Page IO_________________________
We want
^ 'P o rtlan d Observer B lack H isto ry M o n th
___________________ Februaiy 22, 2012
to hear from you
Fares/service open bouses
Tri Met is facing a $17 million shortfall.
Tough budget choices are ahead.
Learn about our initial budget proposal
on fares and service. Tell us w hat’s
important to you.
Wednesday, February 15, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Portland Building, Room C
1120 SW 5th Ave.
Founded in 1945, the Urban League of Portland was the first
organization of its kind to advocate for fair housing, employment
and civil rights for minorities within the city during a time of
pervasive anti-integration sentiment.
Thursday, February 16,4:30-6:30 p.m.
Clackamas Town Center
Community Room, Lower Level
12000 SE 82nd Ave.
E mpowering
P ortland
Communication aids
If you require a sign-language interpreter
or other communications aids at a meeting,
please call 503-802-8200 or TTY 503-802-
8058 (7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays) at
least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.
c o n tin u e d
Negroes, was founded in 1910inN ew
Y ork City by a group o f people on a
mission to em pow er black Americans
to secure econom ic self-reliance, par­
ity, pow er and civil rights.
A ccording to Purcell, the Urban
League o f Portland was founded in
1945 by Edw in C. Berry, w ho was
b ro u g h tto Portland after W orld W ar
II because o f strong anti-integration
laws and viewpoints.
“O regon has a very difficult his­
tory in relationship to race,” she said.
“It was one o f the only states that had
actual black exclusion laws, which
m ade it illegal for A frican A m ericans
to settle in the state o f O regon.”
During W orld W ar II, black A m eri­
cans had m igrated from the south to
w ork in the Portland and V ancouver
shipyards, and because o f a labor
shortage, those w orkers were ac­
cepted.
A fter the w ar, how ever, other
w orkers began to return to O regon
and com pete for jobs, and contro­
v ersy em erg ed su rro u n d in g d is­
placed black and w hite workers.
“T he story goes, they called on
the U rban League in C hicago to get
Bill Berry to com e to Portland to per­
suade the A frican A m erican com m u­
nity to think ab o u trelo catin g out o f
the area,” Purcell said.
“ A nd it is said, that he (Bill Berry)
cam e to Portland in no uncertain terms
that he w ould help the established
com m unity in Portland integrate A f­
rican A m ericans into the econom y,
find jobs and housing, and integrate
into the education system , and the
com m unity.”
The U rban League o f Portland
w as founded to achieve those objec­
tives and advocate for the black com ­
m unity to achieve equality in em ­
ploym ent, housing, education and in
business opportunity,
“All o f w hich were significant
TRI & MET
M e n to rs
ctivists
esnectiul
A
Admirable
Pioneers
e fe le n
_
P ro u d
TRAIL BLAZERS
Congratulations to all of our Black History Month honorees...
you are true trail blazers in our community.
Preston Salami Reverend Hardy Tuskegee Airman Carl Deiz
David O.G. One Jackson Trisa Kelly Charlene Wilson Jeremiah Moses
make it better
»PO R TLA N D
T R A IL B L A Z E R S
trailblazers c o m /m a k e itb e tte r
* • • * » »
? H ’
fr o m fr o n t
11 J
challenges in 1945,” Purcell said.
Black Americans afterthe war were
still barred from living in m any neigh­
borhoods, and they couldn’t w ork in
certain industries and public institu­
tions, even if they had the degrees
and qualifications to do so.
“I think that Black History M onth
is a good opportunity to look at w here
w e com e from, and how m uch m ore
w e have to do,” said Purcell, w ho
explained Portland has com e a long
way in m aking the city more equitable
for all residents.
A lthough she said progress has
been continually made throughout
the years, the history o f im prove­
m ents has not been a linear one, and
O regon still faces a plethora o f chal­
lenges and barriers to equity.
“There are alw ays challenges that
im pact our com m unity in dispropor­
tionate w ays,” she said. “T he institu­
tional barriers that our com m unity
faces have not been dism antled.”
W hile as a state, Purcell said O r­
egon m ade gains in the 50s, 60s and
70s; progress in the 80s w as deeply
im pacted with a grow ing econom ic
recession.
“O ur community was affected first,
and im pacted m ost deeply. W e con­
tinue to bear the consequences o f
that econom ic dow nturn and reces­
sion today,” she said. “T hat is w hy
the U rban League has to rem ain vigi­
lant and keep our com m unity en­
g ag ed .”
At the end o f 2009, the organiza­
tion released a report know n as The
State o f Black O regon, which Purcell
said was a red flag for show ing how
m any challenges have grow n unmet.
“T he State o f B lack O regon report
really helped focus the w ork o f the
U rban League in term s o f advocating
for our com m unity to address the
inequities and level o f disparities re­
vealed in the report,” she said.
continued
on page 11