Historical Information

1844-1974: A timeline of Oregon discrimination, The Oregonian By Gayle Karol

A Brief History of Racism in the State of Oregon and the Town of Ashland Brief History of Racism in the State of Oregon and the Town of Ashland” is printed and distributed by the Ashland Sunrise Project, in collaboration with Ashland Together and Oregon Remembrance Project, 2024.

A Brief History of Urban Renewal in Portland, Oregon By Craig Wollner, John Provo, and Julie Schablisky

A Force for Change Beatrice Morrow Cannady and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Oregon, 1912-1936. By Kimberley Mangun

A Hidden History A Conversation Project program reveals the stories and struggles of Oregon's African American communities. By Walidah Imarisha

A Peculiar Paradise A History of Blacks in Oregon, 1788–1940 By Elizabeth McLagan

Across the Bridge, a Village, The Eugene Weekly In 1949 Lane County government bulldozed Ferry Street Village, a thriving Black community at the site of what’s now Alton Baker Park By Bentley Freeman

African Americans of Portland The prolific journey of African Americans in Portland is rooted in the courageous determination of black pioneers to begin anew in an unfamiliar and often hostile territory. Amazingly, a small population of African Americans settled in Portland against a backdrop of exclusion laws that banned free blacks from settling in Oregon. At the end of the 19th century, new employment opportunities in Portland and growing antiblack sentiments elsewhere spurred the growth of Portland's African American community. Approximately 75 African American men were hired at the Portland Hotel, and the completion of transcontinental rail lines brought African American railroad workers to Portland. By 1890, the majority of Oregon's black population resided in Multnomah County, and Portland became the center of a thriving black middle-class community. Fifty years later, the recruitment of defense workers increased the population of African Americans nearly tenfold. The war boom, coupled with the tragic Vanport flood, forever changed Portland's urban landscape and reshaped the socioeconomic realities of Portland's African American community. By Oregon Black Pioneers and Kimberly Stowers Moreland

African Americans on the Oregon Trail, National Park Service
Oregon National Historic Trail

Albina Area (Portland), Oregon Encyclopedia By Roy Roos

Albina Murals Documentary, PSU From the Portland State University Archives: Through the generous support of the National Film Preservation Foundation, Portland State is able to share this restored version of the "Albina Murals," a 1978 documentary film originally shot on color Super 8 and produced by the University's Center for the Moving Image. The murals, created by local artists, depict scenes from African American history, with special attention to the Northwest and Portland. The project represents an important example of the power of the intersection of community, public art and public history. This is the only known film documentation of the mural panels which were removed in 1983.

Albina Vision Trust: Story of Albina The Albina Vision Trust exists to ensure that our most marginalized communities are reflected in the built environment and that we participate in the wealth generated by our presence as owners of our homes and businesses.

We walk towards tomorrow as shared stewards of a precious dream couched in a district-wide redevelopment project: the radical idea that connection can be capital, community can heal, and healing can transform what is possible for generations of children that have yet to draw their first breath.

Black Americans in Early Oregon City (1841 - 1864), Clackamas County Historical Society The first Black Exclusion laws were put in place to discourage Black migration in 1844, and in 1849 even more exclusion laws were introduced to the state constitution, officially barring Black residents from living in the territory.

Despite these racist legislations, many Black Americans still chose to settle in Oregon: an 1860 census counted 128 Black individuals residing in the region. These entries were compiled from our social media series highlighting the stories of Black Americans in Clackamas County during the summer of 2020, and are meant to give a broad timeline of notable individuals who resided in Oregon City during its early period. If we are to fully comprehend our city’s history, we must learn of the injustices our earliest Black residents faced, and how racist policies shaped and continue to shape our region in the modern day.

Black and Blue: Police-Community Relations in Portland’s Albina District, 1964–1985. Oregon Historical Society By Leanne C. Serbulo and Karen J. Gibson

Black Families and The Railroad in Oregon, OSU Written, directed and produced by Michael Grice and hosted by Tim Reid, this film tells the story of African American railroad porters in the Pacific Northwest. Digitized from a VHS original held in the African American Railroad Porters Oral History Collection (OH 29), Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Oregon State University Libraries.

Black History, Oregon Encyclopedia Biographies of Black Historical Figures of Oregon

Black History and Our Food System High Desert Food and Farm Black history is deeply rooted and intertwined within the foundations of our food system here in the U.S.  Historically and currently, Black communities build from rich agricultural traditions to foster community, tend vibrant farming ecosystems, and regain ownership of land – all while fighting systems that were violently exclusionary and biased. 

