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Volume X X V II, Number 2
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Committed to cultural diversity.
IFCC Gallery presents
two January exhibitions
A
lii
The Interstate Firehouse Cultural
Center presents two exhibitions in
honor o f Martin Luther King, Jr.
and the civil movement.
S ee Metro, page
January 8, 1997
PICA Presents
“Stuff”
Little House On The
Prairie
A performance by Coco
Fusco & Nao Busta­
mante, Jan. 23-25 at the
Clinton Street Theater.
See Observador, page B2.
Laura Ingalls (Maura Mc­
Namara), front, and her sister
Mary (Sarah Anne Sherman) at
home on the Prairie.
See Arts & Entertainment, page B3.
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Avel Gordly Senate Sw earm g-ln
tate Senator-elect Avel Gordly
is scheduled to be sworn into
office on Monday, January 13.
She will be the first-ever African-Ameri­
can woman to serve in the Oregon Sen­
ate.
“This has been a long time com ing for
everyone in Oregon who wants to sec d i­
verse leadership experience in the legisla­
ture," said Senator-elect G ordly, who will
represent Senate D istrict 10 in Portland.
Gordly has represented D istrict 19 in the
Oregon House of R epresentatives
A fter attem pts in the early decades of
this century by pioneers such as attorney-
activist Beatrice C annady. O liver Smith,
Sr. in 1952 was the first A frican-A m erican
to win a nom ination to the L egislature, and
others had tried over the years before.
W illiam M cCoy and Jim Hill won election
to the State Senate, and A frican-A m erican
House m em bers have included Margaret
Carter and now JoAnn Bowman. W illiam
Boyer was appointed in 1996 to fill the
rem ainder o f the late Sen. M cC oy's term,
which expires in January 1997.
"O regon faces extraordinary challenges
on a wide range o f issues, including cop­
ing with m easure 47 and taxes, finding
stable education funding, fighting off at­
tacks on the environm ent, and preserving
essential human services for our most vul­
nerable citizens.” Gordly stated. "1 am
proud to represent Senate D istrict 10 and
all of its diversity in the O regon L egisla­
ture."
"Senate D istrict 10 is one of the most
Senator-elect Avel Gordly
diverse districts in the state in business
development and civic participation as well
as ethnic and racial diversity," Gordly
pointed out. “We have substantial num ­
bers of H ispanics, A sian A m ericans, R us­
sian im m igrants, and African A m ericans.
We also have a thriving international air­
port, strong small business grow th, and a
high degree of activism by citizens who
produce some of the highest voter partici­
pation percentages in O regon."
Gordly has developed a com prehensive
legislative agenda on behalf of D istrict 10.
H ighlights include:
* Econom ic developm ent and equal op­
portunity: A gricultural w orker safety, lair
benefits for tem porary w orkers, low in­
come tax credit, and support for com m u­
nity developm ent financial institutions;
* Education: Full funding of head Start,
transfer funds from M easure I I m odifica­
tions to education, and support for m ulti­
cultural program s and policies;
* Public safety: Strengthen bias erim e
reporting laws, require firearm fatality re­
porting, safe gun storage, and handgun
sales regulation.
In addition, Gordly will introduce vari­
ous bills at the request of constituents and
existing partnerships such as the Racial
and Ethnic Justice Act; Minot ily/W om cn
Owned Business Acts (developed w ith the
G o v ern o r's office, O ffice of Em erging
Small Business, and the City o f Portland);
and initiative petitioning (w ith the S ecre­
tary of Slate).
G ordly will announce details and spe­
cific bills stem m ing from her legislative
initiatives in the near future.
S
Gingrich apologizes
Gingrich House Speaker Newt Gingrich
apologized Io his fellow Republicans for
ethical lapses, according to a House mein
her who attended aclosed-door party meet­
ing Tuesday. "He apologized for making
the mistakes he did,” said Republican
Rep. Peter King of New York. He said
Gingrich conceded that “as a leader he
shouldn’t have made those mistakes and
thereby put the party in this position.’
King also said Gingrich told Tuesday’s
meeting he did not want a small group of
Republicans to hold the House majority
“hostage."
