The Oregon Advance/TIMES Publishing Company, Inc., non-profit corporation, Publisher Chairman of the Board • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • • • • Rozell Gilmore Vice-Chairman • • • • • • ••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••••• Hazel G. Hays Secretary ••••••••••••••••••••••• , , ••••••••••.•.• , • Amelia Stiggers Treasurer • • • • ••••••• , ••• , ••••••••• , ••••••••.•• , ••• Samuel Johnson Editor • • • • • • • • ••••••••••••• , •••••••••••• , ••.• , , •••• Dan Hayes Advertising·Manager •••••.•.•• , ••••••.•••• , ••.••••••• George Christian Offices at 714-1/2 N, E. Alberta, Portland. Phone • , •••••.•••••• 288-6409 Mailing Address •••••••• , ••••• Post Office Box 11274, Portland, Oregon 97211 Subscriptions: By mail, $4,50 per year in advance. By carrier, 40¢ per month (voluntary) STATEMENT The Oregon Advance/TIMES goes to press weelcly to serve residents of the North-Northeast Central area of Portland with news about the life of our community; information on the opportunities before us; discussion of the social and political issues that confront us. The Oregon Advance/TIMES gives to our community a newspaper which factually reports the news of our area and aggressively seeks the full rights of our citizens. It will provide a forum for community expression and help people become more conscious of their obligations to themselves and their community. In all this, the truth, as we see it, will be consistently presented. Page 2 Vol. 1, No. 10 April 4, 1968 An Ancient Repo,t To our Patrons In presenting our first number to our patrons, we feel all the diffidence of persons entering upon a new and untried line of business. But a moment's reflection upon the noble objects, which we have in view by the publication of this Journal; the expediency of its appearance at this time, when so many schemes are in action concerning our people - encourage us to come boldly before an enlightened public. For we believe that a paper devoted to the dissemination of useful knowledge among our brethren, and to their moral and religious improvement, must meet with the cordial approbation of every friend of humanity. We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us. Too long has the public been deceived by misrepresentations, in things which concern us dearly, though in the estimation of some mere trifles; for though there are many in society who exercise towards us benevolent feelings; still (with sorrow we confess it) there are others who make it their business to enlarge upon the least trifle, which tends to the discredit of any person of color; and pronounce anathemas and denounce our whole body for the misconduct of this guilty one. We are aware that there are many instances of vice among us, but we avow that it is because no one has taught its subject to be virtuous; many instances of poverty, because no sufficient efforts accommodated to minds contracted by slavery, and deprived of early education have been made to teach them how to husband their hard earnings, and to secure to themselves comfort. We shall also urge upon our brethren, (who are qualified by laws of the different states) the expediency of using their elective franchise; and of making an independent use of the same. We wish them not to become the tools of par:ty. It shall ever be our desire so to conduct the editorial department of our paper as to give offense to none of our patrons; as nothing is farther from us than to make it the advocate of any partial views, either in politics or religion. What few days we can number, have been devoted to the improvement of our brethren; and it is our earnest wish that the remainder may be spent in the same delightful service. The above words may sound like the reaffirming of the editorial policy of the Oregon Advance Times except that they are more colorful. There is a good reason for this since it is the editorial policy of the ' 'Freedom's Journal,' ' the first Negro paper published in the United States. Its first issue was published March 16, 1827, in New York City, 141 years before our publication was on the streets. The publishers were Samuel Cornish and John B. Russwurm. A Good Suh1idg The Advance Times has received scores of compliments on its appearance and on its content. The encouragement, to a volunteer staff, has been most helpful. After nine weeks of publication there are a lot of people who have a better grasp of what is involved in publishing a newspaper. The Advance Times is a responsible, carefully edited newspaper supervised both as to editorial policy and purpose by a group of Negro men and women whose collective judgment reflects a cross-section of the community's interest. Free expression in "The People Speak" column offers those with something to say, a place to say it. Oddly, we heard someone say, ''Well, it isn't so tough putting out a paper when you have a government subsidy." Where does such wild talk get started? The Advance Times gets its only revenue from adve.rtising and subscriptions. And its only subsidy is the e,1ergy and interest and countless hours invested by its volunteer workers. A pretty good subsidy, we thlnk! The Albina community does not have a single voice. Each person has ideas that are his own and many groups speak only for their members. This new~paper in i~s.editorials says what its editorial board bel 1eves. But ~t 1s only one of the voices of Albina. You, too, have a voice. And you can speak out by writing letters to the editor. Our pages are small and our space is limited. So please speak about things here at home. If we do not have room for all letters those' that are about national and international affair~ will have to be set aside in favor of letters that talk about the special problems and hopes of people here at home. And keep them short. If they run over 250 words, we probably will have to shorten them. WHO UNDERSTANDS? To the Editor: Black Power, what is it and who understands it? The young intelligent Black or Negro is beginning to understand its concept, but he also knows that integrated, educational and green power is better. Black power, like many other terms, has been misused and used to the hilt by a few to get personal gain and attention. Some even brag about their shadybackgrounds to get notice. Let the great Black Power advocate show me how to compute it in a machine and get a job and money out of it which is a feat I would like to see. PROGRESS CAN BE MADE To the Editor: Here is where it could do the trick, have a little money get to every community so they can have a place to work and something to work with. H there · was ever a time when a community needed help, the time is now, and here. Lend a helping hand to the man in charge, team work is needed; so people on the home front can get some help, start at the grass