M arch 09, 1994 • T he P ortland O bserver
p e r s p e c t iv e
s this way for black smpowerment
As Good As My Word: Black History Is
More Than One Month Of Indulgence
|
W ISH TO ADD THE
J
FOLLOW ING PORTRAIT
O F G E N IU S T O MY
MONTH-LONG RECITATION OF
IM PO R TA N T A FR IC A N AND
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CONTRI­
BUTIONS TO THE W O R LD ’S
CULTURE. These facts are drawn
from that international “Information
Superhighway” I now use to expand
my research capabilities. We draw
here from the work of Englishman,
Peter Fryer, for this larger view of
Phyllis W heatley, a gifted black
American poet (My elementary school
was named after her: St. Louis, MO).
The first book by a black woman
ev er p u b lish ed
appeared in Lon­
don in 1773 and
w as re p rin te d
many times. It was
called Poems on
various subjects,
re lig io u s
and
moral, and it con­
tained 39 poems by a 19-year-old
slave living in Boston, Massachu­
setts. The first black poet of any sig­
nificance to write in English,’ Phillis
Wheatley had just spent a month in
England, partly as a kind of cultural
ambassador or involuntary propagan­
dist for the refinement of Boston. In
this role, however, she turned out to
be something of a boomerang for her
pro-slavery sponsors. Though hersitu-
ation neither equipped nor permitted
her to become an abolitionist, she
nevertheless became ‘a supreme wit­
ness to the anti-slavery movement in
Britain*.
Wheatley was not of course her
own name but that of her Boston
mistress, a tailor’s wife who in 1761
bought her “ for a trifle” in the local
slave-market,. Dressed only in a scrap
of dirty carpet, the 7-year-old girl -
her age was estimated from the shed­
ding of her front teeth - seemed to be
suffering from the change of climate
but impressed her purchaser by her
'hum ble and modest demeanor’ and
'interesting features’. Before long she
was impressing her still more by try­
ing to make letters on the wall with
chalk and charcoal. Phillis was segre­
gated from the other household ser­
vants and taught to read and write.
W ithin 16 months she was reading
the Bible fluendy. She learnt Latin
and' was proud of the fac t that Terence
was at least of African birth’. This
child prodigy, whose attainments must
have marked her as 'one of the most
highly educated young women in
Boston’ and no doubt gave much
satisfaction to the cultivated tailor’s
wife, was often visited by clergymen
'and other individuals of high stand­
ing in society’. But, in spite o f the
attention paid her, she retained her
'm odest, unassuming demeanor’.
She seems to have begun writing
poetry at about the age of 13. One of
her earliest, and shortest, surviving
poems, showing the influence both of
missionary propa­
g an d a and o f
Alexander Pope -
whose neo-classi­
cism permeates all
her later work -
was called ‘On
being b ro u g h t
from A frica to
America’.
When Phillis came to England in
1773, in thecom panyofherm istress’s
son, she was lionized. The Countess
of Huntingdon, to whom she had dedi­
cated her first published poem three
years before, introduced her to the
Earl of Dartmouth and other prom i­
nent members of London society. Her
visitors included Benjamin Franklin,
then agent in Europe of the north
American colonies. The lord mayor
of London presented her with a valu­
able edition of Milton’s Paradise Lost.
When her book was published,
soon after her return to Boston, the
London Magazine’s reviewer found
that ‘these poems display no aston­
ishing power of genius; but when we
consider them as the production of a
young untutored African...we cannot
suppress our admiration of talents so
vigorous and lively’. The Monthly
Review came closer to making a pol i t i -
cal point. Its review er was much
concerned to find that this in g e ­
nious young wom an is yet a slave.
The people of B oston boast th em ­
selves chiefly on th eir principles
o f lib erty . One such act as the
purchase o f her freedom w ould,
in our o p inion, have done them
m ore h onor than hanging a th o u ­
sand trees w ith ribbons and em ­
blem s.
