lune 22. 1994
Servimi the eommuniix through cultural diversity
Voinnin XXIV Number 25
School’s Out
For Summer
The Boise neighborhood, Housing
Our Families and the Portland
Parks Bureau help find summer
activities for kids.
See Metro Page.
X >
Free At Last,
Free At Last
Finding Jobs,
New Careers
Beaverton Set For
Entertainment
‘Juneteenth’ is a celebration o f the
end of slavery in the United States.
Scholarship students in
mathematics, engineering and
science are embarking on new
careers.
See Special Section C.
A ‘Taste Of Beaverton,’ is set to
begin. The Rose Festival event
features foods, music, arts and
crafts.
See Page B3.
See Page C5.
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Kennedy School Use Considered
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Secret Files Must Open
A federal ju d g e has ordered a
Mississippi agency which engaged in cam­
paigns against the civil rights movement
to open its secret files. The Sovereignty
Commission was founded in 1956tocom-
bat the civil rights movement. Before it
was disbanded in 1977, it reportedly gath­
ered files on 250 organizations and over
10,000 individuals. The actions consisted
of infiltrating civil rights groups and plant­
ing false stories in a bid to create conflict
among black groups. For example, in
1964 the commission planted a false story
that slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. was linked to the Commu­
nist Party . The state wanted the files sealed
until 2027 but Judge William Barbour
ordered the files opened immediately.
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Jails Fill At Record Pace
Figures by the Justice Department
show prisons are being filled at a record
pace and dis-proportionately among young
blacks. According to the figures, America
jails a higher proportion of its citizens
than any other nation. The U.S. incarcera­
tion rate stands at 455 of every 100,000
citizens. South Africa is second with aratc
of 311 per 100,000 and Russia is third. But
black males have an incarceration rate
seven times greater than any other group.
Their rate stands at 2,678 per 100,000.
This compares to 372 per 100,000 for
white males; 143 per 100,000 for black
females and 20 per 100,000 for white
females. The incarceration rate is expected
to rise even higher as a result of new anti-
crime legislation working its way through
Historic Kennedy School sits vacant and idle while community leaders in Northeast Portland try to build a consensus on what should be done with the old school house.
The building was used to teach area children for 64 years before closed by the Portland School District.
esidents are invited to attend a King Jr. Blvd.
Kennedy School, located in the geo­
public workshop on Wed­
graphic
center of the Concordia Neighbor­
nesday, June 29, to offer
hood,was
builtin 1916and last used in 1979.
ideas and opinions on what should
be
done with the vacant Kennedy School The building, once slated for demolition by
on Northeast 33rd, north of the Portland School District, was saved by
active neighbors who convinced the city of
Killingsworth.
R
The workshop will begin at 7 p.m. in the
community room of the new Northeast Police
Precinct,449 N.E. Emerson and Martin Luther
Repair Your Credit
Profile
You Can Get Credit Again is the title
of a new manual designed to repair nega­
tive past credit and build new credit pro­
files. Author James Nathan says, “ You do
not have to live as a second class financial
citizen. Triple-A credit can be restored in
a matter of months.” The manual is dis­
tributed by the non-profit black self-help
group The Better Life Club, P.O. Box
28422, Washington, D.C. 20038. Inter­
ested persons are asked to include $4 to
defray postage and handling costs.
Jackson Rallies Against
Violence
Political leader Jesse Jackson is on a
seven state tour to rally support for pre­
dominantly black congressional districts
and to campaign against black-on-black
violence. Most of the new black districts
created in 1990 to improve the chances of
blacks being elected toCongress arc threat­
ened by a recent court ruling which sug­
gests the districts were drawn up in such
an irregular manner that they discrimi­
nate against whites. Jackson says the chal­
lenge to such districts and black-on-black
crime arc related. He explained, “We have
to have politicians in office to protect us
from the crime o f the crime system. He
also charged that fighting crime is “di­
verting our attention” from political and
economic parity.
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EDITORIAL
A2
Portland to take control of the property and
give the neighborhood time to propose a
development plan for the school.
On behalf of the Concordia Neighbor-
hood Association and the Kennedy School
Committee, aconsultant team, lead by Donald
Be Genasci and Association, a Portland ar­
chitectural firm, has been retained by the
Portland Development Commission to pre­
pare a master plan which will identify the best
and most feasible ways to utilize the school
and its site.
The purpose of the first public workshop
is to review information about the site, discuss
possible uses and development options, and
identify neighborhood concerns.
