r
Presbyterian C h u rch
y
4L
s.
C o m m issio ne r B ogle to ld th e c ro w d tha t racial v io le n ce w h ic h th e y have
been w itn e s s in g on th e TV. h e aring on the radio in ri r p , id in i| ab ou t in th e
new spapers and m agazines can o ccu r in P o rtla n d arid th ro u g h o u t O regon
"T h e increase in racial v io le n ce sh o w s h o w tru ly d iffic u lt it is to cha ng e
the hearts o f pe op le Each v io le n t act gives rise to th»' sam e type o f poison
mg W h e n w ill it end? A re these in c id e n ts g ro w in g in num bers? A re they
related to one another? A re th e y part o f a pa tte rn? No lo ng er i an w e p o in t
(ust to th e S o u th for exa m ples o f racist vio le n ce
H o w a rd Beach, N ew
Y ork, is fresh in o u r m inds.
H e nd rix to ld the m ixed c ro w d th a t the N A A C P w a s b o rn o f vio len ce
He said, 'W e are here to d a y because of the v io le n ce th e N A A C P has
w a tc h e d ; th e in crea sing p ro b le m o f racism tha t is o c c u rrin g across this
c o u n try W e m ust do w h a t w e have to do, th a t is, to stan d to g e th e r shoul
der to sho ulder. Black and w h ite . C atholics, J e w s and P ro te sta n ts, to speak
o u t against the vio len ce o f ph sycia l being as w ell as th a t o f the spiritua l
one
H e nd rix said our y o u n g pe op le m ust have hope th a t the fu tu re w ill be
a place w h e re e v e ryb o d y can en)oy lib e rty and fre e d o m
H e rnd on said d e spite sta te m e n ts by som e w h o say th a t racism is on the
decrease, racism co n tin u e s to be a p ro blem in society He m e n tio n e d the
rece nt in c id e n t in P ortla nd in w h ic h a Black m an died as a result o f head
in|unes he received a fte r a P o rtla n d Police o ffic e r pushed h im to the pave
m e n t d u rin g an arrest, and th e 1985 s ta b b in g death o f a n o th e r Black m an,
S tan ley Reed Reed w as sta b b e d to death by a w h ite m an as he rod»' his
bicycle alon g U n io n A ve e n ro u te ho m e fro m w o rk
J a n a e ln M it c h e ll S h u k u r a M it c h e ll a n d C h a u n te ll L a w r e n c e le a d th e
B I. i i k U n ite d F ro n t s
M a r c ii A g a in s t R a c is t V io le n c e
d a y A p r il 4 th
h e ld S a tu r
P h o to b y R ic h a rd J B r o w n
T estim on y fro m th e trial revealed tha t Heed w as killed t>e< ause the m an
It s h o u ld n t s u rp ris e m yo n e th a t d u rin g th is sam e period, w h e n it i arne
and his co m p a n io n w a n te d to break in the blade o f a new krufe w ith the
b lo o d o , <i Black person
tu n e to a tte n d a lo u r ye n s ta te i o lle g e in O re g o n o n ly 18 A fm an A m erican
H e rnd on said racism can be seen in th e high rat»' of joblessness am ong
A fric a n A m erican a d u lts and y o u th in P ortland He said the u n e m p lo ym e n t
rate for Black ad u lts in P ortla nd is around 30 p e rce n t
60 pen ent o f all
Black y o u th are un e m p lo ye d H e rnd on said the in fa n t m o rta lity rate am o ng
B lacks is tw ic e the rate of w h ite s
The co chair o f the Black U n ite d Front also v e n te d his < ritir ism o f the
state e d u ca tio n system
W h e n you look at the scho ols in our co m m u n ity
you w ill see ttia t m ost o f these kids can hardly re . id their nam es in tx jx < m l
le tte rs
T w o year a g o the average Black sen io r g ra d u a tin g fro m th e s e
scho ols had an average grade p o in t average o f 1 85
s tu d e n ts trn n
It'» ,« '
tim e
in O re g o n
H e rn d o n s a id
Si b o o ls e n ro lle d in to a fo u r year s ta te c o l
H e rn d o n sa id d u rin g ttie same pe rio d of
6 0 0 p e o p le g ra d u a te d fr o m s ta te o f O re g o n sch o o ls in E ngineering
O f th is g ro u p
ates
P o r ,lam ) P u b lii
o n ly tw o w e re BI. ii k
n o n e w e re A fro an A m e ric a n s
O u t o f 300 c o m p u te r science g ra di,
H o w in th e w o rld are p e op le g o in g
to s u rv iv e in th is tei h n e lo g ii al a g e w h e n y o u h a v e tw o people g ra d u a tin g
in f n g in e e rm g a n d n o n e n C o m p u te r S i le n i e-*
