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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 2020)
Murals Showcase Black History Women’s Football Charts Return Shining light on injustices and community action Diverse team holds tryouts; plans season after COVID See story, page 2 See Metro, page 6 Established in 1970 PO QR code Volume XLVIV • Number 24 ‘City of Roses’ www.portlandobserver.com Wednesday • November 4, 2020 Committed to Cultural Diversity The Kinney family is pictured outside the home they were evicted from this summer on North Mississippi Avenue. The family is appealing to get the home back, claiming a sophisticated mortgage scam and foreclosure was triggered by fraud and deceit. Lost by Fraud and Deceit Family fights to win back their historic home by M ichael l eighton P ortland o bserver e ditor An African American family with indigenous roots is locked in a dramatic struggle for the right to return to their historic home in one of Portland’s most gentrified neighborhoods, a battle blamed on a sophisticated mortgage scam, an alleged fraud and deceit case that has captured the hearts and minds of a growing community of allies pursuing racial and economic jus- tice. “It’s a David and Goliath fight,” said William Nietzche, about the battle to win back the old Kinney family home, a red house on North Mississippi Avenue, just down from the intersection of North Skidmore Street, and now next door to where tents have been set up by allies of the family wanting to help them and others trying to survive houselessness or similar plights. The community of supporters gather under a banner that says “Domicile the Land,” and where they accept donations of meals, clothes, blankets and heaters to distribute to others in need, Ni- etzche said. The picture of collec- tive community action is a stirring contrast to the new multi-million dollar condominium properties rising on all sides of the street and for several blocks. Included as part of Albina in early Portland, the Mississip- pi neighborhood was a redlined area back in the early to mid 20th Century where African Ameri- cans were allowed to reside in Portland at a time when real es- tate covenants restricted Black residents from living in other ar- eas of the city. But over the past few decades, Urban renewal and rezoning for commercial and multi-family developments has changed the landscape and led c ontinued on P age 4