,4F VN^W t****** H Mr*. F ra n ces s«-h nside Spotlight on Muhammad Ali National Urban League funds business education for students Robert Cray Band Returns Why date white when you plan to marry Black? Page 2 Page 3 ’ u regon 97403 a ry Page 5 Page 6 PORTLflNÖ Volume X X , Number 27 ERVER July 18,1990 "The Eyes and Ears o f The Community" Portland Public Schools Star Trek Continued 25<P 4 ^ - African American Festival Selects Its Royalty By Professor McKinley Burt Last week we critiqued school super intendent Matthew Prophet’s recent position paper, “ Schools: Education or Social Services.” His “ position” was defined as simply a collection of current polemics in the socio-economic man dates and constraints said to make the delivery of a quality educational prod uct all but impos sible. My own posi tion was that the principal elements of the school dis trict’s “ Star Plan” represented noth ing more or less than a determined effort to counter a “ revolution” of and administrators. Local consultants, myself among them, were initially con tracted to critique the draft essays of those “ national” consultants. Sounds terrific, but we shall have to return to this phase later for critical examination of a flawed process - the goal, after all, was to deliver a specific educational product to the class room and pupil. As we see below, ten years have passed (millions of dollars) and that has not happened. A t this moment I have before me two “ d o c u m e n ts ” which will serve as frustrated parents - credible exposi and many teachers! tions o f my case. Further comment The first is simply suggested that “ the a recent news re fault lies not in the Computerized Medical Analysis port by Bill Graves stars” but in the of the Oregonian nature of the bureaucracy, or rather than staff, “ School Problems Disturb Inte asingle “ whipping boy,” i.e. the super gration Group: a desegregation watch intendent. But we shall keep in mind dog group gave voice to its frustration that “ the buck” stops at the top of the over the many minority students who pyramid. The implementation of (or slip behind academically and never learn failure of) Affirmative Action Programs about their heritage in Portland class around the nation has provided us with rooms.” Keep in mind now that this is realistic models of this fact. Whether in a decade-long, multi-million dollar proc industry or public agency, these pro ess - and that you are a taxpayer! and/or grams work only when the chief execu parent! tive of the outfit sets the tone and tenor In this news account of the annual of the process - firmly! Wherever such report o f the “ Desegregation Minority a commitment was unequivocally passed Committee” to the Portland School down the line, the program worked. Board, the not untypical experience of These statements prefaced my prom testifying senior students as quoted, ised comments, “ ...we need to take a “ public schools had contributed little to hard look at these famed Base Line her knowledge of her culture...the dis Essays, the Curriculum, and the Lesson trict designed lessons on African Ameri Plan Models - and the ephemeral Local cans that have become a model for schools Consultants.” We should keep in mind across the nation, but [student] said she that these components relate to a DEC never saw it until she stumbled across it ADE-LONG MULTI-MILLION DOL in the drawer o f a teacher’s desk that she LAR SCHOOL DESEGREGATION was cleaning this year. She said that all PROJECT that is heralded as the na she saw in school was Martin Luther tion’s best effort so far to integrate the King, Jr. I DIDN’T SEE THE SCIEN document history of minority contribu TISTS OR RESEARCHERS OR ARCHI tions into the public school curriculum. TECTS - all these people that black The opening salvo was to contract people have been, she said. It hurts my nationally recognized “ superstars” to heart to see this happening to my race.” write supporting “ Base Line Essays” in (It also hurts the hearts of the parents.) the areas of history, science/invention, Well, now, wha’hoppen? Let us mathematics, music and literature. These look at the second document I men historians were brought to Portland a tioned, generated almost ten years ago at number of times to address and conduct the beginning of the process. It is a very seminars for district teachers, principals large and impressive production of 100 pages in a 14 x 8 1/2" format and titled, ‘ ‘ Mathematics Scope and Sequence and Science Scope and Sequence; Portland Public Schools Curriculum Department, 1982.” As a local consultant I was allowed to provide some limited input to this tome but, as aforementioned, there was absent those norms of acceptable program design - no structured feed back and no firm institution of critical liaisons for proofing and rewrite. The same may be said for the input of the other local consultants in their particular areas of expertise. And there was no orderly, mandated structure for “ inter consultant” procedural relations - which is why I referred to us last week as the “ ephemeral local consultants.” It was an exercise in frustration, probably de liberately planned. To this, add shad owy stage managers ducking in and out of the scenery. This “ bible” for multi-cultural curriculum integration had four prin ciple components; Parts I and II, the Mathematics and the Science Scope and Sequence, were of the same format. You will