Page 2—The Portland Observer - December 12, 1990
ft g ft 5 ft
...And Justice For All
■Ú.Í.S—
By Professor McKinley Burt
The
««
Electronic
Home"
Concluded
W ell, let’s see. As we come to the
end of this series, 1 see we have covered
a number of topics, all connected by a
common thread-the “ electronic inter
face” , easily operated by the relatively
unskilled. We have suggested such * new
users’ as the housewife, single parent
and the neophyte business person. And
it is a matter of important fact that many
o f these users are not so “ new” any
more.
Before proceeding any further, 1
am getting the impression from the
number of interested callers that it might
be well to consider the possibility of
organizing a ‘club’ of Northeast resi-
dents-those who are already involved in
"n “ at hom e” office, and those who
. ould like to be. It would be very help
ful to have a vehicle to cover the ex
change of information on techniques,
equipment, marketing, and the like.
I am going to advance this idea to
Mr. Cleo Frankin who begins a monthly
column on the subject area right after
the first of the year. As stated last week
, this African American technician
operates a computcr/communications
service right here in our community.
Certainly, that service profile lends it-
self to serious consideration: Mainte
nance, local area ‘networking’, repair/
installation, interfacing. Cooperative
endeavor is going to be very essential to
this community’s welfare in these times
of economic decline.
In anticipation of your growing in
terest in this field, let me acquaint you
with some ‘additional’ material relevant
to developing your potential (remember
that you can obtain back issues of the
Observer by stopping by our offices at
4747 N.E. Martin Luther King Blvd.)
For instance, call 1-800-832-0100 to
obtain the following useful booklet from
U.S. West Communications: “ Big Ideas
For Small Business; a communications
service guide” . It’s free!
Major chapter headings suggest that
this is going to be a very, very valuable
tool in your activities-whether your thrust
is business, education, hobbies, or other
inclinations. These read, “ New ways to
do today’s business-New ways to man
age your time-New ways to invest in
business growth-How to talk to a small
business expert” . And there are some
very special scenarios which may not
have occurred to you: “ Have you dis
covered the profits in FAX?” (I have);
“ Do you need to reach new custom
ers?” ; “ How efficiently are you han
dling the calls you receive?”
In closing this series, let me refer
you to a ‘real world’ activity of mine
which began in one room of an apart
ment. It has expanded to ‘two’ rooms,
but I am now reaching clients across the
nation. My activity is about ‘marketing’
and it is a deliberate thrust to get around
the racist barriers designed to prevent
Vantage Point
the dissemination of documented black
history (see this weeks* frontpage article
and the two preceding upon the same
subject, “ More Attacks (and support):
The Baseline Essays” ). It lakes a little
time to reach this stage but you can do it.
Just a little determination added.
The following excerpt from another
article will serve to illustrate. I am refer
ring to that necessary ‘networking’ you
should keep in mind. Here the visitors
from the 1989 “ Black Educators* na
tional convention have been taken on a
tour of the Beaverton Computer Co. that
assists until I can get two other pieces of
equipment in that “ second room ".
“ I took them down to the computer
room and showed them how my “ busi
ness partner in education” had assisted
me in assembling a ‘ ‘market profile” for
the education districts in every one of
those twenty urban centers of black
population I listed in my book, “ Black
Inventors of America” . I had on com
puter disk the name, address, phone/
FAX number of every elementary, middle
and high school (and ancillary special
programs) in each of these cities. “ Gradu
ally, I am identifying correspondents in
each area to provide change of status
reports for the periodic batching through
of updates.”
They were impressed with what just
one man could accomplish with a part
ner from industry and asked me for fur
ther ideas on developing this relation
ship.”
Well, there we have it, marketing is
the name of the game whether your thrust
is social, commercial or whatever. I hope
this series has been useful.
• by Ron Daniels
Why African Americans Should Celebrate Kwanzaa
From December 26 - January 1, many
within the African American commu
nity will celebrate Kwanzaa. Created by
the brilliant theoretician and leader Dr.
Maulana Karenga in the late sixties, Kwan
zaa, which means first fruits, is patterned
after the traditional harvest celebrations
in traditional African society. Based on
Karenga’s theory of Kawaida, the doc
trine of tradition and reason, each of the
seven days of Kwanzaa is centered around
one of the principles of the Nguzo Saba
- The Seven Principles of the Black value
System: UMOJA - Unity; Kujichagulia -
Self-Determination; UJIMA - Collec
tive Work and Responsibility; U J AMA A
- Cooperative Economics; NIA - Pur
pose; KUUMBA - Creativity; and IMANI
- Faith.
