December 9, 1987, Portland Observer, Page 3 1
NATIONAL NEWS UPDATE
Revlon's Hairstyling Team Wins World Honors Cup in International Competition
This year, the Revlon Professional Products Group sponsored the o ffi
cial team representing the United States at the Festival Mondial de la Coif
fure, held on September 20th and 21st. The Festival is a worldwide com
petition held annually in Cannes, France. The fifty year old hairstyling Olym
pics, organized by the Cercle des Arts es Techniques de la Coiffure Fran
çaise, is a prestigious platform for professional hairstylists from all over the
world to compete individually and in teams.
Revlon's hairstyling team consisted of top Black artists: Dorothy Willis,
team captain, of Windsor, Connecticut; James Harris and Jack Williams of
New York; Tim Gray and Rhon Riley of Washington, D.C. and Cheryl Mar
shall of Chicago, Illinois. These hairdressers were awarded the Universal
Cup with Gold Medal” for high fashion and fantasy styles during the gala
award ceremonies. The American team was also the recipient of the La
Coupe de L'Amitie et de la Fraternité" (Cup of Brotherhood and Friendship).
Important individual awards were given to two of Revlon s talented
American stylists: Jack Williams, the New York stylist and Revlon's educa
tor won the "Grand Prix" for his outstanding high fashion look created on
top New York model Colleen Brown, and Chicago s Cheryl Marshall received
a Lauréat diploma for a style created for New York model Tanya DuShay.
The Revlon team's stellar performance in this exciting contest, which
pitted it against the best sixty hairstylists from thirty countries, is an impres
sive testament to the talents of America's Black stylists.
Since 1982, the winning group has been working very closely with the
innovative and prolific scientific experts at Revlon, whose advanced tech
nology has created hair care and styling products for Black hair, which en
able both men and women to have trouble free versatile hairstyles.
All the models of the American team were wearing the fashions of Ame
rican born Patrick Kelly who has become a highly acclaimed Paris designer.
The fast-paced presentation included James Brown's rousing rendition of
These top New York m odels, w earing clothes by designer Patrick
Kelly, show o ff the high fashion and fantasy hairstyles created by
the a w a rd-w in n ing U.S. team o f Black artists, sponsored by Revlon
Professional Products Group, at the annual Festival M ondial de la
C o iffure in Cannes, France. W hile on lo cation in Paris to view the
haute co utu re designer c o lle ctio n s, th is p ho to w as taken in fro n t of
the Eiffel Tower.
Highlighting the two day spectactualr in Cannes, was the "Soiree De
Gala" with Alexandre of Paris, with the collaboration of Daniel Frenna,
Director of Fashion, and the new 1988 collections of Parisian designers Yves
Top Black artists, com prising the o ffic ia l U.S. h airstyling team spon-j
sored by Revlon Professional Products Group, w o n the coveted UniJ
versal Cup w ith Gold M edal" at the Annual Festival M ondial de Id
C oiffure co m p e titio n held in Cannes. France. Pictured Top Row (L-R$
James Harris, Rhon Riley and Tim Gray. B o tto m Row (L-R) J a ck
W illiam s. D orothy W illis and Cheryl M arshall.
• T
Saint-Laurent, Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, Chanel, Christian LaCroix;
Emmanuel Ungaro, Givenchy, Hanae Mori, Jean-Louis Scherrer, Lanvin;
and Christian Dior Messieurs.
"Living in America".
Amoco Invests $2.3 Million
in Minority Banks
Amoco Corporation today said its
Amoco Company subsidiary has
purchased certificates of deposit in
1987 totaling $2.3 million from 66
minority-owned banks and savings
and loan associations.
The 66 institutions are in 24
states and the District of Columbia.
Seven are in Chicago. The one-
year certificates range from $25,000
to $75,000.
In 1986 Amoco purchased certi
ficates totaling $2.2 million from 63
minority-owned banks. Amoco be
gan its minority bank deposit pro
gram in 1965 to strengthen institu
tions classified as minority-owned.
According to federal government
criteria, minority-owned banks and
savings and loans are institutions
in which at least 50 percent of the
stock is owned by minorities, or
in which at least 50 percent of the
voting rights are minority control
led.
Total deposits by Amoco into
minority-owned institutions this
year will approach $210 million.
Federal tax deposits placed with
minority banks are estimated to be
$110 million, while deposits into
operating accounts will approach
$100 million.
Meanwhile, loans to transferred
Amoco employees from minority
banks this year will exceed $9 mil
lion, up from $7.7 million in 1986.
In addition, Amoco provides a
representative to the Corporate Ad
visory Group of the National Bank
ers Association, which is the trade
association of minority banks. The
purpose of the group is to promote
the use of minority banks by major
corporations.
NSBA Asks Supreme Court to
Clarify Corporal Punishment
Should the federal courts have
authority to intervene in cases alleg
ing "excessive" corporal punish
ment in the public schools?
