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"The Eyes and Ears of the Community"
Volumn XXI, Number 51
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rants to ta lin g $45,700 were
A t a P ortland news conference
releasing a new report on sp ira lin g
health care costs fo r Oregon fa m ilie s,
Rep. Les A u C o in (D -O R ) called fo r a
b o ld overhaul o f A m e ric a ’ s health care
der the dire ctio n o f M a ria h A . T ay lo r,
R .N ., received a grant o f $2,000 fo r
its m e d ica lly needy c h ild re n ’s fund.
system.
A u C o in said the g ro w in g burden
o f health care costs is fo rcin g m any
fa m ilie s to m ake im possible choices.
"O re g o n fa m ilie s are going in to debt
o r go in g w ith o u t - to pay fo r the care
they get. C hoosing between m o n th ly
health care prem ium s o r th e ir m o rt
gage paym ents is a h o rrib le choice. I t ’ s
A lso included in the awards were
grants earmarked fo r 23 organiza
tions in Oregon and Washington, serv
ing special health care needs o f those
w ith disabilities. They totaled $12,000.
G ifts were o f $500 to each o r
ganization, w ith the exception o f one
at $1,000.
A n n u a lly since 1986, the N O M F
not rig h t, i t ’ s n o t fa ir, and it can’ t go on
this w a y.”
A cco rd in g to “ Health Spending:
B o a rd o f D irectors has id e n tifie d spe
cia l interest organizations to receive
these end-of-year grants (unsolicited).
The G ro w in g T hreat to the F a m ily
B ud g e t,” a report prepared by the
Washington, DC-based advocacy group
F a m ilie s U S A , health care costs fo r
These grants are made in a d d i
tio n to the F oundation’ s regular grant
m aking program . In past years, o r
ganizations serving senior citizens,
the homeless, children, health research,
and m inority health services have been
recipients.
R ianda also stated that eig h t
N orthw est osteopathic medical stu
dents were selected fo r fin a n cial as
sistance in December, totaling $13,000.
T h is brings to a total 72 students in a
six-year period w h o have received
loans and scholarships to attend one o f
15 osteopathic m edical schools across
the c o u n try. Students are fro m Oregon,
W ashington, and Idaho.
A c c o rd in g to Rianda, the balance
o f the grants were awarded to c iv ic o r
ganizations and fo r m edical education.
T hey in clu d e d C a th o lic C harities o f
O regon, E astm oreland H ospital M cd i-
cal E ducation program , M apleton
C o m m u n ity Response Team, N e ig h
borhood Health C linics, and the Y W C A
grams fo r fa m ilie s and ch ild re n , as
w e ll as to n o n -p ro fit organizations in
the areas o f health c a re - prevention,
o f Salem.
The N orthw est Osteopathic M e d i
cal foundation was established in 1984.
cation.
R ianda said the Foundation is
A p u b lic c h a rily , it represents the con
cerns o f the osteopathic (D .O .) m edical
adm inistered b y a volunteer 11-per
son B o a rd o f dire cto rs, in clu d in g six
com m unity and provides support to pro
Doctors o f O steopathy.
research, equipm ent, and p u b lic edu
McKinley Burt
expected and the unexpected. The re
vie w o f articles and e d ito ria ls in the
black press showed the same d ic h o t
om y in the assessment o f current lead
ers or th e ir organizations. T h a t "b e a u ty
lies in the eye o f the b e h o ld e r” seems
never truer as some op fo r tra d itio n
(" re tu rn to basics” ), and m any others
ca ll fo r a new type bla ck re v o lu tio n that
can e ffe c tiv e ly fu n ctio n in a techno
lo g ica l w o rld .
