Page 2...The Portland Observer...September 11,1991
Inventing The Wheel All Over Again
Domestic Marshall Plan Needed To Cope With The
State Of Emergency In Urban America
There is a defacto State of Em er­
gency for poor and disadvantaged people
locked in inner-city urban America; a
State o f Em ergency which can only be
am eliorated by a massive Domestic
M arshall Plan; a State of Emergency
w hich can only permanently be ended
through what Dr. King called a “ radi­
cal revolution o f values,” the em pow ­
erm ent o f the disadvantaged and fun­
dam ental changes in the political and
econom ic system in the U.S. There are
two Americas in the U.S., one which is
m ostly white, rich, powerful and privi­
leged and the “ other A m erica” which
is m ostly Black and p eopleof color, out
o f pow er, and underdeveloped. It is
increasingly evident that the rich and
the powerful, the privileged few who
run this nation have virtually no regard
for the poor and the powerless.
Urban inner-city areas are plagued
by depression levels of unemployment,
underem ploym ent, and grinding pov­
erty. Bryant Gum bel noted on a recent
NBC Today Show report that the un­
em ploym ent rate for adult Black males
in one Chicago neighborhood is 50%.
In many cities unem ploym ent rates in
inner-city neighborhoods of 50-70% is
comm onplace. The public schools have
become the preserve o f the inferior
education. The housing inventory is
dilapidated and strained by overcrow d­
ing due to acute housing shortages.
Hospitals and com m unity health clin­
ics are closing down in the face of a
growing drug crisis and an escalating
AIDS epidemic. A firestorm o f crime,
violence and m urder of unprecedented
proportions has exploded in the inner-
cities of the other America. The inner-
cities have becom e like Third W orld
countries where the Black poor, L ati­
nos and other people o f color are forced
to subsist like “ the wretched of the
earth.”
W hat is the response o f the gov­
ernm ent to this State o f Emergency?
Private investors are scrambling to
rebuild war tom Kuwait with the active
encouragement of the U.S. government.
And leading Democrates like Les As-
pin and Richard G ephardt are prom ot­
ing the idea of taking money out o f the
defense budget to send $3-5 billion in
aid to the Soviet Union to assist that
country with it’s current “ emergency.”
The incentive seems to be the smell of
profits in what is potentially a vast new
market for U.S. corporate interests.
Leading Democrats also pressed to put
the Republican sponsored Free Trade
Agreement with Mexico on a “ fast
track.” This agreem ent is bound to
drive the wages o f U.S. workers down
even more rapidly and further exacer­
bate the crisis of drugs, crime and vio­
lence in the inner-cities. In the mean­
time there is no substantial discussion
of massive aid to respond to the crises
in the other America.
The National Urban League has
reiterated it’s call for a m odest $50
billion a year over the next decade to
stop the bleeding and dying, the death
and destruction o f human minds, spirits
and bodies in the inner-cities of this
nation. Though a more radical sys­
temic solution is required in my judge­
ment, a Domestic Marshall Plan is a
good focal point to initiate a major shift
in national priorities. Massive resources
are needed for com m unity economic
development to generate decent jobs to
alleviate poverty. Com m unities must
be empowered to make the critical
decisions about the types o f economic
options which are com patible with their
needs. Resources to insure a 21st cen­
tury quality education in the public
schools must also be a top priority.
Com m unity hospitals and health care
centers must be re-opened. And there
m ust be a major investment in housing
rehabilitation and new housing con­
struction under the direction o f com ­
munity enterprises controlled by com ­
munity residents.
Regrettably, neither George Bush
and the Republicans or the National
Democratic Party ate likely to adopt
and campaign for a Domestic Marshall
Plan. The Republicans do not see the
poor and disadvantaged as a part of
their economic or political constitu­
ency. The Democrats are so heavily
mortgaged and indebted to big corpo­
rate interests for their campaign financ­
ing that they are incapable o f acting
with and on behalf o f the poor and
disadvantaged. There are two Ameri­
cas and both political parties cater to
the America which is mostly white,
rich, powerful and privileged.
The fate and future of the poor and
disadvantaged, therefore, is in the hands
ofthepooranddisadvantagedand those
who crave for a new A m erica where
there is no poor and disadvantaged. If
there is to be a D omestic M arshall Plan
to rescue the inner-cities from the pres­
ent terrible State o f Emergency, the
dispossessed m ust lead the charge for
it’s enactment. Perhaps the site of throngs
o f poor and disadvantaged people stand­
ing on the tops o f tanks in the streets of
A merica will get the attention o f this
nation and the world!
