. OTOT *
# w ♦ e e e e ie e w V • *
Page 2...The Portland Observer...May 13,1992
The Los Angeles Dream Explodes: Again!
Letters To The Editor
Held to the griddle were the
fo llo w in g players; The Federal
Housing Adm inistration, the Na
tio n a l M ortgage Associations
W hat happens to a dream deferred?
(Fannie Mae and Freddy Mae),
Does it dry up
The Federal Reserve Board, The
like a raisin in the sun?
Federal Deposit Insurance C or
O r fester like a so re -
poration (FD IC ), and several large
And then run?
urban banks. Testifying “ fo r the
Does it stink like rotten meat?
people,”
we had the National A ir
O r crust and sugar over--
Housing
Alliance, and the C om
like a syrupy sweet?
munities
for Accountable Rein
Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.
vestment,
among others. A ll in
O r does it explode?
a ll, we heard the same old litany
of
RED
L IN IN IN G ,
BY PROF. MCKINLEY BURT
D IS IN V E S T - M E N T ,
and
G entrification. O bviously,nothing had
1 appreciate those calls from read
changed since the first hypocritical hear
ers and several local social organiza
ings held imm ediately after the W a tt’s
tions in response to my last week’s
article that explored the R ight W ing
riots o f 1965.
Be sure to keep Portland in m ind as
in filtra tio n o f some o f the nation’s Po
we review these facts. The chairman o f
lice Departments. Today, I would draw
your attention to an equally v o litile
the hearings and several congressmen
constantly reminded the testifying w it
situation in urban dynamics that has the
potential fo r further explosions; T H E
nesses from these governmental agen
cies that it had been their sworn, legal
H O U SIN G R AC KE TEER IN G PR AC
T IC E D OR SUPPORTED B Y O U R
duty to exercise their regulatory au
thority in m onitoring the performance
F IN A N C IA L IN STITU TIO N S .
o f their own agency as w ell as that o f the
It has been 500 years since western
man devised the racist concept o f a
banks and mortgage companies in re
spect to a nationwide surge in housing
“ Ghetto” in which to imprison and ex
p lo it the m inorities o f a nation (the
discrim ination.
T ypical lame excuses ranged from
Jewish population o f Venice, Ita ly in
the 15th centuryj.H ad you beenfollow -
the protestations o f the Federal Na
ing last week’ s hearings o f the House
tional Mortgage A sso ciatio n- “ Yes we
know, and we are constantly striving to
Banking and Urban A ffa irs committee,
improve our packages” (whatever that
you w ould have concluded, “ nothing
means) to the straight-faced statement
has changed!” In this instance, we may
o f the Huntington National Bunk o f
evaluate not only the situation in Los
Columbus, O hio; “ We have discovered
Angeles but in Portland, Oregon as
that intercity mortgages can be Q U IT E
w ell.
PR O FITA BLE. As a matter o f fact we
Again, I am able to quite factually
report on that California situation which
have gone to a number o f the B L A C K
CHURCHES and made them OUR
had a great deal to do w ith the “ D E
F ER R ED D R E A M ” that exploded
AG ENTS, splitting commissions w ith
(1954-1964 Business & Real Estate
them” . This came after an admission
Accounting). I have no idea w hy the
that they had belatedly discovered the
testimony (revelations) given before
intent o f the Federal Com m unity In
that congressional committee should
vestment Act. We note that in Portland
have proved so “ shocking” to several o f
there has also been a sudden surge o f
highly publicized protestations o f a firm
the congressmen, when tens o f m illions
o f Am ericans-and the press-have been
com m itm ent to finance intercity hous
aware o f the situation for almost a
ing. Real or fancied?
W e note, too, in respect to Port
century. Nevertheless, tongues were
land, not only the shenanigans o f the
clocked and blame was facetiously
Dom inion Real Estate company(s) and
assigned to others, almost w itho ut ex
the ruthless exploitation o f the poor
ception.
