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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Blacks In Oregon, Darrell Millner
Blacks In Oregon, Darrell Millner
Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations
Periodically, newspaper or magazine articles appear proclaiming amazement at how white the population of Oregon and the City of Portland is compared to other parts of the country. It is not possible to argue with the figures—in 2017, there were an estimated 91,000 Blacks in Oregon, about 2 percent of the population—but it is a profound mistake to think that these stories and statistics tell the story of the state's racial past. In fact, issues of race and the status and circumstances of Black life in Oregon are central to understanding the history of the state, and perhaps its future …
A Hidden History: The Stories And Struggles Of Oregon's African American Communities, Walidah Imarisha
A Hidden History: The Stories And Struggles Of Oregon's African American Communities, Walidah Imarisha
Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations
A Conversation Project program reveals the stories and struggles of Oregon's African American communities. Walidah Imarisha led this Oregon Humanities sponsored Conversation Project program entitled, “Why Aren't There More Black People in Oregon? A Hidden History.” This article describes her efforts in organizing and leading the program, and includes details of Oregon's history, how the state was "was created as a white utopian homeland," subsequent policies such as the "lash law," and hundreds of years of activism that is ushering change. The Hidden History Timeline embedded in this article starts with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, covers the founding of …