^*8* 2 • Portland Observer • March 28, 1990
E ditorial / O pinion SPORTS/EVENTS
The Locker Room
y ry
by Ullysses Tucker, Jr.
Education, Part I:
Should We Pay Teachers For Performance?
by Professor McKinley Burl
Well, 1 would think so. Every year 1
(and many others) pay a premium price for
tickets to see the 'best' to be presented that
season in performing arts. Because we pay
for the best we expect the best, and we get
the b est-and that, friends, is more than an
adage. This common thread runs through­
out all our culture, from the common mar­
ketplace to the most preferred relations in
professional services. I have yet for anyone
topresentm e with any valid reason why the
same time-tested (and obvious) relation­
ship would not prevail in an educational
mode.
Since this is a three-part series I will
have time later to detail the hard logic and
experience i would use in support of my
you-get-what-you-pay-for' thesis. In the
interim let me cite some personal experi­
ence with an educational excellence' from
yesterday. I would advise those whoclamor
for a return to the classroom of cadress of
that type of super-competent, super-com-
mited pedant of old that they had better pay
attention to the 'bottom line', economics!
Even the minorities with those price­
less skills, expertiste and empathies we so
desperately need in today's classrooms can
do much better in other fields. Science,
industry or communication systems will
pay them what they are worth. The 'giants'
I cite here taught at a time when the estab­
lishment offered them little or no such
opportunities. They are presented as ex­
amples of the many such we could )and
should) have in our schools today--if only
we were willing to pay for them. Clearly,
there should not only be the basic remu­
neration of salaries but 'bonuses' for a
demonstrated excellence "above and be­
yond"—the same as in many other occupa­
tions. Other institutions accomplish this
type evaluation and mensuration-why can't
schools?
Our stage is the segregated school system
of St. Louis, Missouri some fifty years ago.
Let me take you down this nostalgic road to
the Charles E. Sumner High School where
my memory can provide a kind of time-
lapse photography. I've checked with a few
old friends to be sure that I have things
fairly accurate.
the arts--all that the Greeks proceeded to
copy!
As in the case of many of the African
empires. King Alfred of England was suc­
ceeded by weaker men, decaying institu­
tions and finally the inevitable occurred-
invasion from France! That was what the
class was about this day. Davenport went
into his act; he whirled, he twirled, he
danced and he pranced, striking many a
vicious blow upon the Anglo-Saxons. The
personalities had merged--he had 'become'
William The Conqueror, "Die you Saxon
mongrels. Quick men, bum the villages,
sack the towns, sieze the women" (giggles
from the girls). “Go man" we would cry,
and thoroughly inspired this fateful day,
"Patroculus" leaped upon his desk, which
promptly collapsed under the 350 lb. mass
of frenzied flesh. To his credit he never lost
a beat; reaching down, he retrieved a a
Ketchup-stained arrow from the eye of a
slain King Harold of England (Nothing but
rave reviews in the gym class that fol­
lowed).
There were many other teachers at
Sumner High School equally deserving of
such accolades. But we should remember is
what I said earlier-that these teachers of
excellence taught at a time when the estab­
lishment offered them no opportunity to
perform in the fields for which they were so
superbly equipped. People of this caliber
are still around, of course, but not nearly
enough in the schools. I reiterate, it is a
matter of economics, Mr. Davenport had
advanced degrees in European History and
in Jurisprudence. I am reminded of that
famous and oft-repeated quote from the
"Wall Street Journal" many years ago. A
white corporte executive on a transconti­
nental trip remarked that there were more
college degrees among theBlackdiningcar
waiters than to be found at his New York
office.
Later in the year Mr. Davenport in
further examination of the 'Norman con­
quest saga revealed that it led to the devel­
opment of some basic tenets of English law
and civil procedures; including the estab­
lishment of Royal Courts by sending our
horseback riding judges on a circuit to hold
court in isolated towns (our western mov­
ies—and that nefarious rogue 'Robin Hood'
who was always freed from jail by his
merry men before the King's representative
came by for the next 'assize'. A little later
came the 'Magna Carta' and the concept of
'Eminent Domain (of the K ing)-the right
of a ruler or political body to sieze the real
property of a citizen, obstensiby for the
public good (with some remuneration of
course). African-Americans have suffered
significant economic losses in inner-cities
when this leverage has been applied in
pursuit of'U rban Renewal' projects (Urban
'Removal'). I and two of my classmates can
say that because of this type of thorough
and dedicated teaching, we were able to
pass the entrance examinations to first class
law schools with flying colors—'though we
didn't finish high school!'
