Page 6
February 7, 2001
(The JJIort latti» © bseruer
Portland’s Evolving African American
Community Continues
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gear and became a “congested war
production center.” 140,000defense
workers, most at the Kaiser yards in
Vancouver, North Portland,
and Swan Island, created a
huge need for housing. More
than 15,000African Americans
from the south would migrate
here for jobs. The Albina neigh
borhood was spilling over.
Whites protested at every ru-
morofmore black families com
ing to Portland. However, with
out enough white males to do
what was needed for the war
effort, the governm ent and
large companies with govern
ment contracts welcomed A fri-
can American labor. Unfortu
nately as the war ended, things
changed quickly. Thousands
who came to the Portland area
to do shipyard work migrated
back home, many from other
states. Emergency housing for
the w orkers would be dis
mantled. In Portland’s Vanport
area, a flood destroyed their
homes. White families moved
to the suburbs to live in tract
houses. With most banks and
real estate companies trying to
keep African Americans out o f
white neighborhoods, blacks were
forced into already over-crowded
North and Northeast Portland hous
ing areas.
homes and businesses o f blacks.
During the war production period,
the African American population
grew more than ten times. The 2,000
pre-war population ofblack citizens
The 1-5 fr e e w a y was built in N o vem ber 1961. (Courtesy o f OHS)
1-5 Corridor
Making matters worse was the
post war expansion in the city. Dur-
ingthe 1950’sand 1960’s, Portland
would expand in all directions. Fed
eral monies also helped revamp
downtown Portland and areas near
it. Just over the Broadway Bridge,
many homes were lost to the Memo
rial Coliseum and other businesses.
rose to over 20,000 in just three
years. While many white workers
returned to their home states after
the war, many blacks had no place to
return to. Portland was their home
now. One ofthe major goals o f the
Urban League o f Portland was to
help with employment and housing
issues for Portland’s now swelling
black population. There were many
After World War II, discharged veterans went to meetings to decide their
professionalfuture. The local Urban League tried to secure jobs and a good
education fo r them. (Courtesy o f OHS)
The 1-5 construction caused a sev
eral-mile stretch ofhom es and busi
nesses to be torn dow n, right
through the already over-crowded
African American neighborhoods.
Other Urban Renewal included the
huge campus for Emanuel Hospital,
disrupting several more blocks of
A frican A m ericans living in the
A lb in a area, yet banks and real
e sta te com panies w ere still try
ing to “keep them over there.” With
the Vanport flood o f 1948 displac
ing an additional 5,000 African
A m ericans, “w hite Portland” was
w orried about w here they w ould