August 21, 1991 •••The Portland Observer -Page 5
CAN A NEW ENVIRONMENT BRING ENLIGHTENMENT?
ALL ROADS LEAD TO ...
BY ULLYSSES TUCKER, JR.
Sometimes, a change o f e n v iro n ­
GRESHAM « =
CHRYSLER • PLYMOUTH
W
WHY PAY MORE????
1991 CHRYSLER 5TH AVENUE
*15.995
m ent can be the best th in g that can
happen to a person. A new e n v iro n ­
m ent can b rin g new perspectives, in ­
sights, and challenges to one’ s life , but
the key is th e ir w illin g n e ss to grow .
Im agine g ro w in g up in a p o v e rty -rid ­
den housing p roject, on w elfare, and in
a household plagued by violence, drug
abuse, physical abuse, and crim e . H o w
w o u ld such co n d ition s a ffe ct an in d i­
v id u a l’ s p sych o iog ica l/e m o tio n a l de­
velopment, values, w orld view , dreams,
o r attitude? U nder the circum stances,
chances are lik e ly that this person w ill
end up dead, angry, an em o tio n a l/p sy-
ch o lo gica l crip p le , successful in some
cases, o r caught up in the c rim in a l
M IS S O U T !!!
• Tilt wheel
• Cruise Control
"A H andshake Is All It T akes"
PLYMOUTH
BRAND NEW 91'S
# / IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
THESE NEW
1991
VOYAGERS
WON’T LAST!!!
E Q U IP M E N T
• Power brakes
• Headlight
warning
• Corrosion
protection
• Fuel injected
• 20 aal fuel
tank
• Tinted glass
• Glass vents
• Halogen head
lamps
• Clotn interior
• Vanity mirrors
AM/FM stereo
• Power steering
• Automatic
transmission
• Rear window
washer/wiper
• Intermittent
wipers
• 7 passenger
seating
• 2.5 Liter
*10,988
Starting
As Low As
Subject to prior sale.
Graphics for AD
purposes only.
cycle, nor is it unusual fo r some people
to come fro m fa m ilie s that have been
adopted by corporate sponsors; a c o l­
lege education does not ju s t fa ll from
greatest
on w elfare o r liv e d in poverty fo r three
generations. Some never question the
the sky.
Im agine again, i f you w ill, taking
life style because it seems so natural
and most everyone around them lives
the same w ay.
kid s fro m the described e nvironm ent
and show ing them the Oregon coast,
college campuses, O M S I, the zoo, W orld
Forestry C enter, o r Beaverton fo r the
some o f the m aterial w ealth ow ned by
th e ir heroes and role m odels. V io le n t
crimes, sexual irresponsibility, and lack
o f respect fo r others and th e ir property
is norm al behavior in th e ir m inds.
Im agine again, i f you w ill, a youngster
g ro w in g up under these co n d ition s and
CHECK THE
EQUIPMENT
oom mss
O UT!!!
BRAND NEW
d 991
firs t tim e. A ll o f a sudden these kids see
the w o rld in an e n tire ly d iffe re n t lig h t.
Some w ill develop new dreams, goals,
values, self-esteem, m otivation, and new
expectations o f self. O thers w ill rem ain
in the cycle o f p o ve rty or citizens in the
c rim in a l ju s tic e system. N o t a ll the
youngsters in the program w ill suc­
ceed, b u t the o p tio n is there fo r them
and th e ir fa m ilie s. L ik e m any o f the
youngsters in the “ D ream ” program ,
changing addresses o r environm ents
showed them how they d id not have to
liv e in a bad enviro n m e n t, and that they
co u ld make new choices.
F o r me, it was strange sleeping in
a bed alone fo r the firs t tim e at age 18
I d id not have to be a c rim in a l a ll m y
life o r liv e in p o ve rty was one o f the
revelations o f m y life , and I
ow e it a ll to a neig hb o rh o o d change.
C o lle g e , a career in m edia co m m u n ica ­
tions, and travel outside o f m y urban
decay never entered m y m in d u n til I
was exposed to new perspectives, peers,
values, visions, and dreams. S im p ly
put, changing environm ents expanded
m y w o rld vie w and changed m y life fo r
the better. H o w w o u ld I have turned o u t
had I not moved in w ith m y g rand­
mother? A t tim es, I ’ m a lm o st a fra id to
spectulate on the outcom e o f m y life o r
where I ’ d be today. Even though a
youngster grow s up in p o ve rty, or live s
in p o ve rty fo r that m atter, is no excuse
not to dream. W ith proper support,
d ire ctio n , and role m odels, they can go
a lo n g way. W hen was the last tim e you
spent a day w ith y o u r neice, nephew,
ch ild re n , o r ch ild ? Regardless o f th e ir
circum stances o r liv in g e nvironm ent,
teach them to dream and reach fo r the
stars.
