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Portland, Oregon
25C
PORTLRNÖ
Volume XVIII, Number 52
Introducing:
ERVER
The Eyes and Ears of the community
Oregonians Must Take
Immediate Action To
Combat Racism
throughout the world. They don’t
care about Jews. They don’t care
about Blacks. They don’t care
hroughtout Oregon’s African-
about people of color. They don’t
American communities, the
care about whites who believe in
beating death of Mulugeta Seraw the concept of One Nation under
has ignited anger, caution, meet
God. They only care about
ing after meeting, rallies against
themselves.
racism and a new awareness of
If Oregon is serious about com
how deep and widespread racism
bating racism within its borders, it
is in the City of Portland and the
must start to do so immediately. *
State of Oregon.
Lawmakers, on both the state and
It is more than tragic that a man
local level, should be encouraged
had to be beaten to death before
to enact strong laws which will
most Oregonians realized that rac
protect Oregonians from the dead
ism is not only evil but deadly
ly fangs of racism. Because of the
-deadly to the positive growth and
present racial climate, most Black
development of race relations;
Oregonians feel unsafe traveling
deadly to the cultural, social, eco
outside of their own communities.
nomic and political development
They don’t feel protected.
of Oregon; deadly to the sanity
Black Oregonians must be
and well-being of all children —
given credit for their handling of
deadly period.
Mr. Seraw’s murder. Instead of
The fact that three white youths
seeking to find the killers of
have been arrested for Mulugeta’s
Mulugeta, Rambo style, they came
murder has brought little comfort
together, with their neighbors, to
to Black Oregonians. Outside of
seek a collective solution. They
the FBI and Portland Police, little
allowed law enforcement to do its
November 24 1988
The Accused
by Nyewusi Askari
Editor - Portland Observer
T
Bishop and Mrs. Hopkins
Rev. John and Vivian
Parker
Brewster
Metropolitan
08/87
The Vietnamese Seventh Day
Adventist Church in Portland was
spray-painted with racist graffiti
which disparaged Asians and
Blacks.
11/11/87
Q1/26/88
Residents in Gresham, Oregon
found a publication denouncing
“ Negro-White Marriages” in their
newspaper boxes. The publica
tion, printed by the Lord’s Cove
nant Church of Phoenix, Arizona,
was found in the distribution of a
local food magazine.
Ms. Cora Smith
REMEMBERING
MULUGETA SERAW
is known about the evidence that
was gathered leading to the arrest.
Less is known of how a jury or
judge will view it. At present, Black
Oregonians can only wonder what
the evidence will reveal, thus, a
large majority are witholding judg
ment on the guilt or innocence of
the accused.
And rightly so, however, the fact
remains — Mulugeta Seraw was
beaten to death because of the
color of his skin. His death reveals
how urgent it is for Oregonians to
confront racism on all fronts — in
the schools, in the workplace, in
Arts & Entertainment, in the
church, in our homes, in our
language, everywhere...
COM M ENTARY
Rev. John Garlington
ANNOUNCEMENT
The Observer has moved into
the computer age. Recently, the
newspaper purchased a Packard
Bell Computer/NEC SilentWriter
LC 890 Postscript Page Printer.
As a result, the paper is in transi
tion while the computer bugs are
being worked out. Once that has
happened, the entire newspaper
will be formatted on the computer
on a weekly basis. Until then,
readers will notice changes, and
at times, the absence of regular
columns, announcements, etc.
We ask your patience. We will be
back on course within two or
three weeks.
Although most Oregonians
were caught off guard by Seraw’s
death, it didn’t take long for them
to organize around a common
cause: to eliminate racism from
Oregon. It is evident that Mulu
geta’s murder touched the hearts
of all who are committed to
creating a Nation where color
doesn't decide whether a man,
woman or child lives or dies. Now,
it will be interesting to see if those
same persons will follow through
with their commitment.
It is important that they do. The
racists, declared and un-declared,
have made their intentions known
job. However, the question re
mains: If racism is not confronted
and confronted soon, how long
will cool heads prevail?
Mulugeta’s murder has been
very revealing. It has shown that
most Portland communities can
work together on this problem and
do it very successfully. It has
shown that law enforcement can
seek out and apprehend those
who disregard the lives of others.
Even so, it remains to be seen if
these actions will be symbolic of
future actions on behalf of neigh
borhoods and law enforcement.
In the meantime, Black Oregon
ians must enact rules, policies and
stragedies that are designed to en
sure the safety of the Black family,
the Black woman, the Black elder
ly, the Black child and the Black
male. In this present climate of
racial hatred, everyone is a target.
It makes no difference if you wear
a three piece suit or jeans or ten
nis shoes. As long as you are
Black, you are a target for death.
That's how serious this situation
is.
Our children must be encour
aged to stay off the streets until a
safer climate is created. We must
change our behavior. We must en
act a system where Black Oregon
ians are not easily targeted and
victimized.