The National School Boards
Association is asking the U.S. Su
preme Court to rule on this unre
solved question. It has filed a peti
tion for certiorari seeking a review
| of a recent decision handed down
by the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of
Appeals in the case of Miera v. Gar
cia. In that case, the circuit court
overruled a federal district court and
| said that a New Mexico school dis
trict had violated a student's sub
stantive due process rights under
the U.S. Constitution.
NSBA asserts that it has "no
policy on the subject of corporal
punishment, either endorsing or op
I posing its use. That is because
opinions of school boards across
the country vary on the subject.
NSBA point out, however, that
only nine states and Puerto Rico
prohibit the use of corporal punish
ment in the public schools.
"The question before the federal
courts should not be whether the
use of corporal punishment is good
| or bad," NSBA states. Rather, it
says, the question is whether "ex
cessive" or "unreasonable” use of
corporal punishment involves sub
stantive due process under the U.S.
| Constitution and thereby makes
corporal punishment a federal issue.
The lower courts "need guid
ance” from the Supreme Court as
to "whether an allegation of ex
cessive corporal punishment impli
cates constitutional protections
and, if so, whether the federal
l courts should look to the states to
determine what is reasonable , or
develop their own standards."
Until the high court rules on this
matter, NSBA says, "lower federal
courts will continue their attempts
to solve every perceived w rong."
NSBA asserts that "school dis
cipline is of vital concern to school
boards across the country." But it
opposes giving federal courts
authority over the use of corporal
punishment.
The brief says it is "questionable
that the framers of the Constitution,
devoted as they were to grassroots
control of local matters such as
education, intended to empower
the federal courts to second-guess
the decisions of local school o ffi
cials in every manner of activitiy,
where the action does not raise an
explicit constitutional entitlement
such as free speech or equal pro
tection."
NSBA says that school boards
fear the circuit court's decision, if
upheld, will "seriously undermine
the ability to enforce school rules
and impose disciplinary sanctions in
a reasonable manner, taking into
account local exigencies."
It adds, "If students can make a
federal case' out of every action by
a school official by alleging that
their substantive due process rights
have been violated, that will make
school discipline extremely difficult
to administer."
The case before the court invol
ves an 11 year old girl, who claims
the female prinicipal disciplined her
with a wooden paddle. The student
by-passed the state courts and sued
in federal court charging that the
school district violated her due pro
cess rights under the Constitution
The trial court dismissed the claim.
Jews and Blacks
Exchange Opinions
In his comments on Farrakhan,
A Jewish and a Black newspaper
Mr. Reeves declared that "when the
in Miami have begun an unprece
Black community says it supports
dented journalistic "dialogue" initi
Minister Farrakhan, that does not
ated by the Anti-Defamation Lea
mean it supports what the Jewish
gue of B'nai B'rith.
The news
community regards as his anti-Se
papers - The Miami Jewish Tri
mitism; rather, Blacks admire his
bune and the Miami Times — are
program for economic indepen
publishing each other's opinion co
dence and his call to them to seek
lumns on issues of concernd to
self-sufficiency through self-reli
Blacks and Jews.
ance."
In the first exchange, each news
paper printed the same side-by-side : arte iu.cm ,i;c v Jilt rn t o '
editorials under the overall headline ,il
"Bridging the Communications Gap/or.
Between Blacks and Jews. "
<
In one editorial, entitled "D is
seminate Ideas Without Skirting Is-
sies," Tribune publishers David Ab
ramowitz and Jack H. Levine said
"w hat we hope to accomplish . . . is
to begin an honest, free, fearless
and respectful give and take, where
Beginning on November 22, the
we achieve insight and not incite
Soweto College of Education Choir,
ment . . . We shall air grievances
a famous choral group in South
and express expectations so that we
African and this year's National
may better work together, and, in
Champion in the choral competition
deed, bear each other's burdens."
of the African Teachers' Associa
In his editorial, "Remove the Cli
tion of South Africa, will be in Israel
mate of Distrust Between Us,”
for a series of performances. Con
Times publisher Garth C. Reeves,
ducted by Mr. D. Lefoka and num
Sr., said "there are solid issues
bering 52 singers, the choir will
which need the cooperation of both
tour Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Kib
Blacks and Jews in the mold of the
butzim in northern Israel through
partnership which, as witnessed in
December 3, providing Israeli audi
the early days of the civil rights
ences with an opportunity to enjoy
rights struggle, brought about sub
a program of folksongs, choral
stantial changes which redound to
music and traditional songs from
the betterment of all Americans."
South Africa.
According to Arthur Teitelbaum,
The Choir's visit is another indi
ADL's Southern area director based
cation of Israel's efforts to cement
in Miami, who conceived the idea
ties with the democratic forces
and brought the publishers of the
among the black community of
newspapers together, "the agree
South Africa. Within that context,
ment offers a unique opportunity for
several visits by black groups from
Jews and Blacks to communicate
that country have occurred in re
with each other outside of a crisis
cent months.