Gulf War illness report
President Clinton asked a blue ribbon
panel Tuesday to continue its study of
“G ulf War Syndrome," the mysterious
illnesses which have afflicted many veter
a n so f the 19 9 1 Gull War. The president
acted after receiving a report from a pane
of scientists and defense experts that criti
cized the Pentagon’s investigation of the
syndrome. But the panel supported the
Defense D epartm ent’s conclusion that
there is no single cause for the condition
Ebonics And Black English
‘Babyface’ ties
Grammy record
Rap and p op p ro d u c e r K enneth
“Babyface” Edmonds tied the all-time
record for Grammy nominations set by
Michael Jackson when he was nominated
Tuesday for 12 of the U S. music industry’s
top awards. The artist, who last year won
a Grammy for producer o f the year, was
nominated in categories ranging from
record of the year to song o f the year.
Obstacles remain over
Hebron
Israel says it wants to delay by two
years a promised troop pullback from
West Bank areas, but the PLO blasted the
proposal as a key obstacle to a deal on
handing over most of Hebron to Palestin­
ian self-rule. U S. Middle East peace en­
voy Dennis Ross renewed his mediation
efforts between Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin N etanyahu and Palestinian
President Yasser Arafat. But the prime
m inister's office did not signal any break­
throughs.
Up, up and away
British tycoon Richard Branson and
two co-pilots floated skyward Tuesday in
a giant balloon in an effort to be the first
balloonists to fly around the world.
Branson and his two co-pilots lilted off
from an airbase near Mai rakesh this morn­
ing Branson expects the trip to take be­
tween 14 and 2 1 days.
Ray returns to hospital
James Earl Ray. the confessed assassin
of civil rights leader Martin Luther King
Jr., is back in a Nashville hospital Tues­
day, according to hospital officials. Ray,
68, returned to Columbia Memorial Hos­
pital in Nashville from a prison hospital
where he was moved last week afteremerg-
ing from a coma. His family has said Ray
suffers from cirrhosis of the liver. Ray
confessed to the 1968 slaying of King in
Memphis, although he later recanted and
claimed he was set up.
EDITORIAL
A2
Why Not Slavonics Or Yiddishonics?
P rof . M c K inley B urt
financial shortfalls and constraints. The grant
hy not indeed! We need look no
departments and inter-governmental offices
further than the revealing pages
go into overdrive in a frantic search for
of noted scientist Stephen J.
federal funds in any' area that can be related
Gould's, "The Mismeasure of Man" (W.W.
to the education process.
Norton) for a cogent account of the
There is a method in this madness as I have
“Scientific Racists” and their never-end­
several limes pointed out in accounts of my
ing assault upon those who “don't look
tutelage under Dr Julius Hobson. He was the
just right - or who don’t talk just right.
African American Economist who instigated
A national uproar of prodigious propor­
and won the famous 1969 lawsuit. "Hobson
tions was launched when the L.A. Times-
vs Washington. D.C. Board of Education."
Washington Post News Service preempted
Hobson recognized that school districts across
all other December education news with the
the country were using just such gambits to
following dispatch.
obtain H.E W demonstration grants to rem­
“The Oakland, Calif. School Board has
edy real or fancied skill deficiencies in black
declared Black English a second language,
students In many cases, based on faked sta­
making it the first district in the nation togive
tistics.
the dialect ’spoken by many black Ameri­
However. Dr. Hobson’s assemblage of
cans' official status in programs for bilingual
noted educationists, linguists, psychologists.
students.”
‘Big Eight' acounting firms and economists
O f course, those of us who are or have
were successful in demonstrating to the court
been members of the education establish­
that much of the "black money" obtained was
ment immediately recognize a standard aca­
diverted to unrelated projects. The school
demic ploy or gambit used in times of severe
districts had used “inspired accounting tech-
by
W
niques" in an effort to conceal the fact that
monies were used for delayed plant mainte­
nance, sports programs, and for science equip-
menl/lextsthai went to suburban w hite schools
(among other things).
Many tens of millions were recaptured as
a result of this suit, but much was lost forever.
Nobody went to jail and of course the media
anil teacher's unions were absolutely silent. I
cite these matters in reference lothe "Ebonics”
push because it often was the case that naive,
or not-so-naive black teachers and school
board members were fronted' in the grant
applications. As has happened with several
Portland teachers in the past, these people
were quite chagrined when they found out the
real name of the game: Promised positions
were temporary and on "soft money" at that.
