Page 5 Portland Observer JULY 20,1989
PERSPFXTIVES
by McKinley Burt
Last week’ s article revealed that
in 1803 the size o f the United States
was doubled by lens o f m illion s o f
acres when Napoleon startled presi­
dent Thom as Jefferson by suddenly
offering him the entire Louisiana
T e rrito ry at a bargain basement price.
This acquisition was quickly followed
on by the Lew is and C la r k E xp ed i­
tio n which soon verified the im por­
tance o f the prize.
We further disclosed-documented
by the St. Helena correspondence o f
Napoleon-that his (Napoleon’ s) de­
cision to get out o f the Am ericas was
precipitated by the ever present threat
o f the A frican freedom fighters in the
Western Hemisphere. He rig h tly
concluded that there was no way he
could handle the B la ck p ro ble m o f
continuous slave revolts in the West
Indies, and at the same tim e defend
this overseas empire against the chal­
lenge o f the B ritish, the Spanish, and
the Americans who were empire-
minded themselves. Napoleon’ s cor­
respondence pointedly cites the Black
hero o f the Haitian slave revolt,
Toussaint Louverature, as the turn­
ing point in his decision: “ M y fo lly
was the way I handled Toussaint....I
lost m y army and then 1 lost H a iti” .
N ow , what does current commen­
tary have to say about a ll the A frican
interaction in the affairs o f the French
nation? M y July 6th pronouncement
that American history is w hite neigh­
borhood tu rf is validated by the cur­
rent issue o f the National Geographic
M agazine. The entire issue alleg­
edly is devoted to the history o f France,
“ France Celebrates Its Bicentennial” .
W hat is not celebrated here is the key
role o f many A frica n individuals and
importations. The Am erican authors
lim it us to a few photos o f half-naked
entertainers and models, and a dis­
course on a M uslim ghetto o f “ A f r i­
can im m igrants” . Included is a r i­
diculous and demeaning photo o f my
mothers cousin, Josephine Baker.
There is, o f course, no m ention o f
anv o f the Black movers and shakers
I have described here in these past
three weeks: N o General Alexander
Dumas (or the other eleven Black
generals who made the N apoleonic
re p u ta tio n ); N othing on his son and
grandson, novelists and playw rights
w ho -like the A frica n Pushkin in
Russia-pushed the nation’s belle lettres
to international acclaim , creating the
modem French theatre; And nothing
at a ll on Napoleon’ s A frica n expedi­
tion which brought back culture and
technology that sparked a new Ren­
aissance-new
m o d a litie s
in
mathem atics,furniture and dress, not
to mention getting the Louvre M u ­
seum o ff to a fly in g start.
W e w ould note also that there was
no mention o f a later and most im ­
portant from France’s A frica n colo­
nies. This was the Impressionist style
o f painting and sculpture (M odem
A rt) which fundam entally changed
the approach to art, and to philoso­
phy as w ell. Especially, the A frican
sculpture from Nigeria and Dahomey
demonstrated through abstractions that
there was another way to reveal the
core o f reality. A p p lyin g these new
concepts to their brushes, painters
like Picasso, Klee, Cezanne, Van Gogh
and others now learned that there
was a way, other than literal repre­
sentation, to abstract and render the
very soul and essence o f existence-
M uch in the way that A frica n A m e ri­
cans did w ith Jazz.
Before I close this series on
“ African Interaction in France” , allow
me to add some relevant errata.
Napoleon’ s p la yg irl sister, Pauline
Bonaparte, was sent to H aiti to save
him further embarassment. Here,
according to newspapers o f the time,
she successively became lover to tw o
o f Toussaint Louverature’s generals,
Petion, later president o f H a iti, and
Christophe, later Henry I. Placide,
the son o f Toussaint, married a French
Noblewoman, M arie Josephine,
daughter o f the M arquis de LaCaze,
bodyguard o f Louis X V I (see J.A.
Rogers, "Y o u r H isto ry” ).
The heir to the throne Napoleon
built, Prince Napoleon, ironically was
k ille d by Africans in the Z u lu W a r
o f 1869 (Rogers, “ W o rld ’ s Great
Men o f C olor V o l.II, p.239). In her
column in “ The O regonian," July
12, Coretta Scott K in g, comments on
the French Bicentennial, citin g the
black author Barbara Chase Riboud.
This is the woman who has w ritten
the most definitive book, “ Sally Hem-
ings’ ’ on Thomas Jefferson’s roman­
tic hypocrisies w ith Black women
w hile holding A frica n slaves.
