Oregon: Racist Utopia When Oregon was granted statehood in 1859, it was the only state in the Union admitted with a constitution that forbade Black people from living, working, or owning property there. It was illegal for black people even to move to the state until 1926. Oregons founding is part of the forgotten history of RACISM in the American west. While we sometimes want to believe racism—or at least institutionalized racism— was endemic only to the South, this is far from the truth. Racism wasnt just common and accepted practice in many, if not most, areas of the country, it was simply the law. People who believe that the economic, educational, and social damage of racism is something from the distant past, are simply people who have benefited from racism. Today, while 13 percent of Americans are Black, just 2 percent of Oregons population is Black. This is not some accident of history. Its a product of oppressive laws and everyday actions that deliberately excluded non-White people from a fair shot at living a life without additional obstacles being put in their way. Source: Daily Kos gizmodo/oregon-was-founded-as-a-racist-utopia-1539567040
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 03:49:15 +0000
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