State-Of-Black-Oregon-2015

STATE OFBLACKOREGON2015

© Urban League of PortlandText © 2015 Urban League of PortlandArtwork © Individual ArtistsFirst Published in the United States of America in 2015by the Urban League of Portland10 North Russell StreetPortland, OR 97227Phone: (503) 280-2600www.ulpdx.orgAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproducedin any form without the written permission of the copyrightowners. All images in this book have been reproduced with theknowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and noresponsibility is accepted by the producer, publisher or printerfor any infringement of copyright, or otherwise, arising fromthe contents of this publication. Every effort has been made toensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied.We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred andwill resolve inaccurate or missing information in a subsequentreprinting of the book.Digital edition published in 2015Photography:Intisar Abioto: www.intisarabioto.comHarold Hutchinson, HH Click PhotographyDawn Jones Redstone, Hearts+Sparks ProductionsDesign:Brenna King: www.brennaking.comAdditional Design:Jason Petz, Brink CommunicationsJan Meyer, Meyer Creative

FOREWORDThe State of Black Oregon 2015 provides a clear,urgent call and path forward for a Black Oregonpolicy agenda. The report captures dreams thathave been lost and deferred. It tells us whatwe must do to make dreams real and inclusivefor thousands of Black Oregonians. Whocan make change happen? All of us, workingtogether. The Oregon Legislature, our cities,counties and regional governments, as shapersand drivers of policy affecting the quality oflife for all Oregonians, must own this report,be key participants and take responsibility forimplementing the policy recommendations. Wemust continue to reach, embrace and engage anew generation of voters and leaders. We musthasten the training and development of Blackleaders, teachers and mentors. Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr. gave us a “prescription for a healthysociety”—The Beloved Community describedby the King Center as “...a global vision in whichall people can share in the wealth of the earth.In The Beloved Community, poverty, hungerand homelessness will not be tolerated becauseinternational standards of human decency willnot allow it. Racism and all forms of bigotry andprejudice will be replaced with an all-inclusivespirit of sisterhood and brotherhood.”Let Oregon lead the way in our rapidly evolvingNation—lead the way in claiming, proclaimingand demonstrating to the world that we are aBeloved Community.As we read the State of Black Oregon report—each of us is in search of our role to advancesocial and racial justice. As we task ourselves,let us remember the words left to us by agreat American Black and gay writer, LangstonHughes. He asked whether a dream deferreddries up like a raisin in the sun—or just explodes?AVEL LOUISE GORDLYFormer Oregon State SenatorAssociate Professor of Black Studies, PSU (retired)Author: Remembering the Power of Words...The Life of an Oregon Activist, Legislatorand Community Leader1

WE AREBLACKOREGON

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSWe gratefully acknowledge the manycontributors to this project. It would not havebeen possible without the continued supportof our partners, colleagues and donors. Wewant to express our deepest appreciation tothose who donated time and services.We want to especially thank Moda fordonating the printing of the report.SponsorsPrint Support:Kaiser Permanente Community Fund of the NorthwestHealth FoundationThe Collins FoundationThe Northwest Area FoundationUnited Way Catalyst FundPortland Public SchoolsPortland State UniversityLegacy HealthOregon Commission on Black AffairsCounty Commissioner Loretta Smith and theBoard of County CommissionersPortland Community Reinvestment Initiative, Inc.Video Support:M. J. Murdock Charitable TrustNW NaturalThe Collins FoundationPresident and CEONkenge Harmon JohnsonMichael Alexander, (Retired May 2015)Editorial DirectionMidge Purcell & Katie SawickiExecutive EditorKatie SawickiAssociate EditorTameka TaylorCopy EditorCathy HumbleBoard of DirectorsLolenzo Poe—Chairman, George B. Jones—Vice Chair, RobertCook—Treasurer, Amy Wayson—Secretary, David F. Bartz—Assistant Secretary, Lisa Burdette, Kimberlin Butler, AngelaDowling, Theressa Dulaney, Marcus Eastland, Lakecia Gunter,Dominique Johnson, Carla L. Kelly, Michael Lewellen, MichaelJ. Montgomery, Lori Morgan, Hiromi Piper Ogawa, Traci Rose,Karis Stoudamire-Phillips, Bill Tolbert, Bruce M. Watts,Karen Williams.Advisory CommitteeCyreena Boston Ashby, Lisa K. Bates, Rev. Dr. T. AllenBethel, Angela Cause, Khalil Edwards, Gregory Evans,Maxine Fitzpatrick, Julie Gray, JoAnn Hardesty (ConsultHardesty), John Gardner, Karen Gibson, Avel Louise Gordly,Kayse Jama, Robin Johnson, Irene Schwoeffermann, IngerMcDowell, Dalton Miller-Jones, Kali Thorne Ladd, MauriceRahming, David Rogers, Latricia Tillman, Robert Thompson.4

