Page 8—The Portland Observer-July 17, 1991
I’ll quit.
I’ll quit.
I’ll quit.
Drugs: Another Form of Slavery to Survive
A //
Interview with Saia Udin
(Taken from the Institute on Black
Chemical Abuse. Spring, 1991)
Saia Udin is one o f the early Afri
can American pioneers o f the chemical
dependency field. He was founder and
director o f a residential drug treatment
program. House o f The Crossroads, in
Pittsburgh. PA, which began in 1969
when the field was new and practitio
ners were feeling their way through un
charted territory. Udin's task was even
more daunting, since he was also at
tempting to help create treatment models,
as we have done here at the Institute,
that address the specific needs o f Afri
can American clients. He took on train
ing and consulting duties fo r the N a
tional Institute on Drug Abuse (N1DA)
in 1979 and continues to be one o f the
busiest trainers in the substance abuse
field today. In 1984 Udin and Byron
Kunisawa founded the Multicultural
Training Resource Center in San Fran
cisco, CA, which he directed until be
coming a free-lance trainer and con
sultant this year, specializing in Valu
ing and Managing Diversity in The
Workplace. He lives and works in
Oakland, CA.
Scope: Saia, I’ve just read an ar
ticle you recently wrote in which you
talk about chemical dependency in the
African American community as a new
form of slavery.
SU: Yes, I think when you look at
chemical dependency and historical
slavery, there are a number of corollar
ies. Some of the aspects of the drug
trade that are secret and hidden defi
nitely remind one of the slave catcher
hiding in the bushes down by the
river...the dealing we see on the street
is just the tip of the iceberg. Behind that
is a vast economic enterprise, which in
essence, like slavery, involves the cap
ture, ownership and sale of human beings,
within a context that gives rise to vio
lence and early death. On the individ
ual level, addiction to a chemical is
total dependence, not unlike the slave/
master relationship.
Scope: So, what path do we take up
and out of slavery?
SU: I think the models we have for
survival are primarily rooted in our
historical struggle for our rights. When
Gramma tells Johnny to hold his tongue
and do right, and so forth, she’s passing
on to him things that come from our
collective experience that we ought to
uphold and value. To the extent that we
are successful in passing these on, we
are helping produce people who are
prepared to contribute positively to our
community and advance our struggle.
To the extent that we fail to pass these
things on, and we allow our children to
be swallowed up by neglect, or we
make mere integration our goal and
allow some of the painful realities of
life in this system to be glossed over, to
that extent we help produce people
who are impaired in their ability to be
effective contributors to the African
American community.
Scope. So you, like many people
in our community, would say much of
what needs to be done to address the
problem should be done by us with our
own internal resources?
SU: There is a significant amount
we can d o -in fact, there are certain
things only we can do. Some things
don’t change no matter what we do
internally. The oppressive social sys
tems and the power relationships we
face in this society are an intransigent
part of our every day reality. We have
to create healthier, non-destructive ways
of dealing with that reality. We have to
inoculate ourselves and our children
against the negative psychological ef
fects of the social conditions we face.
Once again, I’m talking about the tools
we’ve gotten from our fight against
oppression and racism. The develop
ment of a strong sense of self, for
instance, is a kind of inoculation-a
sense of who you are as an individual
as well as a sense of who you are as
part of an African community with
very deep, very strong roots.
One hundred thirty years ago,
because Africans in this country were
observed to have so few problems with
alcohol, there was speculation that we
were actually physically immune to
addiction. We are now depicted as
being culturally predisposed to addic
tion, crime, and violence. Neither one
is true. Historically, Africans have in
deed used alcohol but only in certain
specific contexts, and with strong so
cial sanctions against abuse.
Therefore, we need to spread the
word to our young that drunkeness and
drug abuse are not part of our heritage
and that they frustrate our ability to get
where we need to go as a people.
Scope: Many, including you, have
suggested that considering the over
whelming presence of drugs in the
African American community, it is
amazing more people aren’t addicted.
Obviously, considering how much the
black family is maligned, a lot of black
families are doing something right.
What is it? What can we do to publicly
applaud their successes?
SU: Some families have been very
successful at passing on the kind ol
sense of self I’ve been talking about,
but it’s not that simple and 1 don’t want
it to sound like it is. Most people are
familiar with the phenomenon that we
see sometimes where people in the same
fam ily-sam e environment; taught the
same values; everything-comc out very
differently. One person comes out o.k.
and another doesn’t; there are many
factors involved. But I do think when
we teach our children pride in self, and
this is reinforced throughout the com
munity in meaningful ways, that’s the
best shot we have at helping the lar gest
possible number of people void alct >hol
and other drug abuse and all the health
and social problems that go along with
it. I’d like to see a study that shows how
the children of sixties and seventies
activists-politically conscious, Africen-
tric people-are doing. I’d be willing to
bet that they are showing significantly
lower rates o f addiction than other
groups. Strong movements like the
Nation of Islam -w hat they have cre
ated is strong, collectively understood
principles and codes of behavior that
have had the end result of creating a
highly motivated, highly disciplined
group of members.
