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Technology and
Black Inventors
Joe Holcomb:
The Other Story
HAPPY NEW YEAR
From the Observer Staff
Page 8
Page 7
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December 30, 1987
"The Eyes and Ears of the Community"
Volume XVIII, Number 7
Threat Received
Editor's Note:
by Nyewusi Askari
It took courage for City Commissioner Dick Bogle to publicly denounce the rising tide of
racism in O re gon / Recent incidents - threats, intimidation, and harassment in Roseburg; state
ments with racial overtones by a member of the Oregon Legislature; the growing racial tensions in
Portland Public Schools
clearly points out the ugly face of racism which prevails throughout
the State Bogle's statements focus not only on the problem, but on possible solutions, as well.
His statement to The P ortland O bserver, that Oregonians must acknowledge that racism
exists throughout the state before a plan for corrective action is undertaken, is sound. His call for
a series of open discussions in communities and neighborhoods throughout Oregon is proper. H.s
call for moderation and understanding is correct.
■ ff *
i *
Commissioner Bogle deserves plaudits for his leadership role and heroic efforts as an elected
official in denouncing state wide racism.
It would be extremely encouraging to see his efforts bolstered by other elected officials
throughout Oregon.
Bogle Calls For State-Wide Campaign
to Combat Racism and Bigotry
by Leon Harris
Calling racism in Oregon a tick
ing time bomb waiting to explode,"
City Commissioner Dick Bogle to
day called on all 348 Oregon school
boards and the members of the Ore
gon Legislature to help focus public
attention on the November 27th
Roseburg incident "to ensure it will
not happen next month, or a year
from now in your own back yard.
The Commissioner's statement
was issued as a result of the racism
leveled at Benson Tech football
players and fans during the game
played in Roseburg on Novem
ber 27th. Portlanders attending the
game claimed they were subiected
to threats and harassment, spit
upon and intimidated by Roseburg
High School supporters.
The Roseburg incident led Mr.
Jerry Bushman, father of Benson
Tech quarterback Joe Bushman, to
call Roseburg "the most hostile
place I have ever seen." Mr. Bush
man, who is white, added, "I felt
uneasy about getting out of there."
Calling the action shameful,
Bogle added that "the vast majority
Commissioner Bogle stated that
the school boards and State Legi
slature can help by hosting public
forums within their districts, dis
cussing what happened in Rose
burg, asking people to examine their
own attitudes and those of theii
neighbors. "Take a hard look at
local activity, if any, by neo-Nazi or
other organized hate groups. Like
it or not, they are on the rise in
the Pacific Northwest."
The Commissioner also revealed
that he had offered to speak at an
assembly at Roseburg Senior High
School. Bogle states that he firmly
believes there is a lot to be gained
from his appearance, especially in
light of the decision by the Portland
Public Schools to cancel all athletic
competition with Roseburg Senior
High School.
of Oregonians will not tolerate racist
violence or the threat thereof. We
cannot hide from racism by pretend
ing it doesn’t exist. The people who
exposed the hatred in their hearts at
the football game in Roseburg need
to know that their behavior was
shameful."
The offer, extended to Mr. Steve
Iverson, Principal, Roseburg Senior
High School, is tentatively sche
duled for Monday, January 18th,
the official observance of Martin
Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, but has
yet to be confirmed.
1987 Remembered
by Nyewusi Askari
For Portland's Black community,
1987 began with a bang. Back in
early January, Gladys McCoy was
sworn in as Chair of Multnomah
County by Oregon's first African
American female Circuit Court Jud
ge, Mercedes F. Diez. The position
was created by voters in a 1984
Charter change that eliminated the
position of County Executive. Mc
Coy is believed to be the first Black
woman in the United States to hold
such a position.
The political jubilation of Ms. Mc
Coy's victory was short-lived when
it was announced that The Black
Leadership Conference had charged
Governor Neil Goldschmidt of ignor
ing them and not honoring the pro
mises he made to the organization
during the campaign. At a meeting
held at Vancouver Avenue Baptist
Church, Ron Herndon, co-chair of
The Black Leadership Conference,
said the group was disappointed at
the lack of respect show by Gold
schmidt. "Goldschmidt made com
mitments to us in March. He pro
mised to consult with us in regards
to making appointments and de
cisions which would affect the
Black community," Mr. Herndon
explained.