And did you notice the A rc h de
T riu m p h , that strikin g structure fre­
quently featured during the televi­
sion coverage o f the French Bicen­
tennial. It is an exact replica o f a
principal gate o f the ancient A frican
c ity, Thebes-described by the Greek
oral poet, Hom er, as “ one o f the
seven wonders o f the w o rld ” .
Can we not rise again w ith this
type o f m otivation? W ho indeed was
it who said, “ He who does not know
his history is doomed to repeat i t ” ?
L e t’ s hold the fo rt this time!
VOLUNTEER ORIENTA­
TION AT KBOO RADIO
KB O O Radio w ill hold a volunteer
orientation, Wednesday, July 26,
at 7:00PM . This meeting is man­
datory i f your are interested in
getting involved w ith your com ­
m unity radio station. KB O O o f­
fers free training in all aspects o f
radio broadcast. The orientation
w ill take place at the K B O O stu­
dios at 20 S.E. 8th.
K B O O 90.7FM is the Portland area’ s
o nly non-commercial, listener
supported com m unity radio sta­
tion. For more inform ation call
A lle n Julian at 231-8032.
KEEPING COOL
ISA
DANGEROUS
GAME
Tony Brown, an A frican A m e ri­
can journalist fo r whom I have much
respect, recently gave Black people
in New York C ity what is, in my
opinion, some bad advice. In his na­
tio na lly syndicated colum n, “ Tony
B ro w n ’s Comments,” under the
headline “ Blacks Can Help D inkins
By Being C ool,’ ’ Brother Brow n laid
out his strategy fo r helping Manhat­
tan Borough President D avid D in k ­
in s -N e w Y ork C ity ’ s senior Black
elected official - t o be elected mayor.
“ A s a B la c k m a n ,D in k in s ’ strate­
gists have had to be ever m in dful o f
race and racism in a c ity that has
become in recent months more noto­
rious than Alabama and M ississippi
fo r racially driven incidents, “ writes
Tony B row n.’ ’ Race and racism are
givens in today’ s New Y o rk ,” he
notes correctly, “ ...the first full-blown
controversy over Black anti-Sem i­
tism o r a viole nt incident o f a Black
against a W hite during the hot sum­
mer months could devastate D in k ­
ins’ chances.” This is also true.
“ D in k in s c a n ’ t c o n tro l that
factor.’ ’R ight again.’ ’ ...Therefore, to
move the focus away from race (and
racism), D inkins should concentrate
on d ru g s -a legitimate concern and
equally devastation to a ll racial and
socio-economic
groups...Dinkins
could [explain] that w hile Whites
generally regard drugs as a Black
problem,drugs usage is more preva­
lent among Whites. And Blacks could
be appealed to on the basis that they
are more frequently the victim s o f
crim e w hich is drug related. These
tw o issues, properly articulated, “
Brown concludes, “ w ill appeal to 62
percent o f the voters and avoid the
entrapment o f racism .” W R O N G ,
T O N Y . W RONG.
Black people C A N ’ T ” avoid the
entrapment o f racism ” by pretend-
ing it doesn’ t exist, which is what
Tony Brow n and other folks really
mean by “ being c o o l.” H e’s telling
David D inkins to keep his mouth
shut about the issues o f life and death
concern to the Black com m unity be­
cause to mention those controversial
issues would offend white voters.
But that's fa llin g rig h t smack into
the racist trap. I t ’ s playing rig h t into
the hands o f the w hite supremacist
leaders o f both the m ajor parties-the
Decmocrats as w ell as the R epubli­
cans. A nd i t ’ s a dangerous game! Be­
cause when black leaders won’t speak
out on behalf o f the com m unity, they
are a llo w in g the powers that be to get
away w ith murder!
Y ou see, a war has been declared
against Black people in New Y o rk
C ity . O ur children are being killed.
They are dying o f poverty; they are
dying o f the drugs that feed on de­
spair; they are dying o f racism and
police brutality; they are dying o f the
corruption that the professional p o li­
ticians live on. This is no tim e fo r
Black people to be playing it “ safe”
by keeping co ol.” This is no tim e fo r
Black leaders to be backing down.
I am running as an independent
candidate fo r mayor o f New Y o rk
C ity to make sure that our people
have a voice in this election. So far
David D inkins has refused to jo in me
in calling fo r an investigation into
the charges made by Adam A bdul-
Hakeem (form erly Larry Davis) and
Ricardo Burgos that corrupt police
officers are not only standing by and
allo w in g cocaine, crack and heroin
to come into our com m unities-they
are tra ffickin g the drugs that are k ill­
ing our kids!
In the case o f our sister Tawana
Brawley, M r. D inkins has refused to
add his voice to mine in condemning
the travesty o f justice that was car­
ried o ut by the grand ju ry -e g g e d on
by the w hite corporate media and the
highest elected officials o f die Demo­
cratic Party in New Y o rk State.
