(Che Çnrilanh ©bserutr
liv e. Many were forced to move in
with family or friends, already living
in the Albina area. The area ex­
panded little by little, pushing to­
wards the St. Johns area and closer
to 82nd Avenue.
Post War Years -
Moderate gains for
Blacks
Post-war problems caused fur­
ther friction between whites and
blacks. Returning soldiers were
hailed as heroes and most felt they
shouldn’t have to compete with
blacks for jobs. Although many
returning veterans took advantage
o f the G1 Bill and returned to college,
job competition still became fierce.
U nem ploym ent am ong A frican
Americans was on the rise. Earlier in
the century, the Taylor vs. Cohn
case allowed for discrimination in
Oregon based on race. In 1950, the
City o f Portland’s City Council re­
jected that case in an ordinance that
did not allow discrimination “in any
public place." Unfortunately a peti­
tion brought defeat to the ordinance,
leaving “Jim Crow alive and well in
Portland.” In 1953, with the help o f
the NAACP, the Taylor vs. Cohn
case was permanently overturned,
however, open and hostile discrimi­
nation continued for a long time.
nied practice o f real estate compa­
nies only showing homes in certain
areas to black families. The Port­
land Journal began doing the same.
Banks and real estate companies
were feeling the pressure to show
homes in white areas and 'loan money
ifthe black homeowners could dem­
onstrate their ability to pay it back.
The “Fair Housing Law” came into
p lay , and slow ly A frican
Americans began migrating to
the suburbs. As more black
families began to enjoy the
sprawling suburbs, others left
behind in the “old neighbor­
hood” began to feel an eco­
nomic impact o f the transitions.
Poor blacks tended to stay
behind while more successful
ones moved away, creating
neighborhoods that felt even
more discrimination.
Schools
One o f the hardest fought
battles between the races was
that o f school segregation.
Many whites claimed support
o f equality but when it came to
sen d in g th eir ch ild ren to
school with black children,
they backed down. The Fair
Housing Act paved the way
for African Americans to move
to the suburbs, but few did.
H o lla d a y sc h o o l c h ild re n m o d elin g k n it hats in 1949.
(C o u rtesy o f O H S)
Another big step was the anti-mixed
marriage law o f 1866being repealed
in 1955. Also in the 1950’s, a section
called “Lower Albina" mostly in­
habited by whites began seeing
changes. As whites began to move
out into the suburbs, homes opened
up to African Americans. About
this time, The Oregonian Newspa­
p e r began reporting the long-de-
Putting their children through
brutal racism in white classes
made a lot o f parents and chil­
dren afraid. The fact that there
were not a lot ofblack families
in Portland made the situation
“tolerable” in schools that al­
lowed black children. But with
the huge influx o f African
Americans into the Portland
area during WWII, the tides
February 7, 2001
Focus
changed The fight to keep most
schools segregated intensified. In
1964, a “pilot relocation assistance
project” began. Twenty-five Afri­
can American families, all o f whom
lived in the Albina District, were
given help to move out o f the area.
Although the program had a moder­
ate success, prejudice continued to
prevail and Portland’s white com­
munity fought harder to keep the
schools separate. Finally, during
the 1970’s and 1980’s, programs
aimed at desegregation were put in
place in the Portland School Dis­
trict. Although they were success­
ful, many African American fami­
lies have chosen to leave their chil­
dren in p re d o m in an tly black
schools. Under school guidelines
Page 7
in the late 20lh century, these schools
began getting better teachers and
programs. School District policies
andmeasures like Ballot Measure 5
spread funds more evenly through­
out the district. Although it has not
made the system perfect, it has
helped us avoid the old trap o f a
student living in a wealthier area like
Lake Oswego getting a better high
INNOVATIVE
PROGRESSIVE
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We offer competitive
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more information about
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contact our Job Line at
(360) 514-2268
1 (800) 455-4443
«4 >
Doug Williams, Human
Resources Specialist at
(360) 514-2269 V
(360) 514-3244 TDD
Equal Opportunity Employer