EssayistsYvette M. Alexis-Assensoh, Kwadwo Alex-Assensoh,Rachael Banks, Lisa K. Bates, Rev. Dr. T. Allen Bethel,Angela Glover Blackwell, Heather Ficht, Mike Green,Kayse Jama, Kali Thorne Ladd, Dalton Miller-Jones,Cheryl Miller, Keva M. Miller, Alisha Moreland-Capuia,Bruce Poinsette, john a. powell, Midge Purcell,David Rogers, Kathleen Sadaat, Latricia Tillman,Lawrence Wallack.Additional WritersBruce Poinsette—Case Studies, David Whitfield—CaseStudies, Elicia Reed—Black Immigrant and RefugeeSurvey research, Linda Boise and Raina Croff—BlackOlder Adults Focus Groups, John Gardner, RobinJohnson, Arika M. Bridgeman, Sonya Brookins, AngelaGreen, Noelle Wiggins, Midge Purcell, Katie Sawicki,Tameka Taylor, Lindsay Bryant, Jason Jurjevich,Janai Kessi, Stephan Herrera.Research TeamPortland State University’s Population Research Center:Jason Jurjevich & Janai Kessi, Oregon Health Authority:Robin Johnson, Oregon Health & Science University/PreSERVE Coalition: Linda Boise, Tiffany Kirkpatrick,Raina Croff. Also: Lindsay Bryant, Lisa Klein Vogel, VictorCaeser, Lisa K. Bates, Elicia Reed, Tameka Taylor, KatieSawicki, Natasha Detweiler, Jared Kobak. Survey Team:Laura Muco, Shannon Olive, Salome Chimuku.Lead PhotographyIntisar AbiotoAdditional PhotographyLindsay BryantDawn Jones Redstone/ Hearts+Sparks ProductionsHarold Hutchinson/ HH Click PhotographyDesignBrenna KingAdditional Design SupportBrink Communications, Meyer CreativeAdditional SupportThanks and appreciation for the support of ouradditional contributors, editors and advisors:Special thank you to: Lindsay Bryant, Lisa Vogel, BrucePoinsette and David Whitfield. Thank you also to: KaleemaKerbs, Julia Delgado, Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc., PortlandCommunity College—Cascade Campus, Portland StateUniversity’s—Capstone Students, Christian Kaylor, AnnCurry-Stevens, Shannon Wight, Janet Byrd, DeborahCochrane, Patrick Green, Travis Stovall, Cat Goughnour,Stephen Simms, Kate Allen, Rukaiyah Adams, RaahiReddy, Mark Johnson, Mark Harris, Matthew Reynolds,Gina DuQuenne, Katrina Hedberg, Renee Boyd, AngelaLong, Peter Tromba, Carole Scholl, Suzanne Porter, MarkEdwards, Kelly Officer, Susan Degen, Sean Schafer, PeterWagner, Beth Poteet, Becky Seel, Brian Reeder, HeidiDupius, Barbara McCullough-Jones, Neola Young, ShandaMiller, Debra Lindsay, Blanca Torres de Hawkins, JilmaMeneses, Joyce DeMonnin, Dorian Caal, David Whitfield,Jeremy Wolff, Dante James, Stacey Triplett, TJ Sheehy,StrategyWorks NW, Mara Gross, Lucy Baker, StephaineTaylor, Steve Simms, Mindy Clark.5

