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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1997)
| j BRI ARY P agi B6 19. 1997* lili P(»R I'..AND Ü BSI RVl BLACK HISTORY (Elje ÿ a rtla u ù (©bseruer Black Americans in the Military, part I w A m n N ews R el . ea . sk I’m delighted for this opportunity to speak to you about black Ameri cans in the military There is a won derful story to be told - a success story that is very much a part of black history and American history In February, we celebrate the his tory o f black Americans. Also in this month, we honor two great patriots who each served as President o f our nation — George Washington and Abraham Lincoln We never stop to consider that these two patriots were white men There’s no need to. Their race - the color o f their skin - simply has no bearing on their greatness. We admire Washington and Lincoln not as great white men but as great Ameri cans. In an ideal world, we could view likewise the achievements o f black Americans. Insucha world, we would notice only the achievements them selves, not the skin color of those who make them. But the perceptions o f too many Americans, black and white, have been distorted by racial stereo types that began centuries ago in America's Colonial days. Special ef forts still are needed to correct the distortion, wipe the fog from our wind shields. It helps to learn about the achievem ents o f our great black Americans, past and present. The U.S. Military provides a wealth o f success stories. I suggest to you that Black History Month is an ideal time to learn more about black Americans who have risen to prominence in mili- tary service to America. To succeed, they not only had to excel in perfor mance; they also had to overcome the resistance of a society that, until this generation, opposed their efforts to serve in any but the most menial jobs. Consider these words o f retired Army Major General Jerry R. Curry, a black American who, in the early 1980s. commanded the U S. Army Military District o f W ashington: “ Looking over my life and career, it becomes clear that any minority will ing to work hard, and play the game that has to be played in any bureau cracy. can become successful. Maybe not as quick, but the opportunities are there... if you’re willing to pay the price. There is a price. It may not seem fair, and you may not get the same break as everybody else. But you can make a break for yourself, and you can succeed.” Let’s go back a few de cades. In the early 20th century, one man saw the need -- and took on the mission - of teaching black Ameri cans about their history He is known today as the Father o f Black History, and his name is Doctor Carter Godwin Woodson. I’m sure that some o f you have never heard his name, for he is less well known than many other leaders who came before and after him. But his role was crucial in foster ing the self-respect o f all black Ameri cans. He had much to say about black American in the military. Listen to his words: “We shou Id not learn less ofGeorge Washington, who was First in War, First in Peace, First in the Hearts of HisCountrymen.' Butweshould learn something of the 3,000 Negro sol diers Qfthe American Revolution who helped to make this Father o f Our Country’ possible. “We should not fail to appreciate the unusual contributions o f Thomas Jefferson to freedom and democracy. But we should invite attention also to one o f his outstanding contemporar ies, Benjamin Banneker, The math ematician and astronomer. “ We should in no way detract from the fame of Perry on Lake Erie or Jackson at New Orleans in the second struggle with England, but we should remember the black men who assisted in winning these victories on land and sea. “ We should not cease to pay tribute to Abraham Lincoln as the Savior of Our Country ,' but we should ascribe praise also to the (nearly 180,000 Negroes] who had to be mustered into the service o f the Union before it could be preserved, and who by their heroism demonstrated that they were entitled to freedom and citizenship ’ Woodson wrote those words w ith in a few years after World War I. He was a visionary . He devoted his life to the cause of equal opportunity for every American. He was not popular, which is one reason you may not know of him. He was a man ahead of his time. But ifhe were alive today, he would be immensely popular. His viewpoint and his outspoken style were tar more com patible with the clim ate o f America today than of his own time. You probably w on't be surprised to learn that he made enemies. What may surprise you is that his enemies included many black Americans. A fiery crusader, he had no use for those among his own race who would settle for compromise or merely maintain ing the status quo. He could not toler ate the intolerance o f a society that believed black Americans incapable o f high achievement, let alone great ness. Yes, Woodson often was at odds with his time. Born to former slaves in Virginia on December 19, 1875, he did not enter school until he was 20 years old. To help his parents and