Letter to the Editor
D ear Editor:
I am writing this letter o f concern,
and at the same time, I would like to
say that I’m very appauled that busi­
nessmen working in our Black com ­
munity seem to assume that any black
fem ale walking down Martin Luther
K ing, Jr. Blvd is either a prostitute or
dope fiend. I’ve lived in Oregon on and
o ff all my life. I graduated from Cen­
tennial High School and from there,
w ent on to college. I ’m a volunteer in
the community for Project for Com ­
munity Recovery, located at Fremont/
M artin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. I was
walking from there to my home when
the incident occured.
A white male in his late 4 0 ’s fol­
low ed me, heckling at me, and turning
com ers until I was about a block from
the Portland Observer. He accosted me
in his car as if I was working the streets.
I told him I was not a w h o re-m y exact
words. And he in turn, began to tell me
how he found me so attractive and was
only admiring me. There was an older
couple that pulled up next to the inci­
dent in process, and heard my com ­
ments to the man as I walked in front of
them. The lady leaned out the car and
said “ good for you honey, you told
him .”
I have learned at the age o f 38
years that suppressing negative feel­
ings on matters in our community that
are a concern need to be addressed the
proper way. The old way would be to
bust out windows, cuss, holler, and
nothing would be done. I know today
I’m not the only woman this has hap­
PORTLAffttfeERVER
(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 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 97211
503-288-0033 • Fax 288-0015
Deadline for all submitted materials:
Articles: Monday, 5:00 pm-Ads: Tuesday, noon
POSTMASTER: Send A ddress Changes to : Portland O bserver, P.O. Box
3137, Portland, OR 97208. Second class postage paid at Portland Oregon.
The Portland Observer welcomes treelance submissions. Manuscripts and
photographs should be clearly labled and will be returned if accompanied by a self
addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of
the newspaper and can not be used in other publications or personal usage,
without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has
purchased the composition of such ad. © 1991 PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT
PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.
Subscriptions.$25.00 per year.
pened to. I’m a w itness as well as a
victim today to this type o f thing hap­
pening in my community.
M any tim es there are those who
choose to prostitute and sell drugs, I’m
not one. I find that if you report in to the
police they take their own sweet time to
get to the scene or many times don’t
com e at all. I know today by not ad­
dressing the problem it does not go
away nor does it get better. I carry
m yself as a lady, and I don’t like being
targeted as a hooker when I choose to
be walk down or up Martin Luther
King, Jr. Blvd.
I will address this issue everytime
it happens. Sometimes it’s not likely to
addressed but, I ’m writing to you. I
read the Portland Observer, it’s my
com m unity news and this is going on,
on a daily basis.
Being a black female, we are al­
ways suppressed in some type of man­
ner. W e keep things because we don’t
feel anything will be done. Today I’m
tired o f not making the necessary move
to correct what is not working in my
com m unity and allowing it to imm obi­
lize me. I’m a victim in many ways.
I’ve been snatched off the street, and
raped last year! Nothing was done about
it, because the law felt it w asn’t worth
addressing. Change is upsetting and
people will go to extrem es to avoid
being upset.
W e will avoid thinking about or
discussing a problem , until it becomes
too big or too urgent to ignore, and that
is the problem o f women. Attacked and
made a victim. At some point in their
lives. And today I’m not a victim, after
today but a survivor. But w hat about
your daughter, your mother, or my sis­
ter. W hat will she do? Suppose it would
have been three instead of one woman.
In every crisis there is a message.
The message for me is it’s still not
safe on the streets and I can never
forget that. But today I’m going to
make it better for women like m yself
who know itexists. By telling them edia
w e’re sick and tired and w e’re fighting
back.
Sincerely,
Rhonda S.
“ If I’ve told you once I’ve told
you a thousand tim es!” No, that’s not
me speaking in arrogant erudition from
Mt. O lympus - or a neighborhood
mother addressing her errant child. I
put it as something an exasperated
M other Nature might have said to those
unheeding dinosaurs happily ignoring
the conditions that forecasted their
iminent extenction.
