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Page 2...The Portland Observer...September 23, 1992
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p e r s p e c tiv e s
R
R by Professor McKinley Burt
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Looking Back At The Future i
It’s not really that hard to do. You
know that if you’re driving a ear on a
winding road, you’re constantly depen
dent on a “feedback” from the last
position of the steering wheel in order
to correct your course. That’s the way it
is; the Future is dependent upon the
Past!
Fall is the right time of year for me
to embrace this issue for, unlike most
people whose yearly cycle (renewal)
begins with spring, it is autumn that
turns me on -starts the juices flowing.
I am in a different place these days and
there are not that many falling crisp
brown leaves as the sap of the trees
retreats to ground. The cries and chatter
of the children returning to school is
much the same, but'missing on chill
evenings is the acrid, pungent smoke of
a hundred wood fires. Some say, “you
can never go back”. The fact is you
never really leave.
What is still there as the planets
and the bloodstream rotate into an eons-
old position is a familiar anticipation of
new events, and of old events that have
assumed a different dress in the never-
ending play of life. Whereas it may
seem a little trite (an dull) to say “there
is nothing new under the sun”, it has
always been exciting at this time of year
to anticipate the possibility of new roles
and acts for some of the tired old actors
on our stage.
Among the interesting discussions
that go on among African Americans
today is an eternal query, “Is there
anyway that “back then” you could
WCBPA Meeting
The Board of Directors of the West Coast Black Publishers Association held their monthly directors meeting in
Los Angeles Attending that meeting were (left to right, seated) Atty. Joe Hopkins, Pasadena Journal; hardy
Brown. Riverside Black Voice; Les Kimbers, Fresno Advocate; Dr. Carlton Goodlet, San Francisco Reporter;
(standing) Clarence McCoy, San Diego Monitor; Virginia Taylor, Northwest Dispatch; Dr. William Lee,
Sacramento Observer; Mrs. Hopkins; Chris Bennett, Seattle Fact. Brian Townsend, San Bernardino Precinct
Reporter; Bernie Foster, Portland Skanner; Dr. Ruth Love, California Voice; Cheryl Brown, Black Voice; and
Cloves Campbell Sr. Arizona Informant.
Region’s Three-Day Small-Business
Event To Begin September 24
Organizers are set to unveil the First
Annual U.S. Bank Small Business Con
ference and Expo at the Oregon Con ven -
tion Center Sept. 24 through 26.
The comprehensive, three-day event
features more than 60 small-business
educational seminars, more than 100
company exhibits, and keynote addresses
by two of the nation’s top business au
thors and consultants.
“The Small Business Conference
and Expo is a valuable three-day invest
ment for professionals in small busi
ness,” said John Eskildsen, executive
vice president of commercial banking
for U.S. Bank and chief organizer of the
event. “Participants can exchange ideas
with many of the region’s leading small-
business experts.”
Keynote speakers at the U.S. Bank
Small Business Conference and Expo
are Harvey B. Mackay, nationally re
nowned author of “Swim With the Sharks
Without Being Eaten Alive” and “Be
ware the Naked Man Who Offers You
His Shirt”; and Chuck Whitlock, widely
acclaimed entrepreneur, writer and lec
turer.
Mackay is scheduled to deliver his
keynote address Sept. 25,8:30 to 10:30
a.m., and Whitlock is scheduled to speak
Sept. 26, *;30 to 10:30 a.m.
Eskildsen said the U.S. Bank Small
Business Conference and Expo offers
business people a w ide range of seminar
topics.
“Operating a small business can be
very challenging today. New changing
technology effect how we do business
today,” he said.
Daily seminar topics include: sexual
harassment, the Americans With Dis
abilities Act (ADA), employee health
insurance, strategic long-term business
planning, financing, international mar
kets, small-business taxes, drug and al
cohol testing, alternative funding
sources, Workers Compensation, em
ployee relations, market research, ad
vertising, direct-marketing, patents and
trademarks, merchandising, and leas
ing vs. purchasing.
