PORR
VOLUME XX • NUMBER 10
ERYER
African-Americans' History In Oregon:
Past, Present, andPotentials for the Future
The source more accurately is
found in public policies. Such poli
cies like homesteading being denied
to African-Americans, created an
“ uneven playing field” - giving early
white settlers and their descendants
a clear and concrete economic head
start over non-white populations.
Clearly such exclusion laws and
prohibitions on the acquisition of
land are management issues related
fundamentally to the real estate is
sues of the pioneer era.
During the 1850s, there raged in
Oregon a political conflict over
whether Oregon was to be admitted
to the union as a slave stale or a free
state. Oregonians voted to accept
and submit to the Congress of the
United States in 1857, a statehood
constitution that outlawed slavery.
This should not, however, be mis
taken as a sign of sympathy towards
African-Americans as a group or
African-American individuals. In
deed, in that same election, the con
cept of total African-American ex
Editor’t Note: The following
guest article was written by Mr.
DavidNero, Chairman and CEO o f
Nero and Associates, o f Portland,
Oregon. It was presented by Mr.
Nero at a luncheon address to the
Institute o f Real Estate Manage
ment o f the OregonColumbiaRlver
Chapter on February 28.
It is being printed in the Port
land Observer with the permission
o f Mr. Nero because o f its signifi
cance and historical data on ra
cism in the state o f Oregon.
Readers should take note o f
some o f the early laws put into
motion by Oregon lawmakers which
set the stageforapattem o f perpet
ual racism that hovers over this
state today.
yhe racial history of the
Oregon Territory in the pio
neer period of westward ex
pansion included features o f severe
legislative repression and social
oppression focused on the area’s
clusion from residence. in the soon
ethnic populations. The African-
to be created slate, was also adopted
American population in particular
bv the largest margin of votes. That
was victimized by laws that ex
original constitution included this
cluded them from migration into
David M. Nero, Jr .-N ero and Associates, Inc.
language in Article I, section 35:
the area, prohibited intermarriage
' 'No free Negro, or Mulatto, not re
many white pioneers to come w est The
between the races, denied them the vote, and
siding in this state at the time o f the
Oregon Homestead Act o f 1850 declared,
excluded them from service on juries.
adoption o f this constitution, shall come,
"There shall be, and hereby is granted to
It was in the 1840s that the first attempts
reside, or be within this state, or hold any
every
white
settler
or
occupant
o
f
the
public
to restrict the participation of African-
real estate, or make any contracts, or
lands, American Half-Breed Indians included
Americans in the residential and real estate
99
maintain any suit therein; and the legis
related activities of Oregon occurred.
lative assembly, shall provide by penal
The
denial
o
f
homesteading
rights
to
Black Exclusion Laws as they were
laws, fo r the removal by public officers,
African-Americans
in
the
pioneer
period
is
called, were adopted in Oregon in 1844,
o f all such negroes, and mulattoes, and
of critical importance in understanding the
1849, and 1857. The exclusion law o f 1844
fo r their effectual exclusion from the
economic disparity between white and non
provided:
state, and fo r the punishment o f persons
white
populations
in
Oregon
today.
"That if any such free Negro or
who shall bring them into the state, or
Without
knowledge
o
f
the
early
public
Mulatto shall fa il to quit the country as
employ, or harbor them.”
policy it is easy and misleading to look
required by this a c t. . . [He or she] shall
Note in particular the ban on African-
around our society and draw a very ill-
receive upon his or her bare backnot less
American ownership of real estate as a
conceived conclusion. Because a larger pro
than twenty nor more than thirty-nine
further example o f the “ uneven playing
portion of African- Americans live in or near
strip e s. . , ”
field'
' constructed against non-whites in the
poverty
today
(although
there
are
still
many
This first law was soon modified and
early stages of Oregon statehood.
more whites than African-Americans in a
whipping was replaced by imposing forced
state o f poverty), some people erroneously
labor on African-Americans. But it clearly
conclude that African-Americans economic
set the pattern regarding issues of African-
difficulties are a result of some innate lack
American residence in Oregon. African-
o
f skill or competitiveness on the part of
Americans were also not allowed to vote
African-Americans as a group. This is not
under the first voting rights law which al
the case nor is it the source of present
lowed only White male and “ Half-Breed
disparities.
