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Portland Observer • Black History M onth • February 7, 1990
E ditorial I O pinion
and inactivity, many Portlanders' feel ra
cism was introduced to this town with the
first Blacks.
It (racism) subsided somewhat during
the era o f Governor Tom McCall, Mayor
Terry Schrunk, County Commissioner Don
Clark, M ayor Neil Goldschmidt, and a host
o f Black community leaders, all o f whom
lobbied successfully, individually and
sometimes together to promote racial equal
ity. They knew this city had a racial prob
lem and addressed it immediately with
Affirmative Action. And i f ever a finger is
pointed as to reasons why the increase in
bigotry, those two words are most m en
tioned.
Affirmative Action was implemented to
provide opportunities but it has instead
divided the races. And it is to this subject
that we devote thefirst in a series o f articles
on racism in Portland, Oregon.
The following is an article which ap
peared in the 1986 edition o f the Portland
Observer. It is being reprinted because it
explains how Affirmative Action got started,
its successes and failures, and how the
“deck was stacked'' in an attempt to dis
mantle it. It is also being reprinted because,
hopefully, the kind o f leadership that emerged
in the sixties and seventies will step fo r
ward once more with an agenda fo r the
nineties. Let us pray that this agenda a well
balanced plan which will address racism in
Portland today. This city does not deserve
the reputation it is gaining.
A ffirm ativ e A c tio n :
Searching For A Place to Happen
American society was founded on th
principle of equality. The Declaration of
Independence declared th a t' ‘we hold these
truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable rights,
that among these are life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness.” This is one o f th
most profound statements regarding hu
man equality ever written. Yet there has
always been a huge gap between American
principles and what it actually practices.
This has been especially true in regards to
Blacks, Enslavement of Afro-Americans
had already taken root by the time the
Declaration of Independence and the U.S.
Constitution were written. Some “ found
ing fathers” including George Washing
ton, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson
owned slaves at the very time they wrote
those magnificent words proclaiming free
dom for humankind. The Constitution it
self maintained that Blacks were only three-
fifths of a person.
Therefore, from the very beginning,
Blacks were denied equal opportunity in
the United States. Black slavery lasted for
nearly two hundred and fifty year.. Shortly
after slavery was abolished. Blacks were
confronted with another system of
inequality-legally enforced racial segrega
tion known as Jim Crow. Racial segrega
tion applied to every aspect of Black life.
The law required that Blacks attend sepa
rate schools, ride in the back section of
public buses, go to the back door of restau
rants, use different bathrooms, and the like.
Blacks were disenfranchised politically
because they could not vote nor did they
serve as judges and jurors. In fact, racial
segregation denied Blacks due process of
law. Jim Crow also shaped the economic
life of the Black community. A Jim Crow
work force developed. There were “ Black”
and “ W hite” jobs. Blacks became the
sharecroppers, porters, janitors, cooks, maids,
domestic servants, and unskilled laborers.
Thus, B lacks were crowded into the bottom
of the American occupational structure where
the pay was low and th work difficult and
dirty. Such jobs did not lead to promotions
or advancement. Blacks who wanted to
burst out of these dead-in jobs could only
aspire to become a Black preacher, teacher,
undertaker, doctor, or lawyer. But even
here only a few slots were available.
The 1963 Birmingham, Alabama con
frontation led by Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. and Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth was
the key force that generated the 1964 Civil
Rights Act from which the idea of Affirma
tive Action emerged. In the historic battle
at Birmingham, demonstrators were attacked
by vicious dogs, high pressure water hoses,
billy club swinging policemen, and a legal
system dedicated to maintaining racial
segregation. Yet, on every day between
April 3rd and May 10, Blacks demonstrated,
sat-in, marched, and went to jail by the
thousands while singing "W e Shall Over
co m e" and other Black spirituals. This
movement generated such pressure that the
racist power holders of Birmingham were
forced to concede to the demands of the
movement. But Dr. King and the Freedom
Fighters were after more than concessions
from local Birmingham authorities. They
wanted a National Civil Rights Bill from
President Kennedy and the federal govern
ment that would outlaw all forms of racial
inequality.
The movement in Birmingham was so
beautifully organized and effective that it
generated protest movements tliroughout
the nation. By the end of 1963, protest had
4
spread from Birmingham to at least 800
cities. John Kennedy, shocked by wide
spread demonstrations, declared that it was
a time to act. On June 19, 1963, Kennedy
sent what was to become the 1964 Civil
Rights Bill to Congress. President Johnson
signed the bill into law on July 2,1964. It is
beyond a doubt, then, that Affirmative Action
came as a result of political struggle and
sacrifice by the Black masses and con
cerned White citizens rather than descend
ing from a benevolent government.
For over three hundred and fifty years.