Oregon Downtown Development
Association retail specialist Cynthia
McBumey, who is scheduled to speak at
the U.S. Bank Small Business Confer
ence and Expo, stressed the importance
of learning key business principles. She
said her experience reveals that 95 per
cent of small, local, independent retail
businesses do not develop a business
plan.
“Planning everything from overhead
costs to how you intend to manage your
employees is critical to your company’s
success,” said McBumey. “A well-de
fined plan should tell the whole business
story before it happens.”
Co-sponsorsof the U.S. Bank Small
Business Conference and Expo are ADP,
Apple Computer Inc., The Oregonian
and U.S. West Communications. In ad
dition to seminars and exhibits, indi
viduals may participate in a free drawing
for more than $15,000 in products from
Apple Computer and Microsoft.
The U.S. Bank Small Business Con
ference and Expo runs Sept. 24 through
26, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Complimentary
tickets solely for the exposition hall are
available at any U.S. Bank branch in
Oregon and Southwest Washington. One-
li me registration fee for keynote speeches
and seminars is $150.
U.S. Bank of Oregon, Oregon’s larg
est bank, is a subsidiary of U .S. Bancorp,
that largest financial services company
headquartered in the Northwest, with
assets of $19.3 billion as of June 30,
1992. Other U.S. Bancorp subsidiaries
include U.S. Bank of Washington, U.S.
Bank of California and U.S. Bank of
Nevada.
By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
Unequal Protection Under The Law
Twenty-two women fill key positions in the Bush/Quayle 92 Campaign. Women staffers are actively achieving in
every aspect of the campaign as vital contributors to the success of President Bush in November.
Sharon Mack, Deputy Director of National Coalitions, fits that description. Mack, 33, received her undergraduate
and graduate degree from the University of Michigan. An African-American, Mack is one of the highest ranking
minorities in the Bush campaign. She joined the Bush/Quayle re-election effort in May, assuming the
responsibility of organizing and implementing key outreach vehicles that are designed to meet the concerns of
Native-americans and business women. She also works on education issues.
“President Bush is concerned about reaching the people on the issues, and he is interested in addressing the
concerns of the people of this country," Mack said. “There is a place in the party for everyone."
Before arriving to the campaign, Mack served as Personal Assistant to Congressman Gary Franks (R-CT).
r ———————— ———n
(USPS 959-680)
OREGON’S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION
Established in 1970
/
Contributing Writers
McKinley Burt
Dan Bell
Mattie Ann Callier-Spears
Bill Council
John Phillips
Publisher
Alfred Henderson
Operations Manager
Joyce Washington
Accounting Manager
Gary Ann Garnett
Public Relations
Chuck Washington
Sales & Promotions
Tony Washington
Production Staff
Dean Babb
Gary Ann Garnett
Rea Washington
The PORTLAND OBSERVER Is
published weekly by
Exle Publishing Company, Inc.
4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 97211
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without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has
purchased the composition of such ad. © 1991 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT
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Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc., New York, NY.
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Thanks to The National Law Journal
in its September 21,1992 edition, further
light has been exposed to the deliberate
practice of racial discrimination in the
enforcement of environmental laws in
the United States. The publication con
cluded, “There is a racial divide in the
way the U.S. government cleans up toxic
waste sites and punishes polluters. White
communities sec faster action, better re
sults and stiffcr penalties than communi
ties where black, Hispanics and other
minorities live.” Once again environ
mental racism has been statistically veri
fied. Yet, still in the suite of the While
House, Bush and Quaylc still deny that
racism permeates federal enforcement
policies. The National Law Journal is the
most widely read legal newspaper in the
nation. The impact of this latest study
should finally remove all doubt in the
mindsof those who believe lhatpeopleof
color have made false accusations at
federal and state officials.