W hile we have been basking in the
im age-building warmth o f these ac­
counts o f our seminal contributions to
world culture via the WORD, M ATHE­
MATICS and SCIENCE, it may occur
to some that African Americans may
be equally as guilty of a failure to
understand the greatest truism of cxis-
tance. Its been stated in many ways,
from scholarly polemics to the meanest
street vernacular. Il is not, o f course,
that other races or cultures, including
this nation, are not being brought up
short in the same manner.
“ W hat goes around comes around
- there is nothing new under the sun -
- the only thing that changes is change-
- He who does not read history is doomed
to repeat it, or dejavu!” Now, what is
all that about? Certainly, black people
are not the only folks caught up in the
seemingly endless cycles of a ‘world
wheel ’ that revolves through sequences
o f hope, progress and, then, back to
frustration and despair; as though noth­
ing is to be gained from experience or
education (or Civil Rights or A ffirm a­
tive Action). No, I’m pursuing a thought
here ju st a little more practical and
pragmatic than that, so let me ‘descend
from the m ountain’ and put it down
fro n t
At the beginning o f ‘m y’ writing
cycle each fall, I review w hat it is 1
have said the past year(s), the letters
received and the particular problems
and solutions revealed or developed
Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc., New York. NY.
W ell, I know its that tim e o f year
again. The readers are letting me know
by phone and letter that some have m is­
placed the citations I’ve been giving for
obtaining free catalogs from the pub­
lishers of very econom ical books on
subjects o f history, education, race, sci­
ence and general interest. Try the fol­
lowing:
♦Edward R. Hamiton, Bookseller,
Falls V illage, CT 06031-51XX)
♦Dover Publications Inc., 31 East
2nd Street, M ineola, NY 11501
♦Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 126
Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011
♦A Com m on Reader, 141 Tom p­
kins Ave., Pleasantville, NY 10570
♦The Scholar's Bookshelf, 51 Ever­
ett Drive, Princeton Jet., NJ 08550
♦Daedalus Books, P.O. Box 9132,
Hyattsville, MD 20781-0932
♦Columbia University Press, 136
South Broadway, Irvington, NY 10533
♦University of Pennsylvania Press,
P.O. Box 4836, Hampden Station, Bal­
timore, MD 21211
Also, take notice that there is a very
excellent new multicultural library in
the community for students: “ Whitney
M. Young, Jr. Education and Cultural
C enter,” an after school hom ew ork/
tutorial assistance program for students
in grade 6 through sophomore in co l­
lege. There will be an ‘Open H ouse’,
Friday , Septem ber 27 from 2:30 to 6:30
p.m , if attending, call Judy Venable at
280-26U0, at the Urban League
Round and about town do drop in at
any Daltons Book Store, or Powells at
10th and W est Burnside, or Looking
G lass at 318 S.W . Taylor, or the Federal
Bookstore at 1305 S.W. First, or the
Multnomah County Branch Library on
N. Killingsworth across from Cascade
Community College Cam pus. (Excel­
lent selection of African American His­
tory Material).
Portland Observer encourages our readers to write
letters to the editor in response to any articles ~
we publish.
United Airlines
1
PORTLAdfrÒBSERVER
Are • The • Proud • Sponsors • Of
Reinvestments
Community
Proposed Relocation of Police
Precinct Draws Mixed Reviews
fact that they have been isolated from
to put an occupying force in the middle
BY DEAN CAMARDA
die police and tire only time they deal
of
our
community.
There
were
several
About 125 people attended a
with the police is when they have a
community forum at the King Neigh­ who agreed with Broderick's concern
problem or a negative situation. They
borhood Facility concerning the pro­ about what he called a “ cosmetic”
don't have the opportunity because the
approach to gathering community in
posed relocation of the Portland Police
police are not in the neighborhood to
put.
"T
here
needs
to
be
a
real
grass­
Bureau’s North Precinct to a portion of
have die positive interaction. W e’re
roots
community
meeting,”
said
W
al­
the old Fred Meyer building at NE
ter Muhammed, adding, “ Martin Lu­ saying to die community, 'we don't
Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and
want to be outsiders, we want to move
ther King Jr. Blvd. and Killingsworth is
Killingsworth Street. The audience ini
in and become a part of your neighbor­
the
hub
of
the
black
community.
