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The White State

AIR DATE: Thursday, August 14th 2008
Download the mp3 for this show.

How does Oregon's lack of diversity affect our state?

During today's show about the next generation of African-American leaders in Oregon, one of our guests, Cyreena Boston, touched on the subject of Thursday's show:

In a place like Portland, which statistically is proven to be the whitest major city in America, having a conversation about race sometimes is very limiting just because numerically speaking there are not a lot of people who I think -- and I don't necessarily use the word qualified, but could come and have a very well-rounded conversation about race.

(You can listen to an MP3 of the clip here.)

While we may indeed be home to the whitest major city in America, we're not the whitest state in the country.

In 2006, the US Census Bureau ranked Oregon as the 16th whitest state in the country, with 86% of our population identifying as only white. While we're nowhere near the top (Vermont earns that distinction with a 96% white population), we're still well above the country as whole, which is only about 74% percent white.

With Cyreena's warning in mind, we'll be talking about race in Oregon this Thursday. We'll be taking a look at the history of the state, and what factors have contributed to our state's relatively homogeneous racial makeup. And we'll be asking what effect our relative lack of diversity has on the lives of Oregonians -- white and non-white alike.

What is your own daily experience of Oregon's particular racial makeup? How does being a part of a relatively homogeneous majority -- or a relatively small minority -- affect your life?

Tagged as: ethnicity · history · race

Why aren't the two professors interviewed in this episode credited on the Think Out Loud web page? They are: Dr. Jun Xing, Professor of Ethnic Studies at Oregon State University, and Dr. Darrell Millner, Black Studies Professor at Portland State University.

pacificritic —
We are all told and hopefully aspire to the idea that race doesn't matter, we shouldn't pay attention to it, that we should be color-blind. Then we have a topic about Oregon not being as racially diverse as other states---with the apparent motivation of:
-How could Oregon possibly not be a racist place because it isn't diverse?
-Or how could Oregonians possibly have a discussion about race when it is mostly white people?

In other words suggesting: how could you and why would you "say no to drugs" if you have never taken them and don't know what they are like. Yes, many people can learn not to be racists and bigots without being submerged in a melting pot. Some people have the intelligence and wherewithal to be good inclusive people, simply because they are smart enough to be so.

How ironic, we want to be color blind, but now we are told we can't be, because we aren't diverse enough. People who say this are essentially saying white Oregonians are to blame for the lack of diversity. Not history, geography, or the plausible fact that many minorities may not want to move to Oregon because they don't like the culture. Statistically many minorities are some of the most bigoted groups in the country. Perhaps minorities don't want to move to a progressive, creative and open-minded place. Not to be silly, but many minorities might also not like the weather.

You ask: "How does being a part of a relatively homogeneous majority -- or a relatively small minority -- affect your life?" Well, it doesn't--- as color-blind people we wouldn't and shouldn't notice this.
scottmil —
Obama effigy hanging from a tree at George Fox College in Newberg, OR.
What more needs to be said about "The White State"!
Paul Paz
waitersworld —
While I agree with scottmil's direction, I will sail on a different tack. I want to be color-blind too, but I stick out as a bi-racial, native-born Portlander.

I worked for a company that had nearly a thousand employees and there were always fewer than 10 "minority race" employees.

I've often been the lone "minority" where I've worked. I've wondered, ?I sure as hell am not the only qualified minority employee so why aren't there more of us here??

But I don't live in Oregon for its cultural diversity. Every few years I compile a pro and con list to rediscover why I do. I like many of the people I know here. I like the weather and the outdoors. But I don't expect Oregon to be something it isn't. If you don't like Oregon's lack of cultural diversity (at the present time) perhaps you should live elsewhere.

When I want an infusion of "otherness" I go traveling. I don't have to go far. Vancouver, B.C. has a large Asian population. San Francisco is culturally diverse too. I get a dose of "otherness" and return to Portland somewhat mollified, but deep down something is missing.

Oh well, I've been willing to pay that price for living in Portland thus far. Everywhere you go, there you are. By that I mean Portland is fine; maybe I'm not connecting with it.

In agreement with scottmil I've embarked on a journey of letting go the labels used to define me. I can use my racial identity label as a crutch or an excuse not to develop fully as a human. I strive to understand the causes of suffering so I can eliminate them.

But overdue attention to race, not dealing with race, arguing about race in ways that don't create a better life leads to more suffering.

Unfortunately there are people in Oregon, of all races, who are not color blind and who are not focused on reaching a higher state of awareness. They point fingers, swear at, or attack those who are not like them.

Since I'm considered black by the naive and inexperienced, I watch my step. I've got to be aware of where I am. I have to know my place. As much as I want to be color blind, I find myself looking over my shoulder and that is tiresome.

It's also hard to ignore that my inter-racial parents couldn't get married in Oregon in the 1950s. I've read that black families couldn't buy houses in Raleigh Hills in the early 1960s. I've been threatened in the work place by people who were intolerant of my ?race? in the 1980s. One guy proclaimed, ?I'm not going to work with a nigger.? Fortunately, there were witnesses so it wasn't just my word against his. Hey, I've got no control over my racial composition, leave me alone!

You might say, ?Trurl9, all that bogus crap happened yesterday.? Yes, I agree with you, but the underlying problems still exist today and that's why race problems remain intransigent.

But every day I strive to understand and eliminate the causes of suffering. I work around, and seek to forgive those who haven't found the enlightenment or color blindness I strive for.

I've been to other countries and hung out with foreign cultures to better understand that we're all trying to make it through the Universe.

Whites in Oregon don't have a vocabulary for being in the minority. They may become frustrated when race pops up and slaps them when they feel they've done nothing to provoke it. However, sometimes the mere presence of white people is considered a provocation, and that saddens me.

But consider that minority groups tend to be oppressed in numerous ways. In the case of blacks who bear the stigma of 400+ years of unequal and destructive oppression, could there be deep psychological issues that keep blacks and whites from living together effectively? I think that is the case.

Our culture has an untreated psychosis affecting blacks and whites.
Blacks and whites don't trust each other. Blacks and whites are afraid of each other. So far we've brokered a tense tolerance bounded by positive results from the civil rights movement. But we are not close to being integrated or as effective as we can be.

Over time I've learned that I'm neither black nor white. Like Obama I've been in situations where I haven't been white or black enough. I've learned to extract myself from such limitations but they tediously crop up occasionally.