There was this magnificent and erudite
history teacher, P.E. Davenport, whsoe name
well-fitted his six-foot, 350 lb. bulk ("P"
was for 'Patroculus', but you had better not
call him that. These were the early days of
ethnic pride and no 'Negro' appreciated
being named after a Greek or Roman). He
was in turn either intimidating and threat­
ening, or a gentle g iant-the former de­
meanor was necessary to maintain law and
order among tenth-grade teenagers, and the
calmer profile encouraged one to pursue
some of the fascinating lines of inquiry
opened up by this gifted teacher. One par­
ticular 'indelible' day turns around a 10 a.m.
class in European history.
As was his style when he thought his
'message of the day' was of sufficient im­
port to warrant theatrics (which was often),
Mr. Davenport had staged the room with
various props from the drama department-
-10th and 11th century England. Too big for
any available replica of armor to encom­
pass his huge bulk, he did, however, sport a
home-made helmet and a great wooden
sword befitting an invading Norman Knight.
If you have not realized it, the Battle of
Hastings (1066) was about to be fought—
and in such a way that you would never
forget it; not in life!
All the previous week the class mate­
rial had been preparing young minds for
this climactic moment. A hundred and fifty
years earlier, Alfred the Great, the only
Anglo-Saxon king to be called "Great," had
unified England, encouraged the building
of churches and monasteries and the educa­
tion of clergymen. He founded schools,
brought teachers into his realm from abroad,
translated Latin books into Anglo-Saxon
and compiled the laws of his predecessors
(The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles). How could
we pubescent teenagers be aware that we
were being indelibly imprinted for a life­
time with the most valid of criteria for
evaluating men and their deeds-leaders
and dynasties? That decades later we would
be able to recognize and acclaim the ac­
complishments of African Kingdoms and
institutions that thousands of years earlier
had reached the same or greater heights?
The pyramids, the temple schools, the scribes,
letters, mathematics, astronomy, laws, and
Issue of Re-Naming Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
To the Editor
Here we are once again working on the
issue of re-naming Martin Luther King
Blvd. Many are still working on using the
new name consistently and this prospective
change back does not help.
I am in favor of keeping the name
Martin Luther King Blvd., and so is the
Sabin Community Association, which re­
affirmed its decision of 23 January 1989 by
a unanimous vote on 12 January 1990.
It is time to introduce some historical
fact into a dispute in which each new devel­
opment obscures preceding developments.
An unfortunate complication is presented
by the media, which either distorts or m is­
represents facts, or allows distortion or
misrepresentation of the facts to stand when
reporting the views of the disputants.
An example of this occurred soon after
City Council voted to name the former
Union Ave. after Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. It was stated that no local neighborhoods
were in favor of the name change. This w as
not true, as attention to the above dates
reveals. And this is a crucial issue in the
current dispute, which uses the pretext that
due process was not followed. In fact, due
process was followed. The Martin Luther
King Street Naming Committee approached
City Council and were told, appropriately,
to go to the local Neighborhood Associa­
tions. Sabin Community, for one, can af­
firm that thCom m itteedid just that. Having
secured favorable input from the local neigh­
bors, the Committee returned toCity C oun­
cil, which decided the issue in favor of the
name change. Clearly, the charge that City
Council pulled a fast one behind the backs
of local residents and ignored due process
is false.
Also at issue is the selection of Union
Ave. Many now say that its prostitution and
drug activity, its ravaged business proper­
ties, make the former Union Ave. unworthy
to bear Dr. King's name. These same people
will say, "Front ave would have been more
suitable." Where were these people when
the Committee began its work? Front Ave.
was considered, and dropped because there
was no support, and no possibility that local
businesses would agree to the name change.
This exposes another pretext, that of, ‘ ‘just
not this street.'' The list of streets not to use
appears to include every street in Portland.
Oh yes. Union Ave. is “ historic.” Expert
opinion has it that Front Ave. is even more
"h isto ric." Up to now, “ due process,”
"lousy choice," and “ historic" protests
can be did posed of readily. Some of the
underlying motives in the dispute are not so
easy to detect or to oppose, inasmuch as it
is difficult to oppose a covert agenda. This
dispute is pregnant with hidden agendas.
The greatest share of the street in ques­
tion lies within the North and Northeast
quarter, an area which has been ghetto-ized
by Portland residents, government and fi­
nancial institutional tliroughout living
memory.
This area still lags behind the rest o f the
metropolitan area in economic opportunity
and police services, to name just two gaps.
I don’t believe that the fact that the bulk of
Portland's African-American population
resides in this quarter, while the area is the
poorest and most lacking in services is any
coincidence. Well, Portland, why can 't you
continue to shower us with your benign
neglect and at least allow us to name our
own streets?