There were also favorable no­
tic e s in the C ritic a l R ev iew ,
G en tlem an ’s M agazine, London
Chronicle (reprinted in the Universal
Magazine), Scots Magazine, Town
and C o u n try M a g a z in e , an d
Westminster Magazine.
Phillis Wheatley is ‘easily among
the most renowned - and therefore the
most variously interpreted - Afro-
American poets’, and both advocates
and adversaries have found in her
writing only what they wanted to
find. Her work has been overpraised
because o f her youth, sex, race, and
servitude. And it has been underval­
ued because of this excessive praise.
She was not a great poet. All the same,
‘some of her poems reveal and excep­
tional being producing exceptional
poetry’. And she displayed ‘much
more Blackconsciousness, much more
concern for her fellow Blacks, than
many readers will adm it’. She was
well aware of the part black people
played in American and European
society, and in the popular mind.
Though she adopts the conventional
missionary stance or calling Africa
‘The land of errors, and Egyptian
gloom, she often identifies herself as
an African and entitles one poem: To
S.M. a young African Painter, on
seeing his W orks’. Naturally enough,
her concern for her fellow-blacks is
expressed most strongly in her letters,
which, unlike her poems, were not
intended for the white reading public.
After her m istress’s death in
1774, Phillis Wheatley seems to have
made a precarious living hawking her
book from door to door and reading
selections from her poems to poten­
tial lady customers. In 1778 she mar­
ried John Peters, a free black man_
whom she had known for five years o r'
more. Though she bore him at least
one child, and mothered two others
whose orig ins arc not precisely known,
it was not a happy marriage. Peters
was in and out of jail for debt. Two of
Phillis’s children died and the third
was very sick. America’s first black
woman poet died in 1784, in a poor
boarding-house, ‘surrounded by all
the emblems of a squalid poverty’.
She was hardly more than 30. Her
third child survived her by just a few
hours.
Saturday Respite/Recreation Center Set
To Open For Adults With Disabilities
T h e A rc o f M u l t n o m a h
C o u n ty to d a y a n n o u n c e d p la n s
to o p e n a r e s p ite c a re c e n te r fo r
a d u lts w ith d e v e lo p m e n ta l d is ­
a b i l i ti e s o n th e s e c o n d a n d
fo u rth S a tu rd a y s o f e a c h m o n th
c e n te r w ill fe a tu re a c tiv itie s
in c lu d in g a rts a n d c r a f ts , r e c ­
r e a tio n a l o p p o rtu n itie s s u c h as
p ic n ic s , n e ig h b o rh o o d w a lk s ,
a n d o th e r o u tin g s in th e c o m ­
m u n ity . T h e s p a c e h a s b e e n
d o n a te d b y E a s te r S e a ls S o c i­
e ty . T h e c e n te r is o p e n to a d u lts
”1
18 y e a rs o f a g e a n d o ld e r w h o
c u r re n tly re s id e w ith th e ir fa m ­
ily o r in a fo s te r c a re h o m e .
T h e c e n te r w ill in itia lly a c ­
c e p t a m a x im u m o f te n a d u lts
p e r S a tu rd a y s e s s io n , g ro w in g
to in c lu d e 15 a d u lts at th e en d
o f th e firs t six m o n th s . T h e re
w ill b e o n e s ta f f p e rs o n fo r e a c h
3 a d u lt p a r tic ip a n ts . F e e s as on
a s lid in g s c a le b a s is .