He s a id it w a s th e re s p o n
•ability id ea h o f us to n ik e su re th a t all c h ild re n th ro u g h o u t th® s ta te o f
O re g o n g e , an equal e d ili a ,io n
G o v N e ll ( io ld s i t im id i a n d D is im i 18 H e p
p a rt in th e M a n h A g a in s t R a cism
M a rg a re t Carter also took
_________Goldschmidt to Act On Minority Concerns________
R ecently, th e O bserver requested fro m th e o ffic e o f th e G overnc
o f a c tio n fo r ad dre ssing the rising elem e nts o f racism , u n e m p lo y m e n t and
o ttie r c o n ce rn s o f m in o ritie s in O regon
The fo llo w in g is the G o ve rn o r's
response
w orking to deal w ith young offenders
A youth retention pro
gram to reverse the school dropout trend is a major p riority in
my budget, and is being approved by the Legislature
Last year's cam paign was dom inated by talk about change
ness c o n tra c to rs is w ell kn o w n
As S ecretary of T ra n sp o rta
tio n , I in itia te d th»' best and to u g h e st such p ro g ra m in th e Fed
eral g o ve rn m e n t
W ords flew back and forth
But the votes are counted, and
it is tim e to shift from rhetoric to action
I w a n t to im p ro ve our p ro g ra m n o w in Ore
gon
M y task force on a ffirm a tiv e a ctio n is c o m p le tin g its study
In our first 90 days we have begun the process of change
of re fo cu sin g that o ffic e , aw ay fro m n u m b e rs c o u n tin g and
Expectations are high, and I am only one of m any who w ants
to move faster
to w a rd a strong voice for the m in o rity c o m m u n ity .
We are beginning to make the m inority appointm ents we
In conversations w ith the Black Leadership Conference and
promised in the cam paign, both to state executive offices and
others, I have pledged again my com m itm ent to making state
to boards and com m issions. Our o ffice is consulting m inority
governm ent a more active partner in the fig h t against racial
organizations and fias talked w ith each
discrim ination and for econom ic progress in m in o rity com m u
m in o rity member of
the Legislature, to solicite Isicl nom inations.
nities.
Our goal is to create w ork
M y c o m m itm e n t to p ro g ra m s fo r m in o rity and w o m e n bust
Major state appointm ents to positions especially sensitive
W e w ill use the Job Training
to the m inority com m u n ity w ill be made w ith advice from
m inority leaders.
Partnership A ct as a tool to provide access to the w orkplace
for disadvantaged workers, and for w om en, particularly single
parent w om en. As M ayor of Portland, I insisted on such a pro
gram when the c ity helped W acher Chemical locate a plant in
Portland. I w ill insist that similar agreements take place when
the state invests in a major way in new plant sitings.
I hope Portlanders w ill join me in supporting a school safety
W e w ill be m oving faster w ith the Port o f Portland, where I
have just appointed a new presiding officer.
N e il G o ld s c h m id t ta lk s w ith n e w s p e o p le fo llo w in g his m e e tin g w ith
th e B lac k L e a d e rs h ip C o n fe re n c e S te e rin g C o m m itte e last w e e k at
M t O liv e t B a p tish C h u rc h
P h o to by R ich ard J B ro w n
I w ill work for
more jobs for m in o rity w orkers at the Port
net proposal on the May ballot. A ltho u gh Portland has a mo
dern school tax base, we should all rem em ber lost school days
in the past because we lacked such a base.
One of my major priorities is corrections, shifting the empha
sis to treatm ent program s for drug and alcohol problem s, and
4
These a re actions, not w ords
Programs are already m oving
as we w ind up the first 90 days o f this adm inistration.
I am
not satisfied w ith the pace, but I am satisfied w ith the d ire c­
tion. The election was all about change, and change is under
way in Salem.
Estacada and
Forest Grove should be the last schools in Oregon to close be
cause of failure o f a voter approved levy.
«
And I expect to sign a bill divesting state funds from South
Africa,
11 D ays U n til E aster S u n d a y