Israel's steps to
atmosphere."
There are some
strengthn ties with the black popu
250,000 Jews and approximately
lation of South Africa is a central
330,000 Blacks in Dade County.
element of the policy guidelines
In their first editorials, both news
issued by the Government of Israel
papers cited Black Muslim leader
this year. Among the policies adop
Louis Farrakhan's statements as
ted was the establishment of a fund
one of several issues of contention
that will continue and expand semi
between the Black and Jewish com
nars and special courses for black
munities. The editorial in the Jew
leaders from South Africa.
ish paper, questioning whether "the
During the last two years five
apparent acceptance by many
such programs were held under the
Blacks of Farrakhan's anti-Semitic
sponsorship of the Afro-Asian Insti
fulminations" was among the rea
tute in Tel Aviv, an adjunct of the
sons for the Black-Jewish "rift,"
Israel Labour Federation (Histadrut)
went on to say: " . . • candidly,
for more than 100 participants from
there's a long road to travel before
South Africa. Three new courses
we can say that we are together.
have been planned for 75 partici
There is a gulf yet to be bridged.
pants for the coming year. One of
By voicing opinions in our two
the programs — a seminar for Trade
newspapers, we can serve as cata
Union officials — has already begun
lysts to bring important issues into
this
week.
the open. . . "
Choir From
Soweto
Comes
to Israel
PORTLAND OBSERVER
"The Eyes and Ears of the Community
288-0033
Black TV Preferences
Surveyed
A recent survey that focused on
the prime-time television pre
ferences
of
African-Americans
found that:
• only 9 of the 20 most popular
shows in African-American house
holds were among the most popu
lar with all viewers.
• five prime-time network tele
vision programs (Hunter, Miami
Vice, Crime Story, The Equalizer,
and Knots Landing) may owe their
^ r y ^ i t o at\ijgh:§l^k.vieyyership.
• African-Americarl womeh' aged
18 49 listed their favorite shows as
"The Cosby Show,” "Am en,"
"Family Ties" and "227", while A f
rican-American men in the same
age group selected "The Cosby
Show," "A m en," "Family Ties,"
ana "Monday Night Football."
Researchers also found:
• African-Americans enjoy see
ing Black performers cast in non-
stereotypical roles.
• that sexual expression on TV is
fine as long as it is done in a subtle
manner.
• that African-American house
holds enjoy Black actors in action-
packed, law enforcement roles.
• that African-Americans are op
posed to shows that are racist.
• that when music and dance are
part of a program, African-Ameri
cans prefer traditional jazz, gospel,
soul or pop music.
The researchers found that style,
content and dynamics of a program
mattered with African-American
rather than the issue of race.
Shows like Family Ties and Cheers
are popular among African-Ameri
cans because they are virtually free
of negative racist attitude and at
mosphere that pervades many tele-
vision,shows.
p
.
The survey was conducted by
Batten,' Barton, Durstine & Osborn
Special Markets' (BBDO).
Business Survey
Results - In Brief
A first-time survey revealed that
54 percent of Black business owners
operate out of their homes. The
survey also showed that 56 percent
of women business owners are
based at home. Over 339,000 Black
businesses were used in the survey
funded by the Commerce Depart
ment's Minority Business Develop
ment Agency and the Small Busi
ness Administration.
Blacks Reduce Educational
Gap
The gap between the proportions
of Blacks and Whites completing
high school narrowed substantially
since 1940, according to a report by
the Commerce Department's Cen
sus Bureau.
About 81 percent of Blacks and
87 percent of Whites aged 25 to 29
were high school graduates in 1985.
The proportions in 1940, when the
bureau began gathering such stati
stics, were 12 percent for Blacks
and 41 percent for Whites.
For the population aged 25 and
over in 1940, the proportion of
White high school graduates was
3.4 times greater than for Blacks, 26
percent compared with 7 percent.
The ratio in 1985 was 1.3, with 76
percent for Whites and 60 percent
for Blacks.
The report notes that in 1940,
Whites were four times as likely as
Blacks to have completed college
compared with twice as likely in
1985. The proportions were 5 per
cent for Whites and 1 percent for
Blacks in 1940 compared with 20
percent and 11 percent in 1985.
As in all surveys, the data in this
report are subject to sampling var
iability and response errors.
Copies of "Educational Attain
ment in the United States: March
1982 to 1985," Series P-20, No. 415,
are available from the Superinten
dent of Documents, U.S. Govern
ment Printing Office, Washington,
D .C .20402.
The charts show percentages of
Blacks and Whites completing high
school from 1940 to 1985
Chart 1. Precentage of Black
and W hite persons w ho have
com pleted high school: 1940 to
1985 (persons 25 to 29 years old)
Chart 2. Percentage of Black
and W hite persons w h o have
com pleted high school: 1940 to
1985 (persons 25 years old and
over)