A c c o r d i n g to G r e t c h e n
Y o st, E x e c u tiv e D ire c to r o f T h e
A rc o f M u ltn o m a h , th e c e n te r
p ro v id e s a m u c h -n e e d e d - r e ­
s o u rc e fo r b o th th e in d iv id u a l
w ith a d is a b ility a n d fo r f a m i­
lie s . “ F o r so m e o f o u r fa m ilie s ,
th is m ay b e th e o n ly p la c e th ey
g o o u t s i d e o f th e h o m e all
m o n t h , ” s h e s t a t e d . “ W ith
th e la c k o f v o c a tio n a l o p tio n s
a v a ila b le b e y o n d h ig h sc h o o l,
a n d th e s h o rta g e o f a c tiv ity
c e n te rs , th e c e n te r w ill p ro v id e
re c re a tio n a n d a tim e to s o c ia l­
iz e fo r th e c o n s u m e r an d
m uch n e e d e d re sp ite for th e fa m ­
ily ”
In te re s te d fa m ilie s m a y c a ll
T h e A rc a t 2 2 3 -7 2 7 9 to re q u e s t
an a p p lic a tio n p a c k e t, w h ic h
in c lu d e s th e c e n te r p o lic y and
p ro c e d u re s , as w e ll as fe e in ­
fo rm a tio n .
fro m 10 am to 3 pm . T h e c e n te r
w ill b e lo c a te d in th e E a s te r
S e a ls B u ild in g a t 5 7 5 7 S w
M acadam .
F u n d e d th ro u g h a g ra n t
fro m M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty , th e
^lartlanh QDirserrier
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The Independent Challenge
UAN W ILLIA M S, AN
re fe rs to “ a g lo r if ic a tio n o f
A FR IC A N A M ERICAN
ig n o ra n c e ...ta k in g h o ld in th e
P O L IT IC A L R E P O R T E R
B la c k c o m m u n ity ” a n d to th e
FOR THE W A S H IN G TO N POST,
A fric a n A m e ric a n p e o p le as “ a
W ROTE A B O M B SH ELL C O L­ c o m m u n ity in a fre n z ie d ru s h in
UMN LAST W EEK . His nationally th e d i r e c t io n o f th e lo u d e s t
J
sy n d icate d p ie c e re co g n ized
America’s independent Black lead­
ership as serious contenders for the
loyalty of the Black community.
As such, these leaders (he iden­
tifies M inister Louis Farrakhan,
R everend A1 Sharpton and m yself)
are posing a frightening challenge
to the B lack political establishm ent,
w ho are ignoring the rage o f the
B lack m asses, according to W il­
liam s, “ at th eir ow n peril.”
M ichael D aw son, a professor
o f sociology at the U niversity o f
C hicago and the co -au th o r o f a
recent study o f A frican A m erican
political attitudes, is quoted by
W illiam s: “ W e w ere stunned by
the m agnitude o f change in support
o f b lack -nationalist view s since
1988. R ight n o w h alf o f the black
com m unity supports the idea o f an
independent black party. I t’s n ever
been that high.” W illiam s goes on
to cite a recent survey w hich re­
vealed that 67% o f A frican A m eri­
cans co n sid er M inister Farrakhan
to be a “g o o d leader,” and notes
that su p p o rt for “ black nationalist
v ie w p o in ts ” is h ig h e r a m o n g
younger and po o rer Blacks.
M r. W illia m s is to b e a p ­
p la u d e d f o r w r itin g a p ie c e
w h ic h h o n e s tly a d d re s s e s th e
fa c t th a t th e re is a w id e n in g
s p lit in th e b la c k c o m m u n ity
and an in te n s ify in g c o m p e titio n
b etw e en B lack in d e p e n d e n ts and
th e e n tre n c h e d B la c k c o m m u ­
nity a n d an in te n s ify in g c o m p e ­
titio n b e tw e e n B la c k in d e p e n ­
d en ts a n d th e e n tre n c h e d B la c k
(la rg e ly D e m o c ra tic P a rty ) e s ­
ta b lis h m e n t. H is p o s tu re , h o w ­
e v e r, re v e a ls h is o w n p o litic a l
b ia s e s an d o ffe rs o n e m o re g la r ­
in g e x a m p le o f th e re a s o n s A f­
ric a n A m e ric a n s are so d is illu ­
s i o n e d w ith t h e “ E d u c a t e d
B la c k s ” w h o h a v e fa ile d to le a d
th e w ay in s o lv in g A m e r ic a ’s
m o s t fu n d a m e n ta l s o c ia l p r o b ­
le m -ra c is m .