Further, given the location of the street,
the entire West side is not affected and has
no right to a vote, while only about 25% of
Southeast precincts would be affected, and
therefore entitled to a vote.
Wc think many people who are in­
volved in the change-back effort are not
racist, although the leaders are. Most people
are unaware of the facts about the name
change and the process, and the racist lead­
ers are cynically using their ignorance to
manipulate them.
Another of the covert agendas we sec at
work is that of punishing the mayor and the
city council for other actions of theirs which
offended many residents. If you fall into
this camp, consider; do you really want to
get at Clark and co. by trampling on the
rights of North/Northcast residents to name
our streets and facilities after those whom
we honor?
Finally, to the Husses: wc are calling
your bet and raising. We think Martin Luther
King Convention Center has a nice ring to
it, don't you?
(Continued Next Week . . .
Jewish Federation Votes to
Retain Name of Martin
Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
At its Board meeting last night the
Jewish Federation of Portland urged the
city to retain the name Martin Luther King,
Jr. Blvd.
The Jewish community feels it is vital
for all Americans to take inspiration from
Dr. King’s example and to strive for a
society in which true equality of opportu­
nity exists for all.
A letter of support and the resolution
has been sent to Richard Brown, the Chair­
man of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Campaign.
Attached is a copy of the resolution
adopted March 14, 1990, by the Jewish
Federation of Portland Board of Directors.
WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr., was a great exponent of the American
ideals of freedom and equality for all people;
and
WHEREAS, Dr. King was cruelly cut
down at the height o f his powers; and
WHEREAS, it is vital for all Ameri­
cans to take inspiration from Dr. K ing's
example and to strive for a society in which
true equality of opportunity exists for all;
and
WHEREAS, the Jewish community and
the African-American community share a
long tradition of working together in the
cause of civil rights in this country; and
WHEREAS, the naming of a major
street in Portland in memory of Dr. King
demonstrates this community's determina­
tion that the ideals for which he lived and
died not be forgotten;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that
the Community Relations Committee of
the Jewish Federation of Portland strongly
favors retaining the name Dr. Martin Lu­
ther King, Jr. Blvd.
The Sabin Community Association
T erri Hanley, Secretary
I
Kenny Smith: Loving Life In Atlanta
Short Shakes: The Final Four in Den­
ver is all set and ready to tip off this
weekend. UNLV vs. Georgia Tech in the
first contest and Arkansas vs. Duke imme­
diately afterwards. How are you hoop junk­
ies doing in your office NCAA Basketball
pool? Well, I picked UNLV to win on one
of my two sheets. I took a beating like most
people, but the second sheet gave me a new
lease on life. One took into consideration
upsets and the other coaching . . . Loyola
Marymount University recent performance
in the NCAA Tournament should remind
all people to keep chasing your dream,
regardless of the outcome. There are great
lessons to be learned in defeat . . . Aside
from the Detroit Pistons, the Phoenix Suns
have been the hottest team in the NBA since
the start of 1990. The acquisition of Kurt
Some player in the NBA dread the ill-
fated telephone call that could lead to in­
stance unemployment or a trade. Some
trades are blessings and others are night­
mares. Take Kenny Smith for example, he
is thrilled to be playing for the Atlanta
Hawks. After five years with the Sacra­
mento Kings, where he never played in the
playoffs, he can now put an end to making
early summerplans. Barely. The Hawks are
clinging to the eighth and final spot in the
Eastern Conference race. Smith is very
excited.
“ I think anytime you get traded, you
have some rem orse-leaving behind your
teammates, friends and a great community
that you’re accustomed to ," he said. “ But
as a career opportunities go, this is a great
one. And this teams attitude is a lot looser
Kenny Smith
run a basketball team,” he said. " I feel
more comfortable now compared to when I
first arrived here. All I want to do is help the
team win some games and make the play­
offs.”
Head Coach of the Atlanta Hawks,
Mike Fratello, believes strongly in Smith’s
abilities and sees him as a fine addition to
the organization.
“ Kenny has always been a class act,
whether it was college or in the pros," said
Fratello. " H e ’s a good floor leader and
very intelligent. He has blended in real well
with our system.
Depending on the game conditions,
Smith has been playing up to 25 minutes
per contest. His point total has dropped
from 15.0 to 7.3, but the Hawks did not
acquire him to shoot the ball. They want
him to get it inside to Moses Malone,
Dominique Wilkins, and Kevin Willis. This
trio alone can average 70 shots per game.
Smith is currently averaging 6.4 assist per
game, almost the same total he averaged as
a starter for the Kings.