Kwanzaa is an authentic African
American inspired and created holiday.
After more than two decades since its
inception, Kwanzaa is celebrated by some
one, somewhere in virtually every Afri
can American community in this coun
try. There are television reports about
Kwanzaa and the most popular African
American magazines such as Essence,
Ebony and Jet now regularly run feature
stories on Kwanzaa. This is indeed a
positive success story arising out of the
Black Liberation Movement of the 60’s
& 70’s.
Despite Kwanzaa’s apparent suc
cess, however, the holiday is still only
celebrated by a minority in the African
American community. Most Black folks
kind of know about it, but it is certainly
not a holiday which is deeply ingrained
in the consciousness and practice of the
majority of African Americans yet. Some
people mistakenly see Kwanzaa as
“ Black Christmas’ ’ and others see it as
a substitute for Christmas. In fact Kwan
zaa is not Black Christmas and it is not
a substitute for Christmas. Black people
can celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa.
Kwanzaa, however, as an African
American holiday is exclusively de
voted to the celebration of ourselves as
African people, our history and culture.
It is centered around a set of principles
- Unity, Self-Determination, Collective
Work and Responsibility, Cooperative
Economics, Purpose, Creative and Faith
which African Americans need to learn,
study and practice for our collective
survival and development as a people.
As Dr. Karenga has said so many
times, “ culture is the key crisis in Black
life” . African Americans, by and large,
still lack knowledge of self and kind.
We are still afflicted by an insidious
self-hatred rooted inthelegacy o f slav-
P O R TL
Alfred L. Henderson
Publisher
Joyce Washington
Operations Manager
Gary Ann Garnett
Business Manager
Leon Harris
Editorial Manager
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f
ery, Euro-centric “ mis-education” cul
tural aggression and the persistence of
racism and white domination as a con
tinuing reality of American culture and
life. Our lack of serious and unrelenting
devotion to self and kind - the African
American and pan-african family - is
major impediment to our progress as a
people.
African American holidays, there
fore, are imperative, for they allow us to
focus on ourselves and our liberation for
a change. Kwanzaa is designed to be just
such an occasion. And though it has a
serious purpose, Kwanzaa need not be
dull and drab. Indeed, in keeping with
our traditional and popular cultures,
Kwanzaa should be colorful, festive and
a source of comfort and enjoyment.
Kwanzaa should provide both informa
tion, inspiration and celebration.
But most of all Kwanzaa should
commit us to us! African Americans
cannot build and sustain viable cultural,
educational, economic and political in
stitutions dedicated to our development
and progress unless we first affirm our
selves. We must embrace the proposi
tion that as Africans in America, we
must be the primary agents o f our own
liberation. That’s why African Ameri
cans should celebrate Kwanzaa.
ERVER
(USPS 959-680)
OREGON'S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION
Established in 1970
by Angelique Sanders
POCTwWrttetRYBt
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Please fill out, enclose check or
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Thank You For Reading the
Portland Observer
Yes, Portland, There Is a Santa Claus
simply to him at “ North Pole” , unstam place within two days: it was obvious in
When asking people what
ped,
and signed “ Angelique” - n o re everyone in the community. On the bus,
Christmas means to them, I found a
turn
address,
phone number, or last name, there was a type of strain to not think of
consensus of opinion that the holiday is
and
dropped
off at a neighborhood mail- the incidents. Everyone continued with
being “ ruined” for them through com
their day-to-day
mercial overexploita
business, function
tion. I agree that Christ
ally, at least; people
mas has been overex Dear Santa,
I know that every year I’ve asked you for many things, but this year
read, people talked,
ploited in the market
is different. This year, I looked around and found that I have everything I
people
gazed
place: what 1 disagree
need and want, and that in past years I’ve had them, to o -I just managed to
thoughtlessly out the
with is the thought that
window;
but in
look past them for other things.
that should wreck the
The question arises, then: why am I writing to you? At first, I
everyone’s eyes,
holiday for them. True,
there hung a sadness,
most concede when I thought is was to question your existence. Then I realized, Santa is not a man
in red with a beard: he is the one using environmentally-safe products and
a repression...an in
make that point, but
recycling; he is the man who put a dollar in the Salvation Army kettle; he
ner knowledge...the
when you don’t have
is the clerk down the street who always double-bags my groceries. Yes,
knowledge that what
any money for gifts (the
happened to those
Portland, there is a Santa Claus. He could be you.
