Page 2...The Portland Observer...September 4,1991 Activist to Convene Emergency Conference on Black Independent Politics Deeply concerned about the direc tion of Black politics in the wake of the emergence of “ race neutral” politics and the rise of the Black conservative apologists, a group of Black political activists is preparing to convene an emergency conference on Black inde pendent politics. Headed by nationally syndicated talk show host Bob Law ot New York, the initial list of organizers includes Ron Walters, political activist and Chair, of the Political Science Dept. at Howard Univesity in Washington, D.C., Janice Graham of the Our Com mon Ground organization from West Palm Beach Florida, Bob Starks, Chair man of the Black Political Task Force in Chicago, William Nelson, President of the African Heritage Studies Asso ciation from Columbus, Ohio, Jitu Weusi, Chairman of African Ameri cans United for Political Power of New York, Dennis Serrette, long time labor activist from Oxon Hill Maryland, Damu Smith, Co-Facilitator of the National African American Network Against Intervention in the Gulf from Washing ton D.C. and Jemadari Kamara, Dean of the Center for Community and Pub lic Service Univ. of Mass, in Boston. The sponsoring committee is being expanded to include key political ac tivists and organizers from every re gion of the country. The conference will be held No vember 22-24, 1991 in Washington, D.C. at the Howard Inn. Among the goals and objectives of the conference are the following: *to assess the current state of Black politics against the backdrop of the crises in the African American com- munity. ♦to review the Black agenda and develop a progressive Black independ ent agenda for the ’92 elections. *to discuss the various third party initiatives under discussion in various quarters including the prospects for a Black led independent presidential campaign in ’92. *to discuss the need for the con solidation of an ongoing Black inde pendent political voice within the Afri can American community. In a conversation with Bob Law he indicated that this emergence confer ence is “ crucial because ol the depths of the crisis in the Black community and the failure of the Democratic and Republican parties and traditional Black leadership to respond in an effective manner. No one seems to be taking the plight of the Black masses seriously.” He also said, “ The two major parties must know without a doubt that our votes are not for sale in ’92. It’s time for a new Black Lcadershipo to emerge which will not sell out to the Democrats or tell us that adopting conservative Republicanism is the path to freedom.” Ron Walters, a vociferous critic of race neutral politics, said that “ it is clear that Black people must develop a powerful Black agenda tor the 92 elec tion and devise a Black independent strategy that “ this just may be the sea son to consider a Black led independent presidential campaign to ignite a mass based, grassroots movement for funda mental change in this country. The leaders may be reluctant, but I think Katz Education Plan Examined for Impact on Girls and Minorities Volunteer. Am erican Heart £ Association Ethnic Female Needs' Capital Investor__ fo r Unique toy and game industry 2 8 8 -0 0 9 7 CREED OF THE BLACK PRESS The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from social and national antagonisms when it accords to every person, regardless of race, color, or creed, full human and leagal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person, the Black Press strives to gelp every person in the firm belief that all are gurt as long as anyone is held back. OREGON'S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN UUBLICATION Established in 1970 Alfred L. Henderson Publisher Joyce Washington Operations Manager Gary Ann Garnett Business Manager The PORTLAND OBSERVER is published weekly by Exle Publishing Company, Inc. 4747 N.E. M.L.K., Jr. Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97211 P.O. Box 3137 Port’and, Oregon 97208 (503) 288-0033 (Office) FAX#: (503) 288-0015 Deadlines for all submitted materials: Articles: Monday, 5 p.m. - Ads: Tuesday. 5 p.m. POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes to: P ortland Observer, P.O. Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208. Second Hass postage paid at Portland, Oregon The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and pho’o- graphs should be clearly labled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope All created design display ads become the sole property oi this nawspapor and can not be used in other publication.', or personal usage, without th? written const nt c l the general manager unless the client has purchased the compos,tien ol such ad 19C0 PORTLAND OBSERVER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHO E OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED Subscriptions: $20 00 per year in the Tri-Countyarea: $25.00 all other areas. The Portland Observer - Oregon's Oldest African-American Publication is a member of The National Newspaper Association - Founded ir 1885, and The National Adverts ing Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc., New York, NY. ( that the Black masses are ready to break loose from the National Democratic Party.” I certainly want to add my voice to those calling for this important confer ence on Black independent politics. My sense is that large