+ CONTENTSIntroduction 10SECTION 1: CHILDREN & YOUTHChapter 1 14 RACE & SURROUNDINGSEssay 1 16 How Social Justice Can Lift Up Black Healthby Lawrence Wallack and Latricia TillmanEssay 2 20 Poverty, Trauma & the Mental Health of Black Youthby Dr. Alisha Moreland-CapuiaCase Study 1 22 Lydia Serves Her Community With a Trauma-Informed ApproachCase Study 2 24 African & African American Community Health WorkersHealing Ourselves & Our Communities28 Policy ActionsChapter 2 30 PROTECT & EDUCATEEssay 3 32 The Power of Imageby Kali Thorne LaddEssay 4 34 Rebuilding Strong Supports for Our Youthby Dalton Miller-JonesEssay 5 38 Tackling Inequity Head-Onby Keva M. MillerCase Study 3 40 Fighting For Her Children’s Education & Redefining RespectCase Study 4 42 Trailblazing a Pathway to Diversity & EducationCase Study 5 44 African American Rites of Passage ProgramBuilds Pride in Lane CountyOregon Snapshot 46 Cultural Identity Helps Bi-Racial Youth Navigate Rural Oregon50 Policy Actions6

Chapter 3 52 PREPARE, SUPPORT & EMPLOYEssay 6 54 Creating Opportunities in Schools & Higher Educationby Yvette M. Alex-Assensoh and Kwadwo S. Alex-AssensohEssay 7 56 Preparing Black Youth for the Workforceby Heather FichtCase Study 6 58 Making Education Affordable Should Be Common SenseCase Study 7 60 Informal Supports Help Elton Cody Write His Own StoryOregon Snapshot 62 “Don’t Forget About Central Oregon, Because We’re Here”66 Policy ActionsSECTION 2: ADULTHOODChapter 4 70 SECURITY & WELL-BEINGEssay 8 72 An Economic Justice Foundation to Healthby Rachael BanksEssay 9 74 Holistic Solutions for Inclusionby john a. powellSurvey 76 Black Immigrants & Refugees, Community SurveyCase Study 8 78 Belinda Jiles Is Connecting Generations,Health & EmploymentCase Study 9 82 Walking, Tall, Black & Proud in AshlandOregon Snapshots 84 Documenting Environmental Inequity86 Improving Data Collection for BlackLGBTQ Oregonians88 In Astoria, Kemboi Chesimet GetsMost of His Support Over the Phone90 Policy Actions7

Chapter 5 92 GROWING A WORKFORCEEssay 10 94 Equity Will Help Oregon Prosperby Angela Glover BlackwellCase Study 10 98 Growing All of OregonCase Study 1 1 100 For Young Black Professionals, Oregon Can Be a Tough SellCase Study 12 102 The Path From Prison to Employment Is a Long OneCase Study 13 104 The Story of One Worker’s Fight Against Discrimination at WorkCase Study 14 106 Staying Strong for All His High School Students108 A Jobs Plan for Black OregonChapter 6 112 PROSPERITY & OPPORTUNITYEssay 11 1 14 New Prosperity Paradigmby Mike GreenEssay 12 116 Universal Childcare Opens Doorsby Cheryl MillerCase Study 15 120 Succeeding Against All Odds in Southern OregonCase Study 16 124 IDA Program Takes Business to the Next LevelOregon Snapshot 126 Owning the Only Black Business in Pendleton128 Policy ActionsSECTION 3: COMMUNITYChapter 7 132 PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIESEssay 13 134 This Is Gentrificationby Lisa K. BatesEssay 14 138 Breaking the Chainsby David RogersEssay 15 142 The Role of Faith in Keeping our Communities Safeby Rev. T. Allen Bethel8

Case Study 17 144 Gentrification and Housing Insecurity Erase the Past andCreate an Uncertain FutureCase Study 18 146 Dedicated Volunteers Power the Oregon Somali FamilyEducation CenterCase Study 19 148 The History of Oregon’s Black Loggers Will Never Be LostOregon Snapshots 150 For May Bates-Patten, It’s All About Family152 Carving Out Opportunities in Klamath Falls154 Policy ActionsChapter 8 156 WRITING OUR NEXT CHAPTEREssay 16 158 Leadership for the Futureby Kathleen Sadaat & Midge PurcellEssay 17 160 We Are All Black Oregonby Kayse JamaEssay 18 162 We Need Each Otherby Bruce PoinsetteCase Study 20 164 Politics is About CommunityCase Study 21 166 Protester to Paralegal: Fighting for Housing Justice168 Community ActionsAppendices 171A 173 Report Framing, Policy Actions and DataB 174 End NotesC 178 Data TablesD 191 Black Older Adult Focus Group DescriptionE 192 Black Immigrants and RefugeeCommunity Survey DescriptionF 193 Methodology/Limitation of anAnalysis of Environmental Inequity9

