L OST N EIGHBORHOODS
v
‘LIFE IN VANPORT’ ORAL HISTORY FILM FESTIVAL
Preserve the stories of Vanport residents by produc-
ing a 3-5 minute digital video recording and share
these stories with others through the “Life in Vanport”
Oral History Film Festival.
This is an opportunity to explore and record the
memories of African American citizens who lived in
Vanport, Oregon between 1929 and 1945, prior to
the Vanport flood and the forced relocation to other
areas.
The following links provide information about oral
history and the Vanport Era. We encourage you to
research “How To” information on the web, as well
as stories about the Vanport Era. If you are interest-
ed in this project, but do not have an individual to
provide the oral history, let us know and a match
will be provided for you.
RESOURCES
CREATING ORAL HISTORY
http://chnm.gmu.edu/digitalhistory/links/pdf/chap-
ter6/6.3.pdf
http://www.visionaryproject.com/lewiselma/
http://www.oralhistory.org.uk/advice/
http://www.loc.gov/vets/
http://www.historians.org/pubs/Free/WhyStudyHisto-
ry.htm
VANPORT HISTORICAL
INFORMATION
http://www.mefeedia.com/watch/30676016
http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cch
ouk/vanport/
http://southwestportland.katu.com/content/survivors-
1948-vanport-flood-be-honored
If you have questions regarding
the Oral History Film Festival
email npmtc@comcast.net
HOW THE FILM FESTIVAL WORKS
(Must be 18 years or older)
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS JANUARY 2012 THROUGH
DECEMBER 2012
Produce a 3-5 minute video oral history of people
retelling their experiences about “Life in Vanport.”
SUBMISSION
One entry per month per producer. Submit on DVD to
NPMTC, 415 N. Killingsworth St., Portland, Oregon,
97217. May submit one entry per month throughout
contest.
VIEWING
Monthly entries will be available for public viewing
and voting at www.npmtc.com beginning January
2012 through December 2012.
VOTING
Each month’s entries will be voted on by the public. In
January 2013, the winning entry will be viewed by a
panel of judges who will determine the grand prize
winner.
PRIZES
Each month’s winning entry will win a prize with a
value of $25 or more. The Grand Prize entry will win
$1,000 cash. The Grand Prize will be awarded in Jan-
uary 2013.
NEED A CAMERA?
Digital Video cameras will be available for loan by
individuals trained to use digital video recording
equipment.
NEED TRAINING?
Individuals needing training may be eligible for train-
ing on digital video recording and editing equipment.
NEED A SUBJECT TO VIDEO OR A VIDEOGRAPHER?
We realize you may have a story, but don’t have any-
one to film it. Or you may want to produce a video,
but do not have a person to interview. Let us know
and we’ll provide a match. Email us at npmtc@com-
cast.net and use MATCH in the subject line.
Black History
Thressia
continued from page 9
At 14, you could get an adult job, she
remembers. And during hard times, many of
the young men she knew signed up for the
services. She found work at the Lone Star
Rifle Co. making shell casings for M1 rifles.
“I worked on the line and we made 38,000
rifle shells in 8 hours.”
Colbert remembers the crime sprees of
Clyde Barrow and Pretty Boy Floyd. And
that during the Depression many people
were constantly on the move looking for a
way to survive.
“So many people don’t have jobs,” she
says. “Times are repeating themselves pret-
ty fast, because at that time people did not
have jobs and they came from every direc-
tion.”
Colbert’s husband moved north to Port-
land, Ore., where he found a good job at a
railroad company, and she followed him in
1942. She rented a room at the intersection
of N.Larrabee and NE Broadway, and found
a job at Gunderson’s shipyard working from
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., cleaning ships. One
of a team of 12 women, she was paid from
$1.35 to $1.42 an hour.
“They said some of those ships hadn’t
been cleaned in 12 years,” she says. “We
were cleaning those ships and getting them
ready to go overseas and back.
“The guys were joining the Longshoremen
and getting pretty good pay. But those guys
weren’t cleaning the ships. The union hall
was at 4th and Morrison and they had jobs.
See COLBERT on page 11
Page 10 The Portland and Seattle Skanner v BLACK HISTORY EDITION v February 22, 2012