What most people don't realize or discuss is that race is not only a condition of appearance, more importantly, it's a state of mind.
trurl9 —

agree that

Galantamine Hydrobromide

helpgodme —
The racial make up of a state is due to its history. Oregon would be far more diverse today were it not for the harsh treatment of the Native Americans and the expulsion of the Japanese. I believe strongly that the vicious reaction to renaming the Interstate to Cesar Chavez boulevard had a racial component to it. The white majority are uncomfortable with the presence of brown skinned, black haired people speaking a different language. If the Native Americans had not been killed off or "removed", white Oregonians might not be so bothered by the Hispanics, many of whom are Indians or of Indian descent.
newworld —
I am a person of color living in Eugene, I have lived in Portland and Sacramento. I don't like living in a town where most everything in business and politics is created by, directed toward, and made to benefit people without color as they are the clear majority. Businesses and politicians have no need to appeal to a diverse audience because it wouldn't help them in the long run. I notice the lack of differing viewpoints and backgrounds, things that I regard as highly beneficial to a worth-while community.

Jess W —
This viewpoint is egregious and racist. To suggest that because there are a majority of white people that automatically means they are all bigoted and racist. Do you propose people should not go to certain areas of Atlanta or Chicago, or for that matter Africa because everything is made to benefit people with color? Do you have something to back your bigotry up?
scottmil —
What Jess W is getting at is the idea of 'white privilege' or institutional racism which is something that white U.S. Americans often get nervous about, feel guilty about, or reject. This is not a personal slam against white people or any race. It is just a fact that in most places in the U.S. (not all, however), white people have structural and historical privileges. The privilege is not asked for or earned, it just is. That is the first step to helping different races get along.
SE Portland —
I have attended many Duck football games in Eugene, and think that black athletes are regarded as gladiators or animals rather than humans. When plays are going well during games, fans are out of their seats cheering. When mistakes are made, some fans have been heard saying (to paraphrase), "that f'n N%&&*#".
Jess W —
While a visit to Portland quickly reminds one that it is the whitest place many of us have ever seen, the suburbs, such as Beaverton and Hillsboro are quite diverse. Whites in Beaverton class rooms are frequently a minority. Asians and Latinos being the largest groups represented.
fatmidwesternwhiteguy —
I think Oregon (and Portland specifically) sticks out in its whiteness because so many people claim an appreciation of diversity. This was discussed at "The Restorative Listening Project", an ongoing conversation about gentrification in North and Northeast Portland. White people like the idea of diversity, but we're such a white culture here, it's hard to know exactly what diversity in Oregon looks like.
justin.timmons@gmail.com —
Portland "sticks out in its whiteness," yes, because it is such a progressive place and somehow the lopsided views of certain and many progressives, that if a place isn't diverse it is an indication of a serious racist component. This view is overblown and irrational. Instead of helping what racism might be here, I propose it makes it worse. Because people don't like to be labeled as things they are not, and this creates resentment and probably pushes people with a borderline problem over the edge because they fight back irrationally.
scottmil —
It's not that a lopsided population makeup means racism, more that it's difficult to have a real appreciation for diversity when it isn't present.
justin.timmons@gmail.com —
Sorry, my writing wasn't clear---I wasn't suggesting that a lopsided population means racism at all. What I was saying is that many try to suggest that it indicates a racist population. This suggestion is a terrible one, with no foundation. It automatically infers that people in countries without racial diversity, perhaps because of strict immigration policies are flawed and bigoted and cannot possibly be anything but racists---which is ridiculous.

I certainly think racial diversity can in many ways force people, through simple function of exposure, to be more familiar with other cultures and races, but it certainly isn't always a prescription to cure bigotry or even necessary to do so.
So, you cannot possibly assume Oregon is more racist then other places because of its lack of diversity---there is no logical foundation to do so.
scottmil —
Here i must fully agree with your well stated point. "racial diversity can in many ways force people, through simple function of exposure, to be more familiar with other cultures and races, but it certainly isn't always a prescription to cure bigotry or even necessary to do so.
So, you cannot possibly assume Oregon is more racist then other places because of its lack of diversity---there is no logical foundation to do so."
--- Definitely!!! Maybe I need to read through your entire posts before responding. *heh*
Profess —
From Portland, OR.
"We're color blind" is a cliche with absolutely no meaning. To pay no mind to a person's racial experience, to be 'color blind' is as much an injustice as using one's own racial status as a power lever (if possible for that individual). It is a part of white privilege to be able to 'ignore' race. When someone is a minority in a state where people who look like them and have similar racial experiences are relegated to living in certain areas, defacto segregated schools, limited variation within the minority population and, with the help of main-stream media, stereotyped by the majority at large, ignoring race becomes very difficult (unless they're just asleep).
The new direction in social studies is a crucial step in helping us understand the socio-historic context of race and how it relates to our current affairs. To engage in or examine our current polity without making connections to the past and how that past affects our social fabric today is a travesty. Being "color blind" is like writing the 'dark side' of American / Oregon history out of the books. Sorry Scotty Mills, bad take.
Profess —
So, Profess, do you propose that everyone in a place that isn't diverse racially is racist? How is that not a bigoted, overreaching and cliched viewpoint? Those views apply to mediocrity.

There are many people who indeed do not care about racial history, cultural history, religious history or any other matter-of-fact history. Many people don't concern themselves with these things because they find them boring, uninteresting and superfluous---preferring to focus on substantive issues and the meat of the individuals personalities, their ideas, their philosophies, their creativity, not the bourgeois crap they can't change and were born into.

Yes, it makes sense to analyze these things if they directly relate to the subject at hand. I personally, don't care much about my own personal history, my own culture, my own race, my religious history---I try to be defined as loosely as I can by these things, because they are indeed trivial. This is not because I have white privilege, it is because I decided at a young age to try not to conform. Generally, the people I admire the most pay little attention to these things, because they are busy with bigger and better ideas.

Clearly, I used color-blind as a cliche and in a sarcastic manner.

"White privilege" is also a terrible and insulting stereotype. People who use it are as guilty of bigotry as the people they are attempting to defend.
scottmil —
...On white privilege...

White privilege is a sociological concept which describes advantages purportedly enjoyed by white persons beyond what is commonly experienced by the non-white people in those same social, political, and economic spaces (nation, community, workplace, income, etc.). It differs from racism or prejudice in that a person benefiting from white privilege does not necessarily hold racist beliefs or prejudices themselves. Often, the person benefiting is unaware of his or her supposed privilege.

1. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.

2. I can avoid spending time with people whom I was trained to mistrust and who have learned to mistrust my kind or me.

3. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live.

4. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.

5. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.

6. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.

7. When I am told about our national heritage or about "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.

8. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.

9. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece on white privilege.

10. I can be pretty sure of having my voice heard in a group in which I am the only member of my race.

11. I can be casual about whether or not to listen to another person's voice in a group in which s/he is the only member of his/her race.

12. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser's shop and find someone who can cut my hair.

13. Whether I use checks, credit cards or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.

14. I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them.

15. I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection.

16. I can be pretty sure that my children's teachers and employers will tolerate them if they fit school and workplace norms; my chief worries about them do not concern others' attitudes toward their race.

17. I can talk with my mouth full and not have people put this down to my color.

18. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty or the illiteracy of my race.

19. I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my race on trial.

20. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.

21. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.

22. I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color who constitute the world's majority without feeling in my culture any penalty for such oblivion.

23. I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider.

24. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to the "person in charge", I will be facing a person of my race.

25. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven't been singled out because of my race.

26. I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys and children's magazines featuring people of my race.

27. I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance or feared.

28. I can be pretty sure that an argument with a colleague of another race is more likely to jeopardize her/his chances for advancement than to jeopardize mine.

29. I can be pretty sure that if I argue for the promotion of a person of another race, or a program centering on race, this is not likely to cost me heavily within my present setting, even if my colleagues disagree with me.

30. If I declare there is a racial issue at hand, or there isn't a racial issue at hand, my race will lend me more credibility for either position than a person of color will have.

31. I can choose to ignore developments in minority writing and minority activist programs, or disparage them, or learn from them, but in any case, I can find ways to be more or less protected from negative consequences of any of these choices.

32. My culture gives me little fear about ignoring the perspectives and powers of people of other races.

33. I am not made acutely aware that my shape, bearing or body odor will be taken as a reflection on my race.

34. I can worry about racism without being seen as self-interested or self-seeking.

35. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of my race.

36. If my day, week or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it had racial overtones.

37. I can be pretty sure of finding people who would be willing to talk with me and advise me about my next steps, professionally.

38. I can think over many options, social, political, imaginative or professional, without asking whether a person of my race would be accepted or allowed to do what I want to do.

39. I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.

40. I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.

41. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.

42. I can arrange my activities so that I will never have to experience feelings of rejection owing to my race.

43. If I have low credibility as a leader I can be sure that my race is not the problem.

44. I can easily find academic courses and institutions which give attention only to people of my race.

45. I can expect figurative language and imagery in all of the arts to testify to experiences of my race.

46. I can chose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my skin.

47. I can travel alone or with my spouse without expecting embarrassment or hostility in those who deal with us.

48. I have no difficulty finding neighborhoods where people approve of our household.

49. My children are given texts and classes which implicitly support our kind of family unit and do not turn them against my choice of domestic partnership.

50. I will feel welcomed and "normal" in the usual walks of public life, institutional and social.


Profess —
Thanks, for the list mainly describing the functional outcome of what it means to be a majority and minority of any color in any place---and accounts of what it means, or feels like, to be discriminated against. It adds nothing substantive to what has been said.
scottmil —
I want to make sure this response gets posted, I didn't see that my previous one did. I completely agree with you here. The term "white privilege" is a misnomer and should properly be called "majority privilege". It seems I agree with you more than I initially thought. You make another well stated point.
Profess —
This whole list comes down to [i]being a minority[/i]. When you're a minority, you're different from most of the other people around you by definition. You could be a different race, or a different religion, or whatever.

This whole "white privilege" thing is a manipulation. It's an attempt to make "everyone a minority." But everyone isn't, and that's just a fact about life.

It seems to me that there are more productive things to do than to cut-and-paste long lists like this into the discussion. If I'm willing to treat everyone I meet with initial kindness and respect, [i]that ought to be enough[/i].

What else do you want? Please reply with specificity. What do you want us to [i]do?[/i]
kraznayazvezda —
Positive individual interactions demolish most people's concepts of racism. Treating everyone we meet with respect should be a mode of operation for all of us. I think that is what I and most people want, I think there is little more we (as individuals) can do. These are things I fully agree with you about.

As for why I 'cut and paste' items into posts, it was an attempt to bring light to some elusive aspects of [b]"majority privilege"[/b] that were in question. I could have referenced the many books on my shelf at home to get the same or similar information, but chose to use the speed and efficiency of the internet instead. The concept of "white / majority privilege" is not meant to prey on anyone's guilt. It describes dynamics that are not relegated to individuals, but to characteristics inherent in majority / minority situations. Re-read the definition I posted at the top of the list. Knowledge of these dynamics can and should help buffer our individual interactions and help us understand how others might feel under various circumstances.

[quote]I have some questions about your most recent response [b]kraznayazvezda[/b], what is a [i]'hyper-intellectual'[/i]? When was there an attempt to 'draft' you into an ideological project? What groups outside whites are [i]not[/i] considered minorities?[/quote]
Any examination of our country's history will reveal that the concept of whiteness with regard to race explicitly excludes all other races. You are correct, everyone isn't a (racial) minority, just those who differ from the (racial) majority. Believe me, I know these dynamics don't apply strictly to whites and racial minorities but to any majority / minority circumstance. I have seen the situation inverted from the norm with similar results [i](one white male in a sea of people not like him, being deprived of some of the benefits listed above, having to mentally adjust).[/i] Speading awareness and empathy for how others may feel is the only scam I have going in trying to elaborate on majority / white privilege. Hope it works.
Profess —
Words like "white privilege" are a scam. They're part of a hyper-intellectual superstructure of racial theory designed to prey on white guilt.

I don't pick on people based on what color they are. I try to treat everyone I meet with respect and kindness. That's what I'm supposed to do, and I do it.

If that's not "enough," then too bad. I don't choose to be "drafted" into anyone's ideological project.
kraznayazvezda —
As a newcomer (within the last two months) I was surprised by the whiteness of the gay community. I have not seen but a handful of blacks or latinos in gay events and rarely asians. Are gays more racists than other groups in Portland?
DKSand —
As a 36-year old white male and life-long liberal who has lived all over the country, my perspective was profoundly changed [i]only three years ago[/i] by a weekend-long discussion I attended about race. The first key insight I came away with was the life-long negative impact on minorities of daily experiences with subtle and overt racism. The second was a recognition of my own, deeply internalized, racism--despite a conscious effort on my part to not never reflect that to the outside world.