There is increased c ritic is m o f the
style o f leadership w ith younger u n iv e r
sity and industry trained blacks d e p lor
ing the podium o r p u lp it perform ances
o f conventional p rim e m overs in th e ir
communities; ‘ ‘Those sing-song chants,,
the e y e -ro llin g and scream ing and post
slavery metaphors about m ountain tops
- none o f this is go in g to attract the k in d
o f brains and bodies w e ’ ll need to s ta ff
our organizations fo r the 21st C entury.”
There was other comment about a media-
m anipulated image o f a lo n g -su ffe rin g ,
u ltra patient black w ho, a fte r b illio n s in
federal program s, s till can’ t quite catch
on to the A m erican w ay - “ M oney w ill
s h ift to other m in o ritie s .”
M o st im pressive was a g ro w in g
s h ift fro m the p u re ly p o litic a l to the
economic and fiscal m anagem ent-” we
need fin a n c ia l Stewards, career m oney
managers in our organizations and
com m unities, A V A IL A B L E T O A L L
and n o t ju s t the in sid e rs” - ” O u r co n
gregation has collected every a rticle
co n trib u tio n s o f those w ho have gone
before - w hat good are a ll these elec
Tony Brown has written on Green Power
and form ing black businesses. We started
tronics; o r even these college educa
tio n s? ” T h is was from a fem ale m em
ber o f the N a tio n al Caucus o f B lack
State Legislators. A college p re xy re
m inded me o f the in n o va tive d rive
posscsed by the ty p ic a l black college
classes last year and n ow have a g ro
cery and a dry cleaners.” M any core
spondents w h o addressed the economic
theme asked, “ W hy d id n ’ t we follow up
on the Reverend Leon S ullivan theme
(P .O .I.C .) and ca rry it on to the next
step o f nationw ide black-ow ned m anu
fa c tu rin g firm s -- w h y ju s t train black
youth to w o rk fo r others?”
In this vein there is a lo t o f re fe r
ence to b la ck leadership in the past
w ith very pointed comments that “ some
over a H U N D R E D YEARS AG O . “ Fisk
U n iv e rs ity , N a sh ville , Tennesee, was
founded in 1865. W ith in six years that
g lo rio u s ensemble, The F isk Ju b ile e
Singers, was on the road at home and
abroad raising m any m illio n s fo r b u ild
ing and e q u ip m e n t--M r. B u rt, put that
in terms o f today’s money; mind blower.”
m ore than $8700 per year.
A uC oin said exploding health care
costs arc also having a devastating
Southeast H ealth Center by represen
tatives o f Oregon Health A c tio n C am
paign, Physicians fo r a National Health
im pact on state budgets, n o tin g that
Plan, and area health clin ics.
Portland Schools Offer Free Lunches
At Seven Schools During Vacation Period
Free lunches w ill be served to
school-age ch ild re n d u rin g h o lid a y
vacation at selected P ortland School
D is tric t sites.
F o r the firs t tim e , ch ild re n in
seven lo w -in co m e Portland ne ig h
borhoods w ill be offe re d a free meal
to supplem ent th e ir diets d u rin g the
h o lid a y vacation period - Dec. 23 -
Jan. 3.
Suggested by Portland School
Board m em ber B asil ( B ill) Panare-
leadership not so insecure o r frightened
that they cannot accept either new tech
n ology o r p o litic s . A N o rth C a ro lin a
group I ’ ve ju s t been made aware o f has
in fo rm e d me that they have re vive d
and are im p le m e n tin g w ith m odern ad
m in istra tio n the 1898 black enterprise,
“ Colem an M a n u fa ctu rin g C o m p a n y.”
I th in k the m ost reassuring and
There were fiv e cita tio n s o f the famous
consistent element o f a ll these dialogues
C olem en, a w e a lth y exslave and b u si
bla ck entrepreneur, Madame C.J.
W a lk e r, w h o b u ilt a national netw ork
o f successful urban business centers in
was the frequent association w ith the
past; “ he w ho does not learn fro m his
to ry is doom ed to repeat it . ” A related
nessman.
