Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, November 01, 1995, Image 1

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Yqlume XXV, Number 44
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Committed to cultural diversity
November I, I99S
Join In Celebrating Our
Spotlight On
Achievers
Dead Presidents
Actress N 'Bushe Wright and re­
cording star Trade Spencer
celebrate the success o f Dead
Presidents, a number one sound­
track and smash hit at the box
office.
Harriet Tubman Middle
School pays tribute to students
earning academic excellence.
See Metro, inside.
See Arts and Entertainment, page B3.
A N N IV E R S A R Y
Ter
250
Families Squeezed Out
Recent statistics confirm what many
potential house buyers already know - the
city o f Portland’ s housing prices have gone
up so fast that medium-income families are
having a hard time buying medium-priced
homes. In the last four years, housing pric­
es have gone up 32 percent while median
income has gone up only 8 percent.
Quiz Show Charged
With Racism
The T V quiz show Jeopardy! is an
example o f subtle racism, poet Maya
Angelou said in an interview with David
Frost. “ I see no black people on it.
I haven’t seen a black person for two years
on Jeopardy!,” she said. In response to the
criticism, the show’s producer said “ We
would love to see more members ofm inor-
ity groups,” but said he was “ disappoint
ed” at the number that apply.
Darden: Verdict Not
Based On Race
Prosecutor Christopher Darden has
| asked that people reject criticism that the
not guilty verdict in the O.J. Simpson trial
was based on race. “ There was a lot more
to that verdict that you know,” Darden told
I at audience at the University o fM ia m i Law
I School. Darden said bad experiences w itlj
police made jurors more w illin g to acquit.
° w ° ft America’f
most Prominent African Americans engaged in race and class issuesmeets Brandon Frison of Portland at t h e h Z u s ^ U ^ o ia o n
on east Alberta. West was in the city to speak on race, poverty, wealth and power during a lecture at Lewis and Clark College.
Residents Displaced By
Fire
The Mother Of All
Marches: Conclusion
STARI
RICHARD BROWN
CENTER^
A large group o f residents o f a Port­
land apartment complex for the needy and
handicapped were homeless after a five-
| alarm fire raced through their southeast
Portland building Saturday night. The fire,
I which destroyed the four-story buildingon
' Southeast Grand Avenue, was believed to
in P hof . M c K im . es B i rt ____
R
be started by arson.
n
President Clinton, promising to stand
fast in the face o f “ extraordinary black­
mail” by congressional Republicans, said
Saturday that he would not accept QOP
budget-balancing measures just to keep
the federal government running.
Rather, we are all goal-seekers
and the peoples, whoever and wher­
ever, strive in their own ways for a
better condition. And, as has held
true throughout the ages, the oppres­
sors w ill seek to confuse and sow
dissension by raising up false leaders
among such peoples - either by ap­
pointment or anointment. You may
look for a quick rush o f ‘ apparently’
high level appointments on the Port­
land scene as is happening around
the nation. N ew “ Banana Republics”
w ill arise.
Snoop Doggy Dogg Trial
Opens
Trial opened in Los Angeles last week
forCal vin Broadus, known as Snoop Doggy
Dogg, the foul-mouth superstar o f “ gansta”
rap. Broadus and two friends are charged
I with murder in the 1993 shooting death o f I
gang member Philip Wolermariam. The
courtroom isjust down the hall from where
O.J. Simpson was tried
Reno Calls Crack
Sentences Unfair
U S. Attorney General Janet Reno said
Thursday that tougher mandatory federal
I sentences for those arrested with crack
cocaine are unfair, especially for simple
possession o f the drug. Under federal guide-
lines, possession o f 5 grams o f crack trig­
gers a minimum sentence o f five yeais foi
a first time offender, compared to one year
in prison for other drugs, including pow-
I dered cocaine.
Community resident and children's welfare advocate Richard
Brown attends Friday's dedication and open house for the
Albina Head Start Center named in his honor at 606 N.E.
Freemont.
(Photo by Duane Lewis)
Talton Stays At Pacific Power
Carl B. Talton w ill not leave Pacific Power as he assumes new
duties as chairman o f the Portland Development Commission.