In the 1930s, black poet Langston Hughes
wrote a peom, “ lenox Avenue M ural” :
Civilian Police Review Board Needed
The brutal beating o f Rodney King
and the “ not g u ilty ” verdict that ju s ti
fies police b ru tality in L .A . is not an
isolated outrage. The Oregonian’ s ar
ticles on police abuse o f deadly force
make it clear that we have a serious
problem here in Portland. The 1992
examples alone o f “ enforcem ent" by
Portland police show that something is
dangerously amiss w ithin Portland’s
police force. C ertainly training is a
critica l aspect o f any job. But police
resorting to gunfire is not just a matter
o f the need for training. It is also a
matter o f police getting away w ith m ur
der. Portlanders need a voice in control
ling the behavior o f cops w ith guns,
cops w ith clubs, cops w ith fists. We
need a C iv ilia n Police Review Board,
a panel o f elected citizens w ith inves
tigation, assessment and disciplinary
powers over police behavior.
1 don’t agree that drug-trafficking
and gang violence justifies more po
lice. More police w ill not protect any
one, especially if you are a person o f
color. The recent beating o f Jacob John
son, an A frican American man, in N.E.
Portland isan outrageous example. A ll
four people involved in the attack arc
reported to be white supremacists. Tw o
o f those involved were allowed to walk
away. The Neo-Nazi Skinhead assail
ant was charged w ith a single count o f
second-degree assault. That this attack
is not considered a hate crim e sends an
alarming message to our comm unity.
It is no wonder the Aryan Nations
consider Portland ripe for the picking.
Racists attacks are permissible.
We need to start holding account
able those who are supposed to serve
and protect. Portlanders should not be
victim s o f police brutality or lenient
treatment by poi ice o f racist assailants.
A ll four o f Jacob Johnson’ s racist at
tackers should be arrested and charged
w ith attempted murder. Enact legisla
tion for aC ivilian Police Review Board,
independent o f the mayor and police
chief. Demand that Rodney K in g ’ s
attacker be charged under Federal C i v ii
Rights laws.
Sincerely,
Jordano Sardo
Integrity: Les AuCoin Wins Hands Down
N.E. Portland.
In those years I have come to know
Les as an honest, compassionate and
dedicated man. He cares about the com
m unity, and has demonstrated his con
cern w ith results: new housing, job
training and development, and programs
I do not know Harry Lonsdale, but
I am very disappointed to see him at
tack the integrity o f Congressman Les
AuCoin. I have worked w ith M r. AuCoin
fo r a num berof years w hile President o f
the A lb in a M inisterial Alliance, and as
a M inister o f S t M ark BaptistChurch in
to help young people involved in gangs.
From what I ’ ve witnessed o f the race
fo r the U.S. Senate, i f it comes down to
a question o f character and integrity,
Les AuC oin wins hands down.
Sincerely,
Reverend Joe Hardie
Portland Did Not “Write The Book On Love”
Some Black leaders in Portland are
offensive to the senses. M r. Harold W il
liams who represents 100 Black Men
Group stated at a rally “ The people o f
Portland wrote the book on love.” As
M r. W illiam s was making his vulgar
statements, W hite Supremacist Groups
were protesting the rally across the street.
A ll o f the W hites who addressed the
ra lly registered indignation to the beat
ing o f Rodney King and the acquittal o f
the four police officers.
M r. Charles Jordan and M r. Harold
W illiam s who are Black, perhaps out o f
habit, attempted to pacify by casting
Blacks as ch ild like characters. M r. Jor
dan is the C ity o f Portland Parks C om
missioner. He stated the reason that
people d id n ’t rio t was because “ they
have not lost hope.” M r. Jordan made
this statement at a meeting that brought
com m unity leaders and city govern
ment o fficials together to discuss hate
crimes. H istorically,in America Blacks
are liked best when jobs are plentiful
and wars are deadly. When jobs are
scarce and no wars on the horizon we
are hated. These are historical facts.
Black leadership is not a popular
ity contest. It requires courage. Police
C hief Dan Potter denounced the beat
ing o f Rodney K ing and the verdict
w ith intrepidity and firmness. 89% o f
people who were polled hold sim ilar
views.
