Page 16 The Portland Observer - January 15,1991
...And ju stic e For All
by Angelique Sanders I
This week’s column is a trib­
to drink front a fountain, from which
the very foundations of education, is it
ute to Martin Luther King, Jr.
her mother steered her away, on the any wonder prejudices still exist
One of my foremost worries
basis that it was a fountain for “ ne­
Most of the people I knew in
while attending school was—and still
groes” . Her youthfully naive, socie-
Spokane
were
not
blatantly
is—injustice. I always wished for a
tally-unjaded mind could not compre­ prejudices...they had simply never got­
larger soapbox to promote my ideas of hend segregation; after years of educa­ ten to know any African Americans on
equality, and journalism was my obvi­ tion and experience, the teacher is still
any level aside from, perhaps, their
ous career choice. As a white girl raised
completely baffled on this issue. “ Why
black bank teller, dentist, whatever
in a town (.Spokane) that contained little
is society like this?” she and 1 won-
(Spokane has a predominantly white
ethnic diversity, 1
p o p u la tio n -a c ­
didn’t know that
cording
to figures
working
at
a The world could use a few more Martin Luther King, Jr.s
in the 1980 census,
“ black” newspaper
Spokane ties with
WEVE REALLY MADE GREAT PROGRESS
would become my
Madison, W1 as the
UTTH
THE
RACEG
RECENTLY.
WHY,
IN
HA YEARS
THEY
fate. I knew, how­
second most white-
AFTER THE
SEEMED
W , wedidawaycompletelywithan
ever, that I wanted
populated city in
ORDINANCE PANNING NEGROES FROM
READY.
CJVILUJARR
to work at a paper
I
OWNING PROPERTY.
America, with over
that was not merely
94% whites [in first
a splay of informa­
place is Lincoln,
tion, but was geared
Nebraska]). Most
toward social reform.
seemed to possess
With few
a mental color-line,
exceptions, my for­
not on the level of
mal education did not
“ whites are good,
offer much informa­
blacks are bad” , but
tion on black-or, for
p erh ap s-fo r ex-
that matter, ANY
am p le--p u rp o se-
non-white—culture.
fully not sitting by
Only three excep­
an African Ameri­
tions come to mind:
can on the bus
first, the school’s offered reading of dered somewhat; but even more, we
because they were “ unsure” of what to
Malcolm X ’s autobiography (students
scratched our chins at “ How do we
expect
were required to read one of several
change it?”
Though my knowledge of black
school-selected books, one of which
But these were questions the
culture was strong, I had never known a
was on Malcolm X). Regrettably, I texts never explored.
black person until I graduated and move
don’t recall many students opting to
It became clear to me rather away from Spokane. It was obvious to
read that book—and what is the surprise
early-on that the school system offer
me, though, there was and is a shortage
of this? After a decade or more of pupils the bricks, but no mortar, toward
of equality-one need not be outside to
education primarily on topics within
a complete education. I read up, in my
see that it’s snowing.
the youths social “ circle” , whatare the
free lime, on black history and other ne­
And that is the “ moral ” to my
odds that a single opportunity to learn
glected topics of culturization. Pre­ story: you don’t need to be black, gay,
about another culture will be seized by
sumably, the school felt that, with a
homeless, physically disabled, etc. to
the students?
primarily white student body, few people
fight for equality. To be a minority
The second exception was a
would be interested in learning black
does not mean you’re part of a small
teacher I had that often told stories
history. This is probably true-but, then,
population:
it signifies repression.
about days when he used to live with
few of my classmates had an active
Women, though outnumbering men, are
Native Americans: this teacher would
interest in learning history AT ALL.
a minority.
expound at great length, not just about
Additionally, the school’s job is not to
So many feel that they’ll leave
what occurred with his Indian friends,
cater to the educational interests of the
the freedom-fighting to men like Mar­
but also the psychology of them.
students, but their educational needs.
tin Luther King, Jr. or Nelson Mandela.
The third exception was a lib­ And if any of those students ever planned
Do not just sit home and cheer at your
eral English teacher of mine that had a
on moving away from Spokane, they
t.v. for those who are fighting for
temperament that oozed of justice. A
had better be prepared to face cultures
us...accept your duty as a caring hu­
story she told once caused my emotions
foreign to them, or hide forever within
man: don’t just join the fight, lead it!
to yearn for equality: as a child in
their “ white bubble” .
Every day is Martin Luther
Washington, D.C., she once attempted
With ignorance present within
King, Jr. day until equality prevails.
I
Coretta Scott King, on her late husband (from the book "We Shall Overcome"):
"Democracy means equal justice, equity in every aspect o f our society. I think Martin
understoodfrom the very beginning that this goal could not be accomplished all at once.
He knew he could not take a people who were largely uneducated and unrepresented and
suddenly transform them into political activists who could immediately change the
system. And he also knew that the basic problem in our society had to do with economic
injustice or...the contrast o f wealth between the haves and the have-nots. Believe it or not,
he spoke those words to me when I first met him."
\Sdll progress is
precarious, and the
solution of one problem
bri ngs us face to fcace
with another
problem.'
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Strength to Love
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ODOT offers
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For information on
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r
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