As white people, especially in a state with relatively small minority populations, it is incumbent upon us to make a conscious effort to reach out, seek dialog and understanding--with humility--if we hope to make progress in our society and in our own souls.
Derek1G —
Was the conversation you were involved in formally organized? If so what was the name of the conversation you were part of? I would like to participate in such an event. It seems you gained a deep understanding of some of the effects of institutionalised racism on the everyday lives of minorities. Thanks for your insights.
Profess —
Lee Mun Wah started this organization:
www.stirfryseminars.com
in response to some deep personal pain related to issues of race.
He is an extremely gifted facilitator who travels the country conducting workshops and has been in Eugene several times. His films are also powerful--enough so that they're best followed by extensive discussion if viewed with a group.
My experience over two-days of listening and a little talking was unexpectedly profound.
Derek1G —
These guests are very interesting. I knew a bunch about Oregon racial history but I'm learning more today.
Tom D Ford —
As a bi-racial individual I am often troubled when I see the confederate flag flown as I travel around our state. I enjoy participating in outdoor activities which often take me to rural areas, but the symbol of the flag often serves as a warning to me that I may not be safe in a particular location. I realize that many fly the confederate flag claiming that it has nothing to do with race, but I am very skeptical of this claim and play it safe by steering clear. I'm wondering what reactions other people have when seeing the confederate flag flown around Oregon?
Scott R —
Bend has become known around the nation as a very good place for Conservative Republicans to live and so I have seen a lot of pickup trucks with the confederate flag around here in the last ten or twelve years.

I liked Bend when we were more a working folks town than our new servant economy, kowtowing to wealthy Conservative Republican tourists.
Tom D Ford —
As a kid growing up in Oregon we used to go fishing down at the coast and in central Oregon. We were black. I asked the adults why they brought firearms. They said, "Well, you never know when you'll run into somebody who doesn't like you. Sometimes people give you trouble." We never encountered any trouble that I was aware of. Once a white fisherman said, "There are a bunch of guys 'nigger fishing' downstream." The black adult with me made sure I knew what that term meant. It was also a lesson/warning that we had to watch our backs. "Nigger fishing" refers to fishermen who sit on buckets as they fish. The phrase was meant to be derogatory toward blacks who were considered lazy because they often sat on their buckets. I get leery when I see Confederate flags too.
trurl9 —
"Nigger fishing"

I learned that as a picture of a black man on a river bank leaned back against a tree with his hat tilted down over his face apparently asleep and with his fishing pole propped up just waiting for a fish more energetic than him to bite.

I grew up in a non racist military family, I'm white, but the entire society back in those nineteen fifties was loaded with racist stereotypes and I know that I learned some of those and even used them at times. I think I've learned a lot since but it sure takes looking back over how I grew up and what and how I learned.

There are a lot of decent people in Central Oregon, even Oregon, and I guess I ought to acknowledge them along with my pointing out the not so decent types.
Tom D Ford —
My Husband and I are white gay men and we have a 3 year old black son. We moved here in june from San Francisco for financial reasons. We chose Portland because of its liberalism and tolerance. We chose to live in NE because of its diversity. We are very happy where we are so far. We have many black neighbors and everyone gets along. This part of Portland seems very diverse and integrated to me.
joeinpdx —
In addition to the great resources already mentioned as places to find information about Oregon's cultural history, The Oregon Encyclopedia of History & Culture is also available. The Oregon Encyclopedia is an online encyclopedia, www.oregonencyclopedia.org that is currently being created through a partnership of Portland State University and The Oregon Historical Society, and is specifically including entries on traditionally underrepresented communities in Oregon such as women, ethnic minorities, and Native Americans. It is also currently a forum for Oregonians to contribute topics that are significant in the past landscape of Oregon.
The Oregon Encyclopedia —
Cool idea.

But that site is not friendly to people on a dial-up connection, I don't know what all it downloads but I had to stop it and close it.
Tom D Ford —
One of your speakers was criticizing white people who live in Northeast Portland for not having lots of black friends. I've lived in Northeast for quite some time and I got to say in my defense that some of my black neighbors have been the worst neighbors I've ever had anywhere, and I've lived in a lot of places. I don't feel guilty for not going over to their houses and hanging out when what I hear coming from their houses at all hours are lots of screaming and much too loud music. Also I've had black people shout at me, "What you doin here whitie?" I'm just saying it goes both ways.
Jesse42 —
It is more than frustrating, at times, to live in a place where very few people look like you. I heard Black people being referred to as "Negros" a few days ago and I look around for defense, and no one spoke up. I spoke up for myself and was dismissed. Sometimes it's sad, sometimes funny, and sometimes just scary.
cook97203 —
I'm so grateful that this is your topic....long over due
Will Bennett
Golden West Project
African-american-historical-district.com
peace
will b.
willbe —
As a teenager in SE Portland, I hardly ever have to examine issues of race, because I simply don't run into people who aren't white very often. It is easy for my friends and I to insist that "We aren't racists!" because we never have to face the issues. My neighborhood is literally all white, and it distresses me that, after growing up in this environment, I feel like a racist. I don't mean that I participate in hate crimes or act negatively towards people of a different race from my own; my racism manifests itself in that I feel that I need to act carefully around people of other races so I don't accidently offend them in some way, or make them think that I am a racist. I am even uncomfortable writing this, lest something I say be misconstrued, and I offfend someone. This seems backward to me.
JoHall —
This is really sad. Here's a person who doesn't do bad things, but who feels "like a racist" and is worried about accidentally offending someone.

The racial atmosphere in this country has become poisonous, thanks in part to the acts of racial arsonists like Al Sharpton. It's time to straighten this all out.

To me, the word "racist" brings up images of Bull Connor attacking civil rights demonstrators with firehoses and attack dogs. Anyone wielding that word should have something to back up an attack like that. I think that terms like "institutional racism" are dishonest manipulations, designed to attach the emotions associated with Bull Connor, etc to entirely other things which do not deserve that association.
kraznayazvezda —
According to Portland City Government Auditor Office website
"In 1886 Members of the anti-coolie league burn the shacks of the Chinese market gardeners and dynamite two laundries, giving all the Chinese 30 days to leave Portland. Forced out, many Chinese return to China or migrate to San Francisco leaving only 3,000.

