EDUCATE
The 19/19 Mural
During WW1 a sizable black population moved to Oregon, lured by jobs in the shipyards. Portland’s black population grew from 2,000 to 20,000 but after the war ended jobs for blacks disappeared and they were encouraged to leave the city. For black residents, the only choice, if they wanted to stay in Portland, was a neighborhood called Albina that had emerged as a popular place to live for the black porters who worked in nearby Union Station. It was the only place black people were allowed to buy homes. After, in 1919, the Realty Board of Portland approved a Code of Ethics forbidding Realtors and bankers from selling or giving loans to minorities for properties located in white neighborhoods. This story must be told and understood.
“Many people may not even begin to think about,
let alone understand, the inequalities.”
Educating those who may not understand the struggles minorities face is only the beginning of the conversation.
This project creates a larger opportunity to discuss and acknowledge the displacement that so many cultures in this country have faced for years, and still face today.
Albina Vision Trust:
Restoring the historic lower Albina Neighborhood
A four part series that explores the history of Portland’s Albina neighborhood, the historic cultural hub of the city’s African American community, and the site of multiple waves of urban renewal and displacement. Using history as a guide, each episode tackles an important lesson from Albina’s past and juxtaposes it with the present-day work of new development plan to redesign, re-imagine, and reconnect the community to the neighborhood.
Visit the Albina Vision Trust to learn more at https://albinavision.org/
Helpful Resources about Equity and Inclusion
The following resources inspired and informed our NFT Mural and Event.
- The Racist History of Portland, the Whitest City in America
- Bleeding Albina: A History of Community Disinvestment
- Black Lives Matter mural splashes its message across N. Portland street
- Oregon Historical Society digital collection
- Albina Vision Trust
- Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World
- The Rise and Fall of Kah-Nee-Ta
- Housing Discrimination: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
- Urban Renewal History and the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project
Contribute to our Resources
One of the ways you can get involved is to share knowledge and information. If you have a resource or piece of information you would like us to share here, please contact us so we can add it in!
There are lots of ways to get involved: share you knowledge or join us at our event
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