Scope: What hope do you see lor
reaching the young people who don’t
come from families where that kind of
learning and self-esteem building lakes
place?
SU: The brightest beacon of hope
seems to be coming from elements of
the Rap/Hip-Hop movement, some of
whom have shown courage and real
leadership in their songs and videos
that publicly deplore violence, drugs,
and disrespect of African American
women. Rap is where some of our young
people have learned about the contri
butions of leaders like DuBois, Gar
vey, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and Marlin
Luther King. Some of the rappers have
even retrieved centuries of African
history and raised it up as hope lor
young people who think they arc no
body, to remind them that they come
from regal slock; that they arc the di
rect descendants of people to whom
world civilization owes a deep debt. I
think the pride and the strength and the
healing that can come from the rich
waters of African consciousness will
continue to be increasingly valued and
passed along by our young as lime g »>es
on. I’m really fairly hopeful about the
future.
HIS OPINION
Birth Control: Who Should Be Responsible
BY ULLYSSES TUCKER, JR.
Several months ago, my grand
mother Tucker called me from W ash
ington, D.C., to inquire as to whether or
not I had any “ fish’ ’ baking in the oven
out here. Fish? Sarcastically, I replied
NO and told her that I’d baked some
chicken for dinner. I also questioned
why she telephoned me about “ fish”
since I am a responsible adult when it
comes to putting “ fish” in the oven.
Those individuals with grandmoth
ers from the old school o f dreams and
visions should have ascertained by now
that I’m talking about pregnancy. Ac
cording to my grandmother, her dreams
about “ fish” means that someone in
the family is either pregnant or has
someone pregnant before they’ve made
the family aware of the fact. Despite
denial by several family members in
the past. Grandma has not missed a
pregnancy call in recent memory and
she is not afraid to share her revelations
or say “ I told you so....” If Cliff Robin
son of the Portland Trail Blazers could
shoot free-throws as accurately as my
grandmother predicts pregnancies in
the family, he would have one of the
highest shooting percentages in NBA
history.
Recently, or since her first tele
phone call to me. I ’ve learned that my
16-year-old niece is expecting a child
by some teenage guy she knows. Ironi
cally, she will have the child at about
the same age her mother, my sister, had
her. Hurt by the news of her pregnancy,
I questioned her mother about birth
control and other methods used to pre
vent birth. Her reply? My sister made
arrangements to get birth control for
my niece once it became apparent that
she was sexually active, but she didn't
take them consistently. W hatelsecould
my sister do? After moments of reflec
tion. refusal to reward her a gift for
teen-parenting at the baby shower, and
listening to an objective opinion from a
well respected friend in Chicago, I asked
myself whose responsibility is it to use
birth control and why does the burden
always fall upon the woman? Why didn’t
the young man courting her, or luring
her into bed, wear a condom or abstain
from the act itselP Did she want to get
pregnant? What social/psychological
factors contributed to this situation?
Did they care? Why is it so difficult for
young people to just say NO to sex or
wait until they can handle the responsi
bility?
So many young men, black men
(16-21 years old) to be specific, feel so
out of touch with mainstream society/
culture or white America. Many are
angry, underskilled, and see no hope in
the future. Compared to their white
counterparts, they (young black males)
are disproportionately unemployed and
come from single parent households.
Last year alone, 19,000 black males
died as a result of gang violence and
homicides. Out of touch and disenfran
chised in their minds, many black males
look at fathering a child as a badge of
honor and reiriiorcement of their man
hood. As the young man’s mother told
him, “ Neither one of you have a pot to
piss in or a window to throw it out of... ’ ’
Chilling words that all youngsters should
listen to because ultimately, children
bom in these conditions usually be
come burdens on the welfare system or
their parents.
Economic responsibility aside for
a moment, the question of who is re
sponsible for the birth control still
remains. Who? Both parties involved
in sexual activity should be responsible
for birth control and other means to
prevent birth, if not having children is
the objective. " I thought you were tak
ing the pill” is a very lame excuse in
this day and age.
Most men are totally unaware of
the mood swings, weight fluctuation,
physical problems such as hair loss,
tender breasts, and headaches, associ
ated with taking birth control pills. It’s
so much easier to put on a condom than
placing the guilt or responsibilily on a
woman for popping up pregnant With
all types of STD’s (sexually transmit
ted diseases) being passed around to
day, it makes good common sense to
use a condom anyway.