gain some insight into the dilemma of that African American student quoted by the Oregonian - or the frustration of many district teachers as they sought ts> reduce the cumbersome intricacies of the process that is unfolded here. Re member the Chinese puzzles of the box within the box, within the box, within the box” “ The Scope and Sequence section is divided into columns. The two lefthand columns show the major categories of instruction and grade level indicators for Introduction (I), Development (D), and Maintenance (M). For precise grade level instructional learning statements, the Curriculum Continuum - Mathemat ics should be consulted’ ’ “ The righthand columns show the related multicultural information includ ing cultural group region, time period, and specific cultural/ethnic examples. These data are a key part of the multieth nic focus. This list is neither chrono logical nor inclusive. However, these examples give teachers information which can be used in curriculum planning, teaching, and motivation.” No, the fault certainly does not lie with the stars! This article is continued on page two as this weeks “Perspec tives” column. Lack of Funds Delays African American Festival Center The African American Festi val 1990 is approaching ils finale. It has been a year of great challenge, educa tion, enlightenment, many hardships and disappointments. However, through it all, God has blessed us to remain intact as an organization and in conjunction with other devoted and committed per sons, witness some o f the fruit of our labor through the realization and suc cess of the following programs: 1. Participation of our youth in the Star light Parade. 2. Exhibition depciting the history of the Black Man in Oregon. Exhibit was displayed at Waterfront Park. 3. African American Festival Youth Achievement Awards Program at W a terfront Park. 4. African American Festival NW Gospel Jubilee at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. 5. Royal Court Coronation & Recep tion. The AAF’s Parade will take place on July 21st, from 10:00 a.m. to approximately 12 noon. We had three fund raising pro grams. These programs did not yield funds with which to operated the Festi val’s Marketplace and Entertainment Center. The Executive Committee, of the African American Festival Associa tion, met on July 12, 1990, and after much assessment and evaluation, con cluded that money was a considcratio - but was not the only concern. The established criteria for the operation of the Festi val ’s Market and Entertainment Center, i.e., security, organization, co ordination, more community coopera tion and planning, had not been success fully met. It is for these reasons that the 1990 A A Festival’s Market and Enter tainment Center has been postponed until JULY 1991. The A AFA greatly appreciates your expression of support and we are committed to developing the criteria for the success for this event even further during 1990-1991 year. We hope that we can depend on your continued sup port and we beseech you to encourage others to become actively involved in the African American Festival Associa tion, as a whole, and your continued as sistance is needed to help us to promote. - UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY. 1990 Left to right: Carolyn Warren (third runner-up), Christie Green (second runner-up), Paul Knauis (King), Kyra Shaunna Parker (first runner-up), Cora Lee Benjamin (queen), Nathaniel Frazier (Senior candidate), Rukaijah Adams (Princess). Not Pictured: Muhammed Hasan Najreb (Prince) o f PORTLAND, OREGON WHEREAS, the A frican American F e s tiv a l A ssociation, organized in 1989 by Waverly L. Davis, celebrates its inaugural year in 1990; and WHEREAS, the A frican American F e s tiv a l A ssociation, a pioneer in the area of special events, brings to N orth/Northeast Portland on an annual basis a c u ltu ra l c e le b ra tio n , in partnership with the Rose F e s tiv a l, as a sanctioned event to be organized by the A frican American c itiz e n s of North/Northeast Portland; and WHEREAS, the A frican American F e s tiv a l A ssociation's d ire c to rs have rendered invaluable community and public services as a nonprofit association who cares fo r the seniors and the youth of its community, as s is tin g in the development of youth, economic development and community-unity; and WHEREAS, the A frican American F e s tiv a l Association is hosting the inaugural c u ltu ra l celeb ratio n of the N orth/N ortheast community July 18-22, 1990, in P ortland, Oregon; and WHEREAS, the A frican American F e s tiv a l's royal c o u rt, the newly selected royal fa m ily , w i ll preside over the 1990 A frican American F e s tiv a l and w i l l reign one year as ro y a lty from N orth/Northeast P o rtla n d 's A frican American community; NOW, THEREFORE, 1, J.E . Bud C lark, Mayor of the C ity of P ortlan d , Oregon, the " C ity of Roses", do hereby proclaim the week of July 18-22, 1990, to be AFRICAN AMERICAN FESTIVAL WEEK in Portland, in recognition of the importance of the A frican American F e s tiv a l A ssociation's e ffo rts to bring u n ity to the North/Northeast Portland community, to the c ity and to the s ta te of Oregon. And in recognition of the neighborhood associations for th e ir e ffo r ts to untfy fo r the betterment of our neighborhoods. The Portland Observer is the Official Newspaper A A of the African-American Festival t I