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Spotlight on Muhammad Ali
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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
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