Page 2, Portland Observer, December 1,1988
EDITORIAL /
Perspectives
GUEST EDITORIAL:
Low Voter Turnout
by John E. Jacob
Less than half of all voting age
Americans bothered To vote in
1988. George Bush got a majority of
them, but that still left him with such
a small share of the total potential
vote that it’s hard to see how he - or
any president - can fairly claim to
have a mandate from the citizens.
The last time such a small
percentage of the population
bothered to vote was 1924. As
recently as 1960, almost two-thirds
of voting age Americans went to the
polls, but the percentages have
been steadily slipping ever since.
In other democracies, voter
turnouts of 70 to 90 percent of the
eligible population are common. So
we can do a lot better.
O ne b a rrie r to vo ting is
embedded in the nature of our
campaigns.
In 1988 especially,
there was little to excite voters. In
fact, many were turned off by the
candidates' negative ads, there
refusal to present detailed plans for
the future, and their subordination to
the
m edia sp e cia lists and
p a c ka g e rs
who
ran
the ir
campaigns.
A second barrier is the media,
which let itself be used by the
candidates’ managers, and largely
failed to cover the issues in depth.
TV newscasts were driven by the
30-and 60-second “ sound bites”
and photo opportunities that worked
against serious discussion of issues
and stands.
Still another barrier is alienation,
and that may be the most
dangerous of all. Too many citizens
feel left out of our society. They
don’t believe in their ability to
influence the decisions that affect
their lives. They see politicians of
both parties as looking out for
themselves and for the affluent, and
not caring about poor people. This
The Black Church,
A Real History
is dangerous because it undercuts
the very meaning our society and of
democracy. W ere supposed to
have government that represents all
of us, and each American is
supposed to have a say in who
represents him or her. When people
feel and act as if that ideal is a
falsehood, then the very idea of
democracy is in danger and our civic
life is impoverished.
Political leaders are too cynical
about this - they try to register the
non-voters when they think it will
serve their cause and frustrate
registration drives when they think it
may harm them.
Actually, a
nationw ide drive to register
everybody is a non-partisan vote of
faith in the democratic system.
Finally, there are structural
barriers that work to keep people
from the polls. A complex web of
state and local election rules
sometimes seems designed to stop
people from voting rather than
encouraging them.
Professor McKinley Burt
Black from ail walks of life •
including, im portantly, many
teachers - now descend each
summer upon Africa and Greece by
the plane load to examine a new
vista of their heritage. Finally, we
have moved beyond the limiting
view of slave-holding pens on the
coast to view the truth of great black
civilizations that reached their
heights while Europe was yet
barbarous and illiterate.
So many Greek rites, legends
and mythologies (adulterations of
original concepts of their African
overlords) were incorporated into
the early Christian church that we
would do well to examine.
A
September, 1986 Associated Press
report says that the Delphi Temple
in Greece - that nation’s most
impressive classical site (A p o llo ’s
sacred place) - would be threatened
by pollution from a proposed
aluminum plant. What we are not
told, of course, is that it is a replica of
the o rig in al Delphi Temple in
Africa, and was established by
Egyptian
su rve yors
and
geographers. It appears on their
maps and grids on original papyri
and on stone.
“ The Greeks narrated that two
black doves flew from the Temple
of Amon in Egypt to their oracle at
In many places working people
have to lose work time and pay to
tra ve l m iles to the county
courthouse to register. In others,
they lose the right to vote if they
move to a new address before the
election. In still others, they need to
make time-consuming document
searches to prove eligibility.
All of these - and other
restrictions - can be replaced by
automatic, permanent registration
that enables citizens to vote without
hindrance. In this computer age it
should be easy to do that.
