Page 4..The Portland Observer...June 10, 1992
Minority Youth Concerns
Action Program
Several form er gang members at-
filiated with the M inority youth C on
cerns A ction Program (M Y CA P) in
northeast Portland are changing their
lives through hard work, and the com
m itm ent of M Y CA P, their parents, and
the com m unity.
MY CA P helps young men between
15 and 2 0 achieve personal,educational,
and social skills necessary to become
productive citizens.
Justin R odarte, 19, is a former
B loods gang m em ber and two-year
M Y C A P student. He is graduating
from Mount HoodChrislian High School
in G resham on Friday, June 5, at 7:00
p.m . “ It took me five years to graduate
from high school; I’m on my way
to college now. If it had not been
for MYCAP, I would be dead right
now .”
Phillip Green, a 19-y ear-old former
Crips gang member, started work with
the City o f Portland this week. Phillip
just left the M Y CA Presidence program
and moved into his first apartment.
He and his girlfriend are expecting a
baby this month. “ I feel good. Lots of
my homeboys are still in gangs or pris
ons. I’m glad I made the right decision.
M yoid friends only think about getting
a car, jew elry, or things like that. I’m
concerned about getting married, buy
ing a house, and being a father.”
Daniel Rassmussen, 18, isa former
Crips gang member. Daniel is working
at Skippers and he is helping with the
graffiti gang crew . D aniel and his
girlfriend are having a baby in Septem
ber. Daniel lives at MYCAP now. “ I do
not want to be one of those fathers who
are not there for his kids. I d o n ’t want to
be locked up. MYCAP is helping me
see w hat I have to do in life. They help
me manage money and put it in the bank
so I can become self-sufficient.”
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Dajuana Harris On Honor Roll
Dajuana Harris is on the Honor
Roll at Martin Luther King Jr. Elem en
tary School. Dajuana likes softball and
Cooking. She attributes her academic
acheivements to hard work and disci
pline. You can count on hearing more
about Dajuana in the near future. She is
a beautiful girl in more ways than one!
Eight helpful hints for
expectant mothers
We once thought that a child in the
womb was in a world o f its ow n, com
pletely oblivious to the outside world.
But more and more, today’s research
shows that an unborn child becomes
accustom ed to its m other’s voice, re
acts to the music playing around it, and
even feels the effects of its m other’s
anxiety. W hat you do, and sometimes
even what you say, during this crucial
period o f your bay’s life can make a
difference.
The Hubbard Dianetics Founda
tion has established a hotline to answer
question about prenatal life and care.
And here are some tips they’ll be giving
expectant mother who call in:
* G et early medical care. Seeing a
doctor early in your pregnancy, or even
while you are only planning to get
pregnant, can predict problems before
they come up and help you to ensure
proper nutrition and care tor your child
from the beginning.
* Don ’ t sm oke. among other things,
smoking can lower your child’s intake
of the oxygen that is vital for his sur
vival and formation.
* Don’tdrink. Medical studies show
that alcohol can possibly affect the
formation o f the child’s central nervous
system (brain and spinal chord) and
contribute to birth defects.
* Avoid drugs. Many drugs will
stay in your child’s body long after they
ar gone from yours, and adversely af
fect your child’s growth. Even if it
comes from your doctor, find out first if
they are stimulants or depressants and
what affect they could have on the fetus
before you take them.
* Be careful with your movements.
A child is more easily injured than you
may think. Be aware of your m ove
ments; picking up heavy objects and
even bending overcan affect your child.
Have someone help you to avoid stress
on the child.
*Be quit if injured. If you know
that your is under physical stress or
possibly injured, stay quiet. According
to Dianetics, when underphysical stress,
a fetus not only hears the sounds outside
the womb, but makes a detailed record
ing of them. The words you say may
have an unconscious influence on the
child later in life.
♦Stay calm. The unborn child, par
ticularly in later stages of pregnancy, is
aware o f the sound and rhythms of its
m other’s voice. If the mother is under
stress or upset, fetus ’ s have bee n k now n
to respond to it. Provide your child with
a safe, calm environm ent as much as
possible.
M ore information and a free book
let on Silent Dianetics Births can be
ob tain ed by callin g the D ianetics
Hotline at 1-800-FOR-Truth or 1-800-
367-8788.
Congratulations Dajuana!
PORTLAND OBSERVER
'The Eyes and Ears of the Community
Office: (503)288-0033
Fax#: (503)288-0015
Pomp And Circumstance
Tips For Having
Healthy Children
AMA H eadstart, PCC Cascade
campus graduated 13 pre-schoolers on
Saturday, June 6,1992. Attired in green
and purple cap and gow ns, carrying
“torches” , these youth marched into the
auditorium, accom panied by a parent
or other relative. “On this stage, there is
a doctor, a lawyer, a pilot, intoned Mr.