1886 Anti-Chinese factions
Mayor John Gates intervenes against threats to expel the Chinese population from Portland by activating City militias and doubling the police force. "
This kind of historical practices made Oregon white.
sheltonfu —
I am a white woman, who moved here from Chicago last summer. I lived in very diverse neighborhoods some of which I was the ethnic minority.
But what I find most interesting is that not being at a work place where african-american and other ethnicities are blended in all along the professional spectrum makes me feel less safe. I feel that the work place is a bit clubby without diversity. I worry about my own ability to fit in as a gay woman without as much diversity. Also I find it just wierd when I am in social settings that are all white.
Loretta1 —
It's really disturbing to me to see yet more evidence of Portland's self describing, self aggrandizing, self congratulatory "progressive" labeling. Portland provincialism, i.e. lack of exposure to the outside world, enables this sort of inflated self image.
fatmidwesternwhiteguy —
Well put.
Profess —
So now your stereotyping again, to fix a stereotype? Good work. Many in Portland come from other larger cities and have lived in multiple diverse locations, and just happen to like the aesthetics and openness of Portland.

I love this competition to repeatedly beat Oregon down and declare everyone in Oregon is racist because it is a small place with little diversity. So can I also assume everyone in large diverse cities aren't racist? This logic is so flawed, I can't believe more people aren't annoyed by this insult.
scottmil —
I was simply observing the behavior of many participants on this board. To say it isn't self congratulatory is simply ridiculous. Anyobody who is in Portland for more than 1 day from the outside notices the same thing. Portland is a very smug place with a distorted self image.
fatmidwesternwhiteguy —
So, is Portland more or less self-congratulatory then other cities? Is Portland more or less smug then other cities? Does this blog speak for the entire city of Portland? Or did you experience the observation in person?

On this blog many people claim there is a racism problem in Portland. Others claim people are overreacting or exaggerating a problem without enough evidence. Neither side hardly seems self-congratulatory! Or, are they the un-smug people of Portland or Oregon?
scottmil —
Yes. It really is. You need to get out more. As an immigrant to the area, it's true. My point is that, while discussing this issue, you and many others have brought the self descibed "progressive" and "liberal" nature of Portland into the discussion. I find this lack of introspection and perspective disturbing.
fatmidwesternwhiteguy —
I get out all the time. Thanks. So are you saying Portland isn't progressive or liberal leaning? So what is it then? Conservative? You can't have it both ways. None of the evidence supports your comment. Which isn't surprising.

Are there places in the USA which you think are progressive?

Often people who call people smug are smug themselves-or at least with the metrics you are using to define smug. By your metrics, I would also fall into this category---which is just fine.
scottmil —
Yes, I agree. You fit this category.

I would name cities like Ann Arbor, Michigan...St. Paul...MN, or Minneapolis, MN. I would add Madison, WI..Iowa City Iowa...Seattle, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Austin, Texas. I could go on. None of these cities spend as much time crowing the way Portland does about how progressive they are.

There is a disproportionate amount of boosterism in relation to actual accomplishment or genuineness. Does Portland have some great things? Sure! I like it here. But, hey, beer was not invented here...not even micro brews. New urbanism wasn't invented here, bicycling wasn't invented here, the environmental movement didn't originate here. Don't get me started on the absurb neighborhood versus neighborhood arguments.

Incidentally, I learned a new term from one of my "progressive" friends who giggled guiltily when referring to certain parts of NE Portland as "felony flats" in a conversation about racial diversity in Portland. I learn all of my racist slang from my progressive friends!
fatmidwesternwhiteguy —
It would be useful for discussion if you backed up your sweeping statements with comments that reinforced them---rather then talking about beer and other unrelated nonsense. Yes, I get what you are saying and it is a shabby argument. The same type of conjecture used to justify all the other bigotry and racism on the planet.

Glad you speak so highly of your friends.

My smug has learned more then I care to know about your smug.
scottmil —
[i]I can't believe more people aren't annoyed by this insult. [/i]

I am. Too many victims of white guilt fall for this stuff.

There's a great book, [i]White Guilt[/i] by Shelby Steele (who is half black, half white -- and the fact that I have to mention this is proof of how toxic race relations are in this society). I highly recommend the book.
kraznayazvezda —
I am "white". I was born and raised in New Jersey. Oregon seems very white to me but not just along the lines of black and white. There is a big lack of the influence of the europeon immigrant experience in this part of the country compared to the part of the NE I grew up in. I received both Christin and Jewish holidays off. The people I grew up with on my block could trace their family roots to many parts of Europe. I definitely miss the old world influence I grew up with. I recently was sick a wanted a comfort food from my childhood. It is a type of pasta all the grocery stores where I grew up would carry. I could not find it anywhere in the city.
Auggie —
Racism is a learned trait and behavior. Oregon's racism has a long track record in history. Racism is alive and well in Oregon... how about those nazi flags hanging from ballons floating over Portland!
Paul
waitersworld —
I am one of the "progressive white" citizens that has been mentioned on the show. I work in a very "white" profession (design & construction) and, while I would dearly love to have African American friends to invite to parties, I just don't meet very many. I pride myself on being "color blind" and not treating anyone differently because of the color of their skin, and I do have several close Asian friends; but are the speakers advocating that I should be specifically seeking out African American people to befriend? That seems insincere!
stefeek —
I think it would be insincere if you were only doing it for show as opposed to with genuine interest in meeting new and different people. If you'd like to have more diversity among your friends, in a place like Portland it may take a special effort. Reaching out with genuine warmth and interest rarely gets negative reaction.
One tip I've learned in discussion with people of color is to preface any remarks about race or diversity with a positive personal statement to set the tone: "I've been glad to see more different kinds of people moving into the neighborhood/club/job-site. I'm Joe, glad to meet you."
Yes, you've come with an "olive branch," but who wouldn't like to receive an olive branch--especially when cold/hostile reactions are more common?
Derek1G —
I grew up in California and moved to Portland to go to Univ of Portland in 1978. The whiteness was one of the first things I noticed about Oregon. What surprised me most was how people from "nice" areas of town,(read: SW) were afraid to go to North Portland. To me, the "bad" parts of town were better than many good parts of the Bay Area.