Delphi. In ancient African literature
and iconography (and the Bible) the
flight of two doves is very symbolic;
it is also the standard symbol for ‘the
stretching of m eridians and
parallels' by African surveyors
(Delphi was the geodetic center of
Greece - see Stechinni, Ancient
Measurements) .... The heads on
old Greek c o in s have been
identified as Delphos, son of
Melania (Melanin - Black Women),
mythical founder of Delphi." (See
Edward L. Jones, pp. 16, 17,
Profiles In Black Heritage)
"The principal god of Delphi was
Apollo, originally an African folk
god whose name means ‘The
S to n e ’ :
E xcava tio ns
by
archaeologists reveal 'The Stone’ to
be ancient African surveyor
markers (Omphalos), found from
Nubia (The Sudan), to Palestine,
and eastward to Babylon and
to d a y’s Iran and Iraq (see
Tompkins, Secrets of the Great
Pyramid, p. 349)
We live in a dangerous, complex
world, and we need to have a
thriving dem ocratic decision ­
making process.
That means
making sure that all of us take part in
the electoral decisions that will
shape our lives.
Letters To The Editor:
This letter is written as a tribute to
my friend, Muiugata Seraw who was
brutally beaten to death.
Muiugata was an extraordinary
human being. His gift to those he
associated with was love and
respect.
I first met Muiugata when he was
20 years old. He had just newly
arrived from Ethiopia. I was a first
grade teacher at St. Thomas More
School and he was the newly hired
custodian. I remember how the
children responded to him with love
and trust. He was never too busy to
help with any of their special needs.
Muiugata was patient and kind.
The faculty liked, respected and
admired this slim, quiet young man
who worked with great diligence,
helpfulness and always maintained
a cheerful attitude, in spite of
constant demands from a busy
staff.
I remember Muiugata for his self-
sacrificing manner. He chose not to
buy himself a winter coat one year,
so he could send extra money to his
family in Ethiopia. Most of all, I
remember Muiugata for the prayers
and concern that he showed toward
the needs of others.
His
thoughtfulness and pure spirit were
expressed in his everyday behavior.
He was the finest example of a
mature young person I had known.
Muiugata had great respect for
women. It has been alleged that two
women were present at his murder.
It’s quite ironic that people he had
such respect for were in some way
involved in taking his life.
I can only hope that the killers of
Muiugata will be justly punished. If
a prison sentence is given, these
persons should be compelled to
send Mulugata’s family every penny
they earn.
It’s a sorrowful time for me ...
Muiugata was dearly loved and
respected by all who knew him. I will
miss him always and cherish his
memory.
The Endangered
Species
By:
Established In 1970
Gary Ann Garnett
Nvewusi Askari
Business Manager
News Editor
Joyce Washington
Mattie Ann Callier-Spears
Sales/Marketing Director
Religion Editor
Ruby Reuben
Marie Decuir
Sales Representative
Rose Marie Davis
Sales Representative
B. Gayle Jackson
Comptroller
Photographer
Richard Medina
Photo-Composition
Lonnie Wells
Circulation Manager
PORTLAND OBSERVER
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The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from
social and national antagonisms when it accords to every person, regardless o f
race, color, or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing
no person, the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief that
all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.
t W PORTLAND OBSERVER — Or»flon » old»»l Alrlc«n-Am»ric»n Publication — is a member of
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• 11
community, whicn are our children
and their hope for the future. But if
we don't take the opportunity to
stand up and be counted, we will not
be in existence long enough to be
heard. For no one will give us the
stage of fair play unless we take it
ourselves. We must come to the
podium prepared to make our claim
for justice. For our existence is the
bloodline of the society even with all
of the hate and negative dispersions
cast upon us. We are the lifeline of
the society.
We are the only male species that
haven't betrayed the society in
mass and yet we are given the least
amount of respect. We can no
longer expect people to give us
respect. We must take it. We take it
in our actions o, credibility and a
clear plan for our future that we have
designed with and for us if we are
willing to come to the forefront. This
endangered species can be saved.
The question is do we as Black men
love ourselves enough - the endan­
gered species?
Creed Of The Black Press
Subscriptions 120 00 per year in the Tr>County area
*
Harold C. Williams
Our society has destroyed a lot
of life given entities that can never
be replaced. It appears that the
Black man is becoming one of those
entities. He has become the endan­
gered species which everyone
fears, lies on, hates, and blames for
their shortcomings in our society
without looking at the cause and
effect within themselves.
