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Volume XVIII, Number 43
*4
The Future Of African-Americans
A n Observer Special Report
Introducing ...
The Struggle To Dream:
An Urban (League) Dilemma
“ Rooked,” But Not Defeated
Rooks the funds were suspended.
uring the half century that
It is quite apparent that decision
the Portland Urban League
-tv-
has served the Black community, was excessively punitive and mis­
*>•
guided. It is Mr. Rooks who has
it has weathered numerous fiscal
focused on the wrong target.
storms. But the fury of the cruel
Through this program the Ur­
tempest that now batters this ven­
ban
League generated thousands
erable old service organization
of
applicants
and after screening
will demand an enduring fortitude
those
who
were
employable, rec­
as the League struggles to sur­
ommended
almost
one thousand
vive under the constant breaking
p
e
rs
o
n
s
to
a
p ro s p e c tiv e
of another wave of impecuniosity.
employer.
It
is
the
would be
Last week the Fred Meyer Foun­
employer
who
through
lack of
dation canceled the remaining
commitment
or
some
other
in-
$370,000 of a four year grant
cumberance,
failed
to
honor
the
which would have found employ­
recommendations of the league.
ment for numerous minorities in
Ruby Reuben
One also suspects that the
our City of Roses. This might be
Actress, Cultural Presenter,
original
program which the Fred
the
first
time
in
the
history
of
the
President-National Council of
Meyer
Foundation
funded was
local
league
that
a
corporate
Negro Women - Tri-County
its
e
lf
d
e
fe
ctive
because
it
donor
had
Withdrawn
such
a
Section, Ad Representative,
predicated
its
success
on
a
large
sum
of
money
from
a
pro­
Portland Observer and Director
sophisticated
computer
technol­
gram
it
had
committed
to
fund.
-Sojourner Truth Theater
ogy which only the writer of the
That amount represents more
Cultural Enrichment Program.
software could administer. This is
than 10 percent of the current an­
a type of blackmail computer pro­
nual
budget.
In
addition
to
those
This Saturday, the National
grammers have perpetrated on
league
employees
who
will
lose
. Council of Negro Women will
their employees for years. Mr.
their
jobs
and
others
who
will
| sponsor a Youth Awareness
Rooks and the other ‘trustees’
continue their employment only
Workshop at Portland Communi-|
should
have been suspicious of
with
a
reduced
income,
the
, ty College (Cascade Campus)
such a ploy from the very outset.
overall effect is that the employ­
I starting at 9:30 a.m.. The com- j
ment services once available to
i munity is invited to participate.
Finally, with the re-organization
the chronically underemployed
of the Urban League's top man­
will certainly be curtailed.
agement and the departure of key
The Initial explanation offered
personnel who had developed the
for the cancellation was the
grant application, it is not surpris­
discovery that the Urban League
ing to observe that the program
had diverted $70,000 of the grant
did not move forward with all due .
to cover operating expenses. Ab­
speed. It is unfortunate the foun­
solutely no one is accused of hav­
dation assumed such a callous
ing enjoyed a personal gain from
and obdurate position in this mat­
the misapplication of the de­
ter. It is regretable that the Fred
dicated funds. More recently,
Meyer Foundation did not grant
however, the success of the
the new administration a period
employment program, itself, has
of grace to put its house in order.
come under criticism by the
It is applaudable that these
trustees of the foundation and
funds
are still available to any
e spe cially, its dire cto r, Mr.
group
that can make the plan
Charles S. Rooks. He faulted the
work.
There
is no reason that the
program for not having hired
Urban
League
should not resub­
enough persons under its au­
mit
a
workable
plan developed by
spices. Of the 870 persons recom­
Mr. Harvey Lockett
its
present
staff.
The League does
mended to various employers, on­
Politican, Businessman,
have a commendable track record
ly 146 were hired.
Manager/Owner of Rental
here in the City of Roses. It is to
One cannot help but applaud
Properties and Former
be hoped that the men of good
the wisdom and commitment of
Assistant to City Commissioner ]
will
who run its industries will
the Fred Meyer Foundation to
Charles Jordan and Former
supply
the funds in order to
dedicate such a huge amount of
Executive Assistant to City
ameliorate the league’s present
funds to this effort. It is lament­
Commissioner Dick Bogle.
embarrassment of funds.
able that at the urging of Mr.
D
r'
The Economic Homefront:
Part II
IN D E X
FEATURES
Page 1
EDITORIAL STORIES
Page 2
COMMUNITY FORUM
Page 3
>
RELIGION
Page 4
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 5
FASHION SAVVY '
Page 6
community
CALENDAR
Page 8
RELATED STORIES
Page 9
CLASSIFIEDS
Pages 10-12
PIVOTAL CONCERNS
FOR THE FUTURE
In looking to the future, there
are four concerns demanding
special attention, the black soc­
ial class structure, the future of
African-Americans who are now
children, the role of African-
Americans in the American tech­
nological future, and the con­
tinuing problem of racism.