INTRODUCTIONSTATE OF BLACK OREGON 2015Let us imagine the reality we wish to see forBlack Oregon—an environment where ourchildren are engaged in the classroom; wherethe economy is bolstered by a well-equippedand sought-after Black workforce; where astrong community made up of generations ofBlack families can remain connected and stablein their homes and surroundings. This is notwhat we see today, but we can accept nothingless. The State of Black Oregon 2015 seeks tobridge that gap, addressing challenges in a waythat will benefit all Oregonians.From our vantage point in 2015, the politicallandscape in Oregon is shifting. It is beingmoved by the demographic changes of growingcommunities of color and the accompanyingneed for innovation to build an equitable andinclusive economy for the 21st century. AsOregon works to build a healthy and prosperousstate, we risk failing to fulfill our potentialand our promise if we do not dismantle thelegacy of inequity and institutional neglect ofcommunities of color.Across our state, as is the case across thenation, public and private systems still operatein ways that perpetuate income and racialinequality. This sad truth is confirmed by thefindings of our State of Black Oregon 2015.Dramatic evidence of the historic effects ofracism and its consequences has unfoldedfrom Ferguson to Portland and far too manycommunities in between to mention. We arereminded that the evolution and history ofracism is complex. Consequently, our solutionsmust also be complex. They must be rooted in ashared understanding by communities of colorand communities of conscience of our historyand what is required of all of us if we are to shiftour social fabric toward equity.The action we take today will determine ourtomorrow. Since the last State of Black Oregon10

2009, we acknowledge that we have madesome progress. We have welcomed the steadyincrease in advocacy and activism by Oregon’semerging communities of color to raise voicesand awareness for advancing issues of socialjustice. There has been a shared commitmentto change by many policymakers. We havedemonstrated what can be achieved bypurposeful interventions and worked with manypartners to ensure that we all bring our voicesto issues and places where they must be heard.The first State of Black Oregon documentedthe need and responsibility for policymakers touse the data to eliminate the disparities theyrevealed. The challenge before policymakersand practitioners from the release of theState of Black Oregon 2015 is nothing shortof dismantling the remaining systems thatperpetuate inequity.The State of Black Oregon 2015 tells the storyof the many Black communities that are apart of Oregon across the state; one that isoften untold. We share the stories through thelens of childhood and adulthood and throughour community’s aspiration for health andwell-being. We celebrate the diversity of ourcommunity by lifting up the voices of our elders,Black LGBTQ people (lesbian, gay, bisexual,transgender and queer), Black immigrants andrefugees and rural Black Oregonians. The datain our report will already be familiar.Our intention is to convey the continuedurgency for social and racial justice requiredfor our community to thrive. Our purposeis to put forward a strategy for action forall policymakers, and a strategy for politicalempowerment for our community.The time for change was yesterday, but theopportunity before us today is to come forwardwith intentionality and purpose.MICHAEL ALEXANDERPresident and Chief Executive OfficerUrban League of Portland11

SECTION 1CHILDREN& YOUTHCHAPTER 1 14RACE & SURROUNDINGSCHAPTER 2 30PROTECT & EDUCATECHAPTER 3 52PREPARE, SUPPORT & EMPLOY13

CHAPTER 1RACE AND SURROUNDINGSOur surroundings mold our development, significantly impacting ourphysical and mental health and shaping our life’s path from a very earlyage. The neighborhood where a mother lives while she’s pregnant; thehome a child sees when he wakes up; a parent’s presence or absence; goodnutrition; and social and economic support—these are all factors in a child’s health,well-being and eventual achievement.The images children see outside their windows, and how that outside world perceives and treatsthem, can generate either fear and poor self-esteem or confidence, security and pride. We knowthat the environment of many Black children is significantly different from the world of their Whitecounterparts. This fact is not new; what we need are new solutions. To lift up Black children, thesesolutions must be bold and direct; both new and proven strategies. They must begin before a child isconceived. Since a mother is the microenvironment in which her child grows and develops, it makessense to ensure her physical and emotional health and well-being.Children Living at 200% Poverty or Below(2014)BlackWhiteLow Birth Weight(2013)62 %37 %Black11 %White 6 %Infant Mortality(Deaths per 1,000 live births, 2008)Food Insecurity(2010–2011)Black 8.9Black44.1 %White 5.2White18.7 %14