“ This team has been together a long
tim e,” he said. Backing up Spud W ebb has
been good too. He and I knew each other
from college. H e’s been a great influence
on me. H e’s really helped me with the
various offensive sets and schemes. My job
is to pass the ball and create easy opportu­
nities for my team m ates."
When questioned about who really won
the Slam Dunk contest in Miami, Smith
smiled and said, “ No comment” The winner,
Dominique Wilkins is now a teammate.
Smith knows how to keep his teammates
happy.
Anthony Webb
than I expected. You’ve got guys here who
are able to turn on the intensity in an instant,
which I like.”
Smith was traded by Kings three days
after he finished second to Dominique Wilkins
in the Gatorade Slam Dunk Championship
at the NBA All-Star game in Miami. In
exchange for Antoine Carr and Sedric Toney,
Smith and Michael Williams were sent
packing. The Hawks, plagued by early inju­
ries to their back court, needed Smith to add
some offensive punch off the bench and
quality point guard. Smith admits, that the
adjustment on the court was a lot tougher
than off the court. A former All-American
at the University of North Carolina, he is at
home in the south and closer to his imme­
diate family.
“ It's real tough for a point guard to
come in during the middle of the season and
•******•« •****•«
Dominique Wilkins
“ Superman” Rambis from Charlotte
changed their soft image and made the Suns
stronger in the rebounding/defense depart­
ment . . . Atlanta, with Moses Malone and
Dominique Wilkins are in town to take on
the Blazers tonight. Get a ticket if you can
, . . What do Kenny Carr, Adrain Branch,
Sidney Lowe, Adrain Dantley, CBS’s James
Brown, and Danny Ferry, to name a few,
have in common? All are from the Wash­
ington, D.C. area and played basketball at
Dematha High S chool. . .
Believe It or Not: Tyrone Bogues,
Charlotte; David Wingate, San Antonio;
Reggie Lewis, Boston; and Reggie Wil­
liams, San Antonio, all played on the same
high school team. Each were also first
round NBA picks coached by former U. of
Maryland Coach Bob Wade at Dunbar High
in Baltimore, Md.
Big Time Boxing Returns to the Northwest
Following that announcement, Thad
Spencer plans to stage a double Title North­
west Heavyweight Championship main event
featuring former Jr. Olympic Champion
and current Light Heavyweight Contender,
Marcellus Allen. This will be Marcellus'
first fight, and Thad says he is here to
‘ ’Guide Marcellus back into the the Light
Thad Spencer, a former no. 1 heavy­
weight contender for the world and last man
to sign to fight Muhammad Ali before Ali
lost his title, and who began his profes­
sional career right here in the Northwest, is
back to promote boxing.
Since 1983, Thad Spencer has applied
for a prom oter's license in Oregon, but has
been turned down. He is licensed and does
promote boxing events in California. He
has promoted George Foreman and the
highly sought-after Olympian, Roy Jones,
Jr., of Pensacola, Florida. Thad, however,
is finally getting his long-awaited chance to
promote fights in his home town. Follow­
ing a meeting held on March 17 with Bruce
Anderson, head of the Oregon Athletic
Commission, Thad will go before the
Commission on Monday, March 26, at 10:00
a.m., along with Cardell Blockson (a for­
mer boxer and now a businessman and
owner of Neicey’s Restaurantand Lounge)
title picture.” Also on that card will be
“ One of the best up and coming heavy­
weights I ’ve seen in a long tim e," namely
Terry ‘The Terminator’ Dav|s, out of Val­
lejo, Calif, with a pro record of 21 -0-02 and
aconvincing knockout power punch. "This
is what Portland has not seen for a long time
- pro boxing at its best.”
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The Portland Trail Blazers have an­
nounced that their Sunday, April 8, home
game against the San Antonio Spurs has
been added to the Blazer Cable broadcast
schedule, replacing the March 29 contest
with the Atlanta Hawks.
‘ ‘The San Antonio game has been added
to the Blazer Cable schedule due to over­
whelming demand to see David Robinson
and the Spurs, and bccauseof the impact the
game will have on the Western Conference
playoffs,” said J. R. Heilman, coordinating
producer/cable operations manager for the
Trail Blazers.
The Trail Blazers, 43-18, currently own
the fourth-best record in the NBA and the
third-best mark in the Western Conference.
San Antonio, 39-20, trails Portland by three
games in the race for playoff position. The
Blazers have defeated the Spurs in two
meetings already this season. After win­
ning in San Antonio, 108-104, on Nov. 8,
Portland turned the Spurs away, 109-103,
Jan. 26 at Memorial Coliseum. That matchup
was the third most popular Blazer pay-per-
view cablccast this season.
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