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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 22, 1988)
Page 2, Portland Observer, June 22, iybe OREGON S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION E s Id b liM ie d m 19/0 Gary Ann Garnett Nyewusi Askari Business Manager News Editor/Staff W riter Joyce Washington Mattie Ann Callier-Spears Sales/Marketing Director Religion Editor Danny Bell Arthur Bradford Sales Representative Staff Photographer/Reporter Arnold Pitre Richard Medina Sales Representative Photo-Composition Ruby Reuben Lonnie Wells Sales Representative Circulation Manager Rosemarie Davis B. Gayle Jackson Sales Representative Comptroller GUEST EDITORIAL Adrienne Weller Portland Needs A Strong Police Review Board his Spring Portlanders all drug problems. In N.Y. State in over the city voiced strong 1987 Black Men Against Crack, radical community activists who concern about police abuse, fear were exposing police drug deal of reporting abuse to the police ings, were framed by police for because of known incidents of re gun possession. taliation and a demand for police One look at the bulk of com review independent of the police plaints of abuse clearly exposes in a series of community meet police bias. Complaints are made ings organized by Police Internal by the same people who fill the Investigations Auditing Commit jails to overflowing — the poor, tee (PIIAC) members to gather people of color and women. citizen input. Public concern was Without a board with powers to accurate and timely. effect police department policy Portlanders, especially people of color, women and poor are vul and correct abuse Portlanders are nerable to police abuse. They in danger from those who are sup need, now more than ever with posed to protect them. Portland City Council ignores the resignations of the PIIAC the connection between a failing Chair, John Ransom and Vice economy and an increase in Chair, V. Jean Vessup, a strong community-controlled police re crime. As the economy falters the view committee. It must be em police, backed by rightwing busi powered to investigate all cate ness interests, push only to con gories of police abuse, to deter trol people. If city government is mine and enforce corrective serious about eliminating crime action and should replace the In they must create jobs and social ternal Investigations Division, services which people need to which is the police policing them survive and not cut funds from selves and has proven itself in essential programs to fund more capable of fair handling of citizen police. Money for jails must be used to ease overcrowding and to complaints. create programs so those in jail The toothless PIIAC was set up have a chance to prosper when to fail. It is one of the weakest they are released. You do not review boards in the nation, and need to be an expert on drugs and had been even more weakened by gangs to know, and even experts appointees who are avowedly have written, that only good jobs hostile to its function of police with decent wages can replace oversight and therefore unfit to the hopelessness that causes serve and by the resignation of young men and women to waste the above two members commit their lives on the streets. ted to police review, one of Without programs for human whom, Vessup, was the only Black representative on the needs, and with increased call for police crackdowns, the result is committee. The need for control of police not safer streets but police li is manifest locally and nationally cense and more deaths, harass by outrageous abuse. In Portland ment and brutality against the unarmed Black men, Lloyd Stev disadvantaged, the mentally ill, enson in 1985 and Solon Sanders the unemployed, and those who in 1987, were killed by police with exercise their right to protest and impunity. Portland's "Red Squad" organize to improve an unequal uses tax dollars to spy on activist status quo. City Council, and specifically and radical groups that oppose Commissioners Blumenauer and U S. government intervention in Bogle are responsible to prevent Central America. In Eugene, May, PIIAC from becoming another 1988, Eugene school teachers com m ittee that whitewashes sued the city manager and the po lice for attacking their picket line police misconduct. Jim Simpson and for false arrest during their and all others opposed to police 1987 teacher strike. In Seattle, review should be removed. A March 1988, 2 unarmed Black strong board, independent of the men were shot by police and in re police department and immune to sponse to community protests pressure from the mayor’s office, the mayor and police chief shifted should be established and staffed the blame to the Black communi with members drawn from those ty who were demanding action on most targeted by police bias — T PORTLAND OBSERVER 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: (503) 288 0033 D eadlines for all s ubm itted m aterials Articles M onday 5 p m Ads Tuesday 5 T h . R m tl.n d O b . « . . - » . i c o n . . . I . . . l . n c . .u b m .M .O " . M . n u . c n p t . .n d p h o l o , . .p h . .h o u ld b . C I...I» labe led and will be returned if accom panied by a self addressed envelope St 5 00 per year in the Tri County area T h . POR TLAND OBSERVER - N . W . P . P . . A llo c u tio n - O r .flo n , o ld .s l A trlc .n A m P fic .n P u b h c .h o n - r o tin d .d Id . » « . . ■ m . m b .. ot T h . N .h o n T h . O - . , . n N . w . p . p « R u b h . h . . . A „ o c . .l l o h . h d T h . N .h o n .! A dvertising R epresentative A m algam ated P ublishers. Inc New *ork / Our Democratic Mission Leon Harris/Gen Mgr A llre d L. Henderson/Pubiisher Subscriptions EDITORIAL Mary Hatwood Futrell P resid en t NBA For example, in 1978 alone, merica’s appetite for educa more than 650,000 Asians arrived tion reform is still robust, in America. That immigration