Dage 2 ~The Portland Observer .January 23,1991
ata
tr
1
Our History
is the
Biggest
Grant We Will
Ever Get
D oubt that and you doubt
yourself. Forget your history and: you
are “ doom ed to repeat it.” That latter
adage certainly could apply to north­
east Portland. Just a limited look be­
neath the surface could reveal not only
econom ic wreckage from the past, but a
reprise o f yesterday’s errors.
I thought about this when I
w rote last week about David Crosth-
w ait, the black engineer whose 34 U.S.
and 80 foreign patents facilitated the
structure and am enity o f high rise build­
ings all over the world. And particu­
larly relevant to the historic “ reprise”
was my description o f his frustration at
not being allow ed to deliver his gifts of
genius and realistic resource to the D e­
troit com m unity. I neglected to add that
one o f his most important forward-look­
ing ideas was the perception that the
ever-increasing importation of Japanese
autos would lead to a parallel reduction
o f the large black labor force in the in­
dustry.
Consequently, he designed and
advocated an extensive RETRAINING
PROGRAM FOR AUTO WORKERS
l“ n e ’
con-
lice, as did his early
xplosive growth of
gangs (O f course, those in Pordand who
early on expressed their alarm about the
potential for gang immigration here fared
not one bit better). W e can see that in
the case o f the auto workers, Mr. Crosth-
wait was trying to prevent a “ reprise”
of another classic econom ic disaster for
b la c k s-th e demise o f the passenger
railway systems in A m erica when thou­
sands upon thousands o f unprepared
African Americans lost their jo b s-fro m
dining car waiters and Pullm an porters
to baggage attendants (redcaps).
Here in Northeast Portland we
have an economic history which might
be exam ined to see if the ubiquitous and
disastrous “ reprise” them e is at w o rk -
that is, if history is to teach us anything
at all. The history of African American
ow nership and utilization o f real prop­
erty , apartm ent houses and commercial
rental; the latter leasing to a variety o f
mostly independently owned enterprises.
These firms ranged from restaurants,
dance halls and bars to dry cleaners,
barber-beauty shops, pool halls, to night­
clubs, contractors, service stations, auto
garages and detailers to physicians and
dentists and after hours joints. Other
lessees were fraternal groups and social
organizations. Also, there was a large
hotel on Interstate, “ The M edley” .
The area might be generally
described as being bounded by Union
on the east, Russell on the north, the
Steel Bridge on the south (Hassalo),
and on the west, partly by the river, and
partly by Intersuite. Blacks were defi­
nitely a minority in this section as a
whole, but N. W illiam s Avenue was by
far the main drag for com m erce and
entertainm ent for African Americans.
The black investment corporations cil .I
included the “ Acme Business Club,
Fraternal Hall and Porter’s C lu b ” .
The thing to understand here,
if we are to determ ine that once again
we may have failed to read history, is
the exceedingly strong structure and
com m itm ent o f these early African
American business groups-membership
was alm ost exclusively railroad work­
ers who financed the operations by
monthly assessm ents against salaries.
The m anagem ent o f the millions of
dollars in assets was carried out by
elected, middle-aged officials, thor­
oughly experienced in a southern tradi­
tion and history o f successful black
ow nership and effective use of capital.
Two o f these operations were
MY ACCOUNTING CLIENTS, so these
evaluations are firsthand and factual.
W hat has intervened over time between
this period of successful black entrepre­
neurship and to d a p s uneven com m er­
cial efforts in the inner-northeast (M i­
nority Business) is “ the great dem o­
graphic and physical expansion of the
black environs following, first, the
VANPORT FLOOD and, later, the de­
struction of that great business and popu­
lation center by the URBAN RENEWAL
PROGRAM S (removal) which brought
in freeways and the coliseum .”
There were, o f course, the
further attritions occasioned by the
EM ANUEL HOSPITAL EXPANSION
(Taylor Act) and the erection o f the
UNION AVENUE MEDIAN BAR­
RIER. Are we able to say at this point
that the failure o f blacks to m ount or­
ganized and effective legal opposition
to these assaults upon their economic
well being indicates that they have
learned nothing from their history? And
may we say that today’s failures and
fragmentation of effort in the area of
MINORITY BUSINESS indicate that
blacks have not brought to bear (re­
fused?) an easily accessible history of
successful approaches to the problem?
* * Doomed to repeat it” , we suited at the
beginning of this article.