NAACP A nnounces O pposition to
Judge Thom as’ N om ination
The N A A C P has announced that
“ w ith re g re t” it w ill oppose the n o m i­
nation o f Judge Clarence Thom as to
the U.S. Supreme C o u rt as a replace­
m ent fo r re tirin g Associate Justice
Thurgood M arshall.
The announcem ent was made in
W ashington, D .C ., on July 31st, fo l­
lo w ing a special meeting o f the N A A C P
N ational Board o f D irectors. It was
based on an extensive background re­
p o rt prepared by the N A A C P ’ s W ash­
ington Bureau, and the details o f a
private m eeting between Judge T h o ­
mas and several members o f the N A A C P
board and staff.
E a rlie r, at its annual convention in
H ouston, the N A A C P had announced
on Ju ly 8th, that it w o u ld delay reach­
ing a decision on Judge Thom as, an
A fric a n -A m e ric a n , u n til a fte r the re ­
p o rt had been prepared and a meeting
sought w ith the nominee.
“ Both o f these steps have now
been accom plished... it was the ju d g ­
m ent o f the board to oppose the c o n fir­
“ The n o m in a tio n o f Judge C la r­
ence T hom as.. .brought w ith it a special
set o f problem s related to his record in
these o p p o rtu n itie s to other blacks.
♦ W h ile heading E E O C , he con­
and his reactionary ph ilo so p h ica l ap­
proach to a num ber o f c ritic a l issues,
not the least o f w h ic h is a ffirm a tiv e
stantly co m plained about the laws and
p o licie s he was required to enforce, and
was p a rtic u la rly strong in his opposi­
tio n to established federal p o lic y re­
q u irin g a ffirm a tiv e a ction remedies.
♦ D u rin g his tenure at E E O C , the
agency fa ile d to process over 13,000
a c tio n .”
D r. G ibson continued:
‘ * M r. Thom as is an A fric a n -A m e ri­
can and that fact was n o t ignored in ou r
deliberations. W h ile we feel strongly
age d is c rim in a tio n cases.
♦ A s Assistant Secretary fo r C iv il
R ights at the D epartm ent o f Education,
he d id little to fu rth e r the cause o f
higher education fo r A fric a n -A m e ri­
the seat should go to an A fric a n -A m e ri­
can, we looked beyond that fa cto r and
focused o u r attention on w hether Judge
C larence Thom as, based on the crite ria
cans and fa ile d to im p le m e n t p ro v i­
sions that w o u ld have funneled m il­
lio n s o f d o lla rs in to the h is to ric a lly
several governm ent positions - most
n otably as C hairm an o f the Equal
E m ploym ent O p portunity Com m ission,
we have described, should, in our o p in ­
io n , sit on the Supreme C o u rt.”
“ In the fin a l analysis, Judge C la r­
ence T hom as’ ju d ic ia l p h ilosophy is
s im p ly inconsistent w ith the historical
positions taken by the N A A C P .”
D r. G ibson cited a num ber o f spe­
bla ck colleges.
The statements concludes:
“ W e w ere ve ry tro u b le d by having
to co n fro n t the possible o p p o sitio n o f
Judge C larence Thom as. W e believe
the im portance o f an A fric a n -A m e ri­
can as a replacem ent fo r Judge T h u r­
good M a rsh a ll should not be underesti­
the fo llo w in g :
♦ The inconsistent vie w s o f Judge
mated.
“ D iv e rs ity on the Supreme C o u rt
is a b solutely essential and fa ilu re to
Thom as on c iv il rig h ts p o lic y make h im
confirm another African-American sends
an unpredictable elem ent in an increas­
a dreadful signal to o u r c o m m u n ity
about w here we stand in the body p o li­
thus ending weeks o f speculation on
how the N A A C P w o u ld deal w ith the
in g ly ra d ica lly conservative court.
♦ W h ile he once acknow ledged the
benefits o f a ffirm a tiv e action, after his
co n firm a tio n to a second term at EEO C ,
his po sitio n shifted so d ra m a tica lly that
the N A A C P called fo r his resignation.
♦ W h ile Judge T hom as’ rise from
p o ve rty is to be com m ended, it is par­
tic u la rly d istu rb in g that one w ho has
nom ination.
In the statement, D r. G ibson said:
h im s e lf benefited fro m a ffirm a tiv e ac­
tio n no w denigrates it and w o u ld deny
nom inated and confirm ed.
m ation o f Judge Clarence Thom as to
the U n ite d States Supreme C ourt. W e
have concluded that Judge T h o m a s’
c o n firm a tio n w o u ld be in im ic a l to the
best interests o f A fric a n -A m e ric a n s ,”
the N A A C P stated.
W ith a vote o f 49-1 opposing the
n o m in a tio n , D r. W illia m F. G ibson,
C hairm an o f the Board, presented the
A sso cia tio n ’ s position in a statement
read before a packed press conference
NEW VOYAGERS NOW
IN STOCK!
in o n e ’ s o w n little w o rld o r life s ty le ,
and most painful fo r someone to change.
