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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 17, 1997)
SEPT. 17, 1997 (Elir Portiani» Olbscnwr Page A4 Editorial articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f iTljc Portland (Pbscruer______ (Htfe ^ o rtla n ò (©bseruer s p e r Mark W ashington Distsribution M anager Gary Ann Taylor Business M anager Larry J. Jackson, Sr. Director o f Operation Gregory Benton Graphic Design Mike Leighton Copy E ditor Contributing Writers: Professor M cKinley Burt, Lee Perlman, Neal Heilpem 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, Oregon 97211 503-288-0033 • Fax 503-288-0015 Email: Pdxobserv@aol.com Deadline for all submitted materials: Articles Friday, 5:00 pm Ads: Monday, 12:00pm POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes To: Portland Observer, P.O. Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, Oregon Subscriptions: $30.00 p e r year The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. M anu scripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. 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Please fill out, enclose check or money order, and mail to: S ubscriptions T he P ortland O bserver ; PO B ox 3137 P ortland , O regon 97208 Name: Address^ _ ___________ City, State: Zip-Code: ___________________ ___ _________ T hank Y ou F or R eading T he P ortland O bserver hy not. As I stated here Sept. 3 regarding Gov. Wilson ’ s virulent anti affirmative action posture, “this drama is being watched across the land” (' A Dream Deferred or A Dream Interred?’ Prop. 209.) And very pointedly, I cited the example o f a notorious pair o f racist governors from another generation - Faubus o f Arkansas and W allace o f Alabama - who also sought to use a ‘schoolhouse door’ as a window o f national political opportunity. With those disastrous failures in mind, Gov. W ilson was adroit enough to ‘ play a black hand’ from the very inception o f his political plans. Or was it the Republican political m a chine as such? It now appears that the infamous Wade Connerly, the black (?) m em ber o f the California State Board o f Regents may have been planted W i r e s there. Ideally positioned as a ‘Trojan H orse’, Connerly, as has been de scribed here, made his fortune off the “race-based” contracts he was fed for years (before suddenly discover ing that the concept was “racist and un-American"). And it was his decid ing vote against affirmative action at the university level that was the first volley fired in this new class war. Since our Sept. 3 article this dema gogic Right Wing campaign has taken on a profile that can only be de scribed as virulent. An “American Indian Child Education” program is high up on W ilson’s h itlist’ accord ing to a 9/10/97 report by the LA Times-W ashington Post News Ser vice: “Wilson identified25 additional statues that he considers to be in conflict with Proposition 209. The list includes a variety o f laws regarding education, health, contracting and government procedures.” We are not amused or confused by the great flood o f crocodile tears unleashed by a sudden philosophic awakening on the part of some Ameri cans that any form o f discrimination against one’s fellow citizen is wrong (o f course, if it is wrong now, then it always has been, right?) It was only several decades ago that a 99% white U.S. Congress passed affirmative Action laws operative at the federal level-and, subsequently, some state legislatures followed suit. Despite the protestations, innuen dos and, often, outright lies o f many in opposition to such programs, none o f this legislation provides for the creation o f pools o f “unqualified" persons who are to be automatically given job preference based on their race, gender or handicap. A terrible inequity was realized and an attempt was made to deal with it. What over 400 white congress men realized was that America’s rac ist approach to employment practice was not only wrong - and indecent o f a civilized nation - but effectively prevented this country from reach ing its full potential as a major nation or representative o f humankind. Not a good situation where one if fast becoming a minority oneself! Now, m steadofadjustingorrec- tifying those few situations where affirmative action laws may have been inappropriately applied, there is this killer campaign to end over night any an all legislation that pa tently was designed to facilitate the entry of all Americans into the work place without fear that such equal ity o f employment and economic opportunity could be restrained by race, gender or physical handicap. The overwhelming majority o f Americans by virtue o f birth has enjoyed “affirmative action” since the formation o f this Republic or since later forbearers got off a boat from Europe. And when you have enjoyed a position of pride, privi lege and prejudice for so many hun dred years, the appearance o f un familiar’ colors, sexes, and physi ognomies in previously reserved’ sectors o f the workforce can, in deed, prove disconcerting. But progress has always been o f that nature, hasn’t it? Teamsters’ Victory At UPS The AFL-CIO ’s failure to fully abor Day 1997 was one o f the embrace and back PATCO proved to most joyous in decades for be a near fatal mistake. This lack of organized labor and working people solidarity signalled a weakness to big because o f the Team sters’ Union vic business which suggested that labor tory in the strike against the United could be coerced into making major Parcel Service. Throwing the full concessions in terms o f wage and weight o f the AFL-CIO behind Ron benefit freezes, reductions and con Carey and the striking Teamsters, cessions and give-backs. The pas John Sweeney, President o f the giant sage o f NAFTA and GATT and the labor federation, correctly sensed that in creasin g g lo b a liz a tio