It is a travesty that M r. Jordan and
M r. W illiam s offered fixed form o f
expression that gave solace to bigots.
Surely, the bigots can use M r. Jordan
and M r. W illia m s ’ statements to de
fend their narrow views. It is no w on
der that drugs arc rampant and unem
ployment is so high in Northeast Port
land. M r. Jordan and M r. W illiam s
offered no input to the solution to the
problem. In the 6 0 ’ s there was a saying
“ I f you are not a part o f the solution,
then you are a part o f the problem .”
When people gather to bare their soles
they expect others to p ull o ff the mask
also. It is bad form fo r the people who
are receiving unfair treatment to o ffe r
explanations that insult reasonable
thinking men and women who are seek
ing solutions.
J. D avid Cotton
Northeast Portland
CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL
Measure 5 Victims Describe Effect Of
Cuts On Their Lives
On Saturday, M ay 9, a panel o f
legislators heard testimony from in d i
viduals who, because o f Measure 5,
either already cannot get services or w ill
soon lose services they desperately need.
The hearing took place from 9 a.m.
to 11 a.m., in Hearing Room A o f the
they are very real -- and w e’ ll a ll suffer
from them !” is the way Sandy M illiu s ,
Heart o f Oregon Steering Committee
member, describes the message the hu
man services clients delivered. The panel
explored the impact o f Measure 5 cuts
on individuals' lives and the impact on
State Capitol.
As Elsie Hastings o f Portland says,
“ I have inoperable carpal tunnel syn
drome and am in a wheelchair so Senior
Services provides me w ith a caregiver
five hours a week who changes my bed,
does m y laundry, cleans my house, and
allows me to continue liv in g at home.
N ow , they may reduce my caregiver’ s
hours or cut her out altogether. I don’ t
our quality o f life from the perspective
o f average Oregonians.
Hasting and many o f the people
testifying and in the audience haveover-
come personal hardships -- such as physi
cal disabilities or lack o f money— in
order to attend the Salem hearing. To
honor the e ffo rt so many w ill have made
to be heard by the Oregon Legislature,
the panel compiled a report in the hear
ing and sent a copy to a ll legislators and
the Governor.
know w hat I ’ ll do then.”
“ Measure 5 cuts aren’ t phony -
Jkrriíatth (©bseriier
(USPS 959-680)
OREGON’S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION
Established in 1970
By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
The two-hour hearing, convened
by the Heart o f Oregon C oalition, was
conducted by a bipartisan panel o f leg
islators. Panelists were Senators Ron
Cease, Grattan Kerans, and C liff T row ,
and Representatives PeterCourtney and
Mary A lice Ford. Individuals from all
walks o f life testified, including seniors
losing in-home care, students facing
tuition hikes and program cuts, people
w ith mental health problems (or their
relatives), persons w ith disabilities, and
other people who need publicly funded
Massacre In South Africa Uncovered
No one doubts that racist apartheid
is slow ly being dismantled through a
process o f struggle, sacrifice and nego
tiation waged by the African National
Congress and the people o f South A f
rica. Yet, as each day goes by more and
more evidence is being uncovered about
the existence o f government sponsored
“ state terrorism ” against the people o f
Styith A frica , as w e ll as the violence and
death perpetrated against m illion s o f
others in the region o f southern A frica.
It makes one a little nervous, to say
the least, that the very government o ffi
cials who sanctioned unmitigated blood
shed and violence against the m ajority
o f the people o f South A frica are now
some o f the same south A frican govern
ment o fficials who plead for “ trust and
understanding” amidst transition to a
free South A frica. It is important to
remember the years o f “ constructive
engagement” by the United States to
ward apartheid South Africa.
One month after George Bush was
elected to follow Ronald Reagan as Presi
dent o f the United States, a barbaric
massacre occurred in South A fric a ’ s
Natal region. We recall back in 1988
that a dramatic increase in the num berof
defenseless civilians, many o f whom
were children and women, being k ille d
was reported almost daily. The South
A frican government issued declaration
after declaration that them source o f the
increasing bloodshed was “ black on
black violence and riv a lry .”
