Racist Oregon Three Part Series On FM News 101
PORTLAND, Ore— Today we begin a 3 part series entitled “Racist Oregon” KXL’s Rosemary Reynolds has spent several months gathering information and conducting interviews for this special report.
Listen to Part One here:
Listen to Part Two here:
Listen to Part Three here:
Hate, bias, prejudice, unfortunately encompasses so many parts of our daily lives even in 2019. The Oregon Historical Society provides prospective from before Oregon was a state. The white male dominated the Oregon territory in the 1800’s. There was a time when blacks could be whipped up to 39 times for every 6 months they stayed in the state after being told to move on. Ron Herndon former leader of the Black United Front says in the 60’s into the late 70’s black children were punished because of their color. They were bused miles away to go to school.
In May trans homeless woman Titi Gulley was found hanging from a tree in a park. police and the medical examiner say she died from suicide her family still disputes that. Billie a Trans-Senior at West Linn High School went to her car recently to find the word Queer written on her back windshield. Larnell Bruce junior was run over and killed in a 7-11 parking lot by a white supremacist who was given a life sentence. His parents remain crushed by the loss of their son.
Photo Courtesy of Ron Herndon
Photo Courtesy Oregon Historical Society
In late October a noose…. which is considered a racist symbol associated with lynching was found at Chapman elementary school in Portland. A few weeks later another one was found hanging over a construction cone in a research building at OHSU. There’s no explanation for these acts… Oregon has made some progress … with it’s first conviction under a New Bias Crime Law. There is so much more that needs to be done. Contact Reporter Rosemary Reynolds with your questions and comments : [email protected].
