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16, 1994 • T he
P ortland O bserver
Black History Makers of Tomorrow Two Roads: The Black Woman’s
Powerful Influence
ISTORY IS VERY INCOM
PLETE, AND THE FABRIC
OF OUR LIVE WOULD BE
NOTHING WITHOUT THE BLACK
W OM AN. ..
She is c h ild bearer, m other,
housekeeper, breadwinner, and coun
selor. Every since her strong grace
ful, proud, Nubian body was espied
along the Gambian Coast o f West
A frica, this Black Princess has be
come a very vital part o f our A m e ri
national "McDonald's Black History Makers of Tomorrow" honorees, at the McDonald’s
Leadership Conference, are celebrity spokesperson Sinbad and McDonald's Senior Corporate Attorney
Ed Honesty. Students from left to right: Andrew McCaskill, Anthony Young-Garner, Javona Braxton,
Ftozalynn Banks, Sinbad, Ed Honesty, Nekia Hackwodh, William Hill, Rudyard Lance Moore Hilliard,
Chanelle Matthews, Kelli Patterson.
H elping Children Cope W ith D isaster
Children And Their Response To Disaster
Disasters strike quickly and w ith
out warning. These events can be
traumatic for adults, but they are
frightening fo r children i f they don’ t
know what to do.
D uring a disaster, children may
have to leave their homes and daily
routines. They may become anxious,
confused or frightened. As an adult,
you’ ll need to cope w ith the disaster
and also give your children crucial
guidance about how to response.
Children depend on daily rou
tines: they wake up, eat breakfast, go
to school, play w ith friends. When
emcrgcnc ics or disasters interrupt this
routine, children become anxious.
In a disaster, they’ ll look to you
and other adults for help. How you
react to an emergency gives them
clues about how to act. I f you react
w ith alarm, a child may become more
scared. They sec our fear as p ro of that
the danger is real.
C hildren’ s fears also may stem
from their im a gination, and you
should take these feelings seriously.
A child who feels afraid is afraid.
Your words and actions can provide
natural for adults and children. B ut as
an adult, you need to keep control o f
the situation. When y o u ’re sure that
danger has passed, concentrate on
your ch ild ’ s emotional needs by ask
ing the child to explain w hat’ s trou
bling him or her. Y o ur response d ur
ing this “ problem tim e” may have a
lasting impact.
Be aware that after a disaster,
children are most afraid that: the
event w ill happen again; someone
w ill be injured or kille d; they w ill be
separated from the fa m ily and, they
w ill be left alone.
reassurance.
Feelings o f fear arc healthy and
/ r
-A <• <
AFTER THE DISASTER: “TIME
FOR RECOVERY”
Im m ediately after the disaster,
try to reduce your c h ild ’ s read and
anxiety. Keep the fam ily together. I f
you need to look fo r housing and
assistance, you may want to leave
your children w ith relative or friends.
Instead, keep the fa m ily together as
much as possible. C hildren get anx
ious, and they’ ll w orry that parents
w on ’ t return.
C alm ly and firm ly explain the
situation. As best you can, tell c h il
dren what you know about the disas
ter. Explain what w ill happen next.
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HIS IS THE SECOND IN A
SERIES OF ARTICLES TO
INFORMTHECOMMUNITY
ABOUTTHE NAT-UREOF FRONTS.
In the first article on Black fronts,
I tried to define a front. Bottom line, I
said these arc businesses w ith Black
faces w hich, in varying degrees, are
selling out in order to obtain short
term financial gain. But this says
little about how fronts insidiously
sabotage the v ita lity , aspirations and
capacity o f real Black businesses to
compete in the market place. L ik e a
w ell placed blow to the knees, many
legitimate Black business have been
crippled. However, Black businesses
arcn’ tju s ta b le to g c tu p .w in O ly m p ic
m edals and go s k a tin g o f f to
Disneyland. A frican-Am erican busi
ness interests arc being seriously hurt,
and hurl in a number o f ways.