The True Colors of War
W ar comes in all colors...black
and white and yellow ...Caucasians,
African Americans, Orientals, A rabi­
ans, and Native Am ericans, all with
only one color in common: the color of
blood. Blood is red. Blood that can link
us in brotherhood also links us together
in war.
The United States’ Congress,
divided idealogically, finally mandated
the President o f our United States to act
a g g re ssiv e ly -if n eed ed -w ith an act of
war.
President Bush did so, expe­
diting our entry into the dramatic M ide­
ast mix o f m alicious manipulations trig­
gered by the demonic dictatorship of
Saddam Hussein. Hussein’s swift gobble-
up o f Kuwait swallowed it whole as a
part o f Iraq by using force and atrocity
with the calm of a smiling Pac Man
videogam e caricature. He challenged
the conscience of the world to respond.
The wisdom o f the President
of the United States and his advisors
prevailed, holding the war reins in check
before allowing the United Nations voice
o f the world to echo a global censure.
The “ linkage” excuses of
H ussein’s appropriation o f Kuwait was
written o ff as a ridiculous rationale by
those who had the fa c ts-a n d nothing
BUT the fa c ts-in front o f them. Em o­
tionalism lost a round. Saddam Hussein’s
August 2 invasion of Kuwait drove hordes
o f helpless Palestinians from their na­
tive land as aggressor Iraqi hoops of­
fended the conscience of the world, and
even Saudi Arabia to protest upon be­
half o f its neighbor, Kuwait. Linkage
connects a M ideast peace conference to
withdrawal from Kuwait!
The barbarous invasion of
K uw ait filled brother Arabs with hei­
nous disregard for their lives by Sad­
dam Hussein. He then turned around
and deviously pretended to be his
brother’s keeper in “ linkage” to the
P O R TL
ERYER
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of The National Newspaper Association - Founded in 1885. and The National Advertis­
ing Representative Amalgamated Publishers. In c , New York, NY
A series of
articles by
Dr. A. Lee
Henderson
Palestinians right to solve their prob­
lems with Israel.
This strategic dividc-and-con-
quer propaganda is a Saddam Hussein
tactic that can be used against the unin­
formed, poorly educated, geographi­
cally illiterate.
You would be am azed at how
many people in our own nation fall
victims to ignorance.
Educate yourself against propa­
ganda.
“ ...facing worldwide con­
dem nation, Saddam quickly realized
that his best chance to divide the oppo­
sition was to pose as the champion of
the Arab dispossessed. This revived a
hardly diplom atic concept called * ‘ link­
age” -- ^ this case connecting withdrawal
from Kuwait to a com m itm ent to a
M ideast peace conference. Even the
United States has em braced the idea,
with reservations. But strongly backed
by American public opinion (Newsweek
poll...), the alliance refuses to reward
Saddam by connecting Kuwait to the
larger issues o f M ideast peace. By
some lights, the best hope for peace is to
replace tnat “ link” with a “ w ink” : an
implicit rather than an explicit deal...
“ (Linkage) would work only
if Saddam ’s annexation cam e after
mighty Kuwait had attacked tiny Iraq,
not the other way around. Israel says it
has held on to those territories for de­
fensive purposes because its Arab neigh­
bors (other than Egypt) continue to refuse
to abide by U.N. Resolution 242 and
fully recognize Israel’s right to exist.
Iraq, obviously, has no such problem
with recognition, in fact, the United
States has explicitly pledged not to de­
stroy it (if it withdraws from Kuwait),” a
prom ise m ost Arabs have yet to make to
Israel” , notes Newsweek (January 21,
1991).
V 'e believe, heart and soul,
that our loyalty belongs to those troops
who have now been committed by United
N ations’ mandate, United States’ Con­
gressional m andate, and United States
President George Bush’s decision to
lead our nation into an awesome assault
on January 17 (our U.S. dateline) against
the further unprovoked aggression of
Iraq’s despot Saddam Hussein. We
should now support our nation’s coura­
geous stand.