I then moved to Washington DC in 1981 which has a large black middle class which I had never experienced. It was the most integrated yet segregated community ever. Quite a dicotomy.

Until everyone realizes that it's not skin color that makes us different, but socio-economic and cultural beliefs that really keep us apart, there will be no progress. Like minds come together regardless of color. The unknown generates fear. It takes work on both sides to make this work.
wombatina —
As a white male married to a brown woman, my education process has really developed over the last 10 years. my wife's experience, after we moved from a vary polarized college town in norther indiana to Eugene OR, was quite devestating. in Indiana, people were clear about their views and racism. In 'liberal' eugene, on the other hand, everyone claimed to have a racial minority friend, but she was continually shut down through systemic racism - the work heirarchy, the comments and polarization at parties, behaviour at city and professional speaking engagements. this was further reinforced through her working for a women's organization that continually ran into issues of race, to the point that the support service was shut down.

additionally, as i was developing the racial minority outreach for a city program, i could often only get so far until the organization director would take me aside to note that 'we don't want to really move too fast and grow the program to that extent'.

my wife still swears that eugene was the most painful racial experience in her life, even in comparison to living in an indiana town that held KKK rallies while we lived there.

we do not regret leaving eugene for further schooling, but still somehow managed to move back to portland to settle for many of the quality of life perks. we're drained sometimes w/our experience of lack of racial integration and cultural competency in the city, but travel regularly to spend time w/ people who more adequately reflect our experience and interests.
31Hertz —
I am from 'back east', New England. Boston, New York City, Baltimore.

All those places have much larger black populations.
But I still had mostly white friends. (I am caucasian, within three generations of Mother Finland.)

Why is it that I must go out in search of Black friends, and why must any conversation about race always be about Black people?
In this area, we have large Asian and Mexican/Central American/South American populations. Not to mention Indigenous Americans.
But the conversation is Always about Black Americans.

All the "Racial" issues that Afro-centric people complain about are financial issues that affect poor people of all races/elasticities.
But the Black people seem to think they deserve special treatment.

Hey, we're poor! Live with it!

[Also, why is there a Professor of Black Studies, and that is cool. But if there was a Professor of White Studies, that would be racist.]
old man arthur —
Interesting point. The reason we have 'Black Studies' programs and few "White Studies' programs (there are some) in universities is because of the fact the dominant culture in the U.S. has been and continues to be white. When white folks start considering their own ethnicity instead of thinking of themselves as simply 'Americans', we might move this discussion forward.
SE Portland —
I see that point. BTW- My ethnicity is Finnish, with thousands of years of history and centuries of oppression by the Russ.
'Back East' there still are ethnic neighborhoods. Italian, Polish, German, Jewish, Portuguese, Armenian...
Portland has none of that diversity... Try to find a Real deli in Portland. (Noah's Bagels don't count.)
Kell's Pub and the Greek Cuisina are no substitute for a true Irish or Greek neighborhood and culture.
old man arthur —
[i]When white folks start considering their own ethnicity instead of thinking of themselves as simply 'Americans', we might move this discussion forward.[/i]

Maybe when [i]everyone[/i] starts thinking of themselves as Americans we'll move forward. I'm from a religious minority background, which is my own personal thing. I don't need to impose it on everyone or have some effect on everyone because of it.

I'm an American.
kraznayazvezda —
The reason Black / White issues are the center of race conversation is because it can be used as a model. Keep in mind, conventional schooling, media and public knowledge is automatically from the perspective of the majority (another inherent part of majority tyranny). There are professors of White history, they're called professors of American History. The story is written from that perspective to the detriment of all other perspectives. Face the truth.
Profess —
The mere fact that there's a consensus view doesn't amount to tyranny. To say so verges on the hysterical.
AnthonyR —
"There are professors of White history, they're called professors of American History. The story is written from that perspective to the detriment of all other perspectives."

Take that a bit further, they're professors of the history of wealthy white people.

We have to go to people like Howard Zinn and Thom Hartman to find the history of the working classes. And to the Gloria Steinems for feminist history.
Tom D Ford —
Well, one might argue that "history" as distinct from oral folk storytelling and mythologizing is a tradition alien to most non-European inhabitants of North America, so why buy into it?

If you do buy into it, you're making a compromise: which I think is great.

It is certainly healthy to revise historical perspectives as the opportunity arises and as the society becomes enriched by people with other points of view. However, it is important to distinguish between history (interpretation based on facts) and something more like ethnography where one is just focusing on the culture of a group without a rigorous appraisal of what they contributed (or did not contribute) to the general culture as it evolved. History properly privileges certain kinds of events.
AnthonyR —
I grew up in a small town in Oregon. When I graduated from high school in the early 1970s, I had never been in the physical presence of a Black or Latino, and the only Asians I had met were a girl who had been adopted from Korea as an infant and a Japanese woman who was a close friend of my mother's. My sole exposure to people of color was what I saw on TV. (Fortunately, I had the opportunity to meet and be friends with people of color in college.)

How has this affected me? I think I may have avoided a lot of the negative stereotypes simply because they never came up. My parents did their best to make sure that I knew about their disapproval of racism when it did show up on TV or in conversation. At the same time, I think it has left me with the assumption that people of color are just like me - and that isn't completely fair in acknowledging their very different experience in this society.
KarenInPortland —
Can't there be assimilation without dismissal of different backgrounds? Surely we need to forge unity in order to have harmony rather than a fractured, mutually suspicious society.

I know that I personally am most sensitive to differences of culture first, personality second, and I think all people are like this. Racial stereotyping can override this, of course. But the point is that people are reassured when they share common cultural ground.
AnthonyR —
I'm born and raised in Oregon, and have the unique perspective of being half-japanese. I hadn't realized how much the lack of diversity in Oregon had effected me growing up until I began traveling around the country in young adulthood. I'd always thought of Portland in particular as being very relaxed and tolerant, but I guess I'd just not realized how sheltered we are from diversity.

2 experiences of mine stick out in particular:
(1) I was a camp counselor in Michigan for a summer which took mostly inner-city Chicago children. After the couple-week counselor orientation, the campers started showing up, and I was startled to find most of the children were black kids. I had never been around as many black children before, and frankly, I was scared of them at first. I was convinced they would not respect me, and I would not be able to connect with them. Needless to say... this fear was COMPLETELY unfounded, and I quickly learned they were children, that's all. There was no reason for me to have panicked initially, and I couldn't help but be ashamed of my first reaction... but it was engendered by the (unintentional) complete lack of diversity from my own life up to that moment.