To be a single-teen parent is some
thing of a lifestyle that I would not wish
on anyone. There are so many other
things young people can do with their
lives. Are these teen parents rebelling
from the values instilled by their par
ents? Is it a self-esteem issue, peer
pressure, the lack of love or attention in
the household, or a continuation of a
cycle established by their role models
or parents? You would think that my
niece would have learned from the single
parent experiences of her mother, my
aunts, and other family members. Did
my sister fail her child at some point?
Will she have another child the same
way? Will the young man father an
other child elsewhere? Questions, ques
tions, and more questions.
One teen parent told me that she
got pregnant on purpose to receive
welfare payments. Throw this mindset
into the oven with young men who
equate their manhood with their sexu
ality and that equals babies. These young
sters need jobs, career training, role
models in the home and the corporate
community. They need love, emotional
support, and a sense of hope. MFSB
(Mother, Father, S iste r & B rothc r) once
released a song entitled, “ The People
Of Tomorrow Arc The Children Of
Today....” Help give them that chance.
“I’ll quit.”
Tomorrow, right?
Saving it is easy. But if you think you can break the pattern of substance abuse;on
/our own, you’re fooliHg yourself. Despite your sincere promises to yourself and
r<
oved ones, tomorrow never comes.
We can help today. Our program takes you every step of the wav, from free assess
ment and intervention, through treatment, family programs and
supgxt.
With both outpatient and residential programs, we can design a cost-effective treat
ment plan to meet your needs. You won t even have to travel far.
Experienced professionals at Tuality Chemical Dependency Services will help you
heal the wounds of addiction, not just physically, but also psychological y,
spritually and socially.
Call us today at 357-0774,
LITY
/C H E M IC A L
T 'UA
V 'n E P E N D E N C Y
and learn to live again.
U g E R V IC E S
A member of the Tuality Healthcare Family
Tuality Chemical Dependency Services
1809 Maple Street
Forest Grove, Oregon 97116
T uality C hemical D ependency S ervices
“ I’ll quit.”
“ He’ll change. •> ?
yr
She’ll improve.
“ It’ll get better...”
...Sound familiar?
There tom es a time when you have to deal with the obvious, when denying the problem of alcohol or drug dependency-
whether your own dependency or that of a loved one-is no longer possible.
We can help.
Our professional staff is trained to work with your specific problem. Our convenient location in western Washington
County means that you can begin your journey to a chemically free, sober lifestyle with a minimum of inconvenience to
yourself and those you love.
The caring professionals at Tuality Chemical Dependency Service will help you recognize denial, alleviate your fears and
start you on the road to recovery.
In the Workplace...
Did you know that more than 75 percent of drug users are employed, and that 35 to 45 percent of all alcoholics arc in
professional or management positions, with more than 15 years of experience? It’s true. The use of drugs and alcohol
constitutes a major work force problem that employers can no longer ignore. Employer Consultation relating to drug and
alcohol abuse in the work place is one of the unique services we provide for our business clients. Let our team become
apart of your team. Your employees and your bottom line will benefit.
Following is a list of our Employer Consulting Services.
• Technical Assistance for establishing drug and alcohol policies and procedures, including drug testing
• Training for managers and supervisors
• Employee awareness and education programs
• Chemical dependency assessments and structured interventions
• Technical assistance in meeting the requirements of the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988
Our professional stall is experienced in dealing with the specific problems you arc facing. We will provide you with the
latest information to establish an effective program aimed at creating a drug free work environment.
A Place to Start...
Intervention:
If denial or fear is keeping someone you love from starting treatment, there is something you can do. It is called interven
tion.
Our trained professionals bring the affected person together with the significant people in his or her life. Together, they
face, in a caring and compassionate way, the self-defeating behavior keeping them from a healthy and productive life. This
process usually ends with the chemically dependent person making a commitment to seek treatment.
Treatment:
Recovery begins with the decision to enter treatment.
Our patients undergo a comprehensive evaluation to determine what type of treatment program will best meet their needs,.
All our programs include an individually prescribed treatment plan administered by trained professionals.
Family Care...
Our family program is an integral part of both residential and outpatient treatment. It is designed to help family and friends
who arc experiencing problems resulting from working and living with a chemically dependent person.
Through Tuality Chemical Dependency Services, families can become healthy, happy, functioning units once again. All
recovery takes time, and family members need to be involved with each other during the healing process. We offer a four-
day intensive therapeutic program to help them stay involved with each other through the long healing process. Patients
and their families begin to identify problems and, with the help of our professional counselors, face the issues necessary
for recovery.
Help is only a phone call away.
Call our 24-hour Help Line, (503) 357-0774, for a free assessment and evaluation of your personal needs.
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