Yes, there has been political v io
lence among contending forces w ithin
South A frica. The point, however, is
that much o f this violence was and con
services.
’
S ubscribe
! ®lp>
® bsmier
Publisher
Contributing Writer*
McKinley Burt
Bill Barber
Sharon Camarda
Mattie Ann Callier-Spears
Alfred Henderson
Production Staff
Operation* Manager
Dean Babb
Sharon Camarda
Gary Ann Garnett
Joyce Washington
Accounting Manager
Gary Ann Garnett
Public Relatione
Dan Bell
Chuck Washington
Jenifor Johnson
Rea Washington
Sale* 4 Promotion*
Tony Washington
The PORTLAND OBSERVER I*
published weekly by
Exle Publishing Company, Inc.
4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 97211
503-288-0033 • Fax 288-0015
IT he P ortland O bserver
J
I
CAN BE SENT DIRECTLY TO
YOUR HOME ONLY
I
I
I
$30.00.
PER YEAR.
J
P lease
fill out ,
ENCLOSE CHECK OR
MONEY ORDER,
j
and
M ail
to :
i
S ubscriptions
Deadline for all submitted materials:
Articles: Monday, 5:00 pm -Ads: Tuesday, noon
J
T he P ortland O bserver
j
PO Box 3 1 3 7
PO S TM A S TE R : Send Address C h a n g e * to: Portland O bserver, P.O. Box
I
P ortland , O regon 9 7 2 0 8
3137, Portland, O R 97208. Second class postage paid at Portland Oregon.
The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and
»•.4*
*4»
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 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER.
ALL R IG H TS R ESERVED, REPR O D UC TIO N IN W HOLE OR IN PART W ITH O U T
Subscriptlons:$25. 00 per year.
*r £
The Portland Observer-Oregon’s Oldest African-American Publication-Is a member
of the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and The National
Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc.. New York, NY.
Address
___________ j
dty, State____________________ a
,’ipcodp
tinues to be instigated by the South A f
rican government’s param ilitary and po
lice forces. This is a w ell documented
fact and the extent o f the state’ s terrorist
activity is becoming ever clearer.
It is interesting that it took until
1992 fo r there to be a “ trial and convic
tion” o f o ffic ia l South A frican police
units fo r acts o f “ p o litica lly m otivated”
violence and crime.
Captain Brian M itch e ll and four
other members o f the South A frican
police were found g u ilty o f com m itting
the Trust Feed Massacre in December o f
1988 when 11 villagers were murdered.
In the small village o f Trust Feed in
Natal, the police shot up a house contain
ing women and children and continued
to fire into the house to make sure that
everyone inside was dead.
The day after the Trust Feed Massa
cre, the South A frican government is
sued a statement blaming the incident on
“ tribal riv a lry .” According to published
news reports from the trial, the attack on
Trust Feed was actually planned by the
police to elim inate supporters o f the
United Democratic Front, which is re
lated to the African National Congress.
It was also revealed that police units
from Natal had been w orking in support
o f the In k a th a m o ve m e n t led by
Buthelezi.
It was later confirm ed that the vic
tims o f the Trust Feed Massacre were not
p olitical activists, but were in fact hold
ing a funeral v ig il for persons who had
earlier been kille d by the “ death squads”
o f South Africa. A t the trial the police
officers claimed that they shot up the
wrong house by mistake. The issue is
nobody’s house should be the target o f
vicious state sponsored violence and
intim idation. It remains to be seen what
the courts in South A frica w ill do to
these policemen fo r fo llo w in g orders
from sources high up in the govern
ment o f South Africa.
A t the time o f the Trust Feed Mas
sacre, the anti-apartheid movement here
in the United States was very critica l o f
the Reagan-Bush foreign p olicy to
ward South Africa.
Although today the movement
against apartheid in this country has
subsided somewhat, it is o f necessity to
remain vigilant during this period o f
transition.
President De K le rk ’ s latest offer
for a transitional government to be
ruled by an “ executive council” is still
far short o f allow ing the w ill o f the
people o f South A frica to determ inc the
nation’ s future. De K le rk appears to be
eager to have a governmental structure
that w ill provide privilege and dispro
portionate power to white South A f r i
cans over black South Africans.