Let me begin to count the ways.
Fron ting ac ti v i ty i n general, and B lack
fronting in particular, is one o f the
way s Blacks arc prevented from gain
ing authentic w ork experience, skills
and abilities. Fronting denies le g iti
mate Black business people access
and opportunity to real-world, busi
ness environments which arc essen
tial preparation to compete in open
markets. Genuine Black businesses
arc effectively handicapped, ever de
pendent on others; when it comes to
biding work, the average, not-so-well-
meaning white prime contractor w ill
say, “ They ain’t qualified.”
W hat this situation does is pul
Black businesses in a perpetual down
spin. They can’ t get regular work.
And any fool knows that consistent,
m eaningful w ork is what really deter
mines the level and quality o f experi
ence, and ultim ately, the quality o f
the product or service. I t ’ s no secret
¿'«S •'
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rooms.
There is a special m otivation to
grow and be somebody when young
Black children are exposed to Black
women functioning in a ll aspects o f
ment.
D uring the period when Black
men were unable to obtain w ork, the
Black woman was rig ht there to take
up the slack. Then when the opportu
nity came so, the
Black man could
get a proper edu
cation, the Black
woman was right
there, w orking ,
tw o jobs some
times, to support
her man. . . beside a ll o f this, she
received a proper education o f her
own, and entered the lucrative market
o f high finance, after her man got his
education, and said “ bye baby I need
my space.”
She overcame her emotional tu r
m oil, rose to place o f prominence in a
man-dominated w orld, and is s till
flourishing there.
This same Black woman does
not forget to look back, remember her
roots, and now hold hands w ith and
encourage her passive Black sisters.
She holds meetings and confer
ences, te llin g other struggling Black
women to take control o f their own
lives and try to move on.
Our B lack teenage g irls arc given
daily examples o f successful Black
women liv in g in their time, and rig ht
here among them. These same girls
are personally encouraged, toto red,
and shown how to be their very best by
an ethical, moral, and rewarding sys
successful living.
No working Black woman, young
or old, should feel helpless or hope
less. The tiniest contribution that you
can give, supports the up building o f
our society and culture.
Your contribution is making sure
the very cloth o f our future is strong.
You give fa int hope to those women
who are sidetracked in life by hus
band and boyfriend abuse.
You, Black lady, is the beacon
light that guides those whose way is
slowed down by the rough seas o f
ignorance.
Yours, may be the “ only voice”
that can penetrate the chaotic, drug-
befogged brain o f the seemingly out
casts o f live.
Surely, your hands can be a vital
life lin e to our wanabees to gangland.
Grip those hands, hold tig htly to them,
love them, please, let no more slip
aw ay. . .
As you drive the streets to and
from w ork, as you ride our public
transportation, know your place here
very life o f one o f her own.
sion.
She begged at times to try and
Include children in recovery ac allay some severe punishment o f a
tivities. G ive children chores that are
child. Then when that child was
their responsibility. This w ill help
fin a lly sold away from her bosom, she
children feel they are part o f the re
bore the emotional wounds to her tem.
covery. Having a task w ill help them
When at last, the Black woman
grave.
understand that everything w ill be all
Yes, she was there first, and fore was incorporated into the K -6 system
right.
most, in he fig h t for our freedom. and level o f our education, a dramatic
Y o u can help c h ild re n cope
turn o f events took place. First Black
Harriet Tubman and M ary M cCleod
by understand w h a t causes th e ir
Bethune, among many others, car kids received a continuous connec
a n xie tie s and fears. Reassure them
w ith firm n ess and lo ve . Y o u r c h il-
O r e g o n B u s in e s s N e t w o
dren w i ll re a liz e th a t life w ill
Oregon Business N etwork is tak-
P ro g ra m : “ M a k in g A n O ut-
e v e n tu a lly re tu rn to n o rm a l. I f a
ing place Tuesday, March 22,1994 - standing First Impression:
c h ild does n ot respond to the above
6:31 P.M . at the Travelodge Hotel,
Speaker: Don W right, A form er
s u g g e s tio n s , seek h e lp fro m a
1441 NE 2nd Avenue, Portland, OR Portland radio personality, Don is
m e n ta l hea lth s p e c ia lis t.