The Black man must reassess his
political value, his economic impact,
and his value to the family. These
components will determine the sur­
vivability of the Black man in this
society. We are being criticized for
the economic shortcomings in this
country, blamed for all of the welfare
woes, and last to be recognized for
employment. We are being at­
tacked viciously on the streets and
the justice system views itself as
"Just us" being behind bars that rep­
resent their claim for justice in our
society.
We must embrace the fabric of our
OREGON'S OLDEST AFRICAN -AMERICAN PUBLICATION
Leon Harris/General Manager
When we examine more directly
other aspects of African presence in
the formation of the early Christian
church we find that there were
"three early Black Popes: Victor
(189-199 A.D.), Melchiades (311-
312),andSt.Gelasius(496A.D.). It
was
M elchiades
who
led
Christianity to final triumph against
the Roman Empire." It is a very
transparent act when we find two
modern French historians, Marrov
and Bonner, spending page after
page denying that the great African
religious scholar, St. Augustine,
was black. It was just too much for
a racist establishment, in spite of
ancient testimony, to admit that the
most influential philosopher in the
shaping of Christian Theology was a
black, born and bred in Africa. St.
Augustine was the author of The
City of God and the Principales
(see J.A. Rogers, 100 Amazing
Facts About The Negro).
In addition to this scholarly and
structural input of the Africans, we
find that the magnificent festivals,
precessions and ceremonies of The
early Christian church was of
African Origin. O ntheinnerfaceot
the East Pylon atthe Temple of Edtu
we find a detailed description of the
Annual Festival of the Reunion.
“ Excitement pervaded Dendera,
Hathor's city on the 4th of the month
of Epiphi and festivities followed one
ano the r
p ra c tic a lly
w ithout
interruption.” This ceremony began
in 2000 B.C. and was highlighted by
a trip up the Nile in gaily decorated
barges, whereby Hathor, the Bride,
sailed to Edtu to meet the
Bridegroom, Horus (the very same
, “ Horns” with whom Thomas
Jefferson was fascinated - he, like
Isaac Newton, thoroughly studied
black history). Tens of thousands of
pilgrims followed the barges, on
land and by boat. There were
singers, ‘shouters’, musicians,
harpers, dancers and drummers;
“ Make a Joyous Sound Unto The
Lord" (Psalms 66:1)
There is much, much more but
not enough room. If readers request
this series will be continued later:
Pope Julius I sets Christmas Day as
the birthday of Christ to coincide
with that of Osiris (the father of
Horus) who was the African god of
vegetation and resurrection, and so
forth.
The Other Side
Sincerely,
Cygnette Cherry, Portland Oregon
Alfred L. Henderson/Publisher
OPMON
• *
CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL
A Salute To
Bill Cosby
by Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
We salute Dr. Bill Cosby for his
many years of support to the civil
rights movement and to African
American educational institutions.
In particular, we pay special tribute
to Bill Cosby for his recent twenty
million dollar gift to Spelman College
in Atlanta, Georgia. This college
has had a long history of providing
an excellent higher education for
African American women.
Too often African Americans
who score record successes in the
entertainment, sports or business
arenas forget about where they
have come from. Bill Cosby and the
Cosby family are models of African
American success, leadership and,
most importantly, commitment. The
gift will enable Spelman College to
build a new academic center to be
named after Camille Cosby, Bill
Cosby’s wife. Bill and Camille are no
strangers to the civil rights
movement. They both have been
supportive and involved in many
important social justice causes and
campaigns across the nation.
The Cosby Show is another
example of the creativity and genius
of Bill Cosby. It is the only program
on television that portrays a positive
image about African American
family life in the United States. At a
time when there is an overall
resurgence of negative attacks on
African American family life in the
national media, the Cosby Show
stands out as a im p o rta n t
alternative.
If the m ajority of A frican
American millionaires would follow
Cosby’s example, then many of the
African American colleges and
universities that are now facing
financial disaster would be able to
overcome the difficulties. In fact,
this should be a responsibility tor all
African Americans, not just those
who are fortunate to be millionaires.
The support of these educational
institutions should be a paramount
concern for the entire nation,
particularly to the community that
these institutions primarily serve.
