Page 2, Portland Observer, February 10, 1988 EDITORIAL / Business Youth Exchange O P IN IO N Civil Rights Journal EDITORIAL Rnniamin F. Chavis Jr. The Real Drug Pushers It appears that every waking morning we hear something new and nega tive about the Reagan administration. Yesterday it was the Contras. Today it is Panama. The issue is drugs. When Congress recently voted to deny military aid to the Nicaraguan Contras, rumor had it that the Reagan administration was in dire need of another issue to dangle before the American people. Now, according to print and broadcast media, America may be close to landing the big one — General Manuel Antonio Noriega — military leader of Panama. Sworn testimony has revealed allegations about secret operations by American, Panamanian and Cuban agencies in Central America. The allega tions place drug smuggling at the center of the operations. Last week, Gene ral Noriega was indicted by a Miami grand jury on charges of money launder ing and drug smuggling to the United States. Believing that any man or woman is innocent until proven guilty, it is unwise to pass judgement about Noriega s guilt or innocence. However, if it is true that he did smuggle drugs into the United States, the American government should take specific action. African-Americans are keeping close tabs on the situation. Throughout America, African-American communities have suffered the ravages of drugs and drug addiction. Each year, thousands of young African-Americans fall prey to a variety of drugs that weren't produced in their communities. Each year, thousands of African-American babies are born drug addicts and have to go through the pain of physical, psychological and emotional withdrawal. Each year, hundreds of African-Americans die from drug overdose. Now, as the media continues to look into the drug dealings of Noriega, African-Americans are wondering if he is one of those responsible for much of the drugs that kill, maime and injure our people. African-Americans are also wondering "how much did the CIA know and to what extent did it participate in drug trafficking to the United States?" The CIA's alleged involvement points to another dark area of U.S. for eign policy. How, African-Americans ask, can the U.S. government say it is dedicated to wiping out drugs from U.S. communities, and, at the same time, support a government that is alleged to have served as a drug pipeline to this country? It is too early to say to what extent America is involved with the exploits of General Noriega. It is too early to say whether or not Noriega is guilty as charged. But one thing is clear, something is terribly wrong in Panama. If Noriega is guilty, his bank accounts should be seized and the money used to establish drug treatment centers for the many millions of addicts walking the streets of America. African-American communities should be first in line. In the past, when it came to drug treatment, African-American communities were treated as if they were growing, harvesting and distribu ting drugs. The U.S. government can make amends by giving this sugges tion some serious consideration. African-American are tired of taking the blame for others. It is now im portant to call a fork a fork, a spoon a spoon, and a crook a crook. If Noriega turns out to be a crook, then he should be treated as one. He should also be brought to the United States, if he's guilty, and forced to spend time amongst the misery and suffering of the drug addict. He should be forced to visit the families and relatives of addicts who perished because they couldn't kick the habit. He should be forced to attend the funerals of those who have overdosed. The drugs that come into the African-American community come through a pipeline. Law enforcement agencies in many American cities claim they are helpless to do anything concrete, so these particular communities continue to suffer and decay. Businesses move out. Citizens move out. Criminals move in and the problem escalates. However, for years African-Americans have charged that the bulk of the drugs that end up in their communities are there by design — sent there through an invisible pipeline. Listening to the evidence on Noriega, the African-American community just might have their finger on one visible source. If so, public outcry should be deafening; particularly in the African American community. African- Americans should get totally involved with what's happening in Panama. African-Americans should prepare to make their own judgements on Noriega after the evidence has been presented. But more importantly, African- Americans should demand justice. We can no longer afford to ignore these situations