ACTION VISIONThe best way to strengthen the health of Black women, childrenand families is to start early. We must boost prenatal healthcare for families and provide support through the crucial first1,000 days of life—preconception up to age 2. We must also implementpolicies that prioritize reproductive planning and choice,economic security, stable housing and healthy surroundings.15

ESSAY 1HOW SOCIAL JUSTICE CANLIFT UP BLACK HEALTHLatricia Tillman, MPH, Director of Public Health,Multnomah County Health DepartmentLawrence Wallack, DrPH, Director,Center for Public Health Studies, Portland State University16At the core of public health is anupstream-downstream problem: we’reoften so busy pulling drowning peopleout of the river downstream thatwe don’t have time to go upstream, see what’scausing them to intially fall in, and do somethingabout it. For any community to improve its health,it’s necessary to make a difference upstream.It’s not news that poverty and racism arestressful and killing us, and that collectively,African Americans have less access than othersto political and economic power. It may beless well known that crucial to our health as acommunity is the health of our mothers—evenbefore they become mothers—and the health oftheir babies, even pre-conception through thefirst 1,000 days to roughly 2 years of age.Important new findings in biological and socialsciences have linked key environmental factorswith the very early development of chronicdiseases, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetesand some cancers. This research further linkssome of the same factors to a range of problemsrelated to brain development, school success andmental health. Our community, family history andcurrent environment may shape our health morethan our genes do. A recent Robert Wood JohnsonFoundation national commission concludedthat our zip code may be more important thanour genetic code in determining our health.PROTECTING THE FIRST 1,000 DAYSThe risk of deadly and disabling healthproblems is established much earlier thanpreviously understood. We now know thatthe most critical developmental period ispre-conception up to about age 2—the first1,000 days.The two main risk factors involvenutrition and stress. Biological changesin the developing baby are related to thenutritional flow from the mother to thefetus. Just as the mother is the environmentof the developing fetus, the communityis the environment of the mother. Thesebiological changes also reflect the intense“toxic” stress on the mother brought onby environmental conditions like racism,inadequate housing, unemployment and lackof options and opportunity.WHAT DOES IT MEAN IN OREGON?We understand what community means toour senses. It’s the sound of our music and ofneighbors greeting each other from across thestreet. It smells like barbecue. It’s a fierce andfriendly game of spades at a block party or asmile as you walk into church. It makes you feelfamiliar, welcome and known.

FAMILY-BASED CARE AND SUPPORTAll families members can play a role in protecting the first 1,000 days. One communitymember we talked to, Shanice (picture unavailable), is pregnant with her second child. Likeher mother, Shanice relies heavily on family-based care. Her sister was by her side as herdoula during her first pregnancy. She accompanied her on doctors’ visits; advocated on herbehalf; and provided nutritional advice and homemade remedies. In many ways, her sistercovered the blind spots doctors were missing, often due to a lack of cultural understanding.While she was in labor with her first daughter, the only health issue that arose was highblood pressure, which returned to normal after delivery. Shanice’s daughter was bornperfectly healthy, and eight months into her current pregnancy, the issue hasn’t resurfaced.She credits the positive health outcomes to family-based care and support. Shanice’s sister,mother and other family members take care of her daughter while she’s at work. Such helphas been crucial during the all-important “first 1,000 days.”17

