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BSERYER
PORTLA
Volume XX, Number 47
"The Eyes and Ears o f The Community"
25<P
December 12,1990
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Local Black Organizations Declare
Boycott of Portland Public Schools
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... ......................................
Portland Officer
Finalist For Job of
Police Chief
■Public reacts by asking, is poor education fault of schools or families?
BY ANGELIQUE SANDERS_______
T Z ^ B la c k U nited F ro n t’s Ron
1 A emdon is leading disadvantaged
communities in a war against Portland
Public Schools, using an organized boy­
cott as ammunition.
Thirteen local black organiza­
tions joined w ith the United Front, com ­
plaining th a t-w h ile test scores reflect
improvement o f m in orities’ education,
it is s till not nearly the educational
equivalent o f “ advantaged” groups,
and that occasional one-day boycotts o f
PPS are merited.
“ I f somebody tells you this is
acceptable progress,” said Herndon in
a press conference on Monday, “ then
these kids don’t have a chance.”
A statement issued by BUF states,
“ The m ajority o f students in North-
Northeast Portland are currently receiv­
ing an education that w ill not prepare
them to be com petitive, productive c iti­
zens in this increasingly complex, tech­
nological w orld. Few w ill be able to
read w ith the comprehension, o r write
w ith the s k ill, demanded by business,
and fewer s till w ill possess the critical
math and science skills sorely needed
by industries o f tom orrow .”
Announcer fo r KG W 620 radio
Joe U ris on Monday said, in an inter­
view w ith Hemdon, said o f him , “ he
has dropped a virtual bombshell on
Portland.”
Yes Portland, There is
a Sant Claus
PAGE 2
The Electronic Home
Concluded
PAGE 2
Why African
Americans Should
Celebrate Kwanzaa
PAGE 2
From The Pulpit to
the Pews - Religion
PAGE 3
Bike Helmets a Must
For Youngsters page 3
But Herndon’ s arguments are not
new. On October third o f 1989, he sent
a letter to Stephen G riffith o f Portland’ s
tatives o f the aforementioned thirteen
community groups. Receiving no re­
sponse (“ I ’m disappointed with die school
■ .....»—
m -----------
Ron Herndon,
boycott
spokesper­
son, on qual­
ity o f educa­
tion: "If
somebody
can tell me
the school
system is
good, why,
I've got a
bridge to sell
you!...It's very
predictable
what’s going
to happen:
you will see
worse."
Ron Herndon
school board, requesting an inform al
meeting w ith him to discuss a twelve-
point reform plan. The letter was signed
by Herndon, and endorsed by represen­
board,” he shrugs), Hemdon eventually
managed to assemble tw o meetings with
other members o f the board, presenting
his reform plan. A t this point, Port­
i
■ The students and staff of the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Learning Center would like to invite ■
Portlander Takes
Second in Reginal
golf Tournament
you and yours to a celebration of life.
Tuesday, December 18, 1990, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Saint Andrew Church Gymnasium, 806 N.E. Alberta
Hosted by: Mrs. Joyce Harris and Dr. Darryl S. Tukufu
Come together as a community to give thanks and enjoy the blessing of living.
The Whitney M. Young, Jr. Learning Center is a program component of the Urban
j League of Portland’s Education and Career Development Center.
Commissioner Bogle Visits With Students
from "I Have a Dream Foundation"
Business Profile
Scarbouah of Dad's
OU
land’s school board has s till not re­
sponded.
The actual boycott dates have
not yet been arranged (though are
planned to commence in February),
but w ill be discussed in a public meet­
ing on Thursday, December 13, 7:00
p.m., at 1627 N.E. Alberta. Hemdon
presumes at this point that alternative
sights w ill be set up fo r children, on
boycott dates.
Hemdon and B U F are backed
by Albina M inisterial A lliance, A m eri­
can Friends Service Committee, Black
Educational Center, Black United Fund
o f Oregon, C oalition o f Black Men,
M uslim Mosque Inc., N A A C P , Na­
tional Association o f Blacks in the Crimi­
nal Justice System, North/Northeast
Business Booster, North/Northeast Coa­
lition o f Neighborhoods, Oregon Asso­
ciation o f Black Entrepreneurs, Ore­
gon Association o f Colored Women’ s
Clubs, and Urban League.
This, however, may not be
enough. Public reaction has been strong,
and the tide has been running against
the organizations’ stance. This is a
crucial time for the boycott: w ithin the
next week (or as soon as the issue has
been clarified, and the public delivers
its decision), the movement w ill like ly
either gain momentum or be snuffed
out entirely.