and pass them off as "none of our business." They are our business. As long as one fiber of drug comes into the African-American community from a drug pipeline, or any other pipeline, it is our business. If our children are our business, then the elimination of drugs from our communities is definately our business. Keep your eye on Noriega. Howard Beach is Everywhere The attention of the nation has been focused in recent days on the verdict handed down in the Howard Beach case. For more than a year, Howard Beach has seemed the epi tome of racially motivated violence. The image of a hoard of white youths chasing three African Ameri can men through the streets like dogs, until finally forcing one of them to his death, seemed the ulti mate horror. However, no African American in this country is exempt from racially motivated violence — not even Afri can American police officers. A re cent case in Prince George’s Coun ty, Maryland, a suburb of Washing ton, D.C., has proven this all too clearly. The county, which has a long history of racist violence, has a steadily increasing African Ameri can population. However, the po lice force still remains predominant ly white. On December 14, 1987, James L. Gordon, an African Amrican mem ber of the Washington, D.C., police force, was shot to death in his own home by a white policeman from Prince George's County. Gordon, 40 years old, was a 17-year veteran of the D.C. police force. The white officer, Cpt. Robert Raimond, though only 27 years old, had al ready been cited twice for police brutality in Prince George's County. In one case the complaintant was awarded a $4,400 judgement against Raimond for use of un necessary force in a traffic case. But CpI. Raimond was cleared by a police trail board and so he remain ed on the force. Last month Raimond was alleged ly investigating a suspected burg lary in the home of Officer Gordon, the Black officer. Officer Gordon had recently arrived home. When the Black officer moved towards a window in his », .vn home, the white officer shot him through the win dow. The white officer claimed he thought he saw a gun in Gordon's hand. Officer Gordon died a short time later, on the floor of his own home. A neighbor says the white officer never identified himself, but had only yelled, "Freeze." When an ambulance with para medics arrived the County police would not allow them to enter to treat Officer Gordon. County police claim other intruders might still be in the house. Then when five Wash ington, D.C., officers, including a homicide lieutenant and a district commander, arrived on the scene, they were not aliowed to remain in the house during the investigation. A Washington, D.C. police officer called the non-cooperation "highly irregular," adding, "ID.C. police! never turn away and investigator from another police unit." Several Black police officers on the Washington, D.C. force have openly called the killing racially motivated. They suggest that be cause the house was located in the middle class neighborhood, and be cause it had a two-car garage that held Officer Gordon's Mercedes Benz, CpI. Raimond assumed that the Black man he saw in the house could not be its owner. On a recent call-in program on a local Black radio station, some officers asked to be authorized to go in and get the white officer and bring him back to Washington, D.C. in order to en sure a fair trial. The Gordon killing is not an iso lated incident in the county. Back in December of 1986, Sir Kaylin Ed wards, a 15-year-old Black youth, was repeatedly beaten by another white Prince George's County of ficer near a convenience store. The white officer accused the young man of littering. Eleven witnesses testified to the brutality. One shop per mentioned that the officer "kept saying 'pick up the wrapper' but each time he would keep shoving him back . . . IThe officer! hit him at least 25 to 30 times." The driver of a car testified that the young man stumbled across the road in front of her and that the officer hit him "at least 10 times" with the nightstick and then began kick ing him between his legs. A Prince George's County police trial board later agreed that the officer had used "excessive force." Yes, Howard Beach is but a sym bol. For there are Howard Beaches all over this nation. And given the present national climate, which con dones racist violence through si lence, these incidents will continue to grow unless we demand that justice be done — each and every time they occur. Meanwhile three different investi gations are now underway in the kil ling of Officer Gordon. His death sadly reminds us once again that, in the African American commu nity, no one is exempt from