A nd he has refused to stand up
w ith me in defending the Reverend
A1 Sharpton, a courageous and inde­
pendent Black leader who has been
indicted fo r the “ crim e” o f fig htin g
fo r our people.
I have p u b lic ly reminded Mr.
D inkins that it was because Rever­
end Jesse Jackson used his Presiden­
tial campaigns to speak out as a leader
on controversial issues-and he could
have been even more outspoken than
he w a s -th a t he aroused their pas­
sionate support o f m illions o f
Am ericans.M r. D inkins needs to
arouse the same passion among his
supporters. B u t how can h e ,if he re­
fuses to take a stand?
N ow there is one issue on which
Dave D inkins has spoken o u t-m y
support fo r his candidacy. H is cam­
paign manager has said p ublicly that
he doesn’ t want the nominating peti­
tion signatures collected by the Coa­
litio n for a Progressive New Y ork,
w hich has come together around my
independent campaign, to be counted
in putting him on the ballot. This is
where he has chosen to take a stand!
But the p o litica l scene in New
Y o rk is changing. The time has come
when our o ffic ia l leaders no longer
decide! And the com m unity wants to
know why David D inkins doesn” t
want my support! Because what he is
saying is that he doesn’ t want the
support o f the tens o f thousands o f
people who signed those petitions!
I am behind D avid D inkins 100%.
But the Black people o f New Y ork
C ity need him to get behind them! I
have made a public com m itm ent to
put the resources o f the New A lli­
ance Party and the C oalition fo r a
Progressive New Y o rk into helping
him become the next mayor o f this
c ity i f he should w in the Democratic
Party prim ary. B ut he has to make a
public com m itm ent to our people! I
am prepared to fig h t fo r Dave D in k ­
ins. But he’ s got to fig h t fo r their
A frican Am erican com m unity! Be­
cause our children are dying.
Officials sign ex-
position-recreation
facilities manage­
ment agreement
Representatives o f the c ity o f
Portland, the M etropolitan Service
D is tric t and the Com m ittee on Re­
gional Convention, Trade and Spec­
tator Facilities today released a Memo­
randum o f Understanding regarding
management o f the Oregon Conven­
tion Center and other regional fa c ili­
ties. Mayor Bud Clark, Commissioner
M ike Lindberg, M etro Executive
O ffic e r Rena Cusma and M etro Pre­
siding O ffice r M ike Ragsdale signed
the document. The agreement w ill
go before the city and M etro councils
fo r ratification.
Phase one o f the negotiated agree­
ment expands M etro’ s M etropolitan
Exposition-Recreation Commission’ s
(M E R C ) management responsibili­
ties to include the M em orial C o li­
seum, C iv ic Stadium and the Port­
land Center fo r the Perform ing Arts,
which are currently operated by the
c ity ’ s Exposition-Recreation Com ­
mission. It gives M ER C , which cur­
rently manages the Oregon Conven­
tion Center, fu ll autonomy to man­
age the facilities. Personnel employed
at the three facilities currently oper­
ated by the city w ould become em­
ployees o f M etro.
The Committee on Regional
Convention, Trade and Spectator
Facilities (CTS) recommended con­
solidation o f the regional facilities
based on a M ay 1986 study. Bob
R idglcy, president o f Northwest
Natural Gas, Chaired the committee
and worked w ith the city and Metro
negotiation teams. The CTS com ­
mittee was formed w ith the partici­
pation o f the city, M etro, state o f
O regon, Port o f Portland and
Multnomah, Washington and Clacka-
mas counties. Its recommendation y
led to voter approval o f convention
center construction in November o f
1986.
J
.
M ERC ’ s structure is based on that
o f the c ity ’ s Exposition-Recreation
C om m ission.Citizcn members are
nominated by the city , M etro, and
Multnomah, Washington and Clacka­
mas counties, w ith M etro serving as
Safeway is in your Neighborhood to Stay
Deli Shop
Available Only In Stores With In-Store Deli Shops.
asty
Light Ham
93% Fat-Free quality
ham. A great picnic favorite,
for submarine sndwiches, etc.
Smoked
White Turkey
Naturally hickory smoked,
By the piece or deli sliced
to your specifications.
the appointing authority.
Lindberg, city parks commissioner,
w ill establish a committee to make
management and operational recom­
mendations to M ER C regarding the
Portland Center fo r the Performing
Arts.
The Memorandum o f Understand­
ing constitutes good faith agreement
endorsing consolidation. Phase one
w ill be followed by a phase two agree­
ment that addresses the details o f fu ll
consolidation.
SAFEWAY
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