numbers of Afri can Americans are fed up with the sterility of the two establishment par ties and disaffected with a good many traditional Black leaders and elected officials. As I have said in previous articles, too many of our traditional Black leaders and politicians have for gotten the vision and values of the movement in the 60’s and 70’s. They rode into elected and appointed offices and into the corporate board rooms on the backs of the Blacks masses. But now far too many of these leaders are representative of a small relatively well off elite in the Black community; a Black elite that has abandoned the Black masses in favor of a junior partnership or subserv ient role within the very system which oppresses the masses of Black people. As Malcolm X might put it, it’s time for a message from the grassroots. This much needed conference on Black independent politics must let the world know that there is a new Black leader ship coming on and a new Black move ment rising from the grassroots and from among those who identify with the grassroots. This conference should set the stage for a massive human rights crusade in 1992. Indeed, 1992 just might be the year of the “ ballot or the bul let.” For futher information: call 407- 845-2670. The Portland-Area Women’s Po litical Caucus 9PAWPC) is hosting a forum discussion on “ Education Re form in Oregon” on Wednesday, Sep tember 4, 6:00 p.m. at the Crossroads Building (123 N.E. 3rd) in Portland The first in a series of “ Focal Point’’ forums, the September 4th program will examine the new education plan spearheaded by Representative Vera Katz and recently adopted by the Ore gon State Legislature. Caucus member Donna Tyner will moderate the pro gram. Panel members include Repre sentative Vera Katz; Commissioner Mary Wendy Roberts, Bureau of Labor and Industries; Gary Sackley, Coun selor for Milwaukie High School; and a representative from Roosevelt High School’s “ Renaissance 2000” program. The panel discussion will focus on how aspect of the plan competency exams, students choosing a college or vocational tract at 10th grade-will impact girls and minorities, an issue of particu lar interest to the caucus membership. The Portland Caucus will hold “ Focal Point” forums on the first Wednesday of each month at the Cross roads Building from 6-7 p.m. The public and the mediaarc welcome at 5:30p.m. for a half-hour of social exchange with PAWPC members. The PAWPC membership meeting will convene fol lowing the program. Future month topics TBA. Add Preaching to Reading, Writing and Rapping “ I Got The Word In Me And I Can Sing It, You Know: A Study of the Performed African-American Sermon.” Citing this book by Gerald L. Davis is a good way to pick up from where I left off week before last (Language, Ideas and Roget’s Thesaurus: Fourth Edition). Quite correctly the volume is rec ommended as “ A rousing, long-over due critical treatment and analysis of the BLACK SERMON as a verbal folk genre.” A reviewer says, “ This is the great opus of African-American verbal tradition.” It you think you would like a copy, it can be obtained from the Uni versity of Pennsylvania Press, Blocklcy Hall, 418 Service Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6097; (No.22,1259-2, SI 1.37). When I stated in respect to that “ Fourth Edition” of the thesaurus, “ Here we find the pursuit of a word or concept leads to a wondrous journey and learn ing experience,” 1 could just as well have been referring to die Black preach ers, prophets, visionaries, saints, eman cipators or freedom fighters. Even those with whom you emphatically disagree seem to have the ability to evoke pas sions and emotions you had rather not deal with. And where there is empathy with their concepts or dreams, their art ful language can convert the most cyni cal of us into enthusiastic shouters, marchers or even dreamers. And note that the Russians arc honoring anew their revolutionary African poet, Alex ander Pushkin. The coup is over. Now, I have pretty well documented over the years in my articles that those moving and inspiring passages and prov erbs from both the Old and New Testa ments of the Bible were written in times and regions where there was an indis putable African presence in the arts and letters and in the hierarchy of the relig ions. Even the most conservative of respected European historians acknowl edge the physiogomy of many o f the most celebrated of the contributors- “ dusky, woolly-headed, son of Ham, Shebas Daughters” and other begrudg ing attribution to a race that was the progenitor (just as Plato said). It is no wonder, then, that through the ages and even today-from the scribes of the Pharaohs by the Pyramids, to the sermons of Moses several thousand years later and the pronouncements of the three black Popes of North Africa an other two thousand years later, and to the great oratory of the southern black bishops and to Malcolm X, Reverend King and Jesse Jackson-the world has paid rapt attention and imitated the African tradition (while denying or ignoring the ethnicity). So, it is incomprehensible to many of us that we still have “ educators” who cannot develop curriculum and lesson plans (at all levels) capable of inspiring and motivating African Ameri can children. We would note in passing that the first dozen or so of American presidents acknowledged developing their readin’ and writin’ and grammar from the ancient material; and