Richard Brown, M aster o f Ceremonies
who also shared the duties with Lillian
W addle, who acted as Mistress o f C er
emonies. One of the highlights o f the
program was when each graduate pre
sented a rose to her/his loved one. Mr.
Ron H e rn d o n , D ire c to r, A M A
Headstart, was guest speaker. Mr. Hern
don encouraged the parents, relatives
and friend to stay involved with their
children as they enter school. He cau
tioned them to believe that their child
“be anything that he/she wanted to be”.
The parent must believe in the child and
not be deterred by what the parent
might receive from the school officials.
AMA headstart operates a fully
licensed preschool-day program , full
day, family focused program (7a.m. to
5:30p.m .),fivedaysper week, Septem
ber through June. The program is dedi
cated to developing the W hole Child
and the W hole Family. It is documented
that it is cost effective and has had a
long range impact on both the child and
the parents.
Currently, AM A Headstart oper
ates eleven centers. If you have a child,
3 4, or 5 years old, this child is toilet
trained, you are working, training, go
ing to school or on job search (public
assistance) and you need free day care
for a minimum o f 6 hours per day, five
days per week, you might qualify. Call
the program (503) 283-1267.
Campaign ‘92: The African American Dilemma
BY PROF. MCKINLEY BURT
Contrary to a media-induced im
age in the minds o f many Americans,
there is in this country a vast num ber o f
functioning African am erican citizens
who understand their position in this
society, make intelligent assessments
and decisions, and VOTE!
Not only must these blacks come to
grips each day with the economic dis
abilities and other traumas o f racism
and institutional ized prejudices, but like
the rest of the populace they too reel
u n d e r th e b re a k d o w n o f the
ESTABLISHM ENT’S VALUES AND
M O R A L IT Y -in thcexccutivcandcon-
grcssional departments o f government
as well as in the areas of business and
banking. The very same rascals, of
course, sense their vulnerability and
scream about “VA LU ES”, something
they obviously have never possessed.
As a ground swell o f revulsion
sweeps through the nation and a long-
suffering body politic (12 years) be
comes determined to throw out as many
of the elected variety of these criminals
as possible, a new issue appears on the
horizon. There is fast developing what
might be called a “triple threat” presi
dential campaign with no clear cut de
cisions in the cards -- only the promise
of utter chaos should the election pro
cess be thrown into congress.
In this situation it is not likely that
African American voters will rely on
that old Chinese proverb: “ A known
devil is better than an unknown devil”.
And therein lies the dilem m a, a choice
between the consum m ate politician,
saxophonist Clinton and the absolutely
unknown factor, H. Ross Perot. W hile
it is possible that one or the other will
break and reveal his true colors, it is
equally likely that we will not be granted
that easy out and the dilem m a will
remain intact.
Another difficulty is that the media
seems doggedly determ ined to play a
strong hand in determining possible
out-com cs in this election; more so than
in any prior contest. Many of us have
noted their new development, “manipu
late either the politician or voter with a
carefully crafted spectrum of POLLS
(w ho’s on first). 1 do not think that it is
any longer possible to depend upon the
media for even their version of a fair
and impartial report or analysis o f the
process. Il is all about selling papers
and about introducing their own undis
closed views and concerns.
Given these situations, what is it
that African Americans should be
about to ensure their survival in times as
uncertain as any in their history? My
readings of the articles and news stories
in the black news papers from around
the country tell me that the brothers and
sisters are of two principal opinions;
“ stay the course” (hold what y o u ’ve
got) and “com e together” . And o f
course, they admonish, “ watch the es
tablishm ent bandits”.
In respect to that latter warning, I
would refer readers to my May 27
article here, “The G reat Society And
New Carpetbaggers” , and sim ilar ar
ticles I have w ritten on the rip offs
practiced against innercity residents
(the week before that 1 wrote about the
housing scams, often abetted by the
banks and mortgage brokers). A 24
hour vigilance isrequired because there
will be a number of new programs
initialed in the ghettoes and, believe
me, the “ new carpetbaggers” already
have gotten the scent of new opportu
nities to further exploit the disadvan
taged.
Another front on which it is abso
lutely necessary for blacks to not only
“ hold what you’ve got” , but to make
m ajor advancem ent, is that o f ED U
CA TIO N , And Training. I am going to
return to this theme next w eek for
herein lies our greatest hope for the
future, w hatever the election results,
Given the financial traumas of all our
institutions o f learning, this is an area
where we must focus our every effort
and resource.
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