roots, so to speak, if we have 10 problems solve 10 problems. Some years ago you may remember when they talked about the people on the other side of the tracks, good workers lived there too; they could not afford to live on the other side. Here there is much to do and it seems like we are running out of time, There is nothing better than to have everything in good shape all the time. So I believe we should get help and money sometime. Fred Krzmerzick 828 N. E. Emerson Black History Negroes Defend America By . CHARLOTTE RUTHERFORD Last week Alfred Williamson issued a statement as to why he would not be inducted into the armed forces. He stressed the injustices done the black man within his own country and questioned the reasoning which would have these same men fighting for the freedoms of people thousands of miles away when he could not enjoy these same freedoms in his own country. Black men have been defending America and the spirit of democracy since our nation began. The first person to die in t'1e American Revolution in 1770 was a black man named Crispus Attucks. He was an escaped mulatto slave of about 47 when killed, He led a mixed group of Bostonians against the British soldiers and was the first fired upon. He has been hailed a hero for dying for his country. But if Attucks had returned to the plantation in Massachusetts where he had been enslaved no one would have connected his valor with true freedom. Negro soldiers fought throughout the Revolution. Tiiere were Negro minutemen and there were Negro heroes, if you choose to use the term. Negroes were at There has been nothing but a lot of talk by a few about our educational and social ills but none of them have come forward to help with a cure. They will go all over "speaking" about"ourproblem," but to come and stay in the area and really do something is too "strenuous." There was a meeting for an election of new board members for the Albina Citizens War On Poverty board. Our first choice for a site was a local church, but a few loud ·•advocates' • said no one would go, so we tried Knott Street Center and merely a handful showed. CHRISTIAN VIEW Lexington and Concord, The so-called Black Power advocates were nowhere on the scene to have a voice in the neighborhood. Yet, they are the ones yelling about a "hot summer." The caucasian thrives on violence (read his history). To speak to him about your injustice only ma,kes him feel remorse at that particular time. To talk his language (violence), how can you win? The local armory is proported to have your equalizer. You have a better chance now for educational power than ever before. Grab it before it's too late. You long winded speakers, speak about cures and stop talking so much about ills. About brutality, go to Emanuel Hospital and you will find more black people entered through the emergency ward because of black people than the police ever dreamed of doing. You are accusing the wrong faction. When the black man stops stealing, cutting and killing each other, then he will be ready for any kind of power in its finest sense. Sincerely yours, Walter Morris, Jr. 3232 N. Michigan HELP FOR TEENS To the Editor: A group of youth have gotten together an organization for the main purpose of helPing the youth of Albina. We have secured a building for our teen club at 2703 N, Williams. We need your support and help in getting the equipment we need, Sincerely yours, Lesley Dennis, president Konnie Jenkins, secretary Demetrias Browning, treasurer P.S. All donations to the Seven of Diamonds Teen Club can be sent to the director, Nathan J. Proby, 3927 N. Michigan. To the Editor: Many men gained notable What does Black Power recognition, Peter Salem, mean to a Christian Black Salem Poor, Lemuel Hayne:,, person? I am sure that such Primas Black, Prince Hall, a statement will come as a Cuff Hayes, and many others shock to my Black friends, were acknowledged as great Christian and non-Christian. men and soldiers. However, I feel that this subject has to be dealt with sometime. The Christian Black person is supposed to be free of hate and envy toward everyone (this is also true for the Christian white person). He is dedicated to building, not destroying, His outlook is to have faith and trust God to make the future better than the past. His behavior is to be respectful in all manner of conduct. Most of his life is to find its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, not Black Power, Now, this may not strike you as having very much to say about what Black Power means to Black Christians, but I can assure you that it does one thing. It lets the Black Power advocates know what the Black Christian's attitude is. Rozell Gilmore STUDENTS GET VIEW to the Editor: I would like to take this opportunity to thank both you and your staff of the Oregon Advance Times for your participation in a National Honor Society statewide conference held at Portland State College on March 15 and 16. This conference entitled "Disadvantaged People - Challenge to a Nation'' was designed to expose a broad cross section of Oregon high school students to a number of the problems facing economic and/or social dePrivation. The field visit to your office facility as well as other key agencies in Albina helped focus what, for many of these students, was an abstractidea into real terms. With warm regards, Matthew A, Cohen Associate Coordinator Student Personnel Services Portland State College' After much arguing and many debates Washington issued an order in 1775 barring all Negroes, slave and free, from serving the confederacy. The heroes' rewards were being turned out of the service, But under duress Washington had to reverse this decision. Britain had guaranteed freedom to any black man who would fight for them. Many slaves ran away and joined the Eng 1 is h, Washington's troops grew thin and out of necessity he welcomed free black mt,n as soldiers. By the end of the American Revolution some 5,000 black men, both slave and free, had fought for American liberty. These men served as infantrymen, sailors and spies. Even black men came from Haiti to join the American ranks, More than 100,000 Negro slaves received their freedom as a direct result of the war. Some merely left the plantation and never returned while thousands of others left with the British. Some were formally freed by their masters because of their valor in war. A large number of the escaped slaves hid in the swamps and made guerrilla raids on their former masters. These raids continued as late as 1786, Slavery in the north was slowly dying. With the Declaration of Independence and the Rights of Man issue, several slaves were awarded their freedom through legalities as slavery was gradually abolished, The south remained the stronghold of slavery.
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