April 17, 2002
Page A4
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LETTER TO
THE EDITOR
My Community is
Disappearing
It is said that things are always changing, for if not, then we are
dying.
As afourth generation black native o f this community, I am very
angry that my community is disappearing around me.
Suddenly I’m beginning to feel that I’m no longer welcomed in
the very community where rny history, memories, family and
friends reside.
I have no problem with change, but it is how it is changing that
is very disturbing. The last time our community changed so
dramatically, I was too young to understand its blatant ramifica
tions. Back then I saw only the influx of new playmates from Elliot
and Boise neighborhoods moving into my Highland neighbor
hood. Years passed before I made the connection. Now as a
parent, I’ve realized how damaging that change has been and will
continue to be.
This latest wave of “re-development” over the past 15 years is
really scary because 1 truly believe it’s the final phase of pushing
us out-forever.
Already many of us have been priced out. Those who think that
they have arrived, fail to see that this dispersement extends
beyond where we live. It determines our children’s education,
economics, political strength and every other livability issue.
Even more importantly, the displacement is a level of vicious
ness injected in the injustices we have yet to endure.
As in the past when we were wronged, the priority has always
been the same — we must unite in a collective voice and get
involved!
It’s imperative that our involvement be seen and heard. A s
sume nothing, but realize that Hell is truth too late.
J. Elegan
The Portland O bserver-Oregon's Oldest Multicultural Publication-is a member of the
National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Repre
sentative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New Y ork, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers
Association • Serving Portland and Vancouver.
I
Reparations Issue Raises Public Consciousness
H aven A li
F or the P ortland
O bserver
The 2002 National Repa
rations Convention for De
scendants of Enslaved Afri
cans in Am erica was held
March 21 - 24 at DePaul
University in Chicago with
an impressive lineup of speak
ers raising the level o f public
consciousness about the repa
rations movement.
Portland delegates included
Omiso Kenyaty andO.B. Hill.
The goal of the convention
was to expose the horror and
brutality of the slave industry
in America and the continu
ing impact on the descen
dants of enslaved Africans.
Dr. Claude Anderson, presi
dent of PowerNomics Corp,
of America, Inc. and author of
"Black Labor, White Wealth,
and Powemomics: The Na
tional Plan to Empower Black
America,” delivered a rousing
opening speech elaborating on
the present day condition of
black descendants of Africans
who were kidnapped from their
homes and enslaved here in
America.
One o f the aims o f the
reparations movement is to
d o cu m en t the c a lc u la te d
practice of de-hum anization
of African slaves by strip
ping them of their language,
culture, religion and sense of
self-w orth, destroying the
family unit.
Dr. Larry G. M urphy, a
professor at G arrett-E van
gelical Theological Seminary,
by
Earline Arikpo of the National Coalition of Black Reparations Associations, listens attentively as
Chicago Alderman Dorothy Tillman, the chair o f the group, addresses a recent convention.
delivered a historical per
spective of blacks and their
associations with the Bible.
Dr. M urphy eloquently ad
dressed the irony o f whites in
using biblical scriptures to
justify black enslavem ent.
A psychologist and profes
sor of Africana Studies at San
Francisco State University, he
described the manner in which
psychologists from colonial
days to the present used un
truths and stereotypes as a
tool of oppression.
Dr. Wade Nobles said the
so-called experts of their time
equated Africans with ani
mals and subhum ans to ju s
tify slavery.
Dr. Charles O gletree Jr.,
selected by the “ N ational
Law Journal” as one of the
100 most influential Lawyers
in Am erica, spoke on litigat
ing the legacy of slavery.
“A full and deep conver
sation on slavery and its
legacy has never taken place
in Am erica. Reparations liti
gation will show what sla
very meant; how it was prof
itable; and how it has contin
ued to affect the opportuni
ties o f m illio n s o f b lack
A m ericans,” Ogletree said.
C oincidentally, two days
la te r , D a e d ria F a rm e r-
Paellman, a 36-year-old black
activist, filed the first class
action law suit on behalf of
black Am ericans descended
from slaves, seeking repara
tions from selected private
industries.
Three large U.S. com pa
nies were named in the law
suit: Aetna, Inc., CSX C or
poration and Fleet Boston F i
nancial Corp.
According to the lawsuit,
these com panies played a
m ajor role in financing and
profiting from the slave trade.
The com plaint did not con
tain a m onetary dam age fig
ure, but did estim ate the cur
rent value of slaves’ unpaid
labor as $1.4 trillion.
The reparations conven
tion now moves to the next
level of strategizing and draft
ing a com prehensive plan of
action to dem and that the
U .S. gov ern m en t and se
lected private com panies pay
reparations to more than 40
million descendants o f en
slaved Africans in Am erica.
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