Blacks were crippled by a system that was
separate and highly unequal. This oppres
sion was backed by white domination con
sisting of both legal and violent repres
sions. Lynching was a favorite tool used to
keeps Blacks in "their place.” Between
1882 and 1956 at least 3,440 Blacks were
lynched. Moreover, th system of racial
segregation was backed by the highest legal
authority of the land-the Supreme Court.
The Court, in 1896, ruled in the Plessy v.
Ferguson case that separate but equal did
not violate the U.s. Constitution. Clearly
the Supreme Court went on record backing
a system of racial segregation that was in
fact separate but unequal.
Past and continuing discrimination has
had a devastating affect on the Black com
munity. In the 1980s B lacks are still dispro
portionately crowded at the bottom of the
occupational ladder. Black family income
is still less than sixty percent o f white
family income. Blacks are still more than
twice as likely to be unemployed as whites.
Blacks are still grossly underepresented at
major colleges and universities at both the
student and faculty levels. Therefore, the
future for Black America is uncertain at
best. Affirmative Action was a measure
implemented by the federal government to
address Black inequality that resulted from
tragic proportions of past discrimination
and continuing racism deeply rooted in the
very fabric of our institutions and daily
habits, but why did “ affirmative action”
come into being in the first place?
ORIGINS OF
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Affirmative Action resulted from a
powerful and creative struggle known as
the civil rights movement. This mass
movement attacked Black inequality and
racial segregation at the core. It mobilized
thousands of ordinary and extraordinary
Black people who decided to take a clear-
cut stand for equality and dignity. These
freedom fighters made countless sacrifices
by confronting the Ku Klux Kian, White
Citizens Councils, local Southern govern
ments, established laws, and the “ bull
Connors.” Children, students, and adults,
along with the elderly shook off apathy and
caution as they became disciplined workers
in a movement for freedom anchored on a
solid rock - the Black Church.
INTENT OF
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
The 1964 Civil Rights Act banned all
forms of discrimination based on race, color,
religion, sex, or national origin. Titles VI
and VII of this bill specifically addressed
discrimination in employment. These
measures were based on the knowledge that
rampant racial discrimination existed in
terms of employment. Indeed, because of
their conspicuous absence in many jobs, it
was clear that members o f minority groups
were being discriminated against in both
federal agencies and the private sector. One
intent of the 1964 Act was to correct this
discrimination. Thus, the federal govern
OUTCOMES AND SETBACKS
Today, Affiramtive Action is under
serious attack by the Reagan Administra
tion. An objective analysis of Affirmative
Action reveals that it did reduce some of the
discrimination painfully experienced by the
Black community. For example, Lorenzo
Morris, in a study on the plight of Black
Americans in higher education found that
“ more Black Ph.D.’s in virtually every
major field graduated between 1974 and
H appy
V alen tin e’s D a y
H ugs and kisses. C upid is near.
It’s the tim e o f year for Valentine
cheer. February 14 is St. V alentine’s
Day, a day set aside as a lovers'
festival.
T he custom o f V alentine’s D ay has
no connection with the two legendary
m artyrs nam ed St. Valentine w hose
lives are com m em orated on Feb. 14.
Popular theories connect the lovers’
celebration with the Roman fertility
festival o f the L upercalia on Feb. 15
or the m ating season o f birds.
O ne long-standing tradition asso ci
ated w ith V alentine’s Day is the
sending o f valentine cards. The paper
valentine dates from the 16th century,
and the valentine may have been the
original greeting card.
H earts are the popular sym bol as
sociated with V alentine’s Day, but
flowers and sw eets are am ong the fa
vorite gifts. T his is the busies, day of
the year for m any florists and candy
shops, with requests for red, yellow,
w hite o r chocolate roses at the top o f
the list, hl
©1990, PM Editorial Services
PO RTLAN D
OBSERVER
"The Eyes and Ears
o f the Community"
Office:
(503) 288-0033
Fax #
(503) 288-0015
1977 than had ever graduated in American
history.” Edmund Newton in Black Enter
prise points out that when Coleman Young
became Mayor of Detroit in 1973 “ only
18% of the police force and 8% o f the
officers were Black.” But “ the voluntary
affirmative action program has raised Black
participation in the department to about
32% . . . with 30% of the lieutenants and
23% of the sergeants now Black.” Simi
larly, Robert Drinan, writing in America
reports that * ‘President Carter in four years
appointed more Black lawyers to the fed
eral bench than all other presidents taken
together had ever done before." Drinan
views this as a dramatic example of af
firmative action and raised the intriguing
question as to “ why were not more Black
attorneys appointed to the federal bench
prior to the Carter Administration?”