But our Black community has been erodedover the past 20 years. In the name of urbanrenewal, the Black community has beendisplaced so that our zip codes no longerconnect us. The implications are powerful. If,as the research suggests, nutritional and stressrisk factors reflect our community environment,we can and must improve these conditionsthrough changes in public policy and innovativepublic health programming.For the sake of our future generations, we need tofocus on the well-being of our young Black womentoday, particularly those whose families are lowerincome.We need to tackle health problems thatlimit educational, economic and social opportunityfor individuals and communities.As a first step, we need to build efforts inculturally affirming prevention, maternal andchild health, early childhood education, housingand economic development into a larger social/health equity movement. We have to thinkbigger, bolder and more comprehensively.THE RESPONSIBILITIES OFOUR LEADERSOur city, county, regional and state governmentsmust demolish the silos that limit theireffectiveness. Our elected officials, businessexecutives, faith leaders, educators and healthprofessionals need a common understanding ofthe cross-cutting factors that increase risks for alifetime of health and social problems.Because we know that social factors likeracism contribute in a significant and tragicway to disability and early death, social changeneeds to be at the center of health promotion.Sustainable funding is critical for the culturallyspecific faith and community organizations thatstrengthen connected, empowered and involvedcommunity networks.the members of the dominant culture whosethinking has perpetuated it. This is not thecross-burning of not so long ago; it has evolvedinto subtle, subconscious thinking that deniesor minimizes people of color in leadershipand dismisses indigenous ways of knowing,gathering, addressing problems and healing.Those who ignore or downplay, for example,how gentrification and unemployment havedeep health and mental health impacts, diminishthe humanity of themselves as well as others.Our leaders cannot be neutral, sitting by as thechronic stress of racism takes years off of ourlives. They cannot be afraid to empathize withimpacted communities and to feel the depth ofdamage and loss.Solutions must be tailored to the communitiesexperiencing the greatest need and fundedto facilitate effectiveness. In developing them,leaders must include those who’ve beenprivileged and those who’ve been oppressed.To achieve equity, everyone must committo chart (and fund) a new course for theinstitutions and systems that exist to promotehealth. And we must share a more humanefocus on our collective future that recognizesthe pivotal role of our mothers and daughters,who may one day become mothers themselves,in our community’s health.Just as the mother isthe environment of thedeveloping fetus, thecommunity is theenvironment of the mother.These organizations must be at the heart ofour collective healing—not just for the peopleof color who’ve experienced racism, but for718

CRITICAL SUPPORT FOR BLACK MOTHERSPublic assistance programs are a critical anti-poverty strategy for protecting child and maternalhealth outcomes. Reducing the economic and financial stress on a Black mother through jobprograms and financial support significantly improves her health and that of her children.49.2%of Black female households(single) live below thepoverty level27.8%of White female households(single) live below thepoverty level 1Black women representof the WIC program5%White women represent88% of the WIC program2 19

ESSAY 2POVERTY, TRAUMA & THEMENTAL HEALTH OF BLACK YOUTHAlisha Moreland-Capuia, MDExecutive Director, Oregon Health & Science UniversityAvel Gordly Center for HealingYou see a profound visceral reactionin the Black community when youmention the name Trayvon Martin. Thiscase affirmed for many that peopleof color will always carry the burden of others’suspicion—a heavy burden to bear. Even morerecent are the cases of Michael Brown and EricGarner, unarmed Black men who still could notsave their own lives. Recalling these examplesincites fear. The unconscious message is: I am notsafe even when I am in a position of completesurrender; and further: I am a target by the verynature of an immutable characteristic—the colorof my skin.Poverty in the Black community is equallyvisceral. Children whose parents live in poverty,or who have experienced severe economiclosses, are more likely to have higher rates ofdepression, anxiety and antisocial behaviors.This fear is equally real for young women whoface the trauma of domestic violence or wholack access to reproductive services. 3Poverty and the persistent presence of fearand anxiety are traumatic. Trauma is causedby exposure to events that shatter one’s senseof security and make one feel helpless andvulnerable in a dangerous world—experienceslike poverty, police brutality, bullying anddomestic violence. Black, Native Americanand Hispanic youth have disproportionatelymore negative interactions with the police,which heighten fear, create mistrust and havea profound impact on the psyche of youth ofcolor. 4 Understanding the effect of trauma onindividuals and communities can shape policiesand practice for educators, law enforcementand healthcare and service providers. Beingtrauma-informed lets us look at what’shappened to people instead of what’s wrongwith them. It builds empathy.For health, human service systems, schools,foster care and juvenile justice to becometrauma-informed means that every part of theorganization, management and service deliveryis assessed and modified to include a basicunderstanding of how trauma impacts the livesof individuals. It recognizes that traditionalapproaches may exacerbate trauma. Beingtrauma-informed means being compassionate andculturally responsive, seeing one as human, notjust a color or socioeconomic status.SOLUTIONSThe social service systems that serve boys,young men and their families are fragmented,exist in silos, do not share a commonknowledge base or language, compete fordiminishing resources and are chronicallystressed. When boys and men of color20

