Page 16
glorila nò (Ohscrurr
D ecem ber 29, 2010
Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views o f the
Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and
story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com.
Give the Gift of Sharing and Caring
Reflecting on what really matters
I Care And I Am Willing To Serve
M arian W right E delman
No matter what faith traditions we come from
or celebrate— Ramadan, Christmas, or Hanuk­
kah— this time of year is one of reflection on
what really matters.
It’s wonderful to share special times and gifts
with friends and family, but for many adults this holy season has
been commercialized and become defined by shopping for the
“in” toys, clothes, and other material gifts we think ourchildren
want. And while it’s tine to give children these things when we
can, we should never forget to give them the more important
gifts of ourselves— our time, attention, and family rituals— that
children need.
We also should be teaching them the importance of sharing
with others. Too many children are afflicted by physical poverty,
but too many are afflicted with “affluenza”, the spiritual poverty
of having too much that is worth too little. Perhaps this season
we can teach that the greatest gift is one of caring, sharing, and
service.
Let us commit to standing up and caring for the millions of
children in our midst who are destitute, homeless, and hungry,
and threatened by violence in our rich, powerful nation today. A
law enforcement officer is less likely to die from gun violence
than a child under 10. Nine children and teens die from gun
violence every day in our gun saturated nation.
L et’s care and call for justice for the over 15.5 million poor
children, millions living in extreme poverty and with daily food
insecurity. It is time for all of us to do better: to reset our nation’s
by
MMMHH
Lord I cannot preach like Martin Luther King, Jr.
or turn a poetic phrase like Maya Angelou
but I care and I am willing to serve.
I do not have Harriet Tubman’s courage
or Franklin Roosevelt’s political skills
but I care and I am willing to serve.
I cannot sing like Fannie Lou Hamer
or organize like Bayard Rustin
but I care and I am willing to serve.
I am not holy like Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
forgiving like Nelson Mandela,
or disciplined like Mahatma Gandhi
but / care and I am willing to serve.
I am not brilliant like Elizabeth Cady Stanton,
or as eloquent as Sojourner Truth
and Booker T. Washington
but I care and I am willing to serve.
moral and economic compass to protect and invest
in every child.
L et’s pray that we may commit to acting on
G od’s call through the prophet Zechariah “to see
that justice is done, to show kindness and mercy to
■■■■
J udge G reg M athis
In the 1980s, America’s
neighborhoods became
more diverse as whites,
blacks and other ethnic
groups began to live in
close proximity to one an­
other. It was as if the ideals of
the Civil Rights movement were
finally coming to life. Twenty or
so years later, things have
changed...and not for the bet­
ter. As far as integration goes,
this country has taken a step
backward.
Analysis of the most recent
Census data tells us that segre­
gation is alive and well. In fact,
most people, regardless
of their ethnic group, live
in neighborhoods that
are o v erw h elm in g ly
made up of people who
look ju st like them .
Blacks are the most seg­
regated minority group in this
country; more than 60-percent
live in majority black neighbor­
hoods while only 48-percent of
H ispanics and 45-percent of
Asians live in monolithic com ­
munities. The average white
American lives in neighborhood
that is 74-percent white.
This isn’t the segregation of
the 1960s, though some of the
II’1' flortlanb (flhserurr
Established 1970
USPS 959-680 ______________________________
47 47 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211
Charles H. Washington
EoiroR.Michael L eighton
D is t r ib u t io n M a n a g e r : M ark W ashington
C r e a tiv e D ir e c t o r : Paul N eu feld t
God it is not as easy as it used to be
to frame an issue and to forge a solution
but I care and 1 am willing to serve.
I can’t see or hear well or speak good English,
I stutter sometimes, am afraid o f criticism,
and get real scared standing up before others
but I care and I am willing to serve.
I ’m so young
nobody will listen
I ’m not sure what to say or do
but I care and I am willing to serve.
Use me as Thou will today qnd tomorrow
to help build a nation and world
where no child is left behind
and everyone feels welcome and justly treated.
one another, not to oppress widows, orphans,
foreigners, who live among you or anyone else in
need” by joining together and serving and caring.
Marian Wright Edelman is president o f the
Children’s Defense Fund.
KMWI
Segregation Still Thrives
by
/ have not Mother Teresa’s saintliness,
Dorothy Day’s love or Cesar Chavez’s
gentle tough spirit
but I care antfl am willing to serve.
America takes a step backward
deep seeded feelings and poli­
cies that created that system still
affect us all today. Rather, many
Americans tend to self-segre-
gate. It’s not as if blacks are
falling over themselves to live in
all white communities. Our natu­
ral tendency to ‘stick with our
ow n’, however, has its draw­
backs. When racial groups are
separated; that division creates
unfamiliarity with the beliefs and
culture of others. This lack of
knowledge creates an environ­
ment where stereotypes and ra­
cial and ethnic bias thrive.
A d d itio n a lly , se g re g a te d
neighborhoods lead to separate
but wholly unequal services. For
example, in communities where
the majority of the residents are
minorities, there is less funding
available for schools. As a re­
sult, our children receive sub­
standard instruction. Indeed,
middle class black children living
in majority black neighborhoods
are less prepared for college
than lower income white chil­
dren living in majority white com­
munities.
Anyone who lives in - or has
visited - Milwaukee, New Jer­
sey, Detroit, Chicago and New
York will not be surprised that
these cities lead the nation in
segregation. The m ayor’s of
these metropolitan areas should
form a task force and work to­
gether, along with the federal
government, to address the divi­
sions that segregation creates.
From purposefully creating di­
verse, mixed-income neighbor­
hoods to developing a school
finance system that equally funds
each child, there are numerous
steps cities can take to lessen
the negative impacts of racial
segregation.
Greg Mathis is a form er
Michigan District Court judge
and current syndicated televi­
sion show judge
The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be
returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper
and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client
has purchased the composition of such ad. © 2008 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED REPRODUC­
TION IN WHOLE OR IN PART W ITHOUT PERM ISSION IS PROHIBITED. The Portland O bserver-O regon s Oldest
Multicultural Publication-is a member of the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and The National Advertis­
ing Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association
E ditor - in - c h ie f , P ublisher :
CALL 503-288-0033
ney\s Qportlandobse rver.com
FAX 503-288-0015
tids@portlandobserver.com
subscription @portlandobserver, com
P ostmaster : Send address changes to Portland Observer, PO B ox3137, Portland, OR9 7 2 0 8