Often white athletes were employed on the
special black' summer programs. I found an
Oregon State football player developing black
“Baseline Essays."
▼
Continued to page A4
Alleged Dallas Cowboys assualt contested
allas Cowboys star Michael Irvin
W illiams' house Sunday night because the
says he was at a sports bar the
security guard at the gated complex says he
night a woman said he held a
didn’t see Irvin
gun to her head while a teammate and
"I want America to know that that security
another man raped her, the Fort Worth
guard will state Mr. Michael Irvin never went
Star-Telegram reported Thursday.
in that security gate, never went to Erik
The 23-year-old woman told police she
W illiam s’ house Sunday night," West said.
was raped at the home of offensive lineman
A manager for Triad Protective Services,
Erik Williams on Sunday night. Irvin has
which handles security for W illiams' com ­
denied being at W illiams' home that night,
munity, said the guards are not required to
and said he looks forward to talking to police.
keep a list of visitors.
Sources told The Associated Press that the
Therefore, it would be the guards' word as
woman informed police Irvin videotaped at
to whether Irvin-or anyone else—visited the
least part of the alleged attack.
area.
One of Irvin' s lawyers. Anthony I .yons, told
Mean while, the woman sestranged 22-year-
the Star-Telegram that Irvin says he was at
old husband told The Dallas Morning News
Cowboys Sports Cafe in Irvin most of the
that he doubts her story. The man. who was not
evening.
identified, said she has twice falsely accused
Another of Irvin’s lawyers. Royce West,
men of sexual assault without telling police.
said Thursday on A B C 's "Good Morning
“It seems very reasonable that she is mak­
America" he can prove his client w asn't at
ing this up." he said. “She’s very melodra­
D
HEALTH
FAMILY
A5
A3
EDUCATION
A4
ARTS & ENT.
B3
matic. She accused me of doing this, and she
accused her fiance before me of doing this, so
I don’t know why she w ouldn't do it again."
The story gave nodetail on what precisely the
husband say s she accused Imn of doing
The man. who was separated from his wife
in 1994 after two years of marriage, said she
told him she met the players while working as
a waitress and dancer at a Dallas topless club
The husband said she briefly lived with
two players and "would brag to me about
living with the Cowboys."
Friends of the woman said she met the
players while doing makeup for the Cowboys
cheerleaders and she now works at a cosm et­
ics counter in a mall.
The two friends, who asked no, to be
identified, have said the doubt she faked the
report. They s a id they consoled the woman
the morning alter the reported rape, describ­
ing her a bruised, distraught and fearful
RELIGION
B4
Oakland’s
Cop-Out
he California English Cam­
paign today released the fol­
lowing statement: Respond­
ing to inquiries from membership and
supporters, the following statement
was issued by Stanley Diamond,
Chairman of the National English
Campaign and the California English
Campaign:
T
"The Ebonics, Muck English, ('I be
doin' de projecsj uproar in Oakland,
described as 'a disgrace,' stupid' by
Black leaders, has the Oakland Board o f
Education flooding print and air with a
desperate eop-out. ‘This program is for
teachers to help teachers understand and
help students bridge the path to student
English proficiency.' That ' v the cop-out.
Of course, don t take the eye o ff another
goal; state and federal funding for Black
English, Ebonic teacher training, semi­
nars and retreats.
"I bring up the subject because per­
haps the time is appropriate for the expo­
sure o f all bilingual education programs.
They are a five to eight billion dollar
failure in this country.
"The recent, respected Kossell-
Baker survey o f bilingual education
results concludes that ... bilingual edu­
cation is no better or actually worse
than doing nothing at all for non-En­
glish speaking children in terms o f
improving their English skills. Bilin­
gual education benefits administrators,
counselors, teachers and book pu b ­
lishers who are funded by these p ro ­
grams. And the lo sersim m ig ra n t chil­
dren. Ask their parents.
"Eor eight years my two organiza­
tions have been saving dismantle this
disastrous facade and prepare our kids
for the real world. Immigrant children
should be in English only classes in two
years.' If i now include Black English.
Ebonics in the facade. ”
METRO
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CLASSIFIEDS
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