I w rote about th cotton m ill sev
eral years ago and its m a n u fa ctu rin g o f
the 1920’ s; real estate, beauty schools,
theme that is co m in g through is about
econom ic vig ila n c e ; “ we need to spon
sor and educate cadres o f h a rd -h ittin g
b la ck business and patent law yers be
g in n in g w ith hig h school, and w e need
cotton and w o o l fabrics, o ve rh a lls and
other clo th in g . H a vin g discovered
existence, I proceeded to research
to support them fin a n c ia lly .” “ O th e r
a series o f sp in o ffs, mergers and reor-
gainzations. W e came up w ith to d a y ’ s
stores, m ovies. E q u a lly accepted as a
ro le m odel fo r today was “ M arcus
G a rv e y ,” the fla m b o ya n t organizer o f
both a dom estic A fric a n A m erican
business enclave, b u t also an A fric a n
com ponent that saw ships purchased
fo r b oth inverse co lo n iza tio n and ex-
p o rt/im p o rt.
I th in k the m ost im p o rta n t po in t
made by the w rite rs was that these
dedicated and energetic people accom
plished a ll o f the necessary organiza
tio n and interaction W IT H O U T T H E
A ID O F T E L E V IS IO N ; “ W hat pos
sible excuse could w e [blacks] have
today fo r fa ilin g to at least equall the
w ise ,” the students o f th is southern
college class said, “ we w ill have a
co n tin u a tio n o f the classic rip o ffs from
the Carpetbaggers fo llo w in g the C iv il
W a r rig h t dow n to to d a y’ s U rb a n Re
m oval. I had sent the class a co p y o f m y
book B la c k In ve n to rs o f A m e rica and
they q u ic k ly noted that today there no
longer exists any black-ow ned busi
nesses in consequence o f these hun
dreds o f innovation.
fate w ith the help o f a stock brokerage
firm that drew upon its archives, I tracked
corporate e n tity ; C A N N O N L IN E N
M IL L S . C o le m a n ’ s fortunes and e th
nic makeup began to change soon a fte r
an early success—beginning w ith a f i
nancial sho t-in -th e arm fro m a new
m em ber o f the board fro m A m e ric a 's
most p ro m in e n t tobacco fa m ily .
N ext w eek, new wars ove r o w n e r
ship o f urban property. W h o are the
1991 Lou Rawls Parade of
Stars
Portsmouth, 5103 N. W illis Blvd.
R oosevelt, 6941 N. C entral
K in g , 4906 N E 6th A ve.
V ernon, 2044 N E K illin g s w o rth
W o o d la w n , 7200 N E 1 1th Ave.
W oodm ere, 6540 SE 78th A ve.
Lunches w ill be served from 11:30
a .m .to 12:30 p.m . each day. Lunches
- consisting o f soup, sandw ich, fru it
and m ilk - w ill be served each day at
the schools.
The school d is tric t is accepting
corporate, c iv ic and in d iv id u a l dona
tions to help defray the project’s costs.
A d u lts w h o w ish to participate w ill
tim e meal each vacation day except
C hristm as, N ew Y e a r’ s D ay and
be charged $2.
weekends.
S chools serving the meals on
Dec. 2 3 ,2 4 , 2 6 ,2 7 , 30, 31 and Jan.
2 and 3 are:
For more information, please con
tact: B ill G arbett, d ire cto r o f p u b lic
inform ation and comm unication, Port
land P ublic Schools, 249-3304.
B o is e -E lio t, 620 N F rem ont St.
North Portlanders Sought For
Enhancement Committee
The M e tro p o lita n Service D is tric t
is lo o kin g fo r residents o f N o rth P o rt
land to f i l l vacancy on the N o rth P o rt
land Enhancem ent C om m ittee. The
appointee w ill f i l l the unexpired term
o f M ichael V ernon, w h o resigned in
N ovem ber. T he term runs through
Decem ber 1992.