the bru tality and the fatality of racism. Donald S M cClave at Business Youth Exchange press conference. Photo by Richard J. Brown by Nyewusi Askari According to Tom Nelson, Busi On February 8, 1988, the Busi ness Youth Exchange Director, ness Youth Exchange (BYE) held a "U .S. National Bank of Oregon, press conference in the Portland Code-A-Phone Corp, and Electrical Metropolitan Chamber of Com Construction Co. are three of seve merce board room to announce its ral dozen local companies leading accomplishments and to explain the the fig h t." Nelson said, "These 1988 business-led programs and ini companies help students develop tiates to combat the high school the necessary skills to get good jobs dropout rate. through influencing public funding Participating were some of Port allocations, providing jobs and em land's top chief executive officers: ployees to staff mentor programs, Roger L. Breezley, C.E.O., U.S. and using resources to leverage im Bancorp; Donald S. McClave, provement in employment prepara Chamber President; Tom Nelson, tion programs, which help with BYE Director; James R. Owen, everything from interviewing skills C.E.O, Code-A-Phone Corp.; and to improvement in self-esteem." William K. Deshler, C.E.O., Electri An affiliate of the Portland Metro cal Construction Company. politan Chamber of Commerce, The The Portland Chamber of Com Business Youth Exchange highlight merce's Business Youth Exchange ed its recent accomplishments: is a business-led group through • Co-founded the Leaders Round which business has partnered with table, a group of community lead education and government to de ers presiding over the implementa clare war on the dropout problem. tion of the Portland Investment, a In 1987, partnership programs assi 10-year, comprehensive K-12 plan sted by BYE served 2,500 at-risk to reduce dropouts and increase Portland students. According to youth empioyability. the BYE, 92 percent of the students • Provided jobs and business re in its dropout prevention programs sources to programs serving 2,500 received their high school diplomas. young people in 1987. Formed in 1983, BYE has worked • Graduated over 92% of at-risk as a catalyst to bring schools, students from the Partnership Pro government and business together ject and Financial Academy, two to reverse the high dropout rate and school-based dropout prevention inadequate preparation of the future programs. workforce. • Helped secure $967,000 in During the press conference, BYE competitive education, training and leaders noted that "nearly 30 per drug and alcohol funds for Mult cent of all ninth graders in the State nomah and Washington Counties in of Oregon do not graduate from 1987. high school." During the 1986-87 • Stimulated formation of Code- school year, 11,248 students drop A-Phone and Health Options for ped out of Oregon's high schools. Teens Programs at Marshall High During 1988, the Business Youth School. Exchange will contribute to the • Assisted in development of Governor's state wide Student Re Pacific Northwest Bell's Registry tention Initiative by assisting busi program for high achieving minority ness communities throughout Ore students at Roosevelt, Jefferson gon in acting on their own dropout and Grant High Schools. problems. The Exchange will also • Institutionalized Partnership turn up the heat on businesses to Project at Grant High School. expand their involvement in several nationally-acclaimed local pro See "B usiness Y o u th " - Page 3 grams. The Civil Rights Journal, w ritten by Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., is a publication o f the United Church o f Christ. PORTLfl Letters to the Editor Hey, Y'll - I'm a 'Patriot', Too! OREGON'S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION Estabhshed m 1970 A lfre d L. Henderson Publisher Leon L. Harris PORTLAND OBSERVER Gen M g r./c o n tro lle r is published weekly by Exie Publishing Company, Inc. 5011 N.E. 26th Ave. Portland, Oregon 97211 P.O. Box 3137 Portland, Oregon 97208 Phone Number: (5031 288-0033 Richard J Brown Editor Gary Ann G arnett Business Manager N yewusi Askari Richard J. Brown W riter Photographer M a ttie A nn Callier Spears Leslie V. White Religion Editor A rt Director Kendel Bryan C ovington Vivian E. Richardson Entertainm ent Editor Sales Representative Joyce W ashington Rebecca Robinson Sales Representative T ypesetter / Production A rnold Pitre Fred Hem bry Lonnie Wells Sales Representative Sports Distribution Deadline« fo' all submitted materials Articles M o n d a y 5 p m in « rortland O bse,.e* watconi«» freelance suomisson» Ads Tuesday 5 p m -vtai uscripts anu pnotoyraohs should be nearly labeled Editor: Concerning "W ho is Dr. Jamil Cherovee?", 2 3-88: I'm a real pat riot, but Im not a patriot necessarily to the founding fathers, but to the Founding Father of Creation. And, as long as I am patriotic to Him and His principles, I don't have to an swer to anyone else. I'm just a voice in the wilderness, warning those in Authority and their advisors of the folly of their present course of action. I feel sorry for Amerika because so many people are so in love with their so-called leaders that they would not pull the coat when their coat needs pulling. They are so drunk off of false patriotism that they don't know that real patriotism is when you stand for the truth that Almighty God, the Father of all creation, has laid down as the crite rion of judgement. and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed stamped envelope Subscriptions 115 00 per year m the Tn County area The P O R TLA N D OBSERVER Oregon oldest African American Publication is a member of The National Newspaper Association Founded m ’ RR5 The Oreyon Newspaper Publishers Association and T h - National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers Inc N ew York Oo* * ' N Your Bible, Brother Matthew Cha vis, teaches us in the book of Eze kiel when you see a man in sin, warn the wicked. I do not care what you think of me — it is irrelevant, im material and baseless. But I must warn Amerika. I'm so glad that I live in Amerika. For I could not say what I'm saying in another country on the earth. Amerika, with all her faults, is a great nation: Not great because she's good — I got into a lot of trouble over that word "great", you know (smile) — She's great because she is consequential. Amerika affects the entire world. This country can be a nation that leads the world to total ruin and destruction. Free speech guaran teed by the Constitution is a bles sing. It is a blessing for me. It is a blessing to Amerika. But it could be Amerika's own undoing. In Amerika you have the right to speak, but when you speak what others don't like, you have to pay a price. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X are good examples. So when you're willing to speak the truth you must also be willing to pay the price. I'm willing to pay the price even if it is death. It's a small price to pay to tell the truth and free the minds of the people. Free speach can be Amerika's un doing — because I have the free dom to warn our so-called leaders and the American government. I have the freedom to warn Amerika, I have the freedom to warn Black people, and, if my warning is true and faithful to the Divine Word found in the Bible, then it is not a warning from a foolish ex-slave; it is a warning coming from God to you with love and mercy. Believe me, when I say so, Bro ther Matthew, I know I'm privileged to live in Amerika, and I know that I'm privileged to be able to tell the truth. And if you will hear the truth and be persuaded to act on the prin ciples of truth, Amerika can be saved, and the world can save itself from a destructive fall. Sometimes you don’t know from where the warning will come. But when you are arrogant and falsely proud, the warning comes from someone be neath you, or maybe from your child or a subordinate who sees you making a mistake an pulls your coat. You say, "W ho are you to tell me? Don't you know who I am?" Yes, we know who you are. Fools like you existed in the past, and they now are gone. All great republics have risen or fallen because of this incalculable error. I say "Freedom for the Peo ple in impartiality." Revise the Con stitution where it penalizes merely for the satisfaction of stagnant car pet baggers of eir "eruditic South Society". I say "Equality" instead of "Legality". The rise of the min ority it thus inevitable. Down with tyranny. Brother Matthew, I'm not rich, but I'm sharing the little knowledge I have with the people. Arrogance and false pride are heavy baggage.- It weighs down the human spirit; it corrupts the processes of thinking; and allows the proud to misperceive reality and make tragic mistakes. Everytime we go to a funeral and we see one of our loved ones placed in the ground, we say. From the earth he oi she came, from the dust he or she came, and to the earth and to the dust he or she now re turns." Well, if my beginning was dust and my end is dust, how am I now more than dust? If I'm wealthy, how much wealth do I possess? If I am knowledge able, compare what I know to what is out here to know. If I have power, compare the power of any man to the powers of heaven and earth and ask yourself how much power do you have? It’s dust. So when I write or speak, it's for the elevation of humanity. Dr. Jamil Cherovee