interviewees say), your
I wanted to write to tell you, I hope that you have a beautiful Christ
two brothers could
friends look down on
mas tree with many gifts; I hope many cards sit on your hearth; I hope that
have happened to
you. My thoughts are:
Mrs. Claus baked you a fine Christmas ham. Then I thought, no, every year
any of us.
friends are there when
people surround themselves with these things and laugh about what a great
And we will
you’re down and out;
year it’s been. This year I decided, instead of measuring my friendships by
not forget this. Every
they are not oblivious
the size of the gifts, I’ll cany my gifts and cards with me everywhere, in my
time any of us hear
to your difficulties, and
heart. I also decided, instead of mu, . ing how much I’ve made with how
the familiar sirens,
a true friend would
large a ham I’ve purchased, I thought I’d donate the money to a charity and
police answering the
rather see you make it
call of death, we will
through financial diffi have the best gift I could give myself: the knowledge that I’ve made an
know: there goes
culties without burden improvement. So Mrs. Claus: don’t forego the ham for bread and water, but
love Christmas for the sharing time it is, and not for the amount of materi
another brother or
ing you with the thought
alistic happiness it can represent
sister, taken by the
ofagift. Ifpeopleclose
So, Santa, what I really want this year is not that new entertainment
evil vestiges of
to you subtly snub you
system, and it isn’t a belter job or a bigger house. I just want to see that what
hatred.
when you can’t pour
*****
I have is ample and to always appreciate it.
money on them during
Thanks, Santa.
this season, consider
I can’t, in the
P.S. This year set my material gifts on the doorsteps of those who need them.
finding friends who are
spirit of Christmas,
Merry Christmas.
more understanding!
end this week’s col
Love,
Christmas, to me, means
umn on that note, so
Angelique Sanders
nothing more or less
here’s an off-the-
than pure, unadulterated
wall item to leave
love, and self-expression of such.
you with a smile: from the latest “ North
b o x [a s ld id n ’thaveam tii'box]. A few
As a child, I didn’t believe in
west Comic News’ ’, this was written by
days later, I received a Christmas card
Santa Claus (due to a family that didn’t responding to my letter...I no longer Lou Boyd: “ Y oucangetridofbedbugs
celebrate). Upon leaving my home, I doubt the magic of Christmas.
by putting cockroaches in your bed.
realized that Santa exists-in the form of
You can get of cockroaches by putting
*****
love. (By the way, last year I got a lot
toads in your bed. Life’s like that. Just
harmlessly off my chest by actually send
I did not have to read about move.”
ing off a letter to Santa Claus, addressed
Northeast’s two tragic murders that took
The Essays!
continued from front page
ACT, CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, FAIR
EMPLOYMENT ACT, SBA, MINOR
ITY SET-ASIDE CONTRACTS. As
for today’s Egyptian population, wc duly
note that Hollywood selected a quite
black African American to play the role
of Anwar Sadat, chief of the Egyptian
state. What kind of fools do these al
leged academics suppose the American
public to be?
Again, from the reader’s column
we have:
“ There is plenty of evidence to
support the claim that a systematic re
writing of history to purge classical Greek
civilization of all traces of Semitic and
Egyptian influence began around 1800.
Though it remains controversial, the
case is well-documented in Martin Ber
nal’s “ Black Athena” , published in 1987
by the Rutgers University Press.
...What gave 19th century schol
ars the right to decide they knew better
than the ancient Greek writers, almost
all of whom agree on the seminal impor
tance of Egyptian and Semitic influ
ences on their own culture?
...Your presentation of this im
portant subject seemed to me unsympa
thetic to the current efforts to revise our
historical view. It read as if the whole
idea o f African history was not to be
taken seriously.
...You seem to think that univer
sity professors, whom you quote un
critically in support of the Aryan view,
are unbiased, objective sources of infor
mation. It was, after all, the academic
community that enthusiastically produces
the Aryan historical model. There are
few who are as practiced and sophisti
cated in institutionalizing their biases as
academic scholars.”
“ Merry Christmas for
the Children”
A Holiday Celebration for
African American foster
Care and Adoptive Children
One Church, One Child of Oregon,
Pacific Power and KBMS-1480 will be
sponsoring a community wide toy drive,
December 17-21, 1990.