What's
tially sat quietly and listened. Then it
hood.'”
going
to
happen
to
the
black
folks
that
was time to hear the public. A stream of
Responding to the idea that the
citizen’s community group representa - live in the area around the police?”
black community was not consulted at
Whether people were for or against the
tives stepped up to the microphone to
the grassroots level. Assistant to the
voice dieir support for tire move. They, relocation plan, not everyone had the
Mayor, John Rodgers replied, “ The
same reason. However, there was one
along with several others, welcomed
thing about grass is that it's all over die
common theme that resurfaced through
the police into their community, citing
place. I think the city has done a good
out
the
evening:
the
need
for
improved
enhanced safety and economic renewal
job
of getting input from the entire
police
community
relations.
as the expected outcome. All signs
community... black and white.” It is
Those who opposed the police
seemed to indicate that having the police
Rodgers’ view that concerns about the
precinct relocation expressed fears that
department as our new neighbors would
negative
impact of having a police fa­
tensions
between
the
police
and
blacks
be a win-win situation for all. That is
cility
in
the
area will be dispelled. “ I
are
likely
to
increase.
Portland
Police
until Waller Muhammcd took his turn
have seen nothing but clear and con­
Officer, Larry Anderson, disagreed. As
to speak.
vincing evidence that the commitment
a young black growing up in North-
“ I think you need to stop,” said
of
Chief Potter is real,” said Rodgers.
Northeast
Portland,
Anderson
knows
Muhammcd. “ The people who are mak
“ He ’s committed to conimunity polic­
something about the apprehensions of
ing decisions about this community
ing . 1 think the combination of die loca­
some members of the black commu­
don’t live in it." Several people in the
tion of diis facility and the genuine
nity. “ I didn’t know the police at all
audience voiced their agreement as he
when I was growing up. I think it’s a commitment of die police bureau to
continued. “ These coalitions don’t speak
community policing empowering the
crime
that a precinct hasn't moved here
to our concerns because wc don’t be
community to solve their own prob­
before now ,” said Anderson, who also
long to them. The bottom line is, they’re
lems those diings together make this
is the basketball program coordinator
(the police) coming in not patrolling,
the right move at die right tim e."
for
PAL
[Police
Action
League),
a
but controlling.” From then on the
Police Chief, Tom Potter, made
program
designed
to
enhance
the
rela­
forum gained momentum.
his intentions clear. “ We are here to
tionship between police and youth. “ I
Woody Broderick stepped forward
serve the community, build positive re
don’t think it’s 'relationship' that is the
to express reservations. Bnxlcrick went
lationships, and be accountable to you.”
problem.
I
think
it’s
the
alienation
-
the
so far as to accuse the police of wanting
The Portland Observer-Oregoris Oldest African-American Publication-is a member
of the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and The National
through that interchange. You may have
anticipated me here for what 1 am going
to em phasize is that THE W EEHL IS
STILL TURNING (right on by us) - it
is as though “ w e’re not reading the
script” as they say. As though we real­
ize belatedly, “ I’ve seen this movie
before” and reach for the remote -
when the opportunity to effect change
has long since passed.
The same assessment obtains on
the macro-tim escale when 1 review the
essays on the inspired and effective
African American education (and edu­
cators) practices of last century and
com pare the descriptions of those ex­
cellent m odels to the current responses
and practices o f the contemporary proc­
esses. It’s like, “ hey, that sounds great,
w e’re going to try it” ; and we do,
momentarily! But, what happens is that
the well m eaning and enthusiastic bre-
them are quickly diverted or sidetracked
(snowed) by the well-heeled and so­
phisticated forces of the major educa­
tional establishment.
M ARKETING, MEDIA M A N ­
AGEM ENT, ASSOCIATIONS, FED­
ERAL and CO RPORATE RELATION
SPECIALISTS, and GRANTS CO N ­
SULTANTS all combine to drive a
machine whose rhetoric and metaphor
iscapable of seducing and diverting the
strongest from pursuing the real and
effective models developed from an
hard won indigenous experience. You’ll
be hard put to find any among them
who can point to a documented and
successful classroom experience. So,
on this cycle you will find me present­
ing some ‘new ’ (smiles) approaches
that just may get us off this treadmill of
cyclical experience. Since “ the wheel
has been invented,” perhaps wc need
an educational hexagon or octagon.
A lter all, we are the “ Black Inven­
tors.”
P j
"Reinvestments in the Community" is a weekly column appearing
in API publications through out the USA