and I am delighted that it is. I am brought to our shores the largest even more delighted that reform non-white, non-Western, non-Eng efforts are at last focusing on pro lish speaking group ever to enter found systemic change, on the this country at one time. comprehensive restructuring of That Asian influx is only the schools. This is a pivotal develop most dramatic example of a much ment. larger pattern. By the year 2020, There is little doubt that Amer almost 40 percent of America’s ica’s commitment to a system of citizenry will be minorities. Our free, universal, egual education nation will be home to 47 million stamps our nation with unique Hispanics, 44 million Blacks, 15 ness. In the United States, as in million Asians, and 3 million virtually no other country, educa Native Americans. tion is the loom that weaves to We dare not underestimate the gether our splendidly varied potential of this population. We social tapestry. It is also dare not squander this national dem ocracy's deliverance. As treasure. Thomas Jefferson once put it, No one has better made this “ Education is the anvil upon point than Maryland Superintend which democracy is forged,” ent of Schools, David Hornbeck. J e ffe rs o n u n d e rs to o d th a t “ There was a time,” says Horn America's strength would depend beck, “ when the victim of our fail on the development and subse ure with any youngster was only quent contribution of all its that youngster. But today, we all people. become the victim. America can Jefferson’s admonition is today no longer afford, can no longer more true than ever before. That permit, throwaway or disposable is why — as we restructure educa children.” tion — we must grant center stage To those insightful words I to the schools’ most important would add only this. When we element, the young Americans make minority children wait for an who inhabit them. education, when we deny them I offer this reflection as an an equal opportunity, when we con tidote to reform discussions that sider them too expensive to edu too often ignore the fact that the cate, we not only betray our dem clientele of our schools is chang ocratic ideals — we sap America’s ing. Many of the youngsters in human resources. school today — the product of the A restructured system of Amer second largest wave of immigra ican education must never allow tion in our nation’s history — look that to happen. Never. and sound different from their predecessors. A family farms, fishing and crafts. In this century, it was first the Fed eral Writer's Projects of the de pression— and later, the interven tion of World War II — which opened up to national view the ex istence of these rich lush, almost idyllic lands — A highly commer cial view, in fact. In the early 1970's National Geographic Magazine carried a series of picture essays on these lands, citing their economic significance. Lands which were purchased for 3-5 dollars per acre from parents of Blacks who had gone ‘ashore’ to acquire an ‘education’, and an urban life style — were now selling for over $1,000 a front INCH! One issue of Part I the magazine featured an ad for by Professor McKinley Burt the ‘Hilton Head Resort’; a m il en years ago I wrote an article lionaire’s playground for golf, ten for the Observer under a simi nis, boating and conventions; a lar title. Since then there have h a lf-b illio n d o lla r enterprise been significant changes in some where, only two decades before, sectors of our economic situa little Black children dug their toes tion. What we will describe here into the sand. Think about it! is a gradual loss or attrition of a Another classic and commonly people’s most priceless heri practiced process which has ac tage— THEIR LAND. The pro counted for losses now in the bil blem is rural as well as urban, for lions may be termed a “ Bohemia in modern America, RURAL IS Spillway Caper.” Here, sixty years BECOMING URBAN. ago, southwest of New Orleans, From 560,000 Black farmers in Louisiana, the Grand Prairie 1950, their number dropped to Levee District suddenly decided 57,000 in 1978. I incorporated par that large tracts of Black-owned ticulars of this process into my land would be an excellent site “ Black Urban Economics" class, for a spillway to protect New taught at Portland State Univer Orleans from floods. The Blacks sity, 1971-1978.1 made it clear that were uncerimoniously displaced in order to understand the pre from their lands, receiving only a carious Black economic situation pittance for their roots and heri of today, it was necessary to tage (if you',e getting disturbed research back to the period after think about home first). the Civil War. Contrary to con I quote from the Christian ventional wisdom, we have not Science Monitor for October 25 "progressed as rapidly as would 1986: "The land that was taken is be expected in a hundred years of producing about $3,OCX),000 an ‘freedom’.” The modicum of pro nually in oil and gas revenue ... In gress has been INSPITE OF thou 1984 the Louisiana Supreme sands of exploitative games and Court handed down a decision economic thefts. Since these rip- upholding an order to RETURN offs are not cited in the texts of THE LAND (To the Blacks). It is sociology, economics and his important to note that the Blacks tory, I say that the conclusions had to organize legally and polit reached therein are meaning ic a lly to a c h ie v e th is less— and insulting. victory — “ The Fishermen and Let me cite some examples. In Concerned Citizens Association.’ the Sea Islands' off the coasts of Some situations can be retrieved South Carolina and Georgia, and there is a lesson here for thousands of former slaves stak Portland Blacks. ed out an existence based upon ■ Continued Next Week O P IN IO N Religious Leaders Urges Reagan For Human Rights Intervention in South Africa e have prayerfully observed the historic meeting between Presi dent Reagan and Secretary Gorbachev and their efforts to de- escalate the arms race and broaden channels of communication bet ween the two nations. We are thankful for any movement toward these• worthy goals and shall continue to pray for God's guidance and blessing in the waging of peace. We also observed with appreciation the President’s emphasis on 1 human rights in the Soviet Union with particular concern for the right oft) dissent, and freedom of religion. In view of the announced intent of the religious community in South Africa to challenge the government’s restriction against dissent,V and to launch a new offensive against apartheid, we respectfully urge the President, while there is global attention on human rights precipitated by his pronouncements and meeting with dissidents in the Soviet Union, to call upon the South African government to respect the J human rights of the Black majority and their white supporters in South Africa to peacefully protest and campaign against apartheid. We respectfully remind the President that nowhere in the world Is* the violation of human rights and the right to peacefully protest more blatant and more brutal than South Africa. We shall seek to meet with President Reagan, Vice President Bush and Secretary of State George Schultz to share our concerns about human rights, freedom of religion and the waging of peace — and offer our good offices to assist the President in developing and shaping our nation’s policies in opposing apartheid and calling for pro-- tection of human rights in South Africa. Rev. Joseph Lowery, President - Southern Christian Leadership Conference; P°v. Patricia McClurg, President - National Coun cil of Churches (N.Y.); Bishop Frederick Talbot - AME Church; Rabbi Alvin Sugarmon - Reformed Judaism; Bishop Joseph Coles - CME Church; Rev. E. J. Jester, President - Baptist Ministers Union; Rev. Clinton Marsh - Christian Council of Churches; Thondi Geobashe - American Friends Service Com mittee; Rev. James Costen, President - In terdenominational Theological Center; Rev. ( Anthony Motley - Baptist Ministers Con-' ference; Rev. C. L. Henderson, Superinten dent - United Methodist Church. W Founding President Marlin Luther King, Jr. SCLC Civil Rights Journal Perspectives Blacks, Land And Family T Zambia by Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. resident Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia and the people of Zambia should be congratulated on their progress as an African nation committed to the independence and freedom of all of Africa. Kaunda led Zambia to independence from the British in 1964 and since that time he has as president become a role model for African statesman ship and leadership. Despite severe economic difficulties at the time of independence and the continued acts of aggression by the racist government of South Africa to destabilize the southern Africa region, . Zambia has been able to achieve remarkable political and economic j progress. I recently visited Zambia as part of a tour of the frontline na tions that border South Africa. I was very impressed with the sense of pride and accomplishment of the people and government of Zambia. Zambia is a large nation that is greater in size than the com bined area of the nations of France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. It has a population of approximately six million. Located in central southern Africa, it is bordered by Angola, Zaire, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania. Although Zambia is a completely land locked nation, it is one of the most agriculturally rich nations on the continent. Zambia also has valuable minerals in cluding copper. The week that I spent in Lusaka, Zambia, the capital city, was quite a learning experience. First, I witnessed a truly modern African society. Lusaka is a metropolitan area with most of the conveniences one might expect to find in the capital city of a European nation. Yet this city has held on to its indigenous African culture and tradition. Secondly, although English is the language used by the majority of the people, traditional African languages are still being spoken with a sense of pride and self-determination. In fact one Zambian offical and I talked to was quick to emphasize "As a developing nation we need ' the assistance of the world community to help in our development, yet we also know that we have something to offer the world community as an African nation.” Indeed Zambia has reached out to hundreds of thousands of fellow Africans who have come to Zambia seeking refuge from war situations in South Africa, Namibia, Angola, and Mozambique. I was even surprised to find a community of African Americans who are living in Zambia after being exiled from the United States. Zambia has also provided the sanctuary for the African National Congress to have its international headquarters. Zambia also provides a unique model for church/state relationships. The United Church of Zambia which has about one million members works very closely with the Zambian government on educational projects. Humanism is the national philosophy of Zambia. It is the basis of all of the policies and programs of the government of Zambia under Kuanda’s leadership. All the development effort in Zambia is * based on Humanism. It is a way of life which emphasizes the impor tance of humanity as the center of all activity. It stresses human dignity, equality of all, the extended family, hard work and self reliance, resistance to exploitation and oppression, and the promo tion of unity and justice. In the words of President Kuanda, "our revolution is a Humanist revolution. We have decided to wage a struggle against imperialism, neo colonialism, fascism, and racism on the one hand; and hunger, poverty, ignorance, disease, crime, and exploitation on the other hand. This is what our revolution is all about." P
