M arch 30, 1994 • T he P ortland O bserver
P age A ò
The Police Precinct Building: Black
Economic Eggs In One Basket?
by
J ames L. P osey
\
/ \
STRANGE MIXTURE OF
HOPE, ANXIETY, SKEPT1-
CISM, A P P R E C IA T IO N ,
FRUSTRATION AND ELATION
PERMEATING THE ROOM AT
BETHEL A.M.E.
Church a few week ago. The
occasion was a meeting o f northeast
P o rtlan d residents and business
people, prim arily African- Americans,
gathered w ith city o fficials to discuss
the tenant development plans fo r the
highly-touted northeast police pre-
cinct/retail development project.
The project has come to sym bol
ize the Katz adm inistration’s efforts
to help revitalize northeast Portland.
But the meeting, attended by M ayor
Katz herself andchaired by a member
o f the King Neighborhood Associa
tion, could o nly be characterized as
curious. It was such because there was
an abiding sense that the project, a
novel attempt at social engineering,
represents a last chance fo r this com
m unity to reclaim itself. Y e t one
co u ld n ’ t help but sense an equal
amount o f doubt about whether this
project w ill really work.
Aided by the best o f intentions,
can a com m unity, so long besieged by
all manner o f a ffliction s, heal itself?
M ayor Katz continues to invest an
extraordinary am ountof p olitical w ill
in seeing that this project gets o ff the
ground and at least gets a chance to
become successful. But is it really
enough? W hile p olitely respectful o f
all the efforts, the participants in the
m eeting questioned w hether this
project w ill actually result in Black
prosperity.
A t one point, an animated d is
cussion erupted about the anchor
tenant’ s role in the project. Some
questioned how a video store could
best serve afunctional need in a com
m unity where there is so much dys
function. They argued that, out o f a ll
the things Black folks really need,
videos are way down on the list. O th
ers questioned the wisdom o f prom ot
ing an anchor tenant w hich has no
Black ownership interest.
There was an unmistakable sense
o f desperation and frustration ex
pressed by the com m unity advisory
committee and city o fficia ls in their
attempts to attract a suitable anchor
tenant. A fte r subm itting to the hu
m ilia tin g reality that no Blacks in this
com m unity had the capacity or w ill-
Rebecca Jones
Named New
Executive Director Of
SE Family YMCA
ingness to serve as an anchor, it got
down to crunch time. In order to meet
project deadlines, the next best thing
was to find anyone who had the money
and was w illin g and able to provide
the jobs. There appeared to be less
concern for how vested the business is
in building Blackeconom ic capacity.
But some arc saying, “ Hey, le t’ s
get this thing going. D on’ t pour cold
water on it before we have a chance to
give it a try. A fter a ll, some Blacks
w ill open businesses in the retail
space.” W ell, I ’ m down for that; but
I ’ ve seen too many w e ll intended
projects come and go in this com m u
nity w ith A frican Americans only
vaguely receiving the benefits. It seems
like every other nationality gets some
play except Blacks. This is particu
larly true when social workers o r bu
reaucrats try to manage and promote
economic projects based on the no
another ghetto experim ent, charac
terized by enough economic rope for
A frican-A m ericans to hang them
selves.
On one hand, everyone seemed
hopeful. But on the other, the ques
tions are haunting. Is this the best we
can do? Are we taking our tim e and
doing it right? A re we m aking the
same mistakes from the past? Is this
project being designed to succeed?
W hy wasn’ t a Black-owned franchise
chosen to locate in this project? Has
PDC done enough to foster A frican-
American ownership? And, have we
adequately addressed the reasons why
Fred Meyer moved out in the first
place?
W hile these questions linger,
there are signs that the precinct project
is ju s t the firs t in a series o f plans
intended to lift this com m unity out o f
economic despair. M ayor Katz, and
tion that having a bunch o f businesses really all o f the city commissioners,
lumped together is enough to make it seems genuinely com m itted to doing
the rig h t thing. But as a com m unity,
work.
Now don’ tblam e any o f us at this we must continue to ask the hard
point for being a b it doubtful. W e just questions and insist that not a ll the
want white folks to design and sup Black economic eggs be put in one
port this deal for us as i f it were their basket.
James Posey is a small business
own and not look at it d ifferen tly
owner
w ith a background in social
because it is fo r us. W e want a sound
w
ork
and
com m unity activism.
business project. This can’t be just
Word Challenge Answers:
CONTINUED FROM PAGE A4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
f>.
c o u rie r~ A : Special messenger, emissary or spy carrying im portant
inform ation; as, “ The courier...had to leave before nig ht.” O ld French
courier.
v ig il- D : Period o f careful watching; lim e o f prayer during usual hours
o f sleep; as, Lin coln kept his “ v ig il at the w indow .” Latin v ig ilia .
n ig g lin g -C : Petty; fussy; irrita tin g ; requiring painstaking w ork; as,
niggling money w orries, n iggling details. Related to Norwegian nigla.
sedition -B : Insurrection, especially words or actions that incite
rebellion against the government; as. He was fearful or being accused
o f sedition.Latin seditio.
e n fila d e -A ; Raking gunfire along the length o f a line o f troops; as. The
Yankee enfilade created havoc among the outnumbered Confederate
soldiers. O ld French e n file r (to thread on a string).
b a le fu l-D : Menacing; ominous; destructive; as, a baleful glance. O ld
8.
English bealoful.
c h a r y -D : Cautious; wary; not givin g freely; as, The newspaper editor
was chary o f giving credit. O ld English cearig (sorrow ful).
p u rv e y o r-C : Supplier o f food or other provisions. L atin providre (to
9.
provide).
s u m m a rily —B: Prom ptly: w itho ut form ality or delay; as,“ A ll petitions
7.
were dealt w ith sum m arily.” L atin summation.
10. secede-C : T o w ithdraw fo rm a lly from a fe deration, an alliance or the
like as. The South could not secede from the Union w itho ut a c iv il war.
Latin secedere (to go away).
11. Iic k s p ittle - D : Fawning, contem ptible; person; servile flatterer; as,
The general “ assumed the lickspittle was trying to snatch back his
command.” L ic k and spittle.
12. e n u m e ra tio n -A : Item ization; the act o f lis tin g , a d etailing; as, “ The
clause appeared in the enumeration o f the powers o f congress.” Latin
enumerare (to count out).
13. re c o n n o ite r-B : to survey or search out an enemy’ s position or
situation; as, The general failed to reconnoiter. French reconnaître.
14. e n o rm ity -D : Great wickedness; outrageous act or crim e; as, The man
d id n ’t grasp the enorm ity o f betraying his comrades in arms. Latin
enormis (immense).
15. c e le rity - C : Swiftness, speed; as, Hcprocecded to the business at hand
w ith great celerity. L atin ceieritas.
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