The following are some of the key
findings of the Law Journal report. “Pen
alties under hazardous waste laws at sites
having the greatest white population were
about 500 percent higher than penalties
at sites with the greatest minority popu
lation, averaging $335,566 for the white
areas, compared to $55,318 for minority
areas.” In other words, non-white com
I P lease fill out , enclose
! CHECK OR MONEY ORDER,
and
M ail
munities are viewed as being of less
worth in terms of enforcement penal
ties.
“The disparity under the toxic waste
law occurs by race alone, not income.”
This finding proves that it is racism and
not poverty that consigns millions of
people of color to the life and death
horrors of toxic degradation. For Afri
can Americans, Latino Americans, Na
tive Americans, Pacific Islanders and
Asian Americans the reality of racial
discrimination is nothing new. It is, how
ever, important tochallenge all form sof
racism no matter how pervasive or dis
guised they may appear.
“For all the federal environmental
laws aimed at protecting citizens from
air, water and waste pollution, penalties
in white communities were 46 percent
higher than in minority communities.”
The result of this kind of unequal protec
tion under the law contributes to the
steady rise of the cancer, infant moral
ity, respiratory disease, and chronic ill
ness rates of people of color communi
ties.
“Undcr the giant S uperfund c leanup
program, abandoned hazardous waste
sites in minority areas take 20 percent
longer to be placed on the national pri
ority action list than those in white ar
eas.” And even after people of color
communities get placed on the cleanup
list, many of these communities are never
properly cleaned and cleared of contami
nation.
Lastly, The National Law Journal
found that “In more than half of the 10
autonomous regions that administer En
vironmental Protection Agency programs
around the country, action on cleanup at
Superfund sites begins from 12 percent*,
to 42 percent later at minority sites than
at white sites.”
All of this really means that the Bush '
Administration has been found guilty of
racial discrimination in the unequal and
unjust enforcement of federal environ
mental laws. The public health pain and
misery experienced in many people of
color communities is a direct result of
environmental racism and this must be
ended now.
Yet we know from the history of
freedom movement that injustices per
petrated on innocent people will only be
halted when there is an organized and
sustained outcry and struggle. For the
sake of unborn generations and for the
sake of our children of today, the mad
ness of environmental racism must be
effectively confronted. The problem does
not need more debate. Stop the poising of
our communities! Clean out the White
House!
Additional Portland Neighborhoods Qualify
For Low-Interest Home Repair Loans Under
Expanded PDC Program
PER YEAR.
I
film editors. Only the names have been
changed-but who is innocent?
So what was it we kids thought
about on those brisk fall days when we
returned to school to greet pupils and
teachers, old and new--to read and learn
about the actors on the world stage, old
and tired or hopefully, new. If we were
to reflect back upon that time, would we
say “I Had A Dream?” Remember now
that these were the times of daily lynch
ings, hanging and burnings at the stake-
-the times of school systems “honestly"
segregated by law instead of by eco-
nomics/banks, and the times when the
European immigrants brought to per
fection their cruel economic slavery of
Union Constitution that stated “For
White Males Only” (Most are still in
tact).
It does not require a major thesis,
essays or think tanks to determine what
it was that human beings subjected to
such obscene conditions in the "land of
the free” would dream of. We could cite
abolition of ghettos and redlining, ac
cess to really equal educational institu
tions, opportunities to secure “reaf’busi-
ness agencies (furniture, appliances,
hardware, machine tools, office sup
plies, etc.), not just fat and cholesterol
fast food franchises, and o f course a fair
and equitable criminal justice system.
That should answer questions about our
“dreams”, and also the equally obscene
queries of the hypocrites who ask “way
are so many on welfare-why some have
lost their work ethic?’ Why the geno
cide?
CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL
African-American Woman Serves In Leadership Role At
The Bush/Quayle '92 Re-Election Campaign
^ n rtla n h wbsertier
have believed that things would be the
way they are today”. And if you are
black you know that the question is
rhetorical—not meant to yield a crafted
answer but simply intended to have the
impact of a casual “good morning’” or
intended to bridge a conversational lull.