It was also revealed
that the Leadership Conference had
made several attempts to contact
• Kathleen Saadat, Affirmative
Goldschmidt without success.
Action Officer, State of Oregon;
Goldschmidt responded to the
• Mr. Bill Hunter, Director of Em
criticism by denying making any
ployment Security, State of Ore
campaign commitments. "I don't
gon;
think they have been treated any
• Ron Herndon, Oregon State
differently from anybody else. If it
Apprenticeship Training Council;
isn't good enough, I apologize. It s
• Paul Cook, Public Utilities
no attempt on our part to hide,
Commission;
Goldscmidt said.
• Ray Ramsey, Port of Portland;
However, the Governor s smooth
• Roosevelt Robinson, Oregon
approach fell apart when Mr. Hern
State
Parole Board.
don responded that Goldschmidt
Currently, Oregon has two Black
was playing games, and had ex
state Senators: Jim Hill, D-Salem,
cluded critical issues facing Black
and Bill McCoy, D-Portland; and
Oregonians in his "Oregon Come
one State Representative, Margaret
back Plan."
Carter, D-Portland. Representative
Angered,
Goldschmidt
said,
Carter is the first Black woman in
"Someone ought to squash Ron
Oregon to be elected to the posi
Herndon.”
tion.
In response, Black Oregonians
Although it's impossible to list all
demanded that the Governor apolo
the accomplishments and appoint
gize, saying the statement was both
ments of Black Oregonians during
degrading and inflamatory.
1987, here are some highlights:
After points and counterpoints
• January 1987 — Five new
from both sides, the Governor met
NAACP officers are sworn in office
with members of Portland s Black
by African American Judge Belton
community and later announced his
Hamilton at Vancouver Avenue
commitment to work closely with
Baptist Church;
Black Oregonians.
• Allen Temple C.M.E. Church
After a shaky start, Black Ore
celebrates its 38th anniversary;
gonians began to see some signs of
• First A.M E. Zion Church cele
progress. Some key appointments
brates its 125th anniversary;
were:
• The Second Annual King Day
• Freddye Webb Pettet, Execu
Celebration
is held Jan. 18, at the
tive Director of Adult and Family
Red Lion Inn (Jantzen Beach);
Services, State of Oregon;
On Tuesday, December 29, 1987,
„ approximately 9:45 a.m., I re-
at
ceived a telephone call that caused
me to immediately sit down and
write this article. Unlike the abun-
dance of calls I receive daily, this
one stressed how "the lives of nig-
gers who work for Black news-
papers ain't worth a plug nickel."
It also emphasized that my recent
article "Letter to the Roseburg
Community" places me at the top of
was dead or alive, and knowing that
the nearest hospital was almost 50
miles away, the KKK set up read
blocks in an attempt to prevent any-
one from taking him anywhere he
could receive medical help. Fortu-
nately, relatives solved that problem
by putting Poppa Keys bleeding
body beneath the back seat of a
Model T Ford.
Poppa Hey lived and our family
still owns the land he refused to se
Poppa lley's spirit set a standard
the list.
Obviously, the caller sought to in for our family: a spirit that lives on
still fear in this writer. Fortunately, through me and other mem
bers of my blood family. It’s the
he failed to do so.
Having grown up in the Deep same spirit that cause my mother to
South at a time when violence, hate stand up to southern racists and de
and segregation were the orders of clare her intentions if they "laid a
hand on my chillens." It's the same
the day, it is extremely difficult for
me to welcome fear into my life. spirit that caused my family to
It's unacceptable, inappropriate and march with the Deacons for De
fense, from the town of Bogulusa,
despicable.
In the 1920' ., my great-grand Louisiana, a KKK stronghold, to the
father, Poppa Hey, was shot in the town of Franklinton, Louisiana, in
stomach because he refused to sell protest of the murder of a Black sol
the family’s land. It happened one dier. And it’s the same spirit that
evening while the family was eating causes me to do whatever I can,
supper. A Model T Ford stopped at within my limitations, to help make
the house and three white men this world a place where we all can
stepped out. "Hey! Are you ready live without the threat of racial in
to sell this land?" one of them justice always lurking at our front
asked.
Poppa Hey, sensing that door.