Talton w ill continue his employment as general business man­
ager at Pacific Power while leading the commission’s five-person
board ofdirectors. A statement in last week’sedition, indicating that
he was leaving the u tility after 22 years, was in error.
E
tions, new commitments and new en­
eally great marches, of
ergies unleashed by the march. I gave
course, are never
two talks over the weekend, address­
“concluded,” even the
ing both a group o f youngsters and an
“Long March” of the Chinese
assemblage o f older Portlanders. I felt
people under Chairman Mao,
highly honored and got down right
has yet, after all these decades,
passionate when detailing my ideas on
to bring the masses that full
the community benefits o f a "coming-
prom ise of freedom from
together” would bring i f we just
exploitation and a universal
brought economic development and
release of the human spirit.
investment opportunities to the level
606 ME- FRE^P"
Budget Puts Clinton On
Defense
(Photo by Michael G. Halle)
It w ill be interesting to see i f
either the appointee or the populace
isdeceived. Some o f ‘ol massas’ new
leaders w ill know that they are not
qualified fortheir position, but being
human, w ill take the money and run.
Confusion w ill arise as the people
sort through it all in an effort to
determine what is real progress en­
gendered by the spiritual impact o f
the march - and what, i f we are not
careful, could turn out to be an Fqiial
Opportunity Program for Uncle Tom
and Aunt Jemina.
Reports are coming in from all
over the place; about new organiza-
of those pioneer African Americans
here in the 1930s and 1940s (“ How to
measure your leadership” ).
There was both applause and
thoughtful silence when I introduced
my socio-economic concept, “ W in­
dows 95, The Oregonian’s version.”
What I had reference to, - and visual­
ly reinforced with an overhead - was
a sampling o f a daily feature o f the
business section o f that newspaper.
A set o f contiguous photographs o f
the movers and shakers in Portland’s
business community - with b rie f de­
tails below o f the promotion; jo b
change or significant contribution
that warranted inclusion. Not racist,
just reality - the truth!
The point, I explained, was that
beginning with the economics class I
taught at Portland State University in
1972,1 had used this feature to dem­
onstrate the African American's po­
sition intheregion’seconomy. In the
course ofany year, perhaps one black,
i f any would appear; and then as a
public sector employee or something
like an “ Affirm ative Action O ffic ­
er.”
A demonstration like this, pulled
from a daily reality and unlike many
statistics, absolutely indisputable,
makes a ‘ bottom line ’ impression. It
is to be hoped that w ithin the spirit o f
the march, our major social agencies
and jo b developers w ill become more
reality-oriented and begin to accept
input from “ real-timers.” That is from
those o f us who came up in the w orld
o f business and industry and only
then, formatted and delivered an ac­
ademic experience.
It is so very re g re tta ble that
the sm all business designs fro m
my vast P ortland and C a lifo rn ia
experience were needed and put
into action alm ost e x c lu s iv e ly by
the w hites in the class; lo w cap­
ita l requirem ents fo r m anufac­
tu rin g , many consum er and a u to ­
m otive items seen in m all stores
and m ail o rd e r catalogs. And add
to that the ‘ re a l’ in fo rm a tio n
sources fro m the w o rld o f c o m ­
merce and in d u stry A ls o the in ­
valuable “ h o w -to -d o -it g u id e s”
from the ‘ trade a s s o c ia tio n ’ who
p ro v id e th e ir m em bers w ith the
hands-on m e th o d o lo g ie s p ra c ­
ticed in areas o f m a n u fa ctu rin g ,
q u a lity c o n tro l, shipping, person­
nel, m a rke tin g and a d v e rtis in g
M y “ march" audiences swore to
bring about a change; I ’ 11 ha ve to see
it (Do they mean no more stupid
give-a-ways ot m illions o f dollars in
real-estate by anointed/appointed
leaders?).
Out o f room, so next week. I ’ ll
begin the series, “ Blacks, Jews and
Gentiles.”
¡■ H H
EDITORIAL
EDUCATION
HOUSING
METRO
SPORTS
A2
ENTERTAINMENT
CLASSIFIEDS
A4
A5
Bl
B5
B3
B6