(2) I had a summer internship in the bay area while I was in graduate school. I had an amazing self-actualizing summer simply because I was surrounded by people with my cheek bones, or eyelids, or hair type. I had been so used to being the only kid who looked like me, and this summer I realized that I wasn't alone, and I wasn't nearly as unique as I had originally thought.

For Oregonians and specifically Portlanders who believe they are open-minded and non-racist... I challenge you to travel a little bit and deal with your own inner feelings on actually being AROUND other races.
lillentil —
Both of your stories are fascinating and bravely told. For whatever reason, I think experiences like the one you had as a camp counselor are extremely common for people who have grown up in the U.S. Meeting people who are different provides an opportunity to observe our own reactions (and actions) and grow from that self-knowledge. Congratulations for taking that opportunity.
Derek1G —
I'm African American and have lived in both Portland and Eugene for the past six years. I don't mean to deny others their own experiences - but I have not experienced any of the racism people are sharing about. I have found that people go out their way to welcome me and my family.

I find that my encounters meet my expectations.
livewire —
A 5 year old boy I know was raised in a completely homogeneous, white environment in a foreign country. When he came to the USA for the first time and enrolled in school, he came home one day and confessed that he didn't "like" the Blacks in his class. I believe that this statement was based solely on the fact that the Blacks looked different;ly than he did. I remember how a boy in my second grade who was ostracized due to his flaming red hair. I believe that racial separation breeds racial discrimination.
CalvinArnason —
I am half white and the rest a mix of Spanish and Indian. I was born in Portland and grew up mostly in rural areas of the Pacific Northwest. I was almost always the only dark person in my class or at my work. I think that looking Asian worked in my favor, because people consider Asians to be "almost white."

I find that a lot of people are interested in my background, but what that means to me is that they are not interested in me as a person.

I have also seen the confederate flag on hats and tattoos, and this disturbs me. I never saw this in Washington, not even rural eastern Washington. I am curious about the cause of that difference. Does Oregon have more refugees from the South? Or is this part of Oregon's polarized political landscape? For whites to identify with apartheid states, in an area where they are least "threatened" by people of darker skin, seems amusing to me. Perhaps we will see the apartheid South African flag next? Why not?

I think that Oregon's lack of diversity is self-reinforcing because nobody wants to be the only black, the only Indian, or whatever, in an area.

My post is all over the place but I think it's hard to form a global picture based on one's own personal experience, and I just wanted to share my point of view.
MmeZeeZee —
"I find that a lot of people are interested in my background, but what that means to me is that they are not interested in me as a person."

I couldn't have said it better myself. I'm half-Japanese, the other half being Irish, English, French, and German. I've always appeared "ethnic," but many Oregonians can't place my ethnicity. I've noticed that I'm actually offended by people who latch onto my ethnicity as my identity, but I've not been able to verbalize WHY an interest in my ethnic background is first and foremost off-putting.

I think you hit the nail on the had with that simple sentence.

Thank you for your perspective!
lillentil —
[i]I find that a lot of people are interested in my background, but what that means to me is that they are not interested in me as a person.[/i]

The problem is, there are probably more "people of color" who would be offended if their "color" was not paid attention to.

How's anyone supposed to know?
kraznayazvezda —
I'd just like to touch on the criticism of Robert Downey Jr's role in "Tropic Thunder" that I just heard on the show. I'm sure that we can all agree that the use of blackface in film is an offensive anachronism. I have no intention of arguing against this. However, as they are wont to do in cases of edgy pop culture, the media has jumped on this and missed critical information about his role.
Downey is playing a white, Australian method actor who has undertaken a role in a film within a film. I'm disappointed to find that the news (and even this program) missed the point of the role. They make it sound like the movie studio selected Downey as the best actor to play a black role and that he beat out a group of actors who are actually black. Downey is satirizing a method actor who believe himself to be so talented that he can perform any role, regardless of ethnicity.
McMannus —
If this is the case, then it sounds as if the Downey role is indeed delivering historical context.

Was there something else driving Prof. Miller's indignation, or did he prematurely seize on the instance without checking it out?
AnthonyR —
Clearly few want a rational and logical discussion. Everyone is so caught up in the STEREOTYPE that white people are all racist, that nothing will get better. Because when you repeatedly tell people they are something---they will become it. I guess we can all bring each other down together, so we all hit rock pathetic bottom.

America has grown into a culture of victims. If they themselves are not being victimized they are trying to find people who are, and when you have a lot of inexperienced and unqualified detectives, you have a lot of errors in thinking, rushes to judgement and incorrect assumptions.
scottmil —
No, I don't get that they're saying that all whites are racist, I hear them saying that given the history in Oregon and indeed in the US, that racism is still a problem for a lot of white people.

I see a lot of progress from the fifties but a lot of the people who lost the segregation battles are still around and still teaching their children by how they act as role models.

You might consider yourself an enlightened person and so assume that the rest of white people are also but I sure have a different experience, I see lots of racism and also lots of non-racist white folks.
Tom D Ford —
There may be some tenuous continuity between the historical segregation and related atrocities mentioned on the program and the presence of genuine white racists/supremacists in Oregon. However, that has nothing to do with the uncomfortable disjunction between the pretensions and practices of White progressives when it comes to mingling with Blacks.

It would be more reasonable to argue that the Whites merely reflect general prejudices, especially as so many in Portland today come from elsewhere. However, I think it would be more accurate still to say that some discomfort associated with racism is nothing of the kind, it's just people inexperienced in dealing wiith people who look like them. When racial prejudices do exist (especially among late-comers to Oregon) they are not essentially of the past but have to do with current impressions of cultural practices and, unfortunately, social pathologies associated with Blacks.
AnthonyR —
So why not go after the racists, and not indulge in statements (not you, necessarily but definitely some in this discussion) that "this is a racist society," "we're all racists," etc.

I've got no problem going after people who do racist acts. I've got a [i]huge[/i] problem being accused of that myself, even though I don't do any of that.
kraznayazvezda —
I like your unqualified detectives comment. I may use that one later if you don't mind. But why do you keep hearing an accusation in this discussion? I'm not getting that at all. I'm just hearing that people are sharing their experiences. Isn't this sharing the thing that will lead ultimately to better understanding? Stop being defensive.
fatmidwesternwhiteguy —
One of the guests today said that generally, white people seemed to be concerned about racial issues on a personal level while black people are more concerned about policy. This makes sense: people are concerned with what affects them most. Black people are concerned with policy because it has a more direct impact on their lives, while white people are concerned with personal interactions because what directly affects them is not large scale policy issues, but internal feelings of discomfort or guilt about racial issues. Black people want equal opportunity to better their lives and white people want to feel better about themselves.