U n lik e w h a t is re p o rte d ly
n o w th e m a jo r ity o f ‘b la c k
p e o p le , M r. W illia m s h a s a v ery
lo w o p in io n o f th e in d ep en d e n ts.
He
sn e e rs
at
M in is te r
F a r r a k h a n ’s m i l i t a n c y . H e
s c o ffs at R e v e re n d S h a rp to n as
a “ c h a r a c te r .” A n d h e d is m is s e s
m e as “ an itin e r a n t a c tiv is t.”
M o st d is tu rb in g ly , he sc o rn fu lly
v o ic e .”
O n e d o e s n o t h a v e to a g re e
w ith M in is te r F a rr a k h a n , R ev .
S h a rp to n o r m e (in fa c t, w e
o fte n d is a g re e w ith e a c h o th e r)
to c o n s id e r th a t th e re a s o n h a lf
th e A fric a n A m e ric a n p e o p le
s u p p o rt an in d e p e n d e n t p a rty is
b e c a u s e it j u s t m ig h t tu rn to be
an e f fe c tiv e p o litic a l v e h ic le .
A n in d e p e n d e n t p a rty ju s t m ig h t
g e t m o re fo r th e B la c k c o m m u ­
n ity th a n th e a s s im ila tio n is t
D e m o c ra tic p a rty , w h ic h h as
s o ld o u t th e in te re s ts o f its m o st
lo y a l v o tin g b lo c in o rd e r to
w in th e W h ite H o u s e , c o n s o li­
d a te its c o n tr o l o f th e U .S . S e n ­
a te a n d m a in ta in its g rip o n th e
H o u se o f R e p re s e n ta tiv e s .
In 1 9 7 2 a t th e N a tio n a l
B la c k P o litic a l C o n v e n tio n in
G a ry , In d ia n a , th e in d e p e n d e n t
a lte r n a tiv e w a s d e b a te d a n d
d e f e a te d in fa v o r o f a s tra te g y
o f e le c tin g m o re B la c k D e m o ­
c ra ts. W h ile, w e h a v e s u c c e e d e d
in e le c tin g h u n d re d s o f D e m o ­
c r a t i c m a y o r s , c i t y c o u n c il
m e m b e rs a n d m e m b e rs o f C o n ­
g re s s , th e B la c k c o m m u n ity is
s u b s ta n tia lly w o rs e o f f th a n it
w a s tw o d e c a d e s a g o . P o v e rty
h a s in c re a s e d . E d u c a tio n a l o p ­
p o rtu n itie s h a v e d rie d u p . V io ­
le n c e a n d c r im e h a v e s k y ro c k ­
e te d . T h e v e ry s o c ia l fa b ric o f
o u r c o m m u n ity is c o m in g a p a rt.
I f M r . W illia m s w e re to ta k e
a s e rio u s a n d u n b ia s e d lo o k , h e
w o u ld s e e th a t th e m o s t s trik in g
“ g lo rific a tio n o f ig n o ra n c e ”
a m o n g B la c k p e o p le is o u r b lin d
lo y a lty to th e D e m o c ra tic P a rty
p o lic y -m a k e rs w h o h a v e c o n ­
d e m n e d u s as a “ s p e c ia l in te r ­
e s t ,” r e p e a te d ly in s u lte d e v e n
th e m o s t c o o p e r a t i v e ( J e s s e
J a c k s o n ) a n d e d u c a te d (L a n i
G u i n i e r ) A f r i c a n A m e r ic a n
le a d e rs , w h ile ta k in g o u r v o te s
fo r g ra n te d . Is it a n y w o n d e r
th a t th e B la c k le a d e rs w h o r e ­
m a in s ile n t a b o u t th e s e p o liti­
c a l a b u s e s a re lo s in g g ro u n d
w h ile th o s e w h o a re u n a f ra id to
s p e a k o u t a re g a in in g re s p e c t
a m o n g B la c k p e o p le ? M r. W il­
lia m s s u g g e s ts th a t it is th é u t ­
te r p a r a ly s is o f e s ta b lis h m e n t
B la c k le a d e r s —th e ir fa ilu re to
p u t u s o n a n y k in d o f v ia b le
ro a d to e m p o w e rm e n t-h a s
c a u s e d M in s te r F a rra k h a n , R ev .
