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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 29, 1988)
wïr 4*4 «>» • « <«-« ♦ » ï* Krs Frances Schoen-Kewspaper Roo« U n iv e rs ity o f Oregon L ib ra ry Eugene, Oregon 97403 PORTLfl “ The Eyes and Ears of the Community” NEWS IN BRIEF 4th OF JULY FAMILY DAY Jenkins Estate 209th & Farmington Road (Off Grabhorn Road) Aloha, Oregon Monday, July 4th, 1988 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. The estate grounds, including Camp Rivendale, w ill be open for picnicking and self-guided tours. The sounds of Jim Beat ty’s seven man Dixieland Jazz band will be featured from 1:30-4:30 p.m . The “ A ll American Hot Dog Co.” will be on site selling refreshments. FREE ADMISSION Families should bring their own briquettes for a communi ty barbecue. Eight handmade Continental flags w ill be on display. Call 642-3855 for more information. Director Michael Grant Weils, Wishes, and and Felt Dreams Written by: Michael J. Grant Passin Art: A Theatre Co. Independence: Myth Or Reality? by Professor McKinley Burt as the ‘Fourth of July’ ap proaches, many are inclined to ask what exactly did the ‘Found ing Fathers’ have in mind when they used the term “ INDEPEN DENCE” in that famous declara tion of theirs? "In Congress, July 4, 1776, The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of Amer ica; When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the politi cal bands which have connected them with another, and to assume the Separate and equal status to Reverse of the seal of the which the Laws of Nature and of United States of America. Nature’s God entitle them ... cer According to Manly P. Hall, an expert on Masonic lore, tain unalienable Rights, Life, not only were many of the Liberty and the Pursuit of Hap founders of the U S. govern piness." ment Masons, but they re Sounds good doesn’t it? Defini ceived aid from a secret and tive! Unequivocal! But, I shall august body existing in demonstrate that contrary to this Europe, which helped them to rhetoric, the United States has establish the United States for not pursued an independent and “ a peculiar and particular autonomous course of affairs — purpose known only to the neither then, nor now — has not initiated few.” The Great Seal, really exercised this highly ac says Hall, was the signature of claim ed ‘independence’ from this exalted body, and the Europe, or from AFRICA. I direct unfinished pyramid on its your attention to the illustration reverse side “ is a trestleboard setting forth symbolically the and text at your left. Here, we see task to the accomplishment of the preoccupation of Thomas Jef which the U S. Government ferson with the African roots of was dedicated from the day of Philosophy, Religion and Math its inception." The eagle was ematics. Featured is the central apparently intended to rep concept of Egyptian Civilization, resent a phoenix or symbol of MAAT (MAET), with PYRAMID the immortality of the human and the all-seeing EYE of HORUS, soul. Great currency has been the African god of Truth and given to the pyramid and Justice (see reverse side of a one phoenix symbols by placing dollar bill). them upon a one dollar bill. We have this from the Portland I 6 I l f hat’s In A Word?” , as Oregonian for January 4, 1982 Shakespeare put it in (William J. Papp). “ The reverse of his play, ‘Romeo and Juliet’; and, VV Thomas Jefferson the seal depicts a pyramid, with 1776 in the Roman numerals MDCCLXXVI on its base. The pyramid represents permanence and strength. Its unfinished con dition symbolizes that there was still work to be done to form a more perfect government and signifies the expectation that new states will be admitted to the union. The eye in the triangular glory represents an all-seeing Dei ty. The words ‘Annuit Coeptis' translated as ‘He (God) has favored our undertakings’ ...” Given all this, may we assume that the 'God of the Hebrews’ was patterned after an African con cept during their 400 year sojourn in Egypt? I can remember when whites referred to Blacks with a w h ite beard lik e m ine as “ MUSE(S)," the African prophet. Let us cite the infamous TRI ANGULAR TRADE of slaves, cot- ♦on, molasses and rum between Africa, America and England. It was during th is period of genocide for millions of Africans that the base was built for the wealth and power of international (in te rlo c k in g ) d y n a s tie s of fa m ilie s and c o rp o ra tio n s . Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center JULY 8th - 17th FRIDAY/SATURDAY - 8:00 P.M. SUNDAYS - 2:00 P.M. Tickets are $5.00 in advance For information please call 243*7930 or 284-4108 CONGRATULATIONS! Jim Williams: 106 Years Old Dr. Robert L. Green, Ph.D A u th o r The Urban Challenge Race and Poverty June 29,1988 Portland, Oregon Volume XVIII, Number 33 Observer’s Commentary peaking at an informal ses sion of the City Council last week. Commissioner Dick Bogle said “ It’s time to stop talking and start acting.” Bogle went on to say that the Council “ Failed to dem onstrate that we mean business, and that we intend to jump out front with the kind of leadership the public demands.” Bogle went on to propose a “ Sum m it M eeting” of local elected officials to hammer out short and long term strategies for dealing with the growing threat of ‘Gangs’. S A few week prior to Bogle’s summit proposal, Mayor Bud Clark journeyed clear out to S.E. Foster Road to make a anti-crime com m itm ent to the Portland Organizing Project rather than come into the Inner Northeast community and make the same commitment. The Bogle/Clark scenario is a clear illustration of what is wrong with the City’s handling of the drug/gang problem in the Black community — A lack of leadership and clear vision. It is obvious that the city of Portland was not listening, when, years ago, the Black United Front warned of the consequences of racial discrepancy, untreated substance abuse, and the uncon trolled influx of drugs into the c o m m u n ity . O th e r A fric a n - American organizations warned of a pending crisis if something wasn’t done to address the pro blem of drug addiction, the lack of personal self-esteem among Black teenagers, and on and on. Again the warning fell on deaf ears. Portland City Comm issioner Dick Bogle Portland Mayor Bud Clark Now, the African-American community is willing and ready to implement its own anti-crime agenda and strategies. The em ergence of the A frican- American Male Forum: The Coali- tion