The time is NOW!
Human Relations Commission
school bus in the morning when
she confronted a white female,
who was reported to have hit her
children. The white female started
yelling, “ I DIDN’T HIT YOUR
CHILDREN .... ONLY SHOVED
THEM” . “ YOU CAN CALL THE
POLICE ALL YOU WANT TO.
04/27/88
A large rock that had a swastika
and "DIE JEW” painted on it was
thrown through a window of Jewish
man's home.
05/02/88
Racist literature was found in a
phone booth located in downtown
Portland. The anonymous author
claims to spread the truth by inter
preting biblical scripture to sup
port race separation, white race
preservation, and to decry interra
cial marriage.
Vandals spray painted anti-Israeli
graffiti on the exterior to two syna
gogues.
The slogans were:
RECOGNIZE THE PLO; YOU
HAVE BLOOD ON YOUR
HANDS; JEW TRIUMPH = ARAB
DEATH.
Q3/1Q/88
ser. Suspects gone on police arri
val.
06/01/88
An Asian man pulled up next to a
car containing two white males
who shouted racial epithets. The
passenger in the suspect car
pulled out a baton and started
beating the victim’s car. A Police
officer went after the assailants.
No arrest was made. Later on, the
victim called 911 and the police
otficer/operator asked about
damages. The victim said there
was no damage to the car. The
police officer responded, “ IF
THEY DIDN’T DAMAGE YOUR
CAR, T H E R E ’S NO LAW
AGAINST BEING RUDE” .
06/09/88
A white female was arrested for
writing Skinhead graffiti on brick
enclosure.
06/17/88
05/27/88
Hate mail was received by Com
missioner Lindberg. The writer
expressed his anger against Lind
berg's contribution to the Black
United Front Saturday School.
maozaa
Q5/29/88
Two S kinheads w ere a p
proached by two black males who
stated they were “Bloods” . The
black males asked if they were
“ Skins” and then assaulted them.
One victim was examined at Kai
While standing at a bus stop in
North Portlana, two black seven
teen (17) year-old males were
approached by three white males
wearing Skinhead-like attire (army
boots, shaved heads). The three
white males chanted racial epi
thets and assaulted the two black
males. The black males fought
back and were able to get away.
Upon notifying their parents about
the incident, one victim’s parent
(Continued to Page 3)
SENIOR OF THE WEEK
Three Skinheads were arrested
for attacking an Asian-American
male coming out of a downtown
restaurant with his family. The
Skinheads were reported as say
ing "GO BACK TO HONG KONG”
and "GET OUT OF OUR COUN
TRY” . They called his Caucasian
wife a TRAITOR and called their
two year-old daughter a “ FUCK
ING SLANT” . During the assault,
the American-Asian male was
struck in the face and kicked in the
leg, head and stomach with heavy
combat boots.
?
03/17.88
Active Skinhead recruitment re
ported at Fernwood Middle
School and Grant High School.
Skinheads promise that they will
protect white recruitees from the
minorities.
Q4/Q3/88
A black male found his car vandal
ized. The windows were smashed
and a magic marker was used to
w rite “ KILL THE J E W S ",
“COONS" and several Nazi swas
tikas on the car.
04.19 88
Locations W here Skinhead Groups Have Been Operating:
Strasser
Summary Of Reported Racially-M otivated Incidents 87-88
A group of youths believed to be
Skinheads terrorized a black
woman near the Lloyd Cinemas
complex, shouting racial epithets
at her, spitting on her car and
eventually throwing a chain
through her car window. Pieces of
the flying glass lodged in her cor
nea and she required treatment at
a hospital emergency room. No
arrests were made for that inci
dent.
SALUTING
Mieske
A black female stated that as she
was seeing her children onto the
Mr. Wiley Carter, Sr.
Mr. Wiley Grant Carter, Sr. who
will celebrate his 75th birthday on
December 10, 1988 was Dom in
Sheeplow, Mississippi in 1913.' He
moved to Portland in 1942 to work
in the shipyards. He met and
married Rosa Ann King in 1948
and together they raised eight
lovely children before Rosa's
death in 1986.
Retired since 1980, Wiley Car
ter, Sr spends a lot of time tending
his garden and traveling to visit his
children and relatives who live
throughout the United States.
A senior resident of Gantenbein
Avenue (G Street) for nearly 40
years, Wiley Carter, Sr. has been
ap inspiration to everyone in his
neighborhood. He is.always willing
to give a helping hand to a person
in need, or some sound advice.
’ Mr. Carter says "live right and
don't over indulge in food, drink or
use drugs, and treat people as you
would have them treat you” these
are they keys to longevity
On December 10,1988 friends
and family of Wiley Caher, Sr. will
gather to salute this special individ
ual on his 75th birthday.