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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 8, 1988)
Page 2, Portland Observer, June 8, 1988 OPINION EDITORIAL OREGON S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION Established in 1970 The Lost Science Of Africa An Editorial From A Student-At-Large P O R TL Alfred L. Henderson ERVER Leon Harris/Gen Manager Publisher PORTLAND OBSERVER is published weekly by Exie Publishing Company. Inc. 5011 N.E. 26th Awe Portland. Oregon 97211 P.O. Box 3137 Portland. Oregon 97208 Phone Number: (503) 288 0033 Nyewusi Askari News E ditor/S taff Writer Gary Ann Garnett Assistant General Manager Joyce Washington Sales ' Marketing Director Arnold Pitre Rosemarie Davis Sales Representative Sales Representative Ruby Reuben Danny Bell Sales Representative Sales Representative Mattie Ann Callier-Spears Steve Adams Religion Editor G raphic/Layout Designer Richard Medina Lonnie Wells Photo-Composition Circulation Manager Anti-Defamation League Expresses Concern On New Report The Anti-Defamation League has expressed concern with “ what appears to be the pessimistic tone” of the new report “ One- Third Of A Nation,” which says the United States is moving backward in efforts to promote equal opportunity for minorities. In identical letters (dated May 27) to former Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, honorary co-chairmen of the Commission on Minority Participation in Education and American Life, which issued the report, the League said that while it “ spotlights important and dif ficult problems faced by minorities" and while we "generally agree with the thrust of the panel’s findings, ADL’s monitoring of human rela tions and civil rights activities in the United States leads us to some different and more hopeful conclusions.” The letter, signed by ADL national chairman Burton S. Levinson and national director Abraham H. Foxman, said that “ while the equity and civil rights gap remains, minorities have made progress (albeit not enough) in the important areas of jobs and housing. In the last year we have seen the development of community coalitions — involving media, public and private schools, community groups and corporate life — working together to diminish racial and religious prejudice.” The ADL officials also pointed out that local and state legislatures across the country have enacted statutes prohibiting acts of harassment and violence against racial and religious minorities. “ Law enforcement agencies now have added tools to deal with the social and psychological manifestations of prejudice,” they said. Regarding education, ADL said it shares the Commission’s “ profound concern," noting that “ poor student performance and high drop out rates are indicators of problems in our system at a time when an educated citizenry is most needed.” The letter went on to say that ADL “ is a participant in the reform movement that is now sweeping the nation and revitalizing school systems everywhere” and assured the two former Presidents that the agency remains “ resolute and positive" in its efforts toward “ closing the gap, and insuring a healthy and strong democracy.” by Jim Lazakioues I n these days of political mudslinging. No institution has been spared. Even C.C.C. (Clackamas Community College). Faith Taylor as a president, has been recently cast into this arena of rumors and discrimination. In the beginning, Faith had to break down the initial barrier of a Black women running for ASG (Associate Student Government) president in a predominately white student body. When she started, she only had 3 days in which to turn in 100 names, so her name would be included on the ballot for the ASG April 22-23 election. Diligence and charisma — Faith's strongest traits, brought here from the dream of being president to the reality of winning the election. Then the trouble began. Rumors surfaced that Faith, bought her votes, and used unethical practices to be sure of a victory, even more disturbing was the fact that the administration of C.C.C. believ ed these mudslingers, and called a recall vote. Faith, being totally disgrunted at this action considered all the factors being presented and decided on a strong stand on her right to run for office, with this resilliance she with stood the barrier of jealousy and kept her title of president. Faith, being a deeply religious person couldn’t, because of consience, think of being unfair. The thought of being accused of acting unfairly, greatly disturbed her. A scholarship for track and other admirable ac complishments even put Faith, higher on a integrity scale, but this rarely discourages people trying to put people down because of their own prejudice and bigotted ideals. In all, Faith Taylor (ASG president) has proved herself worthy of the position she holds and has the internal fortitude to get the job done. (tRemembering Our Fathers” In our continuing efforts to provide the community with a viable outlet for information and community services, the Portland Observer will be offering our readership the means to commemorate our fathers. This special feature will focus on individual achievements, expressions of affection and gratitude for the things these special men have brought to each of us. To participate in this special tribute, just call the sales staff at the Portland Observer at 288-1733. Perspectives by Professor McKinley Burt Technological Caper Racism: At Home And Aboard PART II ow many readers saw the June 3rd article and picture in the Port land Oregonian’, “ OMSI Displays Pair of Gym Rats?” The travel ist, often