Indians" to vote. Nor could African-Ameri
T
cans receive the free land that motivated
Tri-Met to Build Convention
Center MAX Station
The Tri-Met Board of Directors an
nounced Feb. 28 authorizing a $3.4 million
contract to build a MAX station at the O re
gon Convention Center’s front door and
other improvements that will make transit
more attractive to tourist in the Convention
Center-Coliseum area.
Tri-Met General Manager James E.
Cowen said the new MAX station is sched
uled to be completed by September, in time
for the grand opening of the Oregon Con
vention Center. O f two bidders for the proj
ect, the apparent low bidder is Slayden
Construction of Stayton, Oregon, with a bid
of $3,374,421. Construction is set to begin
in March.
In addition to the new Oregon Conven
tion Center MAX station, the contract in-
cludes improvements to the Coliseum MAX
station, including a new platform to serve
passengers bound for downtown, and major
improvements to the nearby Coliseum Tran
sit Center where nine bus lines connect with
MAX. The bus transfer center will move to
an off-street location, just west of its present
location at Occidental and Holladay, and
will feature a covered walkway leading to
the Memorial Coliseum.
The construction project includes $1.1
million of improvements to Holladay Street,
which will be funded by the City of Portland
and Metro. The transit improvements, which
account for approximately $2.3 million of
the contract, will be funded 75% by a grant
from the federal Urban Mass Transportation
Administration, with Metro and Tri-Met
paying the remainder.
Cowen told the board that the transit
improvements to the convention center area
were part of a partnership between Tri-Met,
Metro, the Portland Development Commis
sion, the Exposition-Recreation Commis
sion, the Oregon Department of Transporta
tion, and private interests.
The Portland Development Commis
sion’s plan for the Oregon Convention Center-
Memorial Coliseum area includes such
amenities as brightly lighted pedestrian
pathways, landscaping, street trees and
ornamental lighting, a trolley museum, and
a new viewpoint near the Steel Bridge. A
$1.1 million trolley bam for future vintage
trolley service is already under construction
near the Coliseum MAX station.
NWCP Minority Leadership
Conference Unity 1990
Northwest Communities Project (NWCP)
will hold a minority leadership conference
Friday and Saturday, March 16-17, at the
Benson hotel in Portland.
The conference will focus on how His
panics, Asians, African-Americana and Native
Americana can network and broaden their
spectrum of concerns in their communities.
Workshops will feature discussions on such
subjects as coalition building, career oppor
tunities, affirmative action, introduction to
board and commissions, health issues, U.S.
census update, and a youth round table.
According to Clara Padilla Andrews,
Executive Director of NWCP, the National
Hispanic Summit, the Asian-American Lead
ership Caucus, the African-American Lead-
I
ership Caucus will meet on Friday at 2:00
p.m. to "set an agenda for our journey to the
year 2000."
Padilla Andrews, a Hispanic, was New
Mexico secretary of state from 1983 to 1986
and was office manager of the re-election
for Portland Mayor Bud Clark.
NWCP is an non-profit organization
committed to increasing the participation of
minorities in the American democratic process
such as voter education and political in
volvement, It encompasses the Northwest
and Rocky Mountain states that include
Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Idaho,
Montana, and Alaska.
Guest speakers at the two-day confer
ence will include Irv Fletcher, President of
MARCH 7, 1990
"The Eyes and Ears of the Community"
the Oregon AFL-CIO; Alfredo Montoya,
Executive Director o f the Labor Council for
Latin-American Advancement; Congress
man Ron Wyden; Carmen Perez, Vice Chair
of the Democratic National Committee;
Gladys McCoy, Chair of the Multnomah
County Commissioners; Mario Obledo,
National President for the Rainbow Coali
tion; Pablo Sedillo Chair of the National
Hispanic Summit; Patricia Barela Rivera,
President of PBR; Raul Yzaquirre, Presi
dent of the National Council o f La Raza and
possibly Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Registration fee is $480.00 and includes
all materials, reception, breakfast, lunch
and banquet For more information, call
(503) 228-4185.