If there is a need or an urge to open
up a dialogue, it will quite likely follow
some of the lines of thought put forth
here, almost certainly such a conversa
tion will deal with some facet of eco
nomic and social conditions as they
affect black people either here or abroad.
Without further ado, I can state that
most of the “brethren” express a great
deal of disappointment-and, more re
cently, an increasing sense of Betrayal.
It is this latter emotion that is even more
deadly than a pure primitive rage at the
hellish unfairness of it all. It seems that
“future” has not escaped its past.
Within the rage context the victims
achieve instantaneous Physical release
through such volatile devices as assault,
mugging, arson or other retaliation
against strangers, friends, foes, family
or environs-whoever and whatever is
within reach. Despite accumulation of
Civil Rights laws and Affirmative Ac
tion directives, all accompanied by the
favorable but facetious public relations
of the media—even some members of
our generally naive middle class have
awakened. That is they have finally
determined there is not much difference
between the situation in America and
that in South Africa. America has the
best stage directors, cameramen and
to :
Low-interest home repair loans
from
the Portland Development Com
ubscriptions
mission (PDC) will be available in newly
I T he P ortland O bserver
targeted neighborhoods beginning this
I
PO Box 3137
fall. Homeowners in Kenton, Buckman,
I P ortland , O regon 9 72 08
B ro o k ly n , C u lly ,
B ren tw o o d /
Darlington, and parts of Lents, Arbor
Lodgeand Overlook neighborhoods will
be eligible. Loans will still be available
as
well in previously targeted neighbor
Name
hoods: King, Vernon, Humboldt, Boise,
C oncordia, Piedm ont, W oodlawn,
Sabin, Concordia, Eliot and West
Clinton.
Address
.
PDC receives funding for its home
repair loan program through the City’s
Bureau of community Development
city, State
,
(BCD) Block Grant Progriun. Local
zip code
,
* and federal guidelines determine which
ncighborhixxls qualify for the low-in
T hank Y ou F or R eading ! terest loans. Since 1989 federal block
grant monies have been concentrated in
T he P ortland O bserver inner north/norlheast and West Clinton
revitalization areas to produce a con
centrated impact on Neighborhixxl re
S
J
vitalization efforts. The decision to
expand the program to other neighbor
hoods was made recently by BCD.
“We look forward to expanding
the program into new neighborhoods,”
said PDC’s Neighborhood Housing
P reserv atio n M anager Jen n ife r
Gardner.
“W e’ve begun an intensive mar
keting campaign to let these neighbors
know they may now qualify. Funds for
the program are limited so we hope
people apply right away. We hope to
have all loan money out in the commu
nity before winter.”
B ecause P D C ’s home repair
money comes from federal Commu
nity Development Block Grant Funds,
the program is able to offer very low
interest rates o f )%, and 3% depending
on the borrower’s income. Borrowers
may qualify for a maximum of $12,500
to m ake re p airs. To q u alify ,
homeowners must own the home they
now livein.ncedcity-approvedrepairs
or improvements, and meet federal
low-income guidelines.
PDC, as the City's agency for
urban renewal, housing and economic
development, has been committed to
helping Portland’s neighborhoods
through its loan programs for 20 years.
Last year PDC helped over 450
homeowners make needed and emer
gency home repairs. The loans have
been used for everything from new
roofs, furnaces, exterior paint and car
pentry to weatherization projects, se
curity needs, plumbing and electrical
work, and much more.
Homeowner qualifying for PDC
home repair loans arc provided “Neigh
borhood Pride” signs to display in
their lawns. Now new neighborhoods
will sport the signs as the City’s revi
talization efforts expand.
Homeowners interested in the
home repair loan program should call
PDC’s Eastsidc Office at 823-3400 to
see if they qualify.
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