Nonetheless, the Reagan Administra
tion along with a number of white litigants
have charged that affirmative action is
"reverse discrimination.” They claimed
that Affirmative Action represents a "new
racism " because unqualified Blacks are
being hired at the expense of qualified
whites. They argued that race should not be
a factor in employment in a color-blind
society. The Reagan Administration also
opposed employers being required to keep
Affirmative Action records because such
paperwork is viewed as too great a burden.
It is also claimed that Affirmative Action
elevates group favoritism over the rights of
individual whites.
Advancing these and similar claims,
the Reagan Administration was in ten ted on
dismantling Affirmative Action. The threat
is serious because the very offices-Attomey
General, Assistant Attorney General, Chair
man of the U.s. Commission on Civil Rights,
and chairman of EEOC-that once promoted
Affirmative Action were filled with staunch
opponents dedicated to destroying it. Addi
tionally, the Reagan Administration did
everything within its power to influence the
Supreme Court to overturn Affirmative
Action.
The Black community along with other
minority groups and women face a chal
lenge in 1986 while they celebrated the first
national birthday of Dr. King. They must
provide creative action that will keep Af
firmative Action intact and strengthen it.
The real attack against Affirmative Action
is geared toward preventing women. Blacks,
' and other minority groups from reaching
self empowerment, determination, and
dignity. The history of the Black movement
in this country teaches that this battle can be
won. It must be won so that the efforts of
Dr. King, Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou
Hammer, and thousands of freedom fight
ers will not have been in vain.
S m o k ers P ro m o te
T oleran ce
In response to a recent increase in
anti-sm oking
law s,
sm okers
in
Sw eden. Norw ay, Finland and D en
m ark are banding together to ask p o l
iticians and em ployers for fair co n
sideration and tolerance.
“ Smokepeace." a Swedish lobby,
and “ Henry,” a Danish smokers'
organization, are two groups in the
forefront o f the issue. In the last 10
months Smokepeace has attracted
1,500 m em bers, some o f whom are
non-smokers offended by the dis
crimination.
Henry, organized two years ago,
enlisted the help o f pipe-smoking
Danish Foreign Minister Uffe Elle-
mann-Jensen last spring in an ad
vertising cam paign saying "toler
ance and consideration are the basis
o f living together." according to
the Associated Press.
T he groups plan to fight d iscrim i
nation and to lobby against new an ti
sm oking laws. Just recently, they pu,
together flight guide books about
sm oking bans on local flights by
F innair and SAS, Scandinavian A ir
lines System . T he airlines extended
the sm oking ban Nov. I, 1989, to all
o f their international flights o f less
than 100 m inutes. |«|
What’s Going On
(Marvin Gaye)
programs in this area:
It is difficult to believe that almost
twenty years after I designed and taught the
first A ffirm ative Action Course in the
Northwest (Portland State University), the
administrators of Portland Community
College are found swimming in a fetid sea
of racism. This comes at a time when the
nation is engulfed in mounting tides of
discriminatory praedees-and when we have
Justice Thurgood Marshall saying that
“ today’s Supreme Court is no longer a
friend to civil rights.”
While the principal examination of this
farce by our editor, Leon Harris, appears
elsewhere in this edition, I am sufficiently
angered by this social recidivism to add my
own causdc comments. The stone age cli
mate of this metropolitan campus is so ugly
that we are given to wonder just when the
baseball b at goons may reappear. As re
ported both here and in the daily press, an
African-American counselor at P.C.C.,
Haleem Rashaan, has received physical
threats both by phone and by mail as he
takes the lead in challenging the antebel
lum, plantadon-type orientation of Port
land Community College’s workforce. His
reputation, stature and integrity are intact
and his recent national award for educa
tional accomplishments was predicated upon
years o f effort and commitment to bringing
about change in Portland Public Schools.
This may be a real problem to the P.C.C.
hierarchy—and confederates. This man and
the schools A frican-A m erican Council
will receive all of the community support
we can muster, white and Black!
The racists in academia do not under
stand democracy or equality of opportu-
, nity, but it has been more than adequately
proven that they are cognizant of the vul
nerability of their purse strings. We must
do all that is possible, and as quickly as
possible, to have these tax-supported mis
creants pinoned by the same declaration the
U.S. Department of Labor issued against
Portland State University, October 8,1988.
“ You have discriminated against Black
and women em ployees-’the university is
subject to denial of federal funds by any
federal agency for new or renewable con
tracts.” (Do we have your attention?).
The following are some of the recom
mendations and comments made to the
PCC administration as early as October,
1989, none of which have been considered,
though these elements are incorporated into
some o f the even weaker affirmative action
It is impossible for the current affirma
tive action officer to conduct investiga
tions, address grievances, and provide much
needed cultural awareness training without
a staff to assist in these activities.
If Portland Community College is
committed to affirmative action, having
appropriate staff for the affirmative action
office is one way to demonstrate a level of
sensitivity to this college wide problem.