So as an average white person who is not in a position to set public policies, what can I do beyond focusing on personal interactions to actually improve diversity? Does one need to become an activist, or are there other ways to get involved? I think this would be a more valuable and productive discussion.
NathanderWeise —
I was interested to hear the same thing you did from one guest. But I did not hear him or anyone else say that constructive efforts on the personal level were [i]un[/i]welcome. I think that individual-to-individual efforts can be a gateway for addressing public policy. A slow, small step? Well, at least a step in the right direction. Now keep moving.
Derek1G —
I just have to say, regarding my own experience:

I'm a young Black male who grew up in GA most of my life. I moved here nearly 3 years ago (Sept/'05) thinking that Portland was this haven of liberalism, etc. And in many ways, it has turned out that way. I was able to participate in demonstrations & attend music events that would've been [nearly] impossible back in GA, especially Columbus. BUT.........

I've also had alot of problems here that i could've stayed in GA for. The police (PPB) are extremely racist, & just [generally] low-down to poor/young people over-all (cops here HATE it when you dress in all black clothes). Finding work here is very hard, far moreso than nessesary. There IS this sort of subtle, thin veil of [covert] prejudice which coats this city, & takes alot off it's "liberal" shine.
Bottom line - Portland is NOT "weird". It's a fine place to be, over-all, but it's just as racist/prejudice as ANY OTHER American city. The main difference is that Portland just isn't as HONEST about it. I feel that ANY person of colour should have that in mind when considering moving here. I had gotten some warning, but not NEARLY enough. I'm not saying i'm sorry for moving here, but i just wish i REALLY knew what i was in for!

Btw, one item i don't recall hearing on this mornings' program is how/why alot of Blacks seem to be condensed in NE Portland. And something about [that part] of the city being intentionally flooded back in the '50's...
DamosA —
I met a Black woman from New Jersey who was irritated by people reacting to here with what she took to be feigned politeness, when clearly they were uncomfortable. She didn't insist that they were racist, but she didn't like the insincerity of the way they dealt with her difference.

That kind of thing is almost inevitable where one race is so prevalent.

However, what she endured was very different than negative prejudices. These people were just uncomfortable: they didn't know how to behave, and they were made more uncomfortable by the fact.

I don't know what the commenter means by "...when you dress in all black clothes." That sounds like anarchists. I will say that I am suspicious of people, whatever their race (and they come in all flavors), who affect gangster dress and manners. Whether pretension or real, that style expresses hostility to a common program of civilized life.
AnthonyR —
I think the point you're getting at is mirroring what the "first person" narratives from those people who grew up in Oregon/Portland are saying. There is an overwhelming sincerity to not WANT be racist, and not think of ourselves as racist... but from lack of diversity exposure, not many of us live up to our ideals.

When "not being racist" in Portland is being boiled down to how many people of colour you know by name, if any... that's just not enough to desensitize the actuality of being immersed in a diverse culture.
lillentil —
Just to clarify, dressing in all black clothes doen't at all mean that someone's an anarchist. Maybe many anarchists DO happen to wear black clothing; i wouldn't really know, since i've never been apart of any organization. But most of MY woredrobe is black as it just happens to be my preference. Cops don't like it, though.
DamosA —
Flooded in the fifties? The Vanport flood? I had not heard of any intention. If that's the flood I'm thinking of, it vanished a whole town in Washington and was completely out of anybodys control.

Maybe the Profess has some knowledge about that.
Tom D Ford —
There's a decent Wikipedia article about Vanport:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanport,_Oregon

According to Wikipedia, it was built in 1943 in what is now the Delta Park area to house wartime shipyard workers, a significant fraction of whom were African-Americans. After the flood, many moved farther south into N and NE Portland.
NathanderWeise —
Thanks for that link. I was wrong about it being in Washington. I think I remember seeing a documentary on OPB with film of that flood.
Tom D Ford —
From the OPB website: "This 1991 OPB documentary chronicles the little known history of racism in Oregon and the moving story of people, both black and white, who worked for civil rights. Jon Tuttle was a news reporter in Portland for most of his life but said he was unaware of much of this history until late in his career. He set out to document the story but found he was almost too late as some of the important participants had died and others were getting on in age. Local Color is the story of black Oregonians and their struggle for equality told by the people, both black and white, who lived the history. But there are moments of highly disturbing racism in a state not known for racial diversity. But there are also moments of inspiration and courage as people take a stand to bring about important change. Without this historic documentary, many of these stories, from some of the state's best people might have been lost and forgotten."
http://shop.opb.org/product/show/47187
peace
will b.
willbe —
[i]Btw, one item i don't recall hearing on this mornings' program is how/why alot of Blacks seem to be condensed in NE Portland. And something about [that part] of the city being intentionally flooded back in the '50's...[/i]

You should learn some history before you start believing conspiracy theories. The Vanport flood [i]was not[/i] an intentional act.
kraznayazvezda —
I am a white man who was married for years to a Vietnamese woman. My first real glimpse of white priviledge was when she and I were waiting in line at a fish market. Behind us were three other asian people. When approached by the sales clerk, he assumed that we were all together based, apparantly, on the fact that the people behind us and my wife were all asian. It was just strange to me, and obviously offensive to the people behind us, that the clerk would automatically group people together in his mind on this racial basis
Aeolian —
From the OPB website: "This 1991 OPB documentary chronicles the little known history of racism in Oregon and the moving story of people, both black and white, who worked for civil rights. Jon Tuttle was a news reporter in Portland for most of his life but said he was unaware of much of this history until late in his career. He set out to document the story but found he was almost too late as some of the important participants had died and others were getting on in age. Local Color is the story of black Oregonians and their struggle for equality told by the people, both black and white, who lived the history. But there are moments of highly disturbing racism in a state not known for racial diversity. But there are also moments of inspiration and courage as people take a stand to bring about important change. Without this historic documentary, many of these stories, from some of the state's best people might have been lost and forgotten."
http://shop.opb.org/product/show/47187
peace
will b.
willbe —

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