The toys will be given to African-
American children in foster care and
adoptive homes during a special holiday
celebration on December 22, 1990.
Unwrapped toys forchildrcn.agcs 1
year to 12 years of age can be brought to
One Church, One Child, 5806 N. Albina,
Pacific Power, 3535 N £ . 15th and KBMS-
1480,510 SW 3rd.
We invite you to share in the spirit
of giving and to help strengthen African-
American families. For more informa
tion, call 285-7634 or 222-1491.
My own research of the seminal
African contribution continues. This
includes the so-called Middle East
“ Cradle of Civilization” . Never mind
that the ancients reported differently,
and that today’s Persian Gulf was accu
rately and pointedly described by them
and put on their maps as the “ Ethiopian
Sea” . Over the years I had hundreds of
Middle Eastern students in my Univer
sity classes and many were far blacker
and frizzled hair than most of the North
east Community. This provided me
with an excellent opportunity to get at
the truths of this on the eastern shore of
the Red Sea (Western Saudia A rabia-
the Biblical land of Punt to which black
queen Hatshepsut and the Pharaohs sent
many expeditions).
A former Saudi student whose
master thesis I supervised for the busi
ness department has recently opened up
a whole new vista for historical docu
mentation, sending back here several
packages by air freight. His these was
on the de vleopment of an auto and plane
leasing firm owned by he and his father
to include the Lear Jet Franchise. It was
done and this clout meant being able to
get the information from university and
“ ARAMCO” historians I was unable to
get on my own. These foreign students
of mine have proven to be priceless re
sources in many lands.
In closing this series I will remark
that these detractors of Black history can
be defeated, but it takes a lot of work and
commitment. And the truth has to be
sold to a confused America. See my
“ Perspectives” column on page two,
where I advance the cause for using
electronic technology for educational
marketing as well as commerce.
Implied Consent
Suspensions
Increase
Nearly 2,700 drivers received no
ticcs of license suspension in October
under Oregon’s implied consent law.
This figure represents a 9 percent in
crease over 1989.
The implied consent law allows
police officers to request breath tests of
any person arrested for driving under the
influence of intoxicants (DUII). Drivers
arrested for DUII who refuse to take or
who fail the breath test receive a suspen
sion notice and arc issued a citation for
the criminal offense of DUII.
Of the 2,687 implied consent
notices issued in October, 516 were given
to drivers who refused a breath test and
2,171 were to drivers who failed the
breath test.
t
Community
Sponsors
Homeless Women
and Children for
Christmas
Every year, concerned members of
the community “ sponsor” residents of
the West Women’s and Children’s Shel
ter for Christmas. This year, the need is
greater than ever for such giving.
The West, has recently become a
program of the Salvation Army’s Recov
ery Road. Its previous parent agency,
Burnside Community Council ceased
operation earlier this year. The West is
home to nearly 60 women and children.
The program offers food, shelter, and
many support services to its residents.
In an attempt to provide a joyus
Christmas for all, the West offers “ spon
sorship” as a means of funneling the
community’s generosity. Families are
available for sponsorship, as well as single
women who do not have children or do
not have custody of their children. Resi
dents write wish lists from which donors
may choose items to give their spon-
soree.
To sponsor a family or single woman,
please call the West at 224-7718. We
depend on the generosity of the commu
nity at Christmas time and throughout
the year.
Needy Kids
Receive
Christmas Cheer
For the sixth year, Santa Claus will
bring a little holiday joy to some 95
children and their families who are part
of the Children’s Program of Mental
Health Services West. The kids, many of
whom are homeless or who live at the
West Women’s Hotel, will be treated to
a special meal and holiday party hosted
by Portland General Electric Co. (PGE)
employees on the Mezzanine Level of
Two World Trade Center, 25 S.W. Salmon
St., Portland, Dec. 19, from 3 p.m. to
6:00 p.m. (with photo opportunities be
tween 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.).
The festivities will include a visit by
Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, games, gifts,
and holiday cheer. PGE employees have
donated clothes for the families and have
collected or bought childrens’ toys.
Note: Due to the sensitive nature of
many of these families’ situations, not
all children and parents can be photo
graphed. Those who can be safely photo
graphed will be wearing a special button.
PORTLAND OBSERVER
'The Eyes and Ears ol the Community
Office: (503)288-0033
Fax#: (503)200-0015
1