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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 2003)
February 26. ?oo3 gi be Uortlanb (Bhaerurr celebrates Black History Month_______ Page Black History Month A painting dated around 1805 shows York, the African American slave in the Lewis and Clark expedition, allowing Mandan Indians to see if his black skin color rubs off. York Slips Into Pages of History African Americans Find Racism in Journey West Early Oregon besieged by hostilities between whites and non-whites An Oregon Historical Society photo shows a mercantile store in 1858 operated by African American Abner Hunt Francis. Seven years earlier, Franics reported in the Frederick Douglas Paper on the impacts o f an Oregon law that excluded blacks from residing in the state. — “Who was York?: A New Look became C lark’s manservant. In at the Lewis and Clark Expedition” slavery's hierarchy, his was a privi — next winter. He expects it will air leged position. next spring on public television. When Jefferson launched the The filmmaker enlisted James Corps of Discovery to explore the DePreist, the Oregon Symphony western reaches o f the continent, music director, to narrate the film. and Meriwether Lewis asked Clark , (AP) — A documentary film And Craig asked actor Danny to share com mand of the expedi m aker is putting the finishing Glover to lend his voice as the char tion, Y ork's life took a remarkable touches on the first o f his two docu acter o f York. turn. mentaries on York, the only black The documentary is timely: the “When Clark had York go with m em berof the Lewis andClark Ex national Lewis & Clark Bicenten them— I’m virtually sure he had no pedition. It’s a story that's long been over looked. “I’m a native Oregonian. I was in Boy Scouts and did al I these Lewis and Clark things, but I never knew about York,” said Ron Craig, 55. “Talking to my nieces and neph ews a generation later, they didn’t know anything about York,” he added. “I said, ‘L et’s do something about it.’ “ B esides the d ocum entaries, nial commemoration kicked off a choice in the matter — he already Craig has submitted the manuscript four-year party last m onth at knew that York could hunt and fish for a children’s book on York to a M onticello, Thomas Jefferson’s and track,” says Holmbcrg, the •major publishing house. And this home in Charlottesville, Va. author and curator o f special col week, he will bring James Holmbcrg, It’s certain that York could never lections at the Filson Historical one of the nation’s top York histo have imagined being the center of Society in Louisville, Ky. “Once rians, to Oregon and Southwest such scholarly attention. they began encountering Ameri .W ashington fora series o f lectures William Clark’s father, John, be can Indians who had never seen a that coincides with Black History queathed York to his son in a will black man before, this becomes a , Month. dated July 24, 1799. The two were sort of diplomatic tool.” Craig hopes to finish the first film com panions as children, and York Neither a diary nor letters from When Clark had York go with them — I'm virtually sure he had no choice in the matter, — Historian James Holmberg. York ever have been found; some historians speculate that because he spent so much time with the educated Clark, York may have been literate. Scholars have pieced together what they know of him from mentions in the expedition journals and, most recently, from a collection o f previously un known letters that Clark wrote to his brother Jonathan. Journal entries show the slave as a valuable Corps of Discovery member. They illustrate his skills as an outdoorsm an, including being one o f the few members who could swim; his compassion for those who fell ill; his sense of humor and sometimes playful na ture. The Arikara Indians called York “big medison,” according to Clark’s journals. York worked during the jo u r ney as a scout, and he was sent to villages to trade. Clark named is lands and a creek for York, and he was allowed to vote when Lewis and Clark polled the crew about whether to spend the winter of 1805-06 on the Columbia River’s north shore or to head south. They voted on the southern option and built their winter quarters, Fort Clatsop, near O regon’s north western tip. R on W eber P ortland O bserver “Well, I allow the United States has the best right to that country R. W. Morrison had enough of and I am going to help make that racism in the South and Midwest right good. ..Ia m not satisfied here and headed to Oregon around 1845. (in the South). There is little we In a conversation with a friend raise that pays shipment to market named John Minto, Morrison made — A 1 ittle hemp and a little tobacco. a statement that would be recorded Unless a man keeps------(Negroes) into history. As the two men dis (and I won’t), he has no even chance; cussed their futures, M orrison he cannot compete with the man spoke his opinion on the western that does. I’m going to Oregon, movement of white settlers into the continued y f on page A6 OregonTerritory: by ' Filmmaker spotlights black member of Lewis and Clark team the ‘Separate But E qual’ at M t. Hood College honors Black History Month with film screening “Separate But Equal,” will be shown at Mt. Hood Community College as part of the school’s ge ography and criminal justice de partments in honorofhonorof Black History Month The film details the events lead ing up to the U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation, which included the legal arguments o f N A ACP attorney Thurgood Marshall who would go on to be come the first person of color ever appointed to the Supreme Court. The screening will take place Thursday, Feb. 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30p.m . in Room 1610. Theevent is free and open to the public. People requiring accom m oda tions due to a disability should contact the MHCC Disability Ser vices Office at 503-491 -6923 o r503- 491-7670(TDD). Giving our best. z Great Values with Safew ay Club! 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