In Honor of MLK Jr.: It’s Time to be Blunt about Oregon’s “Progressive” Past and Present.
On Sunday, January 15th, at an MLK Jr. Celebration titled “Advancing the Dream,” Portland’s new Mayor, Ted Wheeler, listed milestones of Oregon’s dark, racist past. Wheeler noted, “The 1857 Oregon Constitution explicitly excluded black people from living in Oregon. There were 20,000 KKK members in Portland in 1920. During WWII, Portland wanted black workers, but didn’t want black neighbors. Vanport was created outside of the city limits for a reason. 18,000 people were displaced by the Vanport floods, 25 percent of whom were black.”
There’s a lot going on in Eliot. From events this past summer sponsored by Legacy Emanuel Medical Center and Portland Parks and Recs to National Night Out, summer was definitely not boring. Fall gives us a chance to regroup as we start a new school year and we hope to bring to your attention some awareness about new businesses in Eliot, future changes to our neighborhoods and business districts, and unfortunately point out how to avoid the brazen bike thieves that seem to be so very busy lately.
Eliot Neighborhood 