C hanging o n e ’ s values, m orals, a tti­
tude, and perspectives can be d iffic u lt
because i t forces gro w th . L e a rn in g that
hustlers, drug addicts, athletes, and some­
tim es a p o sitive fa m ily m em ber o r
professional in the co m m u n ity. The
o n ly thing m ost youngsters have on
th e ir m inds com ing out o f such e n vi-
roments is getting paid and acquiring
• Power brakes
• Tinted glass
• Halogen head lamps
• Cloth interior
• Headlight warning
• Vanity mirrors
• AM/FM stereo
• Power steering
• Automatic transmission
• Air Conditioning
• Intermittent wipers
• Rear window washer/wiper
life s ty le .
It is so easy to p e a ce fu lly co -e xist
F o u n d a tio n ” was established at M a rtin
L u th e r K in g , Jr. Elem entary School
last year when the fifth grade class was
Take, fo r exam ple, a youngster
EQUIPMENT
raised w hen the “ I H ave A Dream
and having consistent access to a re-
frid g e ra to r w ith fo o d in it. A ll this
occurred w hen I m oved in w ith m y
grandm other, b u t the roughest a djust­
m ent came in the fo rm o f in te ra ctin g
w ith the kids in her neighborhood. When
I suggested stealing a car o r some other
c rim in a l act, they laughed and talked
about organized sports, co lle g e , and
professional careers. I t was a fa r cry
fro m m y associates in the o ld n e ig h b o r­
hood; m ore im p o rta n tly , I changed m y
ju stice system. I t ’ s not uncom m on to
encounter fo lk s trapped inside such a
g ro w in g up in the above m entioned
conditions and in a h ig h ly d ysfu n c­
tional fa m ily . H is dad is absentee and
the role models he g lo ry ifie s are pim ps,
IN STOCK NOW
being to ld by someone that his college
w ill be paid fo r i f he graduates fro m
h igh school. N o strings attached - ju s t
fin is h high school and select a college.
W h a t do you th in k w o u ld be the
reaction o f the parent o r parents? Skep­
ticism ? C o u ld the c h ild , parent, o r p a r­
ents visualize such a dream when a ll
they see each day is hopelessness, de­
spair, broken prom ises, and econom ic
pain? W o u ld i t be d iffic u lt fo r the p a r­
ent o r parents from such an e n v iro n ­
m ent to shake the lo w academic expec­
tations o f th e ir c h ild and be m ore sup­
p ortive? W o u ld they o r anyone else in
the fa m ily care fo r that matter? These
were some o f the questions o r issues
c ific s leading to the decision, in clu d in g
tic.
I t is, therefore, w ith regret that we
are co m p e lle d to oppose the c o n firm a ­
tio n o f Judge Thomas. The N A A C P
and the b lack c o m m u n ity must and w ill
continue to fig h t u n til and appropriate
replacem ent w ho embodies the vie w o f
the m a jo rity o f black A m ericans is
Disassociation of
Straight Talk Program
D ear E d ito r:
U H U R U S A S A , w o u ld lik e to
c la rify any misunderstanding in regards
EQUIPMENT
to o u r associatiuon w ith the S traight
Power brakes
Headlight warning
Corrosion protection
30 Liter or 2.5 liter
20 gal fuel tank
Tinted glass
Halogen head lamps
Cloth interior
7 passenger
Vanity mirrors
AM/FM stereo
Power steering
Automatic transmission
Air Conditioning
Intermittent wipers
Rear window washer/wiper
T a lk program .
In itia lly, Straight Talk was designed
by U H U R U SA SA members as a means
to address the needs o f our at risk youth.
B eing a prison based o rg a n iza tio n , we
have a unique perspective in regard to
the destructive q u a litie s o f a c rim in a l
life style . O u r intentions w ere, (and s till
are) to p ro vid e firs t hand in fo rm a tio n
to those w ho arc concerned w ith the
problem o f ju v e n ile crim e and d rug
abuse.
Due to circum stances beyond o u r
co n tro l, the S tra ig h tT a lk program is no
Tilt wheel
Cruise Control
longer associated w ith nor docs it re ­
/ THESE VALUES... “ Well Beat Any Deal”
I “ A Handshake Is All It Takes"
1975 EAST POWELL ~
. ah new cars are priced after rebates, all subject to prior sale. Exg 8/10/9£
.in - j »a
665-7121
1
or
254-2076 • f *»
a
iS .
main part o f U H U R U S A S A . It is o u r
LORRAINE HLAVINKA
All Types of Auto Plate and Window Glass
Storm Doors and Windows
4709 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd
Portland, Oregon 97211
Woman-Owned
Phone 249-5886
w ish to in fo rm the c o m m u n ity that
U H U R U S A SA is the o n ly o rg a n iza ­
tio n representing the B la ck p o p u la tio n
o fO S P .
U H U R U SA S A is in N O W A Y
connected to the S tra ig h t T a lk P ro­
gram.
S incerely yours,
R obert W . Fentress
C o o rd in a to r, U H U R U S A S A
I.
I