The Black Social Class Structure
Rich, middle-class, and poor,
white collar and blue collar, em­
ployed and unemployed, profes­
sional, technical, and service ...
the Am erican population is
structured in identifiable layers.
And so is the com m unity of A fri­
can-Americans. The social class
structure of this com munity is
complex, but there is a two-
class pattern that seems to be
emerging, featuring a middle-
class and what is now com mon­
ly called an “ underclass.” It is
taken for granted that the m id­
dle-class is comprised of per­
sons of all racial backgrounds.
However, it is often assumed
that the underclass is made up
of only African-Americans and
Hispanic-Americans. In fact, a
great many European-Americans
are in this layer, though larger
fractions of the black and his-
panic com m unities are found
there.
The major public concern is
with the underclass. Emerging
, as a clearly identifiable part of
the American economy, this
social element is experiencing a
disproportionate share of the
problems in American society.
Sociologists Douglas Glasgow
and W illiam Wilson tell us that
the hallmarks of social life of the
underclass in urban settings are
high unemployment, large num­
bers of out-of-wedlock births,
high proportions of fem ale­
headed households, welfare de­
pendency, and violent crim es.11
Policy analysts John Palmer and
Isabel Sawhill indicate that the
plight of these com m unities has
intensified as a result of recent
cuts in federal spending for
social programs.”
Although substantially better
off than the black underclass,
the black middle class is equally
vulnerable. Recent evidence has
suggested persistent inequities
between the black and white ele­
ments of the American middle
Despite the fact that banks in
by Marcus White
Oregon may discriminate against
minority owned businesses, this
itting in a small restaurant is
impediment does not stop the
a man, peering out a painted
window watching cars pass and economic process for owners.
Much of Franklin’s success at­
children play, awaits his meal
tributes
to the help of the Small
which is soon to come.
Business Administration. “ They
Throughtout the room of the
(SBA) came out and asked me if I
restaurant a sweet, and familiar,
wanted a loan for my business,"
chicken aroma. From the back­
admitted Franklin, "I really didn't
room, better known as the kit­
have any problems.”
chen, a man promptly, yet care­
Phillip Jackson, founder of J.P.
fully, watches the food as it
Advertising
says that many minor­
cooks.
ity
owned
businesses
often go
Realizing the need of his pres­
through
"red
tape"
in
order
to ac­
ence, the cook walks to the front
quire
loans.
room. The cook, Levert Franklin,
Having owned a business for
who has been an entreprenuer for
three
years, Jackson says banks
twenty years, tells how he started
evaluate the history and business
out.
plans of people requesting loans.
“ In starting my business' I
Jackson admits that the problem
began by selling candy and
arises when you don’t have a
potato chips," said Franklin with
track record for banks to go by.
a reminiscent look, “ I simply put
Seeking entreprenuers for
my m oney b a ck in to the
funding is another means by
business."
which black owned businesses,
Levert Franklin is just one of
have succeeded. “ I had a friend
many small minority business
who helped me out by giving me a
owners in Oregon who start out
sm all loan,” Jackson co m ­
through loans or other means of
mented.
financial support.
Currently, Jackson, as well as
“ For the most part, minority
several other minority business­
businesses have had problems in
men, is involved in the ‘Incubator
the past acquiring loans from na- Program.’ This program facilitates
jor banks," Franklin states, "this
the development of small busi-
is not just a problem here in Ore­
■ Continued to Page 9
gon, but nationwide as well."
11 n V». ~* * - * '
t
2
class. But even more important,
it has been suggested that the
black middle class may have
reached its zenith. For one
thing, Richard Hylton points out
that the income of bla ’ k middle
class fam ilies relative to that of
white middle class fam ilies
varies in absolute terms and by
the number of wage earners in
the fam ily.” And Professor Bart
Landry writes that a significantly
larger percentage of black m id­
dle-class families lacks the in­
come to maintain a middle-class
standard of living.” and though
families in both groups gener­
ally rely on the wives' salaries to
sustain a middle-class living
standard, this reliance is far
greater for black fam ilies than
for white ones. Further, middle-
class African-Americans typical­
ly have lower earnings and op­
portunities for advancement
AND
FA C TS
Distribution of Black
Elected Officials by Census
and the conclusion offered is
that they can not be helped at
all, so these polices should be
abandoned in the interest of
economy in the face of a mam­
moth national debt. The middle
class, in contrast, is said to have
become so successful that it no
longer needs or deserves the
help of government and industry
to make it, and it is said that
policies supporting them should
also be abandoned in fairness to
c o m p e tin g E u ro p e a n -A m e ri­
cans. The logical bottom line is
that all policies directly or in­
d ire c tly su p p o rtin g A frican-
Americans in their quest for a
better life should be curtailed.