A reporter confronted Hemdon
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Governor to
Deliver Farewell
Address
O
n Friday, December 14, N eil
Goldschmidt w ill deliver his
farewell address as Governor. The speech
w ill be before the Portland C ity Club
luncheon, which begins at 12:00 p.m. at
the H ilton Hotel, 921 SW Sixth, in
downtown Portland.
The speech w ill include the
Governor’ s personal impressions o f the
changes Oregon has seen in the last four
years, and o f the choices the state faces
in the 1990s.
L
t. Charles Moose, the Portland
Police Bureau’s only black lieu­
tenant, is one o f three fin alist fo r the job
o f police ch ie f in Jackson, Mississippi.
Moose, 37, is coordinating public
safety resources as part o f Portland’ s re­
vitalization efforts in north Precinct. He
has been a member o f the police bureau
fo r 15 years.
Jean S. Shaw, operations coordina­
tor in the Jackson M ississippi, mayor’ s
office, said Moose and two other finalist
were chosen from among 80 applicants
in a nationwide search. The Jackson Police
ch ie f retired in September.
Shaw and another city o ffic ia l were
in Portland on Monday talking w ith
community members and city o fficials
about Moose. Jackson o fficials expect to
name a new ch ie f in early January.
I f Moose is selected for the position,
he would be that c ity ’ s first black police
chief. Jackson’s acting chief, however,
is black.
Moose said Monday that applying
fo r the Jackson chiefs spot was sim ply
“ a great o pp ortu nity," and did not mean
that he was unhappy in the Portland
Police Bureau.
Involved w ith Portland’s efforts to
phase in community policing, Moose
said that same approach to law enforce­
ment would be his “ style” in Jackson.
Jackson has a population o f about
208,000. The Jackson Police department
has 550 members, 360 o f whom are
sworn officers. The department’ s annual
budget is about $18 m illion.
Thp
More Attacks and Support
among the noted and respected consult­
ants employed, O N E bad penny had been
e do not necessarily end this
allowed to enter the process. He o f
series on a grim note. The re­ course is quoted, “ The Egyptians used
their early planes for travel, expeditions
views arc mixed. Last week m y article
was seen to highlight a continuing d i­ and recreation.” You know, it occurs
chotomy o f reaction to the Baseline Essays that the fellow could have been a “ plant” -
w ithin the staff o f the Oregonian news­ w ith an obvious mission. But, again,
paper. We find the same situation in the that does not in any way reflect ad­
“ Letters from Readers” section; the versely upon the rest
In reference to the color/ethnicity
same when examining eastern newspa­
o f the Ancient Egyptians, I have only to
pers.
There is a wide range o f reader re­ look up at m y library shelves o f many
sponse. One very sensible w riter com­ scores o f texts on ancient Egypt by white,
ments, “ N ot having read the Baseline established historians o f international
Essays to which Duin [colum nist] refers, repute (I have the black scholars' too, but
I cannot attest to their veracity, or lack I am making a point): “ Red Land, Black
thereof. ” B ut he goes on to state that to Land (Barbara M ertz), Egypt the Black
which he can attest very w ell: “ U ntil Land (Paul Jorday), A H istory o f Egypt
people like Duin are able to adm it the (Breasted), Eternal Egypt, Everyday L ife
w hite middle calss com plicity in the seg­ in Egypt (Pierre Montet), The Ancient
regationist attitudes that tear our schools Egyptians (W ilkinson), Black Athena
apart, the integration o f ethnic perspec­ (M artin Bernal), The Africans (M aruzi),
tives fo r which he pleads w ill have no Ancient Egypt (T im e-Life Books), and
an ad infin itum (not counting Greek
chance to become re a lity ."
testimony.
Under the heading “ Essays An
In sult’ ’ , another w riter responds, ’ ' Much
Neither the narratives o r the illu s ­
trations leave any doubt that were these
o f the book is based on the indefensible
premise that ancient Egypt was a black people IN A M E R IC A T O D A Y , they
nation-such supposed facts as the pos­ would need the fo llo w in g assistance to
session o f airplanes by the ancient Egyp­ survive: V O T E R ’ S R E G IS T R A T IO N
tians.”
Last week we admitted that
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
BY PROFESSOR MCKINLEY BURT
W
INDEX
News
Religion
Locker Room
His/Hers Opinion
Services Directory
Classifieds
Bids
Bids/Sub Bids
Lt. Charles Moose
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5
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10
Next Week
Locker Room
Earl "The Pearl" Monroe:
Giving Back
Soul Santa Claus, City Commissioner Dick Bogle, chats with students from the Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Elementary School about their Christmas wishes. Some o f the wishes
ranged from peace In the Middle East to better food In the school lunch room. The students
are part o f the "I Have a Dream Foundation," a program which adopted a fifth grade class
and guaranteed them a college education should they finish high school. The event took
place at the Meier & Frank store last weekend.
Photo by Veronica Green