This February, in acknowledgment and celebration of Black History Month, we are providing information and resources about systemic injustices, highlighting Black joy and knowledge, and Black community accomplishments within our food system. 

Black History & Real Estate in Oregon, Oregon Realtors PDF of Black History in OR

Black History in Oregon, Portland State University Library Special Collections has archival collections, digital exhibits, oral histories, and online resources dedicated to African American history in Oregon and nationwide.

Black Music Project: The Lost City of Jazz The little-known story of how an American city lost an important part of its Black identity.

Black People in Oregon, Oregon Encyclopedia By Dr. Darrell Millner

Black Placemaking in Rural Oregon Despite the region's anti-Black past (and present), there is rich Black history being preserved amid the Columbia River Gorge and the Wallowa Mountains. By Bruce Poinsette & Intisar Abioto 

BlackPast: Albina, Portland, Oregon (1870- ) By Lauren Ackerman

Bleeding Albina: A History Of Community Divestment, 1940–2000 By Karen J. Gibson

Breaking Chains: Slavery on Trial in the Oregon Territory In Breaking Chains, R. Gregory Nokes tells the story of the only slavery case adjudicated in Oregon’s pre-Civil War courts—Holmes v. Ford. Through the lens of this landmark case, Nokes explores the historical context of racism in Oregon and the West, reminding readers that there actually were slaves in Oregon, though relatively few in number. By R. Gregory Nokes

Center for Black Student Excellence (CBSE): How Did We Get Here? Understanding Oregon’s History of Racism and Discrimination

Dangerous Subjects: James D. Saules and the Rise of Black Exclusion in Oregon Dangerous Subjects describes the life and times of James D. Saules, a Black sailor who was shipwrecked off the coast of Oregon and settled there in 1841. Before landing in Oregon, Saules traveled the world as a whaleman in the South Pacific and later as a crew member of the United States Exploring Expedition. Saules resided in the Pacific Northwest for just two years before a major wave of Anglo-American immigrants arrived in covered wagons. By Kenneth Coleman

Desegregation and Multiculturalism in the Portland Public Schools, Oregon Historical Society By Ethan Johnson and Felicia Williams

Displacement in North and Northeast Portland, City of Portland Historic overview of displacement in North and Northeast Portland. Read about the personal stories shared by people who experienced change and displacement in their neighborhood.

End of the Oregon Trail: Black Pioneers and Settlers By Bethany Nemec

End of the Oregon Trail: Exclusion Laws By Bethany Nemec

History of African-Americans in Oregon, Talking Tigard Kimberly Moreland, member of the Oregon Black Pioneers and author of African Americans of Portland, talks about the impact of Oregon's black exclusionary laws, abolitionists in Tigard, and the racial equity work being done in Tigard. Host: Kent Wyatt

History of Albina, I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project The I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project is located in the historic Albina neighborhood of Portland. As the heart of Portland's Black community, Albina's rich history is full of stories, people and culture that continue to shape the city as we know it today. In line with the values of this project, this page presents an overview of valuable and important moments throughout the history of Albina.

History of Racism in Oregon, Oregon Synod Timeline of Racism Against Black People in Oregon

History of Racist Planning in Portland, City of Portland How historical racist land use planning contributed to racial segregation and inequity for people of color in Portland.

“History is who we are and why we are the way we are,” Oregon Historical Society In 1981, two policemen admitted that they had placed four dead possums in front of the Burger Barn, a popular black-owned, late-night hangout at 3962 Northeast Union Avenue. The incident escalated into a major confrontation and had a long-term effect on police relationships with the community.  By Eliza E. Canty-Jones

Local Color, OPB This 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. There are moments of highly disturbing racism in a state not known for diversity. But there are also moments of inspiration and courage as people take a stand to bring about important change.

Oregon’s Black Pioneers Documentary, OPB’s Oregon Experience Long before Oregon became a state, Black people were in the Far West. Some were brought to the region as slaves, but many others arrived as freemen looking for a new life. They opened boarding houses and stores, worked farms and mined for gold. But as more white settlers arrived over the Oregon Trail, the newcomers passed discriminatory laws to keep African Americans out. “Oregon Experience” examines the largely unknown history of Oregon’s Black pioneers.