his eight brothers and sisters survive, he had worked in the coal mines o f West Virginia. But once he entered school, his brilliance shone. Woodson earned a bachelor’s degree and advanced degrees from the University o f Chi cago, then a Ph D. from Harvard. He was fluent in both Spanish and French. Woodson was angered by the gro History. The historian Arthur Schlesinger said Woodson "enlisted the interest and talents o f historians of both races and maintained exact ing standards o f research and pre sentations which made the journal rank among the best academic peri odicals in the country.” Woodson’s passion was to de velop a sense o f self-worth within the black community. His strategy was to teach all black Americans about their racial roots, their his tory. Much o f the anger Woodson felt can be explained by the institutional prejudice he saw against black men in military service. In World War I, more than 400,000 black Ameri cans served in the armed forces - in segregated units. They were consid ered mentally unable and morally unfit to serve on the front lines. The myth o f their unsuitability tor combat was shattered by the 369th Infantry Regiment, an all-black unit. After supporting the French army for 191 days on the front lines, that regi ment received the French Croix de Guerre for bravery in combat. That is black history. That is American his tory. Black nurses also served with distinction in the war, especially dur ing the devastating flu epidemic of 1918. which killed millions. Work ing side by side with their white col leagues. they treated patients regard less of race. One historian wrote that “although these nurses were required to live in segregated quarters, the strength and dignity of the black women prevailed, and they served their country and practiced their pro fession with great skill and distinc tion.” That is black history. I hat is American history. Instead of returning home from the Great War as heroes, black veterans found their prospects in America had not improved. What’s more, those on active duty had been reduced in post- wrote the following words: "For a time, the Negroes were show n a great deference while being used as means to an end. The Negro mistook this for a permanent attitude, and when defla tion followed inflation, his sorrows multiplied as fast as his joy had dur .. . x from ?___ t 400,000to f\f\ I 11,000. warcutbacks less than 3 percent of their wartime numbers By contrast, the military as a whole was reduced to about 13 percent of wartime strength. Army officials believed black Americans would make poor soldiers, in spite of their brave performance in combat. O f this discrim ination, Woodson -X ing the Worid War ” Continued next week MUST PRESENT THIS AD TO REDEEM OFFER BEST PRICE YET ON OUR PRO 1 PAINT JOB! • • • • • DEWAXING HAND & MACHINE SANDING FOR ADHESION CAREFUL MASKING ADVANCED ACRYLIC PAINT I-YEAR WARRANTY AGAINST FADING SUPER-LOW PRICE ON OUR VERY BEST PRO 3 PAINT JOB! $224 95 INCLUDES PRO 3 EXTRAS: • WIDE RANGE OF COLORS • SANDING AND BASE COAT PREP • INTEGRATED CLEAR COAT • INFRARED QUARTZ FINISH DRYING • 6-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY! SEE SHOP FOR DETAILS! (P HURRY! LIMITED TIME ONLY! THT BEST PRICES ON BODY & — FENDER WORK! - FREE ESTIM ATES! Trucks Vans. Sport/Utwty Vehicles and some colors slightly higher r <S B O D Y THE BEST JOB FOR THE MONEY. GUARANTEED! O PEN M O N . FRI. 7 : 3 0 A M -6 :0 0 PM • SAT 8 :00 AM - N O O N C . P o r t l a n d • 4 0 1 N E W e i d l e r S t .............5 0 3 - 2 8 7 - 3 6 7 8 N . P o r t l a n d • 6 4 4 4 N E U n io n A v e ..........7 7 3 - 7 7 8 - 7 1 7 1 PLUS $8 0 0 E .P .A ./H A Z CHARGE THE CITY OF PORTLAND AND MULTNOMAH COUNTY The Portland Development Commission and its staff WISH TO ADD THEIR SUPPORT TO THE PORTLAND OBSERVER’S BLACK HISTORY SPECIAL EDITION LOOKING FOR A JOB? would like to salute the contributions that Black Americans have made to this great nation of ours The Portland Development Commission works to bring together community resources to achieve a vital economy with healthy neighborhoods and quality jobs for all citizens. The Commission is committed to working with the commi in ity to make our city a better place to live for all Portlanders. PDC PORTLAND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION The City/County Affirmative Action Recruitment Unit actively recruits minorities, women, veterans and disabled persons to enroll in the Talent Bank for contact when present or future City/County job opportunities exist. If you or someone you know would like to be enrolled please call 823-4160 for assistance. The City of Portland and Multnomah County are Hiring! Job information numbers to call for current vacancies are: City of Portland 24 Hour Job Line (503) 823-4573; Job Information Line 823-4352 and TDD Job Informaiton Line 823-3520. Multnomah County 24 Hour job Line (503) 248-5035; TTY 248-5170. The City of Portland and Multnomah County are affir mative action/equal employment opportunity employers and value a culturally diverse and multilingual workforce. •