n o f the this strike was potentially a turning economy also put additional pres point in the fortunes o f organized sures on labor to be tame in the face labor in this country. Ever since Presi o f the bogeyman o f “foreign compe dent Reagan fired the striking federal tition.” Emboldened by the apparent air traffic controllers (PATCO) the weakness o f labor, corporations also fortunes of organized labor have been adopted the tactic o f permanently waning in America with an attendant replacing striking workers with scabs decline in the overall living standard striking fear into the hearts o f rank o f working people in this country. unions, these churches, the UFW, an Francisco-it was a glon NOW, LULAC, the Rainbow/PUSH ous day, a historic day, a Coalition, and so many other organi day for standing up and zations, plus the thousands and thou fighting back. On the 34th anniver sands o f people o f conscience who sary o f Dr. K ing’s M arch on Wash came out to march to fight back against ington, thousands and thousands of resegregation. marchers streamed across the Golden Rev. Jackson stated the case for G ate B rid g e, c h a lle n g in g Pete the march: “We march to protect the W ilson’s efforts to radically resegre American Dream, the one big tent gate California. America under which we all must live This list o f high-ranking officials together. Under this big tent, there marching was long and impressive— are four fundamental guarantees: (1) Jesse Jackson, Mayor Willie Brown, equal protection under the law; (2) Patricia Ireland, Delores Huerta, Belen equal opportunity; (3) equal access; Robles, Mayor Ellhu Harris, Barbara and (4) fair share. Lee, Kevin M urray, Rev Amos “This march is not just about sav Brown, Rev. Cecil Williams, Bishop ing affirmative action. This march Chandler Owens, Bishop Charles stands in opposition to the radical Blake, Rev. Chuck Singleton, leaders resegregation o f our nation. We will o f the Teamsters, SEIU Local #250, not sit quietly by while African Ameri and many other unions. can, Hispanic, and Native American Even more impressive were the students are purged from higher edu rank-an d -file m em bers o f these S L cation in California, or anywhere else. “We will not allow this country to move from the most diverse, the fair est, the most inclusive law, medical, and graduate school classes in our history, to professional schools with no Black, Brown, or Red students. This is not right. This is not moral. This is not why Dr. King gave his life. “ We march today to roll back W ilson’s rollback o f civil rights. We will keep marching until the civil rights laws is a states rights issue! People of conscience must stand up with us, and be counted for ju stic e -a n d we trust they will Join us as we march again in Sacramento on October 27th We will keep on marching; we shall not be moved.” Governor Wilson, the driving force behind Prop. 209, which bans consid eration o f race or gender as a factor in public policy, emphasized his deter To Be Equal declared after the tournament that ave you noticed? For the she “is the best thing that has hap second tim e this year a young African-American athlete pened has to American tennis for the last 20 years.” vaulted to the top o f a sport in which These two young African-Ameri African Americans have rarely oc can athletes are important in ways cupied the top ru n g s-an d in doing that transcend sport. so has spurred predictions o fa revo For one thing, Woods and Will lution in the sport. First, it was Tiger iams have restored the public m em o Woods, golfer extraordinaire, of ries o f the true A frican-American pio Asian, American Indian, and Euro neers in these sp o rts-a n A lthea pean, as well as African descent. Gibson in tennis, a Charlie Sifford in Now, it’s Venus Williams. golf-and in so doing shown that in Williams, the 17-year-old tennis fact there’s very little in the field of phenomenon who powered her way hum an e n d e a v o r black p e o p le to the finals of the U.S. Open in New haven’t done before. The newcom York last weekend, was no match ers aren’t breaking barriers; they’re this time for the superb play o f opening the doors wider. Martina Hingis, the w orld’s top- Their stardom also underscores ranked player. the point that, once the barriers to its Still, the expectations o f Will participation are lowered, no arena of iams are astonishing: Although human activity is “off limits” to any she’s just begun her career at the ethnic group. top o f the sport, the president o f the Tiger Woods and Venus Williams United States Tennis Association H t A P r e s id e n tia l C an d id ate? RAINBOW PUSH B y H ugh B. P rice N ational U rban L eague e■ c Gov. Pete Wilson (CA.) (USPS 959-680) Established in 1970 Charles W ashington Publisher A Editor p are exceptional people, alright. But they’re not exceptions among Afri can Americans. The qualities they’ve displayed- talent, determination, discipline, self- confidence, and faith in the future- aren’t limited to a few African-Ameri can youth. In fact, we have those kinds o f youngsters in abundance. Some of them are in two-year tech nical schools, or community colleges, orthe military, or theworkforce. Some others o f them have had the luxury of choosing among Harvard, Stanford, P e n n sy lv a n ia , E m o ry and Morehouse forcollege. Lastyear still others, seventy-nine high school seniors who won prestigious National Achievement Scholarships, chose to enroll at Howard University, propel ling that historically black institution to the top o f the heap in the national competition for those prized students. That’s revolutionary activity worth and file union members. In addition, U.S. corporations went on a binge o f downsizing hurling thousands o f workers into the unem ployment lines further increasing the anxieties and insecurity o f workers. Two