We arc not hawks vs. dovcs...we
are not blacks vs. whites or whites vs.
blacks...we arc not self-righteous enough
to pretend that the color of the blood on
cither side is other than the red blood,
that is the same mortal blood, that unites
us as human beings in a Brotherhood of
Death, rather than Life, for w hich our
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
...And Justice For All
by Angelique Sanders
1
"Operation Death Storm": The Pentagon
Sent 45,000 Body Bags to Saudi Arabia
Kuwait, and is still not recanting, there
“ Sooner or later, all the people
back the message die war is sending).
o f the world will have io discover a way
are three possibilities:
I’ve heard talk lately that ral­
1) H ussein’s either a madman or a fool
to live together in peace,” said Martin
lying “ for” or “ ag ain st" is now point­
or both, and does not realize what the
Luther King, Jr. How was he to know
less, that we can no longer make a
full consequences o f his actions would
that the day after his birthday, in the
change. 1 think that is true TO AN
year of 1991, that war would break out
EXTENT, but should we shrug into
be.
2) H isactions were simply an excuse to
(as Nostradamus had predicted)?
c o m p la c e n cy
w hen
w e ’re
initiate a holy war, at any price (the
I’ve dubbed this w ar-u sin g a
m alcontent?...only if y o u ’re lazy, or
religious discipline o f the Middle East
twist o f B ush’s “ Operation Desert
do n ’thave firm conviction. Inaction by
teaches to be un­
S to rm ” —“ O p e ra ­
tion Death Storm ” .
afraid to die for your
cause).
W ar brings out the
inherent primitivity
3) He’s got “ some­
thing up his sleeve”
i
n
which we are un­
hum ans...em otions
both positive and
aw are of.
I’m hoping
negative. Many ral­
lies have already
the last possibility
taken place--” fo r”
is not the case.
and “ against” -a n d
Whether you're "fo r" or "against" this war,
I ’d like to address
W e need to
there are a few actions you can take
the matter of personal
break out of this rut,
conduct at these ral­
and free ourselves
lies or confrontations. Remember, no
from
the
“
need”
(as
propaganda would
the m asses may press the governm ent
m atter which side you’re for, we must
further; if not this time, it sets a prece­
have us believe) for war, and focus on
remain peaceful while rallying. T hank­
the true necessity o f a flourishing cul­
dent for the future. The governm ent
fully, in A m erica we have the legal
might figure in similar future instances
ture: peace.
*****
right to express ourselves, but only as
(if we h a v e n 't-a s a planet-w isened up
long as we remain nonviolent. This is,
toward the m isfortunes o f war) that the
I ’ll offer one more statem ent
fortunately, the m ost effective way to
people will silently go along with their
on the war...a poem I wrote for this
convey a message anyhow: though less
decisions. If you care, don’t sit on your
w eek’s item:
m em orable, nonm ilitancc underscores
hands!
The girl with the purple umbrella
the intelligence o f the messenger. At
Another point people are
Opened
Portland’s first rally after war broke
making is, in essence, “ well, our troops
Closed
out, the estim ated attendance o f pro­
are already there; all we can do is
Opened
testers was 14,000-15,000: the largest
support them .” One o f the major points
Her shielding toy.
attendance ever at Pioneer Courthouse
of encouraging peace, however, is to
She does not know her country is at war
Square. Police expressed their awe that
save the lives o f the troop m e m b e rs-
She does not know who Bush is
their were no problems: no arrests,
isn ’t that helping our troops m ore than
She does not know where Kuwait is.
injuries, or fights. Clearly, ralliers for
tossing them into the lion’s den and
Her thoughts are o f her pretty rain bar­
peace punctuate their statem ent much
then cheerleading?
rier.
better by showing they can practice
My thoughts on Saddam
She is a happy girl.
what they preach (and proponents of
Hussein at this point are, as he must
I asked if I could hide under her um­
the war can p ro v e -b y avoiding alterca-
surely have foreseen just what would
brella
tions-that they aren’t militant, but simply
happen if he would not pull out o f But she said I could not.
And I know that she is right.
" I have a strong opinion a b o u t this w ar, b u t d o n 't know w ho to get in touch w ith..."