Thus, we join with Dr. Johnnetta
Cole, the president of Spelman
College, in saying, "Thank you, Bill
and Camille Cosby." We salute you
for your continuing efforts in behalf
of the empowerment of the African
American community and other
oppressed communities.
The
cause of justice and freedom is
greatly served by yourcommitment.
National Education
Association President
Speaks To Minority
Journalists
U
“ By its very nature, it en­
nless the nation moves quick­
courages
some students to read
ly to educate its growing m i­
Socrates
while
others read comic
nority student population, it will
books. Because of tracking, eco­
lose in its effort to regain a global
nomically disadvantaged students
competitive edge, National Educa­
are
far more likely than their
tion Association President Mary
middle-class
or affluent peers to
Hatwood Futrell told 100 leading
be labeled ‘slow ’ or ‘retarded’,”
minority journalists this month.
she said.
These students must develop
the skills essential for them to
Futrell recommended that ef­
contribute to our increasingly
forts and the resources devoted to
information-based economy, and
bilingual education be increased.
the United States can no longer af­
"F or the estimated 3.5 m illion
ford to under-educate or waste
students described as ‘lim ited
what w ill soon be one-third of its
English proficient," our schools
human capital, she said.
provide few chances to participate
She made her remarks at a his­
in the literate exchange of ideas
toric first joint meeting of the
so fundamental to learning. Nu­
boards of directors of the National
merous studies show that the
Association of Black Journalists,
more intensive the instruction in a
the National Association of His­ student’s native language, the bet­
panic Journalists, the Asian-
ter the results on English-lang­
American Journalists Association,
uage tests in reading, writing, and
and the Native American Press
math.”
Association, in Baltimore, Md.
Demographic projections show
The task of educating minority
that by the year 2020 minorities
youth is made d ifficult by the
shortage of minority teachers, she
w ill make up 35 percent of the
emphasized. "Today, m inority,
students in the nation’s schools.
The Black population Is expected
teachers comprise a mere 8 per­
cent of the K-12 teaching force in
to grow from 11 to 14 percent. The
H ispanic population — not in­
our public schools, and that figure
cluding Puerto Rico, which pres­
is projected to drop to 5 percent by
e n tly has 3.3 m illio n re s i­
the end of this decade.
d en ts— w ill grow from 8 to 15 per­
“ This denies minority students
cent. The Native American popula­
positive role models they need in
tion will double to 1 percent, and
school. Additionally, we owe all
the Asian population will increase
students a vision of the racial,
from 1.5 to 5 percent.
ethnic, and religious mosaic that
Five issues she raised were
is America — the diversity that is
segregated schools, tracking, bil­
our strength. We must launch an
ingual Instruction, the English-
unrelenting campaign to recruit
Only movement, and a growing mi­
more minorities into the teaching
nority teacher shortage. All must
profession."
be addressed, she said.
Futrell cited NEA’s "And Jus­
"O f 32,380 schools across the
tice For A ll” reports, released last
nation surveyed by the U.S. De­
year, as one measure of its com­
partment of Education, 13.3 per­
mitment to address problems of
cent have between 90 and 100 per­
minority schoolchildren. "W e’re
cent minority enrollment," Futrell
spending $700,000 this year to im­
said. "Hispanic students are now
plement recommendations of our
more isolated from non-Hispanic
task forces that worked on these
whites than are Black students.
reports, and will spend $1 m illion
The trend is still growing.”
next year," she said.
White students also are victim s
of racial isolation. "It instills in
"W e must let all of our students
them a provincialism and false
know that no group or nation has
perception of their place in the
or can ever have a monopoly on
world,” she commented.
excellence if other groups and na­
Tracking, Futrell said, has
tions are willing to work equally as
helped create a system of educa­ hard. Excellence is something that
tion that "provides one student
is attained through patience, hard
with an education that can oe
work, and development," she said,
redeemed at a university, while
concluding, “ The United States
another student gets an education
cannot wait any longer to address
that does no more than indicate
the challenge of educating every
four years of attendance in a high
student to reach his or her
school.
potential.”
* %