Citizen input, along with work already
completed by the school committee, will guide
the consultant’s initial investigation into differ­
ent options. Subsequent workshops will be held
in the fall to evaluate development options.
Project updates will also be a regular
agenda item at the general meetings of the
Concordia Neighborhood Association held
the first T uesday of each month at Englewood
Christian Church, 3515 N.E. Killingsworth.
Against
by
M arian W right E delman
E
very
day
in
united
STATES,12 BLACKCHILDREN
ARE KILLED AS A RESULT OF
VIOLENT ACTS.
The senseless killing and injury of Black
youth has become one of the worst crises
facing our community since slavery. Today
guns serve as judge and jury for the most
minor of disagreements. Some of our children
seem to believe that if they are armed their
problems can be solved. All of our children
are increasingly fearful.
The Black Community Crusade for Chil­
dren recently conducted one of the most com­
prehensive polls ever of the African Ameri­
can community, including responses form
children and the adults who love and care for
them. Both adults and children are unified in
their concern for the future of violence over­
shadows all others. O f the Black adults sur­
veyed, 83% say these are “Really bad times”
or “Tough times” for Black children and
many worry that their children will not live to
reach adulthood.
A full 64% consider violence and 72%
consider the presence of guns to be very
serious problems in the communities where
they live. This fear of violence and guns
affects the outlook of parents and youths in all
education levels, races, and economic groups.
No one should underestimate the impact
of epidemic poverty, unemployment, and
homelessness on the spiraling violence in our
community. And it will take time to turn
around these problems that trap our children.
But we can and must do i t We need to
reinforce our children’s hope and idealism
and teach them that many of the disputes that
provoke violence can be resolved without the
loss of lives. What has happened to us when
we resort to violence and killing over mun­
dane things like traffic altercations, minor
school yard disagreements, love triangles,
and misunderstood glances?
Have we as community moved so far
away from the core of our moral and spiritual
values that we don’t care that seeking to solve
problems or seeking retribution through vio­
lence often leaves not only grieving families,
but also a community where the safety of all
is at risk? And what is left for our children’s
future? With the presence of guns, drugs, and
gangs it may well be a future they won’t live
to see.
Many parents who were polled feel it is
only a matter of lime until their children
become victims. One father from Georgia
said, “It’s dangerous out there, and maybe one
day someone will call and tell me my child got
shot.” A mother from Illinois said, “I hope my
chi Id lives to become an adult.” Let’s save our
children before time runs o u t Here are 10
steps we can all take to stop the war against
our children:
• Make sure as parents, teachers, and
religious or civic leaders that we do not en­
gage in violence or teach children by word or
deed that violence is the way to resolve con­
flicts.
• Rem ove guns from your home and
encourage others to do the sam e. Urge
P resid en t C linton, C ongress, and state
and local officials to regulate nonsporting
guns and am m unition as dangerous prod­
ucts.
• Fight racial discrimination and hate
crimes that contribute to community violence
and division.
• Create safe houses, safe corridors, and
“peace zones” to protect children in and near
schools.
• Provide children and youths with safe,
positive alternatives to the streets. Summer,
weekend, and after-school programs to keep
children safe and connected to caring adults
should be an immediate priority for every
community. The Black Student Leadership
Network at CDF can help in organizing local
efforts. (1-800-ASK-BCCC)
• Help create youth jobs and training
opportunities to provide young people with
legitimate routes to success. Tell decision
makers that creating a job is a lot cheaper than
building a new prison cell.
• Support or help launch a parent educa­
tion or family support program, or get in­
volved in efforts to help prevent teen preg­
nancy.
• Get your congregation to participate in
the CDF-coordinated national observance of
Children ’ s Sabbaths on Oct 14-16,1994. Call
for materials to help your church conduct
study groups, prayer circles, teach-ins, and
worship services on violence and learn about
promising ways to address the problem. (1-
202-662-3583)
• Inform yourself and others first-hand
about the violence against children in your
community and what can be done about it by
participating in a Child Watch, a guided tour
of hospitals, schools, family support pro­
grams, and other places that serve children
and families. (1-202-662-3582)
• Join the Black Community Crusade for
Children to Leave No Child Behind and to
ensure that every child has a Healthy Start, a
Head Start, a Fair Start, and a Safe Start in
life.
Marian Wright Edelman is president o f
the Children's Defense Fund, a national voice
fo r children, and a leader o f the Black Com­
munity Crusade for Children.
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