These arc the people to contact if you want to express a view on the w ar (or anything else!)—and don't be afraid
to bother them: we live in a dem ocracy, and it's their job to base decisions on the views o f the people (only two members
o f Congress, in fact, have sons or daughters serving in the w ar-C ongrcss may be out o f touch with public empathy):
S e n a to r M a rk H atfield, 114 Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland, OR 97204 In Portland, call: (503) 326-3386
C ongressm an Les A uC oin, 2159 Rayburn Building, W ashington, D.C. 20515 In Portland, call: (503) 326-2901
C ongressm an Ron VVvden, 2452 Rayburn Building, W ashington, D.C. 20515 In Portland, call: (503) 231-2300
S en ato r R o b ert P a t. ,ood, 259 Russell Building, W ashington, D.C. 20510 In Portland, call: (503) 326-3370
___________P resident G t rge B ush, 1600 Pennsylvania Avci;.. W ashington, D.C. 20500 (202)456-1111___________
POCTLtìÌft^&ERYER
A G E N C Y
Are • The • Proud • Sponsors • Of
Reinvestments
Community
When Is Enough Not Enough
The readers of this column are
quite aware by now how events at
home or abroad impact upon the eco­
nomic and social condition of urban
blacks-local, regional, national, and,
now, international. If submarine war­
fare World War I had not cut off Euro­
pean immigration in 1914, Blacks would
have soon been displaced to reserva­
tions right along with the Indians (has
our vast drug-besieged and incarcer­
ated underclass fared any better?). It
has been made equally obvious that it
is education and the workplace that
comprise the urban stage for scenarios
that can match any Shakespearan trag­
edy. But is it all the fault of that middle
class which Black essayist Shelby Steele
says should get rid of its victim-fo­
cused Black identity...our real prob­
lem is lack of ability to take responsi­
bility and seize opportunities"? And,
is that what Darin Scott meant when he
told a standing-room only audience at
the University of Southern California
last month. "W e (Blacks) are the first
group in modem history to see those
who follow behind us have fewer op­
portunities and rockier road to travel
than we did” ? I wonder about the
validity of these statement when I look
back through my files which are 35
years compendium of activism and
observation. Beginning with my ten-
year sojourn in Los Angeles (1954-
1964), I find that, supported by an
equally-committed peer group, there
was an intensive involvement in every
aspect of a history-making upwardly
A
I
mobile decade. These were prece­
dent-shattering times and there were
breakthroughs on major fronts: Em­
ployment opportunity, housing and
school desegregation and public ac­
cess. All of us were heavily involved
in the NAACP, Urban League and
black Press, and given our profes­
sional careers. It was also about how
to utilize a 70 hour week effectively.
If there was any consensus among
us at all, it was that the rest of the tribe
would move right in behind us, climb­
ing the runds of the ladders were built;
it had always worked that way before,
hadn’t it? Certainly, in Portland im­
mediately after World W ar II this was
the case. The marching, picketing,
striking, pushing and screaming of
the new immigrant Black population
carried the city past the period when
there were no black retail clerks,
banktellers, busdrivers, long shore­
men, supervisors in industry or a pub­
lic agency, and only a handful of
teachers or postal workers. The op­
portunities for minorities burgeoned-
to a point.
But, today, as we begin the last
decade of the 20th century, Blacks
rail at whiles, the establishment, and
the world in general. "W e arc still far
behind in jobs and promotions-and in
education dropouts are accelerating
and enrollment in higher education
has dropped precipitously since 1980.
And on top of this we exclaim, we
have developed a huge body of indi­
viduals euphemistically described as
the underclass or disadvantaged.
Now, think about it, aren’t these
the very same people who would move
right in behind us, climbing the rungs of
the ladders we built?” What happened?
Is Shelby Steele right about a ‘ ‘lack of
ability to take responsibility and seize
opportunities?’ ’
I could run through a vast litany of
"w hat happened" type recitations. That
Black upwardly-mobile middle class
moved to suburbia taking with it the
economic and political skills necessary
to maintain an urban infrastructure of
viable housing and school systems, or
even retail stores and shops. The neigh­
borhoods of the rung climbers rapidly
degenerated and the absentee landlords
and developers moved in, utilizing every
device from Urban Renewal (Removal)
and eminent domain to more sophisti­
cated forms of gentrification. Today,
we look at television programs like
"Tony Brown’s Journal" and we see
groups of the black middle class man­
agers and executives lamenting their
difficulties and alienation.
"W e have titles but we are on soft
mo..cy in industry, we are on staff, not
in li n .,
we have t o path to the
top, and in these days ot reorganiza­
tions and frequent buyouts we are more
insecure than ever. We try to spin out
and set up businesses but the banks
have no money for us (nevermind the
loudly heralded franchise purchases in
sports-also 80% of those auto fran­
chises failed)." Did we do this to our
children and ourselves?
"Reinvestments in the Community" is a weekly column appearing
in API publications throughout the USA.