Oregon Black Pioneers, Bird Alliance of Oregon By Zachary Stocks, Executive Director of Oregon Black Pioneers

Oregon’s Enigmatic Black History, Oregon Historical Society By James Stanley Harrison

Portland’s Albina Community Plan      The History of Portland’s African American Community (1805 to the Present) Feb 1993.

Portland’s Black Belt: Motives and Means in Albina Real Estate, 1940–1990, OHS In 1960, Portland was the second-most segregated city on the West Coast, behind Los Angeles. Four of five Black residents lived in the Albina District. This presentation explores how the real estate industry, public officials, and citizens justified that spatial segregation.  It traces the private- and public-sector mechanisms utilized to confine and re-shape Black settlement within Albina.  A major motive for segregation was to enable financial exploitation of Black homeowners and renters, allowing housing-industry manipulators to extract wealth from the Black community.

PSU Library Special Collections' Historic Black Newspapers of Portland PSU Library Special Collections' Historic Black Newspapers of Portland contains original and digital versions of newspapers published by Black-owned presses in Portland and the Pacific Northwest from the 1910s to the 1980s. Portland activist and community leader Verdell Rutherford collected the original papers, which were donated to Portland State in 2012 by her daughter Charlotte as part of the Rutherford Family Collection.

Preserving the History of Black Oregonians (Episode 2), One Oregon Podcast (Oregon State University) With Zachary Stocks and Oregon Black Pioneers

"Sting Like A Bee": Kent Ford and the Portland Black Panthers, Vanport Mosaic Portland Black Panthers Founding Member Kent Ford shares his memories of life in Albina in 1960s-1980s, and the Party's community activism and organizing.

This story was produced by Lisa Serrano, Donovan Smith, and Mohammed Alkhadher, and is part of the Vanport Mosaic living archive of over 50 oral histories - an on-going memory activism effort facilitated by Story Midwife Laura Lo Forti.

The Color of Night: Race, Railroaders, and Murder in the Wartime West  The investigation, trial, and conviction of Robert Folkes galvanized civil rights activists, labor organizers, and community leaders into challenging the flawed judicial process and ultimately the death penalty in Oregon, serving as a catalyst for civil rights activism that bridged rural and urban divides. The Color of Night will appeal to “true crime” aficionados, and to anyone interested in the history of race and labor relations, working conditions, community priorities, and attitudes toward the death penalty in the first half of the 20th century. By Max G. Geier

Roots of Gentrification: How 1990s battle to end redlining changed history in North and NE Portland, The Oregonian By Dee Lane

Untold Stories: Black History at the University of Oregon In honor of Black History Month, Special Collections and University Archives is highlighting some historic figures and events in the century-long history of African Americans at the University of Oregon. These often untold stories represent the determination and strength of the black community at the university as they fought state and institutional challenges. From the era of Oregon’s exclusion laws to the present, African American students and faculty have persevered under often difficult circumstances. What follows below are the stories of several notable people in the UO campus community as well as those events that have shaped the course of African American history at the University of Oregon. By Jennifer O’Neal and Zach Bigalke

The Vanderpool Project, The Oregon Remembrance Project (ORP) When the emancipation proclamation was written, when the Civil War had ended, and when soldiers arrived in Galveston, TX, newly freed African slaves were able to pursue freedom as American citizens everywhere across this country…except for one place…the state of Oregon. It was illegal to be Black in Oregon, and it would stay that way until 1926.

Vanport Jazz History, Vanport Jazz Festival At its height, nearly 40,000 people lived in Vanport, including 6,000 African Americans. Vanport was then the nation’s largest public housing project and the second-largest city in Oregon.

What is the History of Juneteenth in Oregon?, Juneteenth Oregon What is the significance of Juneteenth?

White Man's Territory, Oregon Humanities The exclusionary intent behind the 1850 Donation Land Act. By Kenneth R. Coleman

Why Aren't There More Black People in Oregon? A Hidden History A Conversation with Walidah Imarisha. Have you ever wondered why the Black population in Oregon is so small? Oregon has a history not only of Black exclusion and discrimination, but also of a vibrant Black culture that helped sustain many communities throughout the state—a history that is not taught in schools. Join Portland State University author and adjunct professor Walidah Imarisha for this free conversation, organized for the closing week of "Emancipating the Past." This program is made possible by the generous support of the JSMA, the Office of the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and the Division of Student Affairs at University of Oregon, with additional support from the Eugene Public Library.