For the underclass, this would
mean a worsening of conditions
and an even earlier death for a
great many people. For the m id­
dle class, which is plainly mar­
ginal, it means further advance-
F IG U R E S
Black Mayors of
Cities with Populations
Over 100,000
Term
Expira»
% Of
Region
Totut
Total
Northeast
North Centrai
708
1,275
4.287
376
6 646
106
Total"
Sou'ce joint Cermet to'
64 5
5.7
100
PoMcai Studies
I rife j d BCUS i- in« viryr, i » i « i w » d s n
because ma' lemtnry is not included >n the divisions
of the united States used by the U S Census
than their white counterparts.”
The key to the growth in the
black middle class has been
fe d e ra l le g is la tio n m a kin g
employment discrim ination il­
legal, but Landry and others
have pointed to a recent resurg­
ence in discrim ination in the
labor m arke t.” Palm er and
Sawhill suggest that this is re­
lated to the weak enforcement
by the Reagan Administration of
antidiscrimination laws.”
The black underclass will con­
tinue to exist unless policies are
implemented to increase their life
chances in the context of a strong
and balanced high growth eco­
nomy. And the black middle class
is likely to falter if antidiscrim­
ination and other policies affect­
ing its life chances are not
vigorously enforced as well.
A dangerous tendency is
emerging in the language and
assumptions of public and pri­
vate policies. The underclass is
said to have been the benefici­
aries of numerous social pro­
grams that have allegedly failed,
Name
Eugene Sawyer Jr
Thomas Bradley
W Wilson Goode
Coleman Young
Kurt Schmoke
Ma non Barry
Sidney Bartheiemy
7/89
12/91
12/89
12/91
12/90
3 90
City
Percentage
Of Black
400
17.0
40.2
63.1
5 48
6 66
553
Chicago
Los Angeles
Philadelphia
Detroit
Baltimore
Washington
New Orleans
Source Jo*» Center tor Political Studies
ment and stabilization for only a
few families, continued margin-
ality for some, and a slide back
into proverty for many.
And from a political stand­
point it means the erosion of the
black element of the political
base of black politicians. Under
conditions of budgetary strin­
gency, this dynamic will, if not
countered, accelerate the de­
cline of the hard-earned position
of African-Americans in Ameri­
can politics. As a result, African-
A m ericans w ould fa ll even
f a r t h e r b e h in d E u ro p e a n -
Americans.
The Future of Black Children
It is plain that the future of all
America is the future of its child­
ren. Likewise, the future of black
children is the future of African-
Americans. And while the future
of all American children is not
what it should be, w ithout sub­
stantial inititives in public and
private policies, the future of
black children is especially
bleak. Look first at the condition
■ Continued to Page 9
NEW SMAKER OF TH E W EEK
Rick Jones: One Of
Storefront’s Busiest Artists
1
r
Rick Jones as Levee in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
I
Ever since last year’s acclaimed production c<
Woza Albert! actor-director Rick Jones has been
covering a whole lot of ground. That particular pro­
duction went on tour after closing at the Wlnn-
ingstad, taking Rick and co-star Anthony Armstrong
to high schools, churches, colleges and other
theatres around Portland and in Corvallis, Hood
River, Condon, and even to the Oregon State
Penitentiary in Salem.
Following Woza Albert! last spring Rick was in­
vited to repeat his role as Levee in Ma Rainey’s Black
Bottom at the Pegasus Theatre in Chicago, which he
did for the month of May. Then Seattle's Pioneer
Square Theatre drafted him for its production of the
same play, but this time he took over the role of
Toledo in a production that also featured the
lighting of Storefront’s Jeff Forbes. Seattle critic
Roger Downey wrote that as “Toledo the piano man,
Rick Jones, a welcome visitor from Portland, turns a
voice into a living human being."
Rick’s current projects are his appearance in the Burt Reynolds film Bracingi£ ^ ^ b S j l n n i ™
role of Othello for the Actors Cooperative, which he is co-producing at the IFCC T e
beg
g
SePM mSoon t
Othstlo opens, Rick starts rehearsals as Director ol th i Storslront production o lZ o o m »
and the Si«n. a play he appeared In Pack in 1982 in Philadelphia. Cast members t o theshow
Dance as^ooman with Anthony P. Armstrong, Wanda Walden, Al Jamison, Brenda
Askari, Rita Bankhead LeDuff, Eugene Hughes and Michael Winbush^
on November 2, Rick Jones may be able to take a few deep breaths before his next project
» e
■ *» •
V
(Excerpts from the Congressional Task Force Summary Report
“ The Future of African-Americans to the Year 2000”
S
Mr. & Mrs. Shin,
Owners of the New
Seven Star Market
505 N.E. Killingsworth
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