The seven-m em ber com m ittee,
established in 1987, makes recom m en
dations how to spend the money gener
ated fro m a 50-cent-per-ton surcharge
on disposal o f garbage at the St. Johns
L a n d fill. The ne xt round o f fundings
begins in the spring.
com m ittee members m ust liv e in
the N o rth Portland enhancement area
between the W illa m e tte and C o lu m b ia
rivers and between Interstate 5 and
Interstate 405. N eighborhoods include
St. Johns, Cathedral Park, Portsm outh,
U n ive rsity Park, K enton, A rb o r Lodge
and O verlook.
The deadline is Jan. 10. A p p lic a
tions are available at the Peninsula
N eighbors O ffic e , 2410 N . Lom bard,
o r at M etro Center, 200 S W F irst A ve.
Q uestions should be directed to K atie
D ow dall, M e tro ’s com m unity enhance
m ent coordinator.
leaders?
News
Hammer to Host 19th
Annual “American
Music Awards”
Christmas Activities
Page 5
Page 4
Page 3
t
tos, the school d is tric t’ s N u tritio n
Services D ept. w ill prepare a n oon
Perspectives
Entertainment
nancing system can re a lly b rin g dow n
costs,” he said. " I t puts health care on
a budget and contains these raising
can a ffo rd .”
A u C o in was jo in e d at the press
conference at the M u ltn o m a h C ounty
It w ill be interesting to see i f tra d i
th in g very precious has been lo s t.”
health care crisis.
" O n ly a national health care f i
decade ago. B y the year 2000, F a m i
lies U S A predicts that the health care
burden on Oregon fa m ilie s w ill soar to
tional black social and econom ic o r
ganizations lik e the N a tio n a l U rban
League and N A A C P w ill rid e out the
waves o f challenge, fle x ib le enough to
accept new th in k in g and fo c u s and w ith
T h is was a three-story b ric k pla n t b u ilt
on the main lin e o f the Southern R a il
w ay, the b ra in c h ild o f a W arren C.
years.
" T h a t’ s w h y i t ’ s d o u b ly w rong
fo r anyone to say that the answ er to the
national health care crisis is to push
m ore health care re sp o n sib ilitie s onto
the states. T hat w o u ld ju s t mean cu t
tin g other v ita l services lik e p o lice and
p u b lic safety, e nvironm ental protec
tio n and aid to the e ld e rly. T h a t’ s
sim p ly robbing Peter to pay P aul.”
A u C o in , a lo n g -tim e supporter o f
measures to curb risin g health care
costs, said that a national health in su r
ance system was the bet sol» •’ : 'n to the
costs. Just cu ttin g out the a d m in istra
tiv e waste co u ld save $67 m illio n a
year. A national health care system is
the o n ly approach that can get e ve ry
one the care they need at prices they
Black Leadership: Then And Now, Part 2
That opinion poll o f A frican A m e ri
cans around the co u n try (in respect to
“ leadership” ) has produced both the
O regon’ s M e d ica id spending has in
creased by $34 m illio n in the last tw o
Oregon fa m ilie s have increased a
w hopping 280 percent since 1980.
The average Oregon fa m ily spent
m ore than $3900 this year on health
care, as com pared to about $1400 a
JBgagPttg ( E m it t in g from the staff o f The Portland Observer
by prof .
250
Health Care costs For Oregon
Families Up 280% Since 1980;
National Health Care Is Answer,
AuCoin Says
Medical Foundation Awards $45,700 in Grants
awarded in Decem ber by the
Northwest Osteopathic Medical Foun
dation (N O M F ),a cco rd in g to its E x
ecutive D irector, D a v id Rianda.
The N orth Portland Nurse Prac
titioner com m unity Health C lin ic, un
EDITORIAL
NEWS
ENTERTAINMENT
RELIGION
CLASSIFIEDS
HDS/SUMŒXS
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R' c c iii I h t IN, 1991
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