also many of their moral, conceptual and administrative ideas. We refer here to not only that of obvious Ethiopian, Egyptian and Biblical origin but to all that allegediy-Greek philosophy and science which was learned from the Temple Priests of Ethiopia and Egypt and brought back to that barbaric pen insula on the Agean Sea. In closing, let me cite a similarity in support of that thesis. In the middle 1930’s I would spend a lot of time in my grandfather’s library and of special fascination to me was a 30 volume set ol books, “ Delphian Text,” a cultural history of the world (copyright, 1925 by The Delphian Society, Chicago). Chronicling “ The Foundations of Pres- Portland Observer encourages our readers to write letters to the editor in response to any articles we publish. United Airlines Are • The • Proud • Sponsors • Of Reinvestments Community North Precinct Community Policing Project Holds Second Annual Iris Court Community Fair 2nd Annual Basketball Tournament and Benefit Held Entertainment & All and Urban Entertainment presented the 2nd An nual Unity Day Basketball Tournament as well as an awards banquet and dance. This year’s proceeds will be donated to the Urban Entertainment Scholarship Fund and the Mrs. Collins Child Serv ice Center. This presentation is a non-profit function for the community put on by the community. By participating in Unity Day, citizens contribute to some of the worthwhile programs which exist in our community. Quit smoking. Am erican Heart Association Oregon Affiliate, Inc. ent Day Culture,” it was prepared by leading scholars from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Stanford, Princeton, University of California, etc. On the very first page of volume I it is stated, “ FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF ITS MEMBERS IN THEIR CHAP TER PROGRAMS.” And I can very well understand that, for the book breaks every rule of a racist education and history structure. The first chapter, “ The Beginnings of Culture,” begins with Egypt and the Sudan and proceeds to detail without qualification all of the seminal contri butions of Africans to the world’s cul ture and technology. And contrary to the presentations of many contempo rary texts, the photographs of statues in the field or museums have African fea tures that could be found in the innerci- ties of New York, Chicago, L.A., or Portland. There is even described the invention of the “ Nilometer” for reg istering the rise of the Nile River, still used today by the U.S. Corp of Engi neers (and in my school demonstra tions). Now, we understand the meaning of that phrase, “ For The Exclusive Use of” - The “ Delphian Society” was a select group of upper middle class scholars and other professionals (white) who distributed this “ danger ous” information only among them selves. Il was not for the peons, the working class, the media, and certainly not for the schools. Not that many whites have heard of the set and not any African Americans that I have met. It goes without saying that there have been other organizations of a similar nature who have furthered racism and prejudice by witholding truth from the world-w hile masquerading as “ schol ars.” I keep my copy right next to my 38. T he Iris Court North Precinct Com tor, Denny West. The event featured a job/hcallh munity Policing Demonstration fair,entertainment,citizen information Project and the Iris court Residence anil food in a block parly atmosphere. Council held its Second Annual Iris The fair featured several local Court Community Fair from 12 noon to groups including Sista’s N ’ Motion, 4:00 p.m. Saturday, August 24, al North Unison, “ Bam Bam” and OMSI Sumner Street and Vancouver Avenue. “ Robots.” Mayor J.E. “ Bud” Clark gave a ArrangcmcnLs were made to pro kickoff address al high noon from the vide ribs, chicken and hamburgers for top of an Oregon Air National Guard 400 people. These items were donated Oat bed truck. He was joined in opening by Food Service of America, R.M. remarks by Darryl Tukufu, CEO/Di- Pamplin, Inc., I’PB Sunshine Division, rcclor, Urban League of Portland and Life Center, Reser’s Fine Foods, West Housing Authority of Portland Direc F -j ern Paper Products, Portland Botde (7-U P),T J. Sentry Market, Franklin’s Ready Ribs, Blue Bell Chips, Inc., Oregon Chief, and Emanuel Health Services The food was prepared by the Deacon’s of Morning Star Church. The following agencies staffed an informational booth during the fair: Sickle Cell Foundation, Red Cross, Oregon Outreach Youth Resource, AMA Head Start, AMA Family Day Care, Self Enhancement, Northeast Com m unity H ealth, P ro ject Independence, Northeast Workforce. Ccntcr/PCC, Oregon National Guard Army-Air, Navy Recruiting, Oregon Employment Services Division, Poi son Control, Private Industry Council, Portland Police Bureau Recruiting, Northeast Neighborhoods (Crime Prevention), Youth Gang Outreach, Peninsular Children Center, Neigh borhood Connection, Boys and Girls Club, Together Great Start, Urban League, Project Imani, Project Linkage, MADD, Northwest Regional Educa tional Lab, (P.O.l.C.) Portland Occu pation Industry Council, Mult-nomah Co. Community Health Division, Regional Drug Initiative, St. Vincent’s Hospital, OSU Extension Service, Chil dren’s Services Div., OMSI, and the YWCA. "Reinvestments in the Community" is a weekly column appearing in API publications through out the USA l * * t . ' -• v . . •• •