Admission Is S till O nly S3. Mem- consideredoneoftheforem ostexecu-
For more inform ation and con
bers - S5.00 Non-Members & Guests tive speech coach in the N W . This is
tacts regarding this subject, please
call the Bureau o f Portland Fire, Res-
cue&Em ergency Services, PatSwan,
Com m unity Relations Assistant, 823-
3754.
Black Business Fronts:
Not Just A Blow To The Knees
J ames L. P osey
'¿•r *
Crouch down and talk to children at
their eye level.
Encourage children to talk. Let
children talk about the disaster as
much as they want. Encourage them
to describe what they’re feeling, lis
ten to what they say. I f possible, in
clude the entire fa m ily in the discus
can Odyssey.
F ro m
th e
slave b lo c k s to
the c o rp o ra tio n
m e e tin g ro o m s ,
her very presence
has sustained o u r
entire way o f life .
N ot
w it h o u t
m uted c o m p la in ts , and a s p iritu a l
fire th a t burned deep w ith in , d id
she bear the h u m ilia tio n o f the
S la v e -M a s te r’ s advances. Y e t our
race possessed the in b o rn a b ility
to persevere and s u rv iv e !
This Black Beauty was house
maid, fie ld hand, Master’ s toy, and
s till her Black m an’ s lo v e r . . . deep,
deep, w ithin her was always a deter
m ination, to be true to her man. A ll
day long she bowed down, swept
doors, cooked meals, washed clothes,
picked cotton, and plowed fields. A t
evening tim e she marshalled her in
dom itable strength, and provided
meals and consolation fo r her c h il
dren and her man. There were pre
sented to her, many occasions, when
she had to plea to her Master for the
tion w ith the Black M other’ s nurtur
ing. Then a true sense o f pride came
over them that it was a lrig h t to be
different. T h e ir academics took a
quantum leap, and embryonic profes
sionals were bom in the Black class
ried the banners that lead to many
advancements in our race.
R em em ber w hen M rs. Rosa
Parks, tired, and frustrated after a
hard day’ s work, just said “ N o !” It
opened up and triggered in a new era
o f involvement for young and old
women in the C iv il Rights M ove
that in order to hire a competent,
efficient w orkforce and to acquire
and maintain dependable equipment,
a serious black business must have
consistent, profitable work.
A c c o rd in g ly , B la c k fro n ts s i
phon o f f m uch o f th is w o rk . Some
a u th o ritie s agree th a t fro n tin g is
one o f the m ost p o te n t fo rm s o f
ra c ia l d is c rim in a tio n . I t ’ s p o te n t
because o f its d ece ptive nature -
g iv in g the appearance o f progress
fo r some B la c k s , w h ile m ost arc
den ie d real g ro w th o p p o rtu n itie s .
The legitimate Black business is
struggling to keep its w ork crews
employed, stay out in front o f the IRS
and insurance companies, pay the
mandated high wage rate for less than
proficient workers, and patch up less
than acceptable equipment. And, on
and on and on, just dealing w ith the
everyday headaches o f runningasmall
business. Consequently, Black busi
nesses are drowning in a competitive
market, unable to keep their heads
above the economic water.
And yet, perhaps the greatest
impact is how fronting sells future
generations short. Maybe only a few
can make this connection, but while
young whites are surrounded by pros
perous role models in every field.
Black youth have all but lost th cirrole
models in the construction trade and
other labor-intensive fields where we
were once commonplace. This was
when Black men were real producers
and bread winners fo r their families.
In spite o f its blue-collar image, it was
a vocation black youth had to respect,
and many looked up to.