S h a rp to n a n d m e to fo r c e fu lly
te ll th e tru th a b o u t w h a t is h a p ­
p e n in g to o u r p e o p le a n d to
A m eric a.
M r. W illia m s la b e ls th is
o u ts p o k e n n e s s a “ re a c tio n a ry
b la c k p o p u lis m . ” B y w h a t s ta n ­
d a rd d o e s he in v o k e th is
p ro a c tiv e la b e l? M in is te r F a r­
ra k h a n h a s in v o lv e d h im s e lf in
n a tio n a l e le c to ra l p o litic s tw ic e .
T h e firs t tim e w a s to s u p p o rt
th e R e v e re n d J e s s e J a c k s o n ’s
p re s id e n tia l c a m p a ig n in 1 9 8 4 ,
J a c k s o n (in c a s e W illia m s h as
fo r g o tte n ) w a s th e m o s t p ro ­
g re s s iv e o f th e m a jo r p re s id e n ­
tia l c a n d id a te s ; h e ra n on a p r o ­
g re s s iv e -lib e ra l p la tfo rm w e ll
to t h e l e f t o f t h e o t h e r
D e m o c r a ts .T h e s e c o n d tim e
M in is te r F a rra k h a n in te rv e n e d
in a n a tio n a l e le c tio n w a s to
s u p p o rt m y in d e p e n d e n t c a n d i­
d a c y fo r p re s id e n t in 19 8 8 . A s
e v e ry o n e in th e B la c k c o m m u ­
n ity k n o w s , I am a le ftis t, a
p ro g re s s iv e . T h e in d e p e n d e n t
p a rty I le a d —th e N e w A llia n c e
P a r ty —is p ro - s o c ia lis t. R e v e r ­
e n d A1 S h a r p t o n , w h o s e
“ m a in s tre a m in g ” h a s b e e n h e r ­
a ld e d b y m a jo r p u b lic a tio n s
fro m th e N e w Y o rk m a g a z in e ,
h a s s ig n ific a n tly re s h a p e d h is
p o litic a l a lle g ia n c e s —fro m s u p ­
p o rtin g th e R e p u b lic a n a r c h ­
c o n s e rv a tiv e
S e n a to r
A1
D ’A m a to in 1 9 8 0 to b e in g an
ally o f R e v e re n d J a c k s o n . W e
are n o t p ro p o n e n ts o f a r e a c ­
tio n a ry p o p u lis m in th e B la c k
c o m m u n ity . P at B u c h a n a n an d
D a v id D u k e are th e re a c tio n a ry
p o p u lis ts . W e a re p r o g r e s s iv e
p o p u lis ts .
W h a t w ill a ll o f th is t r a n s ­
la te in to tin e le c to r a l p o litic s ? I
h a v e n o c r y s ta l b a ll. B u t I a g re e
w ith M r. W illia m s t h a t th e
B la c k e s ta b lis h m e n t ig n o re s th e
ra g e at th e g r a s s r o o ts at its o w n
p e ril. A g r e a te r s e n s itiv ity to
th e n e w r e a litie s o f A m e ric a n
p o litic s w o u ld s e rv e th e “ E d u ­
c a te d ” a m o n g u s w e ll. I f th e
B la c k c o m m u n ity w e re to go
p o litic a lly in d e p e n d e n t in th e
c o m in g y e a rs , it w o u ld n o t g o
a lo n e . T h e re a re 2 0 m illio n o u t­
r a g e d w h ite A m e r ic a n s w h o
m a d e a b re a k to v o te in d e p e n ­
d e n t in 1992. I f th e s e tw o a n g ry
p o p u la tio n s c o m e t o g e t h e r —
w h ic h I b e lie v e th e y m u s t—th e n
th e s e “ i g n o r a n t ” A m e r ic a n s
m ig h t j u s t b e in h a b itin g th e
W h ite h o u s e in 1996.