of Black Men; The Self- Enhancem ent Program; The Tender Loving Care Program; The Think ‘N’ Try Program; The Satur day School, And a host of other youth oriented programs il lustrates the serious intent of Black Oregonians to solve the problem they face in the com munity. The Youth Gang Task Force and law enforcement agencies tell us they know who the real gang members are — Crips and Bloods from California. They also tell us that Portland youth who are involved are very young — 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16-years old. If this is true, then why hasn’t the city and the county made an effort to bring Black families, particularly Black women, into the problem solving process? No task force or agency has the right to unilateral ly make crucial decisions regar ding Portland’s Black teenagers without bringing Black parents or extended family members into the decision making process. M onths ago, the Portland Bloods (Homeboys) shared their story in an exclusive interview with the Portland Observer. In that interview they imparted infor mation valuable to the city’s understanding of what was hap pening. City and county explain to the community what alternatives they have implemented for the Black community that could be perceived as drug/gang problem solvers?B Continued Next Week Against this same backdrop of “ Independence,” we find that the slave-financed international com bines have carried forward the ex ploitation of Africans until today. Soon the world cartels of moved on South Africa to control the pro duction of gold and diamonds by cheap African labor. And the genius as well as the labor of the ‘newly-freed’ African-Am erican was sucked into the man of the world-conquering machine. Pacific Northwest Bell spon sored an accurate presentation of the Black Inventor, Howard Lati mer, during Black History Week. Hired by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 to make the paten draw ings for the telephone, Latimer came to the attention of Thomas Edison where he became the only Black member of the ‘Edison Pioneers’ group. It was here that he invented the carbon filament that MADE EDISON’S LIGHT BULB PRACTICAL! As chief elec tric a l e n g in e e r, he super- vis e d /d e s ig n e d the lig h tin g systems of New York, Philadel phia, Montreal and London. His pioneering books, and his evalua tions of the British electrical generating systems were the data base for attempts by American companies like General Electric to sieze control of and interna tionalize the British Companies. In its ongoing series, “ Oceans Apart," Oregon Public Broad casting System has chronicled this particular battle of inter national monopolies — Again, a battle to internationalize the pro duct of Black genius — “ IN DEPENDENCE" indeed! Affirmative Action: Utilities By Stephen E. McPherson, cial. On the other hand the Columbia-W illamette Financial Group is a leasing company. The lmost 100 years ago Station Columbia-Willamette Investment A performed a phenomenal Company manages a stock port folio valued at $30 million. Finally, feat for its time by transmitting electrical power generated from Portland General Exchanges, Willamette ra ils to Portland, a buys, packages and wholesales distance of 14 miles! That was electrical power and related ser long distance transmission in vices within the utilities. The cor 1889. Today, PGE with total poration is headquartered in the assets of $2.4 billion transmits Portland World Trade Center, power over 1,967 miles of lines formerly known as the Willamette and distributes it over 12,887 Center at 121 S.W. Salmon. This writer interviewed Carol miles of lines. They now service a population of 1.2 million people D illin , a p ub lic in fo rm a tio n w ith c u s to m e rs n u m b e rin g representative, on the 24th floor of their impressive glass tower. At greater than one half million. Last year PGE sold 16.4 kwh her behest, the EEO people and generated revenues of $763 already had researched the m illio n . Even w ith c e rta in following statistics. The total payroll for 3,101 reserves made necessary by the failure of th e ir W ashington employees is about $116 million Nuclear Project in the amount of which averages close to $39 thou $72 million they still earned a sand per person. Of 489 managers 18.8% are women, an increase of handsome $113 million in 1987. As purveyors of a highly 4.9% over the last year. Minority specialized volatile product, PGE managers constitute 3.1% or a is a peculiar creature. Electricity decrease of 0.15. Professionals cannot be stored in bulk. Because fared better. Of 573 so classified of the very short half life, PGE is 21.8% are women, an insignifi more a distributor than a producer cant decrease of 1.1% over last of electricity. It generates only year. Minorities are 6.8%, a 37% of what it sells with 12% decrease of 0.4%. Technicians coming from inexpensive sources dropped by 10% in 1987 leaving such as the Mid-Columbia River; 404 of whom were 26.7% were 8% coal, a low cost but polluting women, an increase of 1.9% and fossil fuel and 17% from nuclear minorities increased by 1.2% to fuels such as those that run the 10.1%. There were no sales Trojan Nuclear Power Plant. It has workers listed in 1986. In 1987, 41 been in operation for 11 years and were hired of whom 12.2% were is a model for such systems with women and a petty 4.9% were regard to cost effectiveness and minorities. Office and clerical people with low paying jobs environmental considerations. Surplus electrical power is sold usually are the stronghold of as far away as California. By such women and minorities. Of the a clever manipulation of multiple 649, 83.5% are women, a gain of sources, PGE sells its customers 2.4%. Minorities are 10.3% gain some of the least expensive elec ing only 0.9%. The skilled crafts have a force of 495 of whom a trical power in the United States. The Portland General Electric paltry 0.2% representing only one and four other companies are person was a woman, but subsidiaries of the Portland minorities had an impressive □ PGE Falls Short Of Affirmative Action Goals A General Corporation. Portland General Holding gives the Cor poration finincial flexibility while the Columbia-Willamette Finan- ■ Please Turn To Page 3 FEATURES........................................................................ Page 1 EDITORIAL / OPINION................................................. 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