But today, Black fronts, the new
role models, have almost become the
rule rather than the exception. The
front is quite common, grinning up in
the w hite man’ s face, like a Cheshire
cat or even a “ tom ” cat, begging for
contracts and ending up passing the
benefits on to whites who already
have steady work. And the way the
white and Black gatekeepers patron
ize this sort o f behavior, it is calcu
lated to reward the wrongdoers and
punish those who are trying to do it
right. In fact, any Black business that
has been around fora w hilecan clearly
chart the history o f fronting in O r
egon. And over the years, many have
watched how numerous Blacks have
been beguiled tim e and time again,
like lambs to slaughter, into fronting
activities.
W ell, one docs not have to won
der too long about what perpetuates
this phenomenon. It can be summed
up in tw o words: desperation and
deprivation. These tw in evils fore
shadow this entire issue. Blacks gen
erally realize that m illio n s o f dollars
have flowed like water through this
com m unity and continue to cascade
on whites, like showers from M u lt
nomah Falls. But Blacks have been
consistently dying o f economic thirst
in this midst o f plenty. U nfortunately,
some Blacks arc w illin g do anything
to drink from this economic w ell-
spring, including selling out their
own brothers and sisters. It is, w ithout
a doubt, a carry over from the legacy
o f slavery in this country.
But whatever the cause, some
how serious-minded Blacks must take
action to arrest these Black fronts
who have been striking us on the
knees fo r some time. But fo r now,
their action, along w ith the cumula
tive hostile environment for Black
business, is striking economic death
blows to the head and heart o f A fr i
can-Am erican business enterprise.
James Posey is a small business
owner w ith a background in social
work and com m unity activism.
among us.
Y o u r are watched, emulated,
talked after, talked about, and many
desire to be ju s t life you someday. . .
some boy, some g irl, admires you,
and w ill listen to you.
The power and influence o f the
Black woman is “ real power.” W alk
proudly w ith it. Talk seriously and
directly w ith it.
Let it shine from every molecule
o f your proud Nubian being.
You are on the w orld stage o f life.
Use that stage w e ll. . .
rk
a “ must see” presentation for anyone
in business, sales or public relations.
Bring your Business Cards &
Brochures..Network..Make Contact,
Make Sales
Fabric Depot
THE LARGEST, MOST COMPLETE RETAIL FABRIC STORE IN THE WEST
MARCH 15 THROUGH MARCH 28,1994
2nd Anniversary Sale Continues
30% o off
EVERYTH ING
Due to popular demand Fabric Depot extends its 2nd Anno
Sale thru March 28th plus these additional savings.
ALSO EXTENDED - OUR 2ND ANNIVERSARY MANAGER’S SPECIAL!
ALL OUTERWEAR FLEECE
AND FAKE FUR
4 O % O F F
W A TC H F O R O C R U P C O M IN G O U T D O O R W A R EH O U SE SALE
FRIDAY, MARCH 2 5 , 1 9 9 4 -
SATURDAY, MARCH 2 6 ,1 9 9 4 -
SUNDAY, MARCH 2 7 ,1 9 9 4 -
10AM TO 6PM
10AM TO 6PM
10AM TO 6PM
Discounts do not apply to special purchase or previously discounted or marked down items 3 IS thru 3/28
RETAIL HOURS:
1-84
À £/
N
$ /
/
/
STARK
STREET
0
U ) -
55
u
c
CM
CM
★
SA 11 HI ) \A 9 (M),un-~pm
SI \I)A A Id (Xt,im-~pin
\1< ) \ - l HI ":3<lani-S 3<>pm
SA 11 HI ) 9 IMI.mi-Spni
si \|) A > I I OOain-ipm
Prices good March 15 through March 28,1994
RETAIL - WHOLESALE
Plenty of FREE PARKING
CARS • BUSES • RVs
700 S.E. 122nd Ave.
Portland, OR
252-9530