First Black Business Expo Held at
PCC’s Cascade Campus
More than 60 Af
rican-American entre
preneurs displayed
their wares and serv
ices at the first Black
Business Expo '90,
held in the Portland
Community College
C ascade
Cam pus
gym nasium ,
Feb.
24.The expo provided
an opportunity for
A fric a n -A m e ric a n
business owners to
share their products
with local residents and
network with other
business owners.
Businesses ranged
from insurance and
promotion to food
products, jewelry and
toy manufacturing.
Jean Drew organ
ized the event for Black
History Month under
the auspices of PCC’s
Phillip Jackson, (left), and W ansetta G rant, (right).
Black History Commit
tee. Drew is a PCC Small Business Develop
music was provided by Akbar DePriest.
ment instructor who works on-site at Ore
"T h e booths were sold out,” said ven
gon Association of Minorities Entrepreneurs
dor Phillip Jackson, owner of J.P. Media, an
through a college partnership agreem ent
advertising and promotional products busi
Drew said approximately 2,500 people
ness. Jackson's business is located in the
attended the event and 69 businesses and or
Small Business Incubator on the Cascade
ganizations were represented at the all-day
Campus.
fair. The Cascade gym was decorated with
‘ ‘I think it’s grown. It gives us a chance
balloons, banners and posters. Live jazz
to invite the public in
and let them know what
we do and to also meet
and do business to
gether,” he added.
Ruth
S curlock,
owner and operator of
Ruthie’s Fine Foods S-
Corp., was also on hand
to share her brand of
barbecue sauce, Ruth-
ies Ribit BBQ Sauce.
“ I ’ll be back,” she said.
" I t ’s really a nice turn
out.”
Both Jackson and
Scurlock are members
of OAME, a non-profit
organization which pro
motes and develops
m in o rity
en tre p re
neurship and economic
development in Oregon.
OAME was a sponsor of
the Feb. 24 event
Other expo planners
included Dennis Payne,
president of the Black
Professional Network; Freda McEwen,
OAME board member; Raleigh Lewis of the
Oregon Business League; and PCC staffer,
Margaret Smith.
“ There was an overwhelming response,”
Drew said. “ We plan to explore the idea of
a Saturday-market concept-bring it to the
Northeast on a weekly basts. That’s the next
stop.”
Forty Additional Families to Participate
in Portland Homestead Program
Through Agreement Between PDC and
First Interstate Bank Oregon
The Portland Development Commis
sion has entered into an agreement with
First Interstate Bank Oregon for $1 million
to fund its new Portland Homestead Pro
gram. First Interstate Bank Oregon has agreed
to provide PDC up to $1 million during
calendar year 1990 for first mortgage fi
nancing for up to 40 Portland Homestead
loans. PDC will blend the private bank
funds with public Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) funds to provide an
effective interest rate to homesteaders of
6% on a 20-year mortgage.
PDC Chairman Harry Demorest praised
the public/private partnership as an excel
lent example of PDC leveraging public money
with a private lender to achieve community
benefit. “ The ultimate benefactors of this
partnership will be our neighborhoods. Thanks
to First Interstate Bank the program will
make home ownership possible for 40 more
families and individuals who previously
had little hope of it.”
The purpose of the new program is
identical to PDC’s 10-year old Urban
Homestead Program: to reclaim vacant houses,
to provide home ownership opportunities to
low- and moderate-income families, and to
stabilize neighborhoods. Unlike the Urban
Homestead Program, the Portland Home
stead Program lacks direct federal funding
to offset property acquisition costs. A por
tion of these costs will be assumed by the
homesteader under the new Portland pro
gram with the balance coming from local
housing and community development funds.
Average loan size for each Portland Home
stead Loan is $40,000. Total monthly loan
payments will be no more than $350.
