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December 29,1988
The Eyes and Ears of the community
Volume XVIII • Number 57
Saluting....
S a lu tin g ...
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THE BLACK UNITED FUND
OF OREGON
"The Helping Hand that is Your Own
Thank You!!!
Kenita Mason
8 Years Old
Hum bolt School
As 1988 comes to a close and we
embark on a new year w e’d like to
take this opportunity to thank the
community tor its generous support
of the Black United Fund of Oregon
during our 1988 charitable campaign.
W e com m end you for supporting
both our workplace organizing and
fundraising efforts. The generous sup­
port w e've received demonstrates
that employees welcome choice in
workplace giving and are committed
to the Black United Fund of Oregon's
goal of com m unity development
through self-help.
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Jam es D ePreist
C hairm an, B lack U nited Fund
Shaudia Jackson
10 Years Old
H um boldt School
Iman N a’eem Muhummad
Self-help and self-determination
are historically connected to the Afri­
can-Am erican tradition and it is very
clear that when a people embrace
these principles they not only gain
the assistance of others but also
their respect. This spirit of respect is
reflected in the tremendous amount
of public involvement and volunteer
support w e’ve received. In just one
short year (1987-1988) employee
contributions went from $14,000 to
over $100,000. This level of support
is indicative of your com m itm ent to
the Black United Fund of Oregon and
belief in a cause which we all hope
will contribute to turning our com m u­
nity around.
Shantell Streeter
10 Years Old
I W oodlawn Elem entary School!
There is no question that the com ­
munity at large and the Black com ­
munity in particular has some seri­
ous problems. The Black United Fund
of Oregon provides us with an oppor­
tunity to pool our resources to bring
about needed changes in our com ­
munity. We believe that with consis­
tent and on-going support from you,
the Black United of Oregon can
continue to provide assistance to
community-based organizations that
guide and set the tone for what we
must do to improve the quality of We
in our community.
members. We would also like to
commend the following organizations
for their generous support, Black
Professional Network, Oregon Alli­
ance of Black School Educators and
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Ben Priestley, Board Chairman
Amina Anderson, Executive Director
The Late Rev. John Garlington
New Program Reaches
Out To Families
Congratulations!
Sharon Mitchell
News Anchor
KGW -Ch.8
“ My goal is to bridge the gap that
exist between schools, families, stu­
dents, teachers and our community
as a w hole," said Ada Reed Jackson,
as she explained the new "C om m u­
nity and Family Outreach Program,"
scheduled to begin January 6, at
W oodlawn Elementary School.
Ms. Jackson’s program draws upon
some traditional strengths of Port­
land's African-American Community:
The Family, Teachers, Volunteers,
Commitment, and the Participation
of Com m unity Leaders. “ I am so
proud of the responses I received
from those persons who will be teach­
ing the classes. They were so willing
to share their knowledge and exper­
tise with parents,” Ada said with a
smile. "A nd,” she continued, “they
are doing i, for no pay, They are
participating because, like me, they
are committed to building a strong
community for our children and our
fam ilies."
Ms. Jackson said the program was
designed with the total family in mind,
"as you can see throughout Portland
African-Am erican community, there
is a strong com m itm ent to self-help
LET’S MAKE 1 9 8 9 -A year of w a rm th , love, c o m m u n ity to g e th e rn e s s
and fa m ily Lets m ake 1989 th e year o f o u r c h ild re n . A bove, Jayne
K enned y-O verton g ive s equal tim e to m o th e rh o o d , as she reads to her
d a u g h te r S avannah Re. H appy New Year!
and empowerment. Self-help and
Empowerment have been strong
cornerstones of African-American
culture. The community and family
outreach program is just another
cornerstone to add to what we are
building in our com m unity."
Nyewusi Askari, one of the pro­
gram ’s participants echoed Ms.
Jackson's point. "African-Americans
have always been about self-help
and tradition, we, as a people, didn’t
survive slavery and all that followed
Ms. Alberta Phillip
Inst. Family Outreach
■ C ontinued To Page 6
Pvt. T am m ^S . Caston
Army Reserve Private Tammy
S. Caston, daughter of Bobby
Caston of 2214 N.E. 36th, Port­
land, Ore., and Laura L. Caston
of 2102 Maple Ridge, Baton
Rouge, La., has completed basic
training at Fort Dix, N.J. During
the training, students received
instruction in drill and cerem o­
nies, weapons, map reading,
tactics, military courtesy, mili­
tary justice, first aid, and Army
history and traditions. The sol­
dier is a 1988 graduate o*
W oodlawn High School, Baton
Rouge.
by Useni t . Perkins
in America carries with it universal
liabilities. W herever you go in Am er­
ica, whether it be in New York, C hi­
cago, Illinois, or Jackson, Mississippi,
Useni E. Perkins
C.E.O. Urban League
of Portland
As the Urban League of Portland
approaches 1989, eleven years from
the 21st century, there are some
concerns, problems and issues I would
like to share with the community that
we serve.
