Page 9 Portland Observer JULY 27,1989
PERSPECTIVES
by McKinley Burt
Let me use this colum n to bring us
back to th e fu tu re for a w hile (after
your rather thorough im m ersion in
Black and African A merica history).
The early post-w ar years seem ed to
indicate to many A m ericans, Black
and white, that Blacks had a prom is­
ing future in this nation. T hat future
is today and its realities are in pain­
ful contrast to the expectations o f a
multitude.
W as it al, real or im agined? -The
validity of those premises upon which
were based those expectations o f an
early and “ full economic and politi­
cal integration into A merican soci­
ety.” A pparently there was some
justification, given increasing suc­
cess in the areas o f Civil Rights, edu­
cational opportunities, and advance­
ments in the work force. There was
an em erging cadre o f B lack E lected
O fficials w hich was extolled as the
ultim ate solution to all the urban
social and econom ic problem s (We
w ere later to discover that with white
flight to the suburbs there was no tax
base to support the urban infrastruc­
ture).
W e may ask, then was there any
credibility at all to these dream s of a
long-suffering race-that finally its as­
pirations w ere to be realized, em ­
pow ered by court decisions, legisla­
tion, and official fiat (not to mention
rhetoric)? The present condition of
the Black m asses in urban A merica
is variously described as “ critical,
traum atic, or even term inal” - and
that is not ju st a m atter o f hyperbole
and m edia hype. It is given that some
alarm s are voiced by those in pursuit
o f grants, w hether individuals, social
agencies, or law enforcem ent agen­
cies. Certainly there is evidence in
the form o f statistics relating to edu­
cational disabilities, lack o f training
.depressed incom e levels, fam ily dis­
integration , and gangs. But we need
to ask many an agency * ‘w here were
you yesterday-and have you better
solutions?
W hy then, as a m em ber o f this
underprivileged ethnic group, would
I spend so m uch o f my time and re­
source in research o f the h isto ry and
contributions o f my race when the
horrendous pressure o f im m ediacy
bears dow n upon us all? It is because
o f an overw helm ing sense o f de-
jcvous-that disturbing feeling that
“ it has all happened before” . Yea,
many times. It may seem trite to
repeat that hackneyed phrase,” a race
that does not know its history is
doom ed to repeat it” ; but believe
me, it is true.
Certainly, for over a year I have
cited in this colum n a 4000 year time
line of Black ascendancy to the heights
o f cultured, political, econom ic and
technological accom plishm ent W hat
I have not done is pose the fateful
question,” So why are Blacks in the
shape they are today? O bliviously, I
could have provided a litany o f ap­
parent reason, many quite com pel­
ling: European invasions and con­
quests o f Africa, C olonialism , slav­
ery, the Ku Klux Kian, union consti­
tutions, job discrimination, European
im m igrants, redlining, you name it.
But, you see, it often occurs to me to
project an im aginary scenario. W ho
could the d in o sa u rs appeal to? D i­
nosaur gone-gone dinosaur! Reality
and nature are merciless.
A question may arise in our minds.
Is it time for new ideas, or is it time
to newly apply old ideas that worked
very well in the past (at least tem po­
rarily). It could be that an amalgam
o f both is indicated. O r perhaps it is
necessary to exam ine the m ajor ex­
tin ctio n s we have experienced, and
from these evaluations format a tech­
nique for p reserv in g our periodic
gains. The latter course seem s most
fruitful to me.
In the following w eeks I will
develop these thoughts, as I believe <
this type o f inquiry must precede any
meaningful exam ination o f urgent
social or econom ic problem s. This
does not mean that I have been dis­
abused o f my notion that Identity is
an absolute prerequiste to the social
and psycho-logical functions o f a
race-nor that I no longer feel that the
group’s history is the key to m otiva­
tion and drive. But rather, that there
m ust accom pany a parallel and con­
tinuous intellectual process that goes
beyond the whee! A re n ’t we the
g re a te st syndrome.
There is no realistic literature on
program failure-with a pitifully few
exceptions. W ithout it you cannot
train a new generation capable of
either social or econom ic develop­
ment.
And without it, we are doomed
indeed to “ repeat history” .
PERNELL NAMED MINORITY
OUTREACH SPECIALIST
FOR AMERICAN RED CROSS
“ 1 was bom an educator, and I will die an ed u cato r," said Patricia
Pem ell,M inority O utreach specialist for the O regon Trail Chapter A m eri­
can Red Cross. As a teacher/educator for 17 years, Pem ell d o esn 't feel she
has left the education field by taking the new ly-created position at Red
C ross. H er duties as M inority O utreach specialist allow her to rem ain
involved with education and schools by prom oting health program s, special
events and volunteer recruitment.
Pem ell, 38, was bom and raised in Toledo, Ohio. She received her
B achelor’s degree from Central State University, a predom inately A frica-
A m erican school, after little more than tw o years o f study.
W hile in O hio, Pem ell spent her post-graduate years teaching and being
an adm inistrater at the elem entary level using the M ontessori te c h n iq u e -a
m ethod used to allow children to learn at their own pace. In A ugust o f 1972,
she m arried H oward Pem ell.
The Pem ells cam e to Portland in 1978. Patricia laughingly described her
pre-conceived idea o f O regon as having “ a lot o f snow and covered
w agons.” O nce in Portland, the Pem ells made their mark by establishing
Kem et, Inc., a T -shirt shop.