Through the Portland Homestead Pro
gram, PDC acquires vacant homes in need
of repair and transfers them to families and
individuals who qualify to be “ homestead
ers.” In return, homesteaders agree to make
necessary repairs and to live in the houses
for three years. After that time, the house is
the homesteader's to keep or sell. There are
qualifications for the program including
ANNOUNCEMENT
KATU-TV has re-scheduled
the appearances of Dr. Darryl
Tukufu, New Urban League
(Portland) President;
Donnie
Griffin, Chairman, Portland Urban
League; and Ron Herndon, Co-
Chair, Black United Front, for
Sunday March 11,8:30a.m.
)
income guidelines, a good credit history and
attendance at the Homestead Open House
where the homes available for ownership
can be applied for and viewed. Due to demand
for homes in the program PDC selects quali
fied applicants by a random drawing. The
next Open House is scheduled for April
1990.
The agreement with First Interstate is
the second of PDC’s current efforts to se
cure private lender funds to finance Port
land housing programs for lower income
families. In October 1988 PDC entered into
an agreement for $5 million with Security
Pacific Bank Oregon to fund a variety of
housing programs effecting 500 houses.
In a recent Housing and Urban Devel
opment monitoring report PDC’s Urban
Homestead Program was praised for,
“ continuing to administer an innovate and
client-oriented program.” The report fur
ther praised PDC staff for delivering a pro
gram that is recognized as a model to the
other 157 cities nationally with such a pro
gram.
The Portland Development Commis
sion is the City of Portland’s agency for
urban renewal and economic development
........ “ ■
Rep. Wyden Calls For A
“People’s Agenda”
Congressman Launches Campaign
for 6th Term In Congress
Representative Ron Wyden (D-OR)
flipped pancakes for his supporters Satur
day morning and announced the kick-off of
his campaign for re-election.
Wyden addressed the group and said:
“ Ever since the 1940s, our government
has been captive to a Cold War agenda. Now
that communism is under siege and the
Berlin Wall is cracking, it’s time for a
People's Agenda.
"Let’s launch the People's Agenda by
deciding that a national health care program
should come before Stealth bombers. I’ve
been chosen by the Democratic leadership
to be a Chairman o f a special House Task
Force on health care reform, and I’m going
to pull out all the stops to get a national
health care bill on the floor o f the house as
soon as possible.
"Let’s fight drugs and crime here at
home and save the President’s proposed
$400 billion Mission to Mars for tome other
century.
“ Let's train and educate our kids for
good jobs, rather than bail out corrupt sav
ings and loan executives. Let's clean mu air
and water, and stop producing those MX
missiles.
“ Now don’t get me wrong. Because of
terrorists like Kaddafi and narcotics gang
sters around the world, we need a strong
national defense. But it’s time to build a
strong defense that only a true People's
Agenda can provide.
“ This People’s Agenda is not die same
thing as the so-called ’peace dividend'. We
need more than some scattered dividend
checks. It’s time to make some real invest
ments in our communities that produce a
permanent pay-off for our kids and grand
kids.
"Dr. Martin Luther King told us years
ago about his dream to get to the mountain
top. And you and I know how far we must
still climb.
"W e’re not at the mountain top when
400,000 Oregonians don’t have medical care.
“ W e’re not at the mountain top when
Oregon families live in fear that their kids
can’t walk to school safely.
"W e’re not at the mountain top when
thousands of parents in Oregon can’t even
read a simple prescription an their child's
medicine battle.
“ So we have much to do, friends, and,
although we may have come to Oregon by
different means, we are all in the same boat
now.
“ Ten and a half ye a n ago, Laurie and I
stood before many of you at the old Sheraton
Hotel at Lloyd Center and asked fior your
help in a campaign the lobbyists and Wash
ington insiders said couldn't be won. They
said you couldn't beat a powerful incum-
With your help, we showed diesn i’s the
people who call the shots.
tofisfeatP'
left home. And dial’s the way it’s going to
stay. • •