tier wage schemes, temporary work and part-time employment with low wages and little or no benefits also became fixtures within the Ameri can labor market. Under these cir cumstances membership in unions dropped dramatically with the union ized share o f the American work force declining from 25% to 10% over the past two decades. The consequence o f the down turn in the fortunes o f American labor was dire if not disastrous for large num bers o f w orking people in this country. While corporate profitabil ity and the stock market have soared to record heights in the last five years, the standard o f living for w orking people has continued to rem ain stagnant or has actually de clined. D espite the p e rsiste n c e o f ra c ism in the ranks o f labor, as a g en eral ru le, w hen o rg a n iz e d la bor has been stro n g the sta n d a rd o f liv in g o f w orking p e o p le , in clu d in g B lacks and o th e r people o f c o lo r has im p ro v e d . C o n v ersely , w hen o rg a n iz e d labo r has been w eak, it has had an a d v erse e ffe c t on the liv in g sta n dard s o f B lacks and p e o p le o f color. Freedom March mination to enforce state rights over the wishes o f county, city, or local governments. He made it very clear that he would crack down hard on any mayor or county executive who continued to allow affirmative action. Our question is obvious: why aren’t the President, the Vice-Presi dent, the Attorney General, and the U.S. Department o f Justice following that same logic? Governor W ilson is asserting the State o f California’s pow er to override city and county officials. It is long past time for the Clinton Administration and the Fed eral government to assert the U.S. G overnm ent’s right to supersede states’ wishes, especially concern ing issues o f civil rights. This has been a wedge issue for W ilson, and a hedge issue for prom i nent Democrats. The radical resegregation ofhigher education in California is at heart a states rights issue. Pete Wilson is attempting to overturn civil rights laws and regulations that were won by Rosa Parks, Dr. King, and the mass civil rights movement o f the 1950s and 1960s. (A movement, by the way, in which Pete W ilson-like most of those now so concerned about the falsely-named issue o f “reverse dis- crim inatiori’-was not prominently featured, despite being old enough to participate at the time it was hap pening...) States rights and civil rights have a certain history in America. When Orval Faubus tried to assert states rig h ts in A rk a n sa s, P re sid e n t Eisenhower sent in the National Guard and overrode him. When George Wallace tried to secede Alabama from the civil rights laws o f this Union, Presidents Kennedy & Johnson over- rode him. W hen Lester M addox waved his ax handle in G eorgia’s school doors, these same presidents backed him down. Now itis PresidentClinton’stum . This is a decisive moment for the President, and for the Vice-President. A single state is trying to undo Fed eral laws and rules that were passed to eliminate discrimination and over come the effects o f centuries o f sla very and segregation. The Federal government should be on the side o f existing civil rights laws, and the fact that California passed a misleading, mis-named, massively-funded initia tive trying to undo those laws is neither legally nor morally relevant. The truth is, the real race conver sation is now being held, in Califor nia, on affirmative action and states rights. Pursuing Excellence talking about. W e’d be the first to say that we, Black America and all o f America, need more young people like this. That is to say, we need to inspire more young people to cultivate the quali ties, which will enable them to achieve in school, contribute to their commu nities and build productive hves for themselves. T hat’s the purpose o f the annual national celebration we at the Urban League call “Doing The RightThing.” To show off our youth all across the country who are doing well in school and in their communities—and to show their peers that excellence is worth pursuing and will be recog nized and rewarded. We began this event last Septem ber with great success; nearly 100 o f our League affiliates sponsored street fairs, parades and award ceremonies which showcased the good things young people do. This year we ex pect it to be even bigger because we have joined with nearly a score o f other black professional, fraternal and church organizations to launch the Cam paign for A frican-A m erican Achievement. As Bishop Roy L.H. Wincush, chairman ofthe National Congress of Black Churches, says, our purpose is to harness the power of the African- American community to lift the aca demic achievement levels o f black children. We ’ 11 help education officials reno vate school facilities and improve curricula to give young people a proper scholastic learning environ ment. And w e’ll ally ourselves with local community organizations and parents and young people themselves to spread the culture o f achievement within these neighborhoods. Our young people must have ac- cess to o p p o rtu n ity —to q u a lity ed u catio n , to am ple ch a n c e s to develop so cially and sp iritu a lly through w ork and co m m u n ity serv ice. T hey need to feel su rro u n d e d by carin g adults w ho p ro v id e em o tio n al su p p o rt and ad v ice and guidance. T hose are the q u a litie s w hich have pro d u ced a T ig e r W oods, a V e n u s W illia m s a n d u n co u n ted others. W e and our p a rtn e rs in the Cam paign for A frican-A m erican A ch ievem ent know that th ere are m any m ore o f th ese a c h ie v ers out there in the n e ig h b o r ho o d s in w hich A frican A m e ri cans live. A nd we know th at i t ’s our re sp o n sib ility to m ake sure that all o f them get the o p p o rtu n ity to let th eir talen ts draw c h eers. l