referred to as “ the ing exhibit depicted a pure white rat as Larry Bird, and a predominate kindly and passionate abolition ly BLACK RAT as Dr. J (Jr.), no less. Though the scientific community ist, but we have come to know has never been extolled for its ‘sensitivity courses' at the Oregon this man better." Last week I re Museum of Science and Industry. vealed the full title of his major If they are interested in exhibits with ethnic significance, one work. "... AND The Preservation of would think that at their main site they would have a highly visible the FAVORED RACES of Man display of Black scientists and inventors. There are some available kind." He also ‘hoped for a future sources of information on the subject, if not at the Smithsonian (See with a greater gap between hu my article here — (Perspectives]). In the meanwhile, the community, mans and apes, powered by the Black and white, is mounting increased displeasure at this cutey-cute anticipated extinction of such ‘technological’ caper. INTERMEDIATES as chimpan zees and many African Tribes’ (see Darwin, ‘The Descent of Man’). In the European tradition of his time (19th century), Darwin ig nored the facts he must have known, that his Europe was filled "The Eyes and Ears of the Com m unity” with intelligent, superbly compe 288-0033 tent Africans: Mathematicians, philosophers, university profes sors, artists, writers, composers, generals, and others. In 1970, the Bonn Federal Republic (West Ger many) paid special homage to William Henry Amo, the 18th cen PORTLAND OBSERVER is published weekly by Exie Publishing Company Inc. tury African mathematician and 5011 N.E 26th Ave philosopher who showed such Portland. Oregon 97211 brilliance by the age of 14 that he P O Box3137 was introduced to Leibniz, the Portland, Oregon 97208 greatest of mathematicians. Amo Phone Number: (503) 288-0033 went on to become a full profes D»«dlines for all submitted materials sor at the German universities of Articles Monday 5 p m . Ads Tuesday 5 pm Halle and Wiltenberg. The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly It is extremely important for labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope Black Americans to understand Subscriptions 115 00 per year in the Trl-County area that the racist themes underlying The PORTLAND OBSERVER - Oregon s oldest African American Publication — is a member of The National American culture today were de Newspaper Association - Founded in 1885 The Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association and The National veloped by men such as Darwin, Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, tnc Naw *orh H PORTLAND OBSERVER 8 ♦ ?.4-; * t ( » ix k Broca, and other “ great thinkers,” who paralyzed a single, irrelevant discovery into a grand scheme for racial dominance -The 'Manifest Destiny' of Darwin’s "Favored Races.” With a built-in mandate to justify slavery and discrimina tion, the Europe-worshipping Americans (inferiority complex) who structured our educational and political infrastructure in sured that racism would be in place even today. It is not surpris ing, then, that the Kian, The Or der, Skin Heads and other riff-raff can find philosophical comfort in much of the 'scientific' literature. Be sure to check the relevant definitions in the ‘authoritative’ Encyclopedia Britannica -will blow your mind. Steven Jay Gould in his price less book, ‘The Mismeasure of Man' (W.W. Norton, 1981), tells us that as late as 30 years ago the famous ‘Hall of Man’ in the Amer ican Museum of Natural History, “ still displayed the characters of human races by linear arrays run ning from APES TO WHITES.” He also states that until very recently the standard anatomy illustra tions in our medical school texts “ depicted a chimp, a Negro, and a white, part by part IN THAT OR DER" (select your doctor with care). In the same ‘scientific’ mode we find that the prestigious Smithsonian institution in Wash ington, D.C. — that storehouse of American treasures in tech nology— does not feature the magnificent contributions of any BLACK INVENTOR: They never heard of the Third Rail, the Refri gerated Box Car or Truck, the Traffic Light, the Automatic Lubri ca to r, the A ir Brake, and infinitum. But take hope, there maybe re lief from another part of the world. Last week some of the nation’s newspapers reported the re search by Japanese scientists who established that the strain of AIDS VIRUS found in AFRICAN MONKEYS is NOT THE SAME AS THAT FOUND IN HUMANS! Well now, disposing of the racist and shaky proposition of an African Source', we may return to the ori ginal and more probable conclu sions - those based upon the astute observations of the noted African Explorer, Livingstone; “ THERE WAS NO SYPHILLIS OR TUBERCULOSIS IN AFRICA BE FORE THE WHITE MISSION ARIES CAME” (or before ex plorers and colonialist?). by Dr. Jamil Cherovee In 1978, anthropology pro fessor, Peter Schmidt, and pro fessor of engineering, Donald Avery, both of Brown University, announced to the world that, bet ween 1,500-2,000 years ago, Afrl- kans living on the western shores of Lake Victoria, in Tanzania, had produced carbon steel. The Afrikans had done this in pre heated forced-draft furnaces, a method that was technological ly more sophisticated than any developed in Europe until the mid-19th century. “ We have found,” said Professor Schmidt, “ a technological process in the Afrikan Iron Age which is ex ceedingly complex ... To be able to say that technologically super ior culture developed in Afrika more than 1,500 years ago over turns popular and scholarly