Writing is a personal freedom I
something strange was about to
have
given myself and I refuse to
happen, stepped onto the porch
allow
some obscure, dissatisfied
and in his boldest voice said, "No.
person(s)
take it away with a treat-
I've told you time and time again
ening
telephone
call.
that this land belongs to my family,
Life
goes
on.
and it's gonna stay in the family.'
Footnote: When I went south to
A split second later, one of the
attend
the funeral of my mother in
men produced a shotgun and aimed
1985,
only
one of the three men re
it at Poppa lley's stomach. And
sponsible
for
shooting Poppa Hey
with my mother, her sisters and re
was
still
alive.
One had died of
latives looking on, a sudden blast
stomach
cancer,
another had died
from the pointed shotgun tore
from being kicked in the stomach by
through Poppa lley's stomach.
Within minutes, word about the a plow mule, and the other was
shooting had spread a hundred slowly dying from cancer. I talked
to him. He thought I was Hey.
miles. Not knowing if Poppa Hey
New Law Goes
Into Effect Friday
by Nyewusi Askari
Beginning January 1, 1988, Ore
gon's new Parental Leave Law goes
into effect.
Introduced by the
Governor's Commission on Child
Care and enacted by the 1987 Legi
slature, the new law applies to em
ployers with 25 or more employees.
The law does not include seasonal
or temporary employees hired for a
period of time defined to be less
than six months.
Entitled "Parental Leave: Right to
Leave and Reinstatement" (ORS
659.360 659 370), the law grants a
parent working for a covered em
ployer, and who makes a timely
request, up to 12 weeks unpaid
parental leave. Where both parents
work for covered employers, paren
tal leave is not required to be given
to both parents for the same time.
However, if both covered employers
agree, parents may take concurrent
leaves. The 12 week period shall be
12 consecutive weeks, commencing
with the birth or the taking of odop
tive custody. Each parent is entitled
to one portion of the 12 weeks
where both work for covered em
ployers.
The law, which will affect approx
imately 5,000 businesses or 9% of
the state's employers, is expected
to benefit state workers, as well as
an estimated 550,000 employees in
the state’s private work force.
The Bureau of Labor and Indust
ries has the responsibility of enforc
ing the new law through its Civil
Rights Division.
Some key definitions of the new
law are:
• "Parent" means an employee
with parental rights and duties as
| defined by law who is reponsible
for the care a nurturance of a child,
and includes the adoptive mother or
See "New Law", Page 10
Block-By-Block Program
Starts Weatherizing
• Dr. Dapo Sobomehin, Human
Relations Specialist, warns that ra
cial intolerance is on the increase;
• Oregonians throughout the
state observe the second annual
holiday honoring the late Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. More than seven-
hundred people attend the celebra
tion at Whitaker Middle School;
• Kimberly Riggins, a 16-year-old
African-American
freshman
at
Grant High School, is selected as a
finalist to compete in the 1987 "Miss
Oregon National Teenagers Pa
geant";
• Darrel Dortch, an African-Ame
rican senior at Portland State Uni
versity, is selected as an outstand
ing scholar of the year by the North
west Association of Special Pro
grams;
• The ninth annual Minority Law
Day is held at Willamette University;
• The Black Colleges Conference
is held at the Red Lion. Portland
graduates of Grambling State Uni
versity — Roxaynna Robinson,
Danita Calhoun, Lesste Houston
and Amanda McCall - were on
hand to provide assistance;
• Greg Gudger is appointed Exe
cutive Director, Metropolitan Hu
man Relations Commission;
See ”1987 Remembered", Page 10
Photo by Richard J. Brown
Friday. December 18th at 9:15 a m. Commissioner Mike Lind
berg held a press conference that kicked off the Block-By
Block Weatherization Project in the King Neighborhood and
the insulating of the attic of Mrs. Christine Wilson (LI, of N.E.
Grand. The project is based on a pilot project operated by the
Portland Energy Office last year that weatherized 68 houses in
two neighborhoods. This year the program will be full scale
A combination of revenues from the City, all three utilities and
the Oregon Department of Energy will total over $400,000,
making it possible to serve four neighborhoods and 600 houses
In addition to King, the other neighborhoods this year are Ken
ton Brooklyn, and Brentwood Darlington. For more 'nforme
tion. contact Elise Anfield. Commissioner Lindberg s O ff.e e ,
248 4145 or Sandra Parker. Portland Energy Office. 287 9914