African-American staff members still
question the president’s rationale in not
having the affirmative action officer a par
ticipant in the internal decision-making
process (better known as the President’s
Cabinet).
Finally, the affirmative action officer
also had appropriate staff to assist in carry
ing out the required duties/responsibilities
assigned to such an important area.
Soft Money Positions
Currently, there are approximately six
full-time ethnic staff members employed
by Portland Community College. This
consists of one Asian and five African-
American employees who have served from
six to twelve years.
These individuals have been on soft
money during their tenure with the college
and it does not appear that a transition into
general funding or permanent positions is
forthcoming. As ethnic staff members, we
are concerned about the lack of opportunity
to have these positions put into the general
fund and made permanent.
There is another strange matter that
will be looked into (among many).
We will look at the relationship be
tween the PCC Affirmative Action Office
and the Metropolitan Human Relations
Commission.
zz
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be selected on the basis o f aca
demic perform ance, Involvement
in ex tra -cu rricu lar activities and
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
RECOMMENDATIONS
NO KWrLE6CIS«tETTESHEffi,RW.PH - LET HIM PASS
©1990, PM Editorial Services
High school students who are
Interested In applying fo r $1,000
college scholarships should request
applications by M arch 16,1990 for
E d u c atio n al
C om m unications
Scholarship Foundation, 721 N.
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tion, students should send a note
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RECOMMENDATIONS
* A current list of ethnic classified,
faculty and administrative staff available to
serve on screening committees for job
openings at Portland Community College.
* Development of a list o f potential
ethnic screening committee members,
consisting of individuals external to the
college. This group would bring a cultural
perspective and expertise to PCC screening
committees.
* Portland Community College should
establish a mandatory policy (PCC Board
Policy) whereby screening committees must
have ethnic representation on all profes
sional selection committees.
©1990. PM E<
It comes as no surprise. It dates backus
Jar as 1980 when the American voters elected
Ronald Reagan as President. Reagan bought
with him a group o f Cabinet members and
advisors that set into motion an ideology
that serves as a blueprint fo r racism in this
country today.
Blacks, and other minorities have been
targeted fo r murder, assaults, intimida
tion. and other form s o f harrassment.
It happens on a n d o ff the job, inprivate
settings, at public gatherings, in the courts,
the schools, churches, board rooms, etc.
Be it Southern racism with a snarl or
Northern racism with a smile, its meaning
is simple and true-RACISM !
And it is happening right here in Port
land, Oregon. This beautiful city o f so-
called peace and tranquility teetering on
the brink o f economic prosperity has al
lowed itself to be placed under close scru
tiny nationally, as hate capital o f the Pa
cific Northwest.
A nd all because this city has turned
d eaf ears to the upsurge in incidents o f
racism around town o f recent.
The death o f Mulugeta Seraw, the gay
bashings, the cross burnings, the attacks on
people o f color has been attributed to skin
heads, Nazis, and other violent hate groups.
But while these groups may be guilty o f
criminal acts, they most certainly did not
introduce racism to Portland. While there
may have been interludes o f moderation
ment established the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) whose
purpose waqs to investigate and resolve
complaints of discrimination and initiate
suits against guilty employers. If discrimi
nation was proven, the government could
deny or terminate any federal funds to such
employers. But it soon became clear that
these limited measures would not correct
the problem.
President Johnson responded by issu
ing Executive Order 11246 in 1965 which
called for employers to take Affirmative
Action. This meant that employers had to
make extra efforts to recruit, hire, and
promote minorities so that they could bring
the number of minorities in their work force
up to the percent of minorities in the local
community. Nevertheless, Executive Or
der 11246 did not go far enough because it
relied on the good faith efforts of employ
ers to implement affirmative action. Under
the Nixon Administration in 1972, several
Amendments were made that strengthened
Affirmative Action. A key amendment
required that employers keep records of
their luring practices and of the racial and
gender composition of their labor force.
B ased on these data employers could deter
mine whether they were overtly or covertly
discriminating against minorities and women.
Drawing on such data, employers were to
establish Affirmative Action goals, targets,
and timetables geared toward correcting
the obvious results of employment dis
crimination. In short. Affirmative Action
called for developing concrete action plans
which could be scrutinized by employers
and the government. This measure had
substance because it stipulated that no
government contract could be withheld,
denied terminated, or suspended in which a
contractor had an affirmative plan unless
the employer had deviated substantially
from that plan. These measures were ex
tended to educational institutions and had
relevancy for minority businesses desiring
to receive federal contracts. In the early
1970s it appeared as if the nation was
headed in the right direction toward solving
serious racial inequality rooted throughout
the occupational andeducational structures
of this country.
L eo n Hnrrla/Gonoral Manager
Gary Ann Garnett
Joyce Washington
Business Manogor
Sales/Marketing Director
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