O f course, the destiny o f South
A frica is in the hands o f the people o f
South Africa. The A frican National
congress and others are attempting to
negotiate a settlement to avoid further
bloodshed and oppression. Justice de
mands that those responsible and guilty
o f massacres and other “ war crimes” be
held accountable fo r their hideous
deeds. Mercy docs demand compas
sion, yet freedom demands learning
from the past so that this history o f
unprecedented exploitation and injus
tice is not permitted to continue.
Hundreds Of Foster Parents To Be
Honored In Oregon
__________________
photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a
PER M ISS IO N IS PROHIBITED.
r < !'
I Name
(black and whites) wishing to achieve
home ownership—but the incredible
activities o f a gang o f real estate bro
kers, appraisers, investors and victim
ized (?) banks (do you believe in the
tooth fairy). See Sunday’s Oregonian
newspaper, front page article, “ Break
ing The Bank.”
Tw o salient facts leap out at you;
how is it that rascals and high fliers
C AN GO TO P O R T LA N D BAN KS
A N D SECURE IN F L A T E D PROP
ERTY LO ANS W HEN H A R D
W O R K IN G , N O R T H E A S T C IT I
ZENS A R E T U R N E D D O W N
D A IL Y - A N D T H E Y IN T E N D TO
L IV E IN TH E HOMES? It is just not
believable thalastute, hard-nosed bank
ers can, in deal after deal, over-lend by
tens o f thousand o f dollars on proper
ties the rest o f us are denied access to
at any price. There is an ugly game
going on here and it smells o f inside
deals and PAY OFFS. Does Secretary
Kemp plan an announcement on these
shenanigans in his housing agenda?
And we may ask too, in view o f the
highly publicized nature o f these rip-
offs, where are our crim inal justice
authorities on this? The D istrict A tto r
neys, the federal prosecutors and the
grand juries, the Real Estate Com m is
sion, the state legislature, the County
and the city? And, above a ll the FED
E R A L R E G U LA T O R Y AG ENCIES,
the F .D .I.C ., The Federal Reserve
Board and others whose failures to
properly oversee the functions o f banks
were so clearly brought out in that
Congressional Hearing on housing?
It would seem that the “ Los Ange
les Capers’’ I experienced in the 1950’s
have moved north w ith a vengeance.
As an accountant fo r several mortgage
and real estate companies I can attest
that the in-depth exploitation o f an
IM PRISONED ghetto population was
perfected there and exported across the
nation. It is interesting that the adm in
istration shouts for law and order and
more troops, but no real solutions.
Remember the 1988 protestation o f
President Bush, “ I am haunted by the
specter o f poor children in the street.”
I would say that this man is haunted by
nothing so much as a failure to raise
m illions at a campaign dinner.
*
J
T hank Y ou F or R eading
T he P ortland O bserver |
May is Foster Care Awareness
M onth in Oregon and workers o f the
C hildren’s Services Division arc w ork
ing w ith local groups to show their
appreciation for foster parents.
In recognition o f foster parents’
dedication to children, youth and fa m i
lies, Governor Barbara Roberts has
signed more than 2,500 certificates o f
appreciation. The certificates w ill be
given to foster parents at various break
fasts, teas, luncheons and parties
throughout the month o f May.
Foster Care Facts:
e There arc an average o f 2,600 foster
hom esinOrcgon...3.600childrcnin
foster care. However, because o f
CSD’s“ Family Unity” modcl (work to
keep families together) the number
o f kids in foster care dropped six
percent in 1991. Nationally, foster
care has increased 20%.
a Fostcrchildrcndisplay more serious
problems. Since 1988: Mental d iffi
culties (up 35%) Physical d iffic u l
ties (up 43%) Behavioral d iffic u l
ties (up 140%).
e Payments to foster parents arc only
56% o f the USDA estimate o f the
cost o f raising a child.
a There is a critical need for m inority
and bilingual loster homes in Or-
cont.page 4
■ ■
»