Send your letters to the Editor to:
Editor, PO Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208
Ms. M cCrory,
After reading your “if I had a
Lillehammer” column in the Sunday,
February 27,1994 article, I was com ­
pelled to write this letter.
I was disgusted by your state­
ments concerning Tonya Harding (or
Rose Red as you so eloquently refer to
her). Ms. Harding had every right to
be a part of the Olympics. In fact, it is
a miracle that she is able to skate what
so ever. Before you and the rest of
the news m edia condem n her, let’s
get the facts straight:
1. Skating is a very expensive
sport! It takes money -lots of money to
achieve Olympic and national status
as a figure skater. Many people have
had to borrow money and/or mort­
gage their homes just to give their
children a chance to follow that (many
times) elusive world and/or Olympic
gold medal.
2. Ms. Harding has asthma. Just
being an athlete is more than many
asthmatics arc able to achieve. Many
children with asthma are discouraged
by their doctors and families to be­
come a member of any sporting event
As a child, I was unable to participate
in many sports because of my respira­
tory ailments. As an adult who has
“grown out” of this illness, I under­
stand why her face was tight and she
looked “tired” on the ice.
3. Tonya Harding is not rich.
True her outfit was not as elaborate as
Nancy Kerrigan’s o u tfit (Imagine
w hat m ost p eople can do with
$13,000!) So Tonya had to make her
outfit Many people can’t even sew.
What if her skates were old and not as
clean as the others? I don’t see you or
your colleagues offering to help her.
(Kerrigan received millions from
Recbok, Campjxdls and now a parade
in Disney World. Bonnie Blair didn’t
get nearly as much, and she received
gold medals.
4. What is so wrong with Ms.
Harding stating she was going to
“whip her (Kerrigan’s) butt’? She
would look very stupid to say she will
“lose to her”! Did you write anything
about then President Bush stating he
was going to whip another’s butt? I
rest my case.
5 . 1 was taught to believe every­
one is entitled to a fair hearing. (In
this case, trial by media). How biased
are you (the media) when you dislike
someone because of his/her upbring­
ing. If we are to be biased, let’s talk
about all people (shall we):
A. The Jews do not need to live
since this is a Christian world.
B. Whites shouldn’t be allowed
to play basketball or run track.
C. Poor people shouldn’t receive
scholarships because only the wealthy
deserve them. Nor should health care
be given to the poor.
D. People shouldn’t be given a
second chance since they ruined it the
first time.
E. American blacks should still
be slaves.
F. Handicapped people should
be destroyed because they are not
“normal".
G. All people who learned of
Kerrigan’s attack should be con­
demned. I guesseveryone in the world
is a conspirator.
H. Women have no right to any
protection since they are subservient
to men.
I. Liz Taylor was married eight
times! The last husband is young
enough to be her eldest son.
J . The homosexuals. Well, there
was Gomorrah. Need I say more?
K. Nancy Kerrigan’s $13,000
outfit. (See no. 1)
Apparently no one is worthy in
the media’s eyes. Does this mean
someone will write an article about
that tacky red outfit you wore? Don’t
you know you are too old for that!!!
Maybe Reebok will give you millions
to help dress you.
Sincerely, A. Osekre
P.S. to Editor of The Washing­
ton Post:
/ w a sn 't sure 1 w as reading
the n a tio n a l E n q u irer o r yo ur
p a per. ! th in k the E n q u irer has
b etter sto rie s!