Portland Advocate_1981-06

(Continued from page 2) Closure of both Adams and Washington– Monroe, he said, would av,ain force mino– rity students to carry the dispropor– tionate burden of school closures. Past district's school desegregation plans have been criticized for forcing Black. students in this area to leave their neighborhood high schools so as to bring about what the board said was school desegregation. Student body enrollment at Adams is 557, Cawthorne said, but there are over 1, 500 hiv)l school age students living in the Adams attendance area. District fi– gures show that 632 of these students-- 64 percent of whom are minority--attend high sc~ools outside their neighborhood. The cumulative effect of the deci– sion to close both schools would dis– oorse Black high school students in the same manner a.c::; before. Adams and Wash– ington-Monroe have the second (41 per– cent) and third (35 percent) highest high school minority enrollments in the district's 13 high schools. Cawthorne said he is iri favor of school closure which he said is neces– sitated by declining enrollment, but, that "it is possible to close other (high) schools, save as much money, im– prove programs and thereby spread the disruptive effects of closure evenly throughout the district. '' a series of publications by the Black United Front concerning the safety of our neighborhoods. A copy may be ob– tained from T.H.E. C.R.I.B. at 249-8501. Pa e3 occasions) in recent rronths at Port– land's Mallory Avenue Church, will attest to the 'grand anbarkment' a– gainst inaccuracies in our history. More :importantly, those that were pre- sent will attest to the spirit of the ••••••••••••••••••• messages that these individuals (along ECONOMICS For several rronths the Economics Oarnmittee has been exploring both the Greater Portland Area and the North– east Portland carnmunity job market. They are seeking donations to continue the various phases of BUF activities and operations. In order to advance the concept of Economic Developnent, the carmittee was instrumental in contacting vari– ous carnmunity organizations, which led to the fonnation of a "Black Coalition for Economic Developnent". The coali– tion will focus on the needs of the Northeast Portland area. During the planning phases of a pamphlet which was to provide parents with safety tips for their children, the carmittee approached Safeway Stores, Inc. for the purpose of seek– ing a donation to help to defray the cost of printing the material. The request was denied by Safeway's spokesperson. The reason: '' ... too political". Safeway did, however, make a donation in 1979 when the BUF sponsored "Children's Saturday". with many others who are involved in the struggle) have exhibited. We are rEminded that life is constantly changing, and that we are not sllr!ply, a part of that change, but we are to \\Orktogether to bring to the con– sciousness of all Brothers and Sis– ters in Portland that ·we are a m:lglity people and, as such, have the capacity to affect ~hat change. To a great extent, the above is the primary focus of the Black United Front Cornmunications Oarnmittee. When the aforementioned illustrious and eloquent speakers were here, this was thE( ccrlriltttee- assigned to the taSk df getting the \\Ord out to the carnmunity. The (totally successful) ''March A– gainst Racism" that took place in Portland on April 4 of this year, left an indelible entry in Oregon history by bringing together nearly 1500 peo– ple -nnstly Black. Again, it was the Communications Oarnmittee on its J~B. • ••••••••••••••••••• The carmittee approached Nel-Tech, a company which recently relocated on Reapportionment, school closure( s), economic development (or nondevelop– ment), welfare rights, job discrimina– tion, police brutality, police harass– ment, and other issues, are all topics which are vitally :important to us as Black Americans. The nrurders of our Black children in Atlanta came in– stantly to mind when we speak of "other issues". The atrocities, in– equities, and injustices inflicted up– on our brothers and sisters in South Afrika is another travesty that should not be allowed to continue. Black folks locally should be made aware of how we might counteract those ills. Committee Reports LABOR The Black United Front Labor Com– mittee (BUFLC) is developing alterna– tive strategies against the kinds of reaism which keeps us either at entry– level jobs, or out of the job market altogether. One such strategy is to not give financial support to any company or store which refuses to upgrade and/or hire Black people. If we ranain well– organized and united on this principle, we can use the power of selective pur– chasing, so that those we boycott will feel the power of our community pocket– book, and those we buy from, will know how it feels to be in our grace. That will make the negotiators take us ser– iously when we ask for jobs from those who reap the benefits fran our camiU– nity. The carmittee agreed it was too ear– ly to be more specific about additional strategies to obtain equality, in the anployment place, but we have agreed that there is a need to consolidate a sense of ' carnmunity' rurong us as a peo– ple. To that end, the BUFLC agreed to sponsor what will became an annual out– ing where we can came together in a re– laxed environment to discuss and learn old, new, and modified strategies and socio-economic liberation. (more a– bout that, later) In other business the BUFLC acknow– ledges the purposes and need for Black camunities to have Neighborhood Secur– ity Patrols. The personal safety of our people -especially our children, is a top priority of this committee. The BUFIC recarmends to parents the sound advice in a recently released pamphlet, Black United Front Personal Safety Guidelines. This is just one of N.E. Union Avenue, and discussed (with a company representative) its inten- tion regarding the hiring of Black community residents. It was apparent that the firm knew little, if any– thing, about the community. It was de– cided that the carmittee should con– tinue to monitor its hiring practices. In the meantime, local selections were made from all parts of Portland in order to seat Task Force Represen– tatives to direct rronies as related to the Community Development Block Grant projects. All quadrants of the city will have five (5) representatives, and a carmittee manber has been elect– ed as a Task Force Representative. All camments or suggestions re– garding how the money should be spent will be welcaned. Call 249-8501. In the future, the Communications Oarnmittee will continue to get the \\Ord out to the community. We will strive to make that \\Ord timely, ac– curate, and substantive -something that you can 'sink your teeth into'. We, the carmittee, will deal with ru– mors and gossip only to the extent of dispelling lies and getting to the truth. We will attanpt to make you aware •••••••••••••••••••of speakers scheduled to be visiting COMMUNICATIONS Today, we are constantly being bom– barded (and sometimes inundated) by an enomous tide of \\Ords through the med– ia of television, newspapers, radio, leaflets, pamphlets, brochures, live plays, seminars, and speaking engage– ments. Historically and traditionally, Black folk have had very little con– trol over what is said either to us, about us, or even for us, on topics which impact greatly upon the Black camiUnity. In realizing the magnitude and gra– vity of this ever-worsening dilemma, "The Front" has begun a grand anbark– ening upon and against the inaccura– cies of our history --both ancient and current. Those of us who were fortun– ate enough to be present when Dr. Asa Hilliard, Rev. Herbert Daughertry, and Ivan Van Sertima spoke (on different Portland, and we hope that we will meet you there. In the event of natural or man– caused disasters ( ie electrical blackouts/brownouts, ice storms, health-related information, etc.), we will instruct you on where to go in order that you may receive aid or as– sistance. We will camiUnicate the need for and aspects of frumily safety. Our t\\0 basic concerns as the Black United Front Communications Cbmmittee are You, the Black Oarnmunity, and to get timely and relevant information to you -with the hope and expectation that you will act upon that infonna- tion. -- Whether the \\Ord be written, spo– ken, or projected, we pledge to \\Ork to make it credible. ''Keep swinging when the going gets tough." Roy Campanella