ideas that technological sophistication developed in Europe but not in Afrika.” There were Afrikans still living (The Haya people, for example) who, although they no longer pro duced steel, remembered, down to the last identity of detail, the machine and the process their an cestors used and were able to re construct the furnace and carry out a successful smelt. When Schmidt and Avery be gan excavating near Lake Victoria and dug up 13 Iron Age furnaces, they found that “ the construction of the furnaces and the composi tion of the steel was essentially the same.” The temperature achieved in the blast furnace of the Afrikan steel-smelting machine was high er than any achieved in an Europ ean machine until modern times. It was roughly 1,800’ C, some 200 to 400°C higher than the highest reached in European cold blast bloom eries. The record For Europe was in an experimental 2nd century Roman shaft furnace where scientist recorded a tem perature in the combustion zone of 1,600’ C. The Afrikan superiority was due to the fact that they preheated the air blast by inserting blowpipes into the base of the furnace. This not only led to the extraordinarily high temperaturs but also to greater fuel economy. This was importnt since, in the areas where the Afrikans produced steel, there is evidence of a severe depletion of forest resources, demanding a fuel-saving technology. The machine they devised and the resourceful way they made use of available materials, is in itself fascinating. For example, the pit they dug beneath the fur nace was lined with mud made from a termite mound. The ter mite mound was an excellent choice since termites make their hills of materials that won’t ab sorb water, bits of alumina and silica piled up grain by grain. The Afrikan also introduced a process in their smelting that was very original and in advance of their time, making iron crystals rather than by ‘the sintering of solid par ticles" as in European smelting. Civil Rights Journal T h e S tru g g le In N a tc h e z by Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. ictories come in many forms, some of them unexpected. That’s the way it was recently in Natchez, Mississippi in Adams County. Back in January we reported to you on the boycott of downtown businesses which had been started there around the situation in the schools. The boycott began because a white principal grabbed a little Black child and ejected him from the cafeteria for sitting next to a little white child. That incident prompted the African American community to ex amine other problems in their school system. They formed the Con cerned Citizens of Natchez and demanded not only the ouster of the principal but other changes as well. Though the school system in 70% African American, the school administration is 87% white. The group asked that 50% of the instructors be African American and that the ad ministrative staff be fairly representative of Natchez’s African American population. When the town’s power structure refused to negotiate in good faith, the African American community began a boycott of all downtown stores. It has been effective. As Rep. Barney Schoby, the town’s African American state legislator told us, “ The boycott has had a tremendous effect. When I viewed the sales tax collection figures it became clear that the Natchez businesses are not doing as well as they did last year — they are suffering. And they have admitted this.” There have been other successes, too. When the community first an nounced the boycott, the white Mayor of Natchez, Tony Byrne, didn’t take it seriously. Then he tried to say that the boycott was being mounted for political reasons. He tried to put the blame for failed negotiations on Rep. Schoby and sent a letter to some of the Black leadership denouncing him. The African American community asked for the mayor’s resignation. They reminded him that back in 1982 he had opposed ex tension of the Voting Rights Act. They reminded him that when the Federal Government released a study in 1979 saying that Adams Coun ty was on a list of the 15 most segregated school systems in the na tion, he replied that it was untrue. They reminded him of all this, and still he didn’t take them seriously. On May 24 the African Americans of Na :hez voted Tony Byrne out of office after 20 years as Mayor of that city. Now he takes them seriously. More importantly, this victory has renewed the struggle. The Concerned Citizens of Natchez are continuing to support a court suit to desegregate the schools as a means of improving the educational opportunities of their children. They are continuing their demands that 30% of the $20 million which the Adams County school board spends each year be used with minority firms. They are continuing therr legislative struggle to have their school board members elected, not appointed. They are continuing their struggle for empowerment at every level. The African American community of Natchez understands that, like the Montgomery bus boycott, this could be a long struggle. As Natchez Alderman George Harden explained when we spoke with him back in January. "Wherever there's a cause, there's sacrifice. The peo ple knew that when we took this thing on.” State Representative Schoby recently reaffirmed this when he said, “ We re in the trenches and we re set to stay in the trenches for as long as it takes. And if it takes until hell freezes over, we'll be here." With this kind of commitment and strength, the African American community of Natchez cannot help but win their struggle. V ¥*»•*»»' ♦ 1* •» *.» *** ■ ’■ ’ • • • • '•
