Page 2 --The Portland Observer-April 3, 1991 ÍR S P E C T IV E S by Professor McKinley Burl Police Terror Is Not New In Black Communities The vicious police beating of R odney K ing, an African American w ho w as stopped by m em bers o f the L os A ngeles Police D epartm ent for allegedly speeding, has been the sub- je c to f m ajor national attention . A white am ateur photographer was able to cap­ ture the brutal event with a video cam ­ era. T he dram atic footage continues to be run repeatedly on national televi­ sion. T he nation seem s to be shocked that these “ men in blue” could do such 1 a thing.. Even the Attorney General of the U nited States, Richard Thronburgh, w as m oved to order aiunvestigalion of the m ore than 15,000 reported and recorded com plaints of police brutality that have been filed across th country in ^recent years (no one dare guess how . m any incidents of police brutality go • unreported or unrecorded). The Attor- :n e y G eneral wants to know whether these com plaints reveal a “ pattern” of police m is-conduct. W hile A m erica pretended to be in shock, Black A merica was not shocked at all. A frican Americans already knew the answ er to Mr. T hornburgh’s in­ quiry on the “ pattern” question. The attack on Rodney King is a part o f the historical pattern of violent oppression o f A fricans in America which has been visited upon our people ever since we arrived here in a condition o f involun­ tary servitude. Black people in general and black men in particular have al­ w ays been the target of w hite * ‘ authori­ tie s’’ who have often seen it as their self appointed duty to “ Keep the nig­ gers in their place.” W hen I was a youngster growing up in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, we always knew that we were subject to be stopped and assaulted by the white cops at any time. Life in the Hill D istrict was certainly not unique in that regard. In every ghetto in the United States the experiences and anxieties were exactly the same. In fact is was in response to the pattern o f police violence that the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was formed in O akland, California in the 60’s. Because a similar pattern existed in urban ghettoes everywhere, the Pan­ thers found fertile ground for organiz­ ing throughout the country. Indeed, most of the rebellions (so called riots) in the 6 0 ’s were revolts that were sparked by incidents o f police abuse alm ost w ith­ out exception. If the general public suf­ fers from the impression that the kind of police terrorism which sparked the rebellions in the 6 0 ’s has vanished, it is because there has been a virtual news white-out o f the pattern of police vio­ lence since the 6 0 ’s. One o f the conclu­ sion which the authorities made about the rebellions in the 6 0 ’s is that the media coverage o f the revolts caused the rebellions to spread like a chain reaction. Therefore, though the inci­ dents o f police violence against Black people have continued unabated, re­ ports about police brutality seldom reach beyond a local market. Only in rare instances has the na­ tion been exposed to a glim pse o f the pattern of police violence that is a per­ sistent fact of life for Black America. Police abuses provoked rebellions in Miami, Chattanooga, Tennessee and m ostrecently in Vineland, New Jersey. Certain cities like Houston, Chicago and New York have also received at­ tention because o f chronic allegations about police brutality. And the Rodney King incident is but the most recent in a series o f incidents making news out of Los Angeles. O ver the last five years, the "W a r on D rugs” has also exacerbated tension between B lack comm unities and the po­ lice. Embattled Black com m unities are calling for more effective law enforce­ ment to contain the epidem ic o f drug trafficking and violence in the Black com m unities. That same call, however, has become a legitim izing license for racist cops to harass, harm and kill black people, particularly young Black males. At a conference which I attended in W ashington D.C. recently, a young brother reported that he had been stopped by the police seven times in one month. In each instance the police searched his car and frisked him down, apparently looking for drugs. Every Black male on the streets has becom e a suspect. So yes there is a pattern o f police harassment, brutality and terror in the Black com m unity. The Rodney King incident was caught on camera. C ount­ less thousands o f police attacks against Black people go untelevised, unreported and unrecorded. The pattern is not new. The pattern is as old as the individual and institutional racism and the eco­ nomic exploitation and injustice which have been heaped on African A m eri­ cans since we w ere forced to come to the United States. And the pattern will continue until the racist culture of America and the institutions o f racial oppression and econom ic exploitation which are rooted in that culture arc de­ stroyed. Exempt Parents Should File Income Tax Returns W orking parents who are exempt from filing income tax returns because their income is near o f below taxable level should file them anyway-they may be eligible to receive up to $953 through the earned income credit, according to Sen. Jane Cease, D-Portland. Although more than 115,000 Ore­ gonians got $60 million from the fed­ eral tax credit in 1988, thousands more w ho are eligible d on’t know about the “ negative” income tax provision. Sen. Cease said, “ There are many people who could really benefit from this. Those who know about it should tell any o f their friends or relatives who m ight qualify to get the forms and then encourage them to file.” For the 1990 tax year, the range o f incom es for w hich no federal income tax is due is from $8,850 for a single parent with one child to $15,700 for two parents with three children. A single mother with one child working at m ini­ mum w age earns a gross income o f just under $10,000. For the 1991 tax year, the program has broader income lim its, increased paym ents, and a new paym ent for families who pay health insurance pre­ miums. The maximum benefit this year is $1,192 for a family with one child or $1,235 for a family with tw o or more children. Those qualifying can receive their credit through the year in their pay- checks or as a refund at the end o f the year. To get the credit, em ployees must file a W-5 form with their employers. Eligible workers can get free tax return preparation assistance at the Tax Aid sites in many Oregon communities. The sites are a joint project o f the Oregon D epartment o f Revenue and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Further information can be obtained CREED OF THE BLACK PRESS The Black Press belle» ce that A m erica can best lead Uie world «»»ay from social and national antagonisms when It accords to every person, regardless of race, color, or creed, full hum an and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person, the Black Press strives to help e i cry person In the firm belief that all arc h u rl as long as anyone Is held back. ERVER (USPS 959-680) OREGON’S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION Established in 1970 Alfred L. Henderson Publisher Joyce Washington Operations Manager Gary Ann Garnett Business Manager The PORTLAND OBSERVER is published weekly by Exie Publishing Company, Inc. 4747 N.E. M.L.K., Jr. Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97211 P.O. 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