First, let me take this opportunity
to personally thank the many people,
groups and organizations for the warm
reception they have given me since
my arrival in Portland. I deeply appre­
ciate it, especially in light of the seri­
ous problems that the League faces.
As many of you already know, the
League has been confronted with a
myriad of problems, mostly financial,
that have raised concern about our
credibility as a viable institution.
However, the moral support received
from the com m unity indicates that
the League is still viewed as an impor­
tant institution. At the same time, I
realize that the com m unity expects
and deserves accountability from the
League if we are to sustain its sup­
port. The community can be assured
that the League will unequivocally
honor this expectation. Sometime in
the very near future, the League will
meet with various community groups
and organizations to share with them
our plans to resolve these problems.
When I came to Portland, I had
only a vague idea about the social
problems that existed here. Like many
midwestemers, my knowledge of the
Northwest was limited to the legacy
of Lewis and Clark and stories of its
scenic beauty. However, it did not
take me long to discern that, in many
ways, the Northwest is no different
from other regions in the country as it
relates to the social and economic
status of Black people. With but a few
exceptions, Black people share a
common oppression regardless of
where they live. This does not mean
Blacks in Portland have no unique
problems, but that simply being Black
you will find Black people are at the
greatest risk. A disproportionate
number are on welfare, live in the
poorest communities, have the high­
est unemployment, are confined in
penal institutions, have serious health
problems and are still being victim­
ized by institutional racism. And now
many of our communities are being
paralyzed by drugs, destabilized by
fragmented families and losing our
youth to violent street gangs and the
likelihood of facing a future that is
indisputably bleak.
The struggle Black people face in
Portland is only an extension of the
historic struggle that we have faced
since slavery. It is a struggle that
seeks to achieve full equality in all
areas of American life. It is a struggle
that attacks the very core of racism
and challenges the integrity of Am er­
ica to truly be what she claim s she is.
It is a struggle that reaffirms our right
as a people to preserve our culture
and control our destiny.
W hat role will the Urban League
play in this protracted struggle during
1989? I have given this question
considerable thought and, after many
deliberations, consultations and ob­
servations, arrived at the following
conclusions:
First, the Urban League must
regain its fiscal stability if it is to
remain an important institution in
the community. Therefore, the
League is making every effort to
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Message To The Community
There are many people we would
like to acknowledge for their out­
standing support, unfortunately space
does not permit us to do so , however
we would be remise if we did not ac­
knowledge Mr. James DePreist, 1988
Campaign Chairman and the late
Rev. John Garlington and Iman
Na’eem Muhammed, past board
As we reflect on 1988 our thoughts
are turned gratefully to those who
have made our progress possible. It
is in this spirit that we say, simply but
sincerely Thank You and best wishes
for a Happy New Year.
Antoine Davis
11 Years Old
Harriet Tubman
M iddle School
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resolve its financial problems. W e
have cutback on our spending and
are making sure all of our pro­
grams operate within their pre­
scribed budgets. We are also trying
to resolve some of the fiscal strain
placed on us by our real estate
holdings. At the sam e time, how­
ever, we need help from the com ­
munity and encourage your sup­
port when we com m ence our
Membership Campaign in 1989.
Secondly, it is crucial that the
League maintain its present pro­
grams because they serve the
needs of many underserved, al­
ienated and disenfranchised people.
O ur services to seniors provide
them with critical support systems
our youth programs assist younc
people who are in trouble; and out
W hitney Young Learning Center
helps at-risk students. W e alsc
serve the homeless, provide low ­
cost housing to the poor and eld­
erly and emergency and energy
assistance to those in the greatest
need. And although our Employ­
ment Department has been de-
funded, we continue to provide
employment services to our clients.
One example is the form ation of
the League’s Employer's Advisory
Council, which will help us to de­
velop job readiness workshops for
the unemployed.
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The League has also been the
catalyst for organizing the Coalition
of Black Men, Black Health Coalition
and is working closely with other
Continued To Page 8
TELEVISION TALK SHOW HO ST AND A CTRESS Oprah W infrey pre»-
ents a $100,000 check to Dr. Elaine C. Mosley, principal of C hicago*«
Corporate/Com m unity Schools of Am erica. W infrey m ade the d o n a­
tion on behalf of herself and Revlon, Inc.
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