Patricia continued to teach and later founded the International Little
People’s C hristian School. W hile at a parent meeting at the Irvington School
in 1985, Dr. M atthew Prophett expressed the need for more m inority
teachers in Portland. “ I felt that he was speaking directly to m e -th a t this
was my calling,” said Pem ell. This calling sent Pem ell into the Portland
Public Schools M inority Teacher Intern Program for two years. A fter
com pleting the internship and helping her husband turn the T-Shirt shop into
a full-tim e business, Patircia took the jo b at the Red Cross.
Pernell specifically aim s to prom ote the Basic Aid Training and B abysit­
ting classes offered by Red C ross. She says that she w ants to increase the
num ber o f people in these classes and offer the classes in convenient N orth/
N ortheast Portland locations. Pem ell is currently working on a Youth Self-
E nhancem ent Program designed to prom ote success and career skills to
junior-high and high school “ at risk” youth.
D edicated to church activities, Pernell was once nam ed “ M other o f the
Y ear” at M aranatha Church. Pernell devotes her extra tim e to her husband
and four children: Stacey, 15; H ow ard-O m ari, 10; Jam al, 9; and Jensine, 7.
G etting ready to celebrate her 17th wedding anniversary in A ugust, Pem ell
says that the key to her good marriage is that she and H ow ard accept each
other as they are. “ I am a Christian and an A frican-A m erican w om an,’ ’ says
Pem ell. “ T h at’s ’s me. I love being o f service to G od, my family and my
com m unity.”
PORTLAND OBSERVER
FAX #
503)288-0015
MANY VETERANS ARE UNAWARE THEY CAN GET
BENEFITS
Although over $32 BILLION were
paid out in veterans benefits last year,
billions more w ent unclaimed in the
past few years.
Every year eligibility for benefits
and the array o f available benefits
are changed and very few veterans or
their survivors keep up with the lat­
est rules. Because o f this, and changes
in their circum stances m any veter­
ans, their fam ilies and survivors are
now entitled to m oney and other
benefits from their state and the Federal
governm ent even though they were
not eligible in the p a st
These were the findings o f a study
group o f the Consum er Education
Research Center, a 20-year-old na­
tional nonprofit consumer group. They
found that over one-fourth o f the
money paid in veterans benefits goes
to persons who never served in the
armed forces o f the United States.
Most o f these w ere related by blood
or m arriage to veterans but m any
were n o t O thers were m em bers of
the arm ed forces o f countries who
fought with us against our enemies.
Since 1974, the Center has been
com piling yearly updates describing
the latest rules on available benefits
and how to qualify for those benefits.
They have just issued the 240-large
page 1989 CO M PLETE G U ID E TO
FEDERAL AND STATE BENEFITS
FOR VETERANS, TH EIR FA M I­
LIES, AND SURVIVORS with a fore­
word by Sen. Robert Dole. This valu­
able Book is $9 (plus $2 p&h) from
CERC-V ets, 350 Scotland Rd., O r­
ange, NJ 07050 or by calling 1-800-
”” 872-0121 with credit card.
Mr. R obert L. Berko, executive
director o f the consum er group, says
that many survivors o f veterans are
unaware that they m ight be eligible
to receive money, m edical care,
educational assistance, help in buy­
ing a home or other benefits. In fact,
eligibility and benefits change con­
stantly and som e people ineligible in
previous years are now able to start
receiving money.
The study found that many people
are unaware that they are considered
dependents or survivors o f veterans.
These include those involved in ille­
gal m arriages, those who rem arried
after the death or disability o f a vet­
eran, children bom o u t o f wedlock to
a veteran, parents o f a veteran and
even dependent grandchildren. Any
o f these may be eligible for benefits.
Mr. Berko says that the study
questioned veterans about benefits
and found that the m ajority were
unfam iliar with m ost o f the benefits
now being granted under Federal and
state laws. Even veterans now col­
lecting were unaware o f other bene­
fits for which they w ere eligible and
could be collecting.
For instance, disabled veterans can
receive apparel allow ances if they
use wheel chairs, artificial limbs or
any prosthetic device that can wear
or dam age clothing and, if they have
a spouse in need o f care, they can re­
ceive an allow ance to pay someone
to provide that care.
Few knew that (unem ployed vet­
erans) 65 o r older are considered,
permanently and totally disabled and,
those with lim ited income and sav­
ings, can collect as m uch as $11,000
per year.
Other benefits the consumer found
that were little know n are:
A veteran (or dependent) can re­
ceive up to $837 (40% in advance) if
he or she will assist the VA in a work-
study program while in an educa­
tional program.
Federal agencies are required to
establish affirm ative action plans to
facilitate em ploym ent and advance­
ment of veterans with any degree of
disability. In fact some jo b classifi­
cations m ust be filled by eligible
vets.
Families of veterans buried or men­
tioned on commemorated on Tablest
o f the Missing overseas are eligible
for free passports to visit these sites.
In addition the book includes a
com plete list o f VA facilities and
help to secure the information needed
with VA applications.
* ‘Even though the Congress and
the various state legislatures have
provided for money and services to
be given to veterans and their de­
pendents,” Mr. Berko states, “ un­
less the people know they are eli­
gible and apply they will not collect
anything.”
As Sen. Bob Dole, a decorated
veteran and one fam iliar with the bu­
reaucracy, says in his forew ard, “ Mr.
B erko’s book goes a long way in
helping A m erica’s veterans cut
through red tape so they can receive
the benefits they earned and deserve.”
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