V * VW 0 * ’ * V w r V w ¥-<•«► 4 * > ♦ V » > w ♦ ♦ O H "The Eyes and Ears of the Community" Volumn XXI, Number 51 ^ s . /n ¿ v \ 0 i ’ Q ri i ’"'U/c- 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 2 2 5 7 8 9 fc ri * «♦« ♦ ♦ » ♦ < » » •♦ » «