interface with these stressed systems, theirproblems are often compounded.The promising Sanctuary Model createsan organizational culture that emphasizeshealing from psychological and socialtrauma, throughout physical and mentalhealthcare, schools, community-based andsocial services organizations.Being trauma-informedlets us look at what’shappened to people insteadof what’s wrong with them.It builds empathy.EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONSEXPAND TRAUMA-INFORMED SERVICES:• Support and expand community-based efforts that are consistent with a traumainformedapproach. Focus on cultural frameworks that promote healing and positivemale development and identity to address the effects of trauma, improve health anddecrease disparities.WIDEN TRAINING:• Promote trauma-informed training of judges, law enforcement, healthcare providers,teachers, social service and others who encounter Black men, youth and families.SCHOOLS:• Promote school-based activities (violence prevention, health, parenting support,education and mentoring), beginning in the early years, that are responsive toadverse social and family conditions within at-risk communities.HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES:• Infuse health and human service systems with trauma-informed practices to promotehealing from trauma and adversity at the individual, family and community levels.Ensure behavioral healthcare that provides trauma-informed treatment.CHILD WELFARE:• Expand foster care and child welfare practices that engage the whole family(both foster family and family of origin) and that include trauma histories andassessments in providing care.JUVENILE JUSTICE:• Use rehabilitative options within the juvenile justice system that focus on addressingtrauma to divert youth from detention or incarceration.21

CASE STUDY 1LYDIA SERVES HER COMMUNITY WITHA TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACHAs a Community Health Worker (CHW),Lydia Gray Holifield relies on culturalcompetency and personal experienceto serve her community. Her workincludes home visits and helping socializechildren twice a month. She also helps pregnantwomen by serving as a doula. They ask her toaccompany them to doctors’ appointmentsbecause they fear going alone. Since she begandoing this, Lydia says her clients now asktheir doctors more questions and investigatemedicines on their own.By acting as an advocate for patients, Lydiaeases the distrust many in the Black communityhave of the healthcare system. “We’re notletting doctors use our patients any more asguinea pigs,” she says. “They always want togive our sisters a C-section because it gets themin and out the door faster. I don’t like that.”Despite such underlying tensions, Lydia says theresponse from medical staff has been positive.“You just have to let them know we’re here,” shesays. “You don’t get to do that to our people anymore. You don’t just get to give them a drug you’rebasically testing on us to see if it’s going to work.”In addition to working with pregnant mothers,Lydia also helps a number of clients whoare domestic violence survivors—a situationshe knows all too well. “When you get out,you’re scared to death,” she says. “You don’tunderstand. You don’t know where to go.Many times in the African American community,these stories of domestic violence remain familysecrets, passed down from one generation tothe next generation.Lydia has made a decision that she wants the“family curse” to stop. She uses her experienceto empower other women to seek support.Lydia says, “The difference between the two isthat physical abuse is something that happensinstantly. Mental abuse is something thathappens every day, over and over again.”Domestic violence is something people don’talways talk about in the Black community.Lydia’s situation began improving when shefound support through an advocate at HealingRoots, a culturally specific domestic violenceprogram for Blacks. The program helped her torecognize various forms of abuse and gave herthe tools to rebuild her self-esteem. “Every dayI work the program,” she says. “I remember thatI’m beautiful. That I’m worthy. My self-worthis important. I remember that I don’t have tosacrifice who I am because of someone else’smistakes or someone else’s issues.”In addition to being in a room with otherBlack women and being able to have honest,straightforward discussions, Lydia says havingtrauma-informed support was crucial toimproving her condition. Today, Lydia is thrivingin her role as a community education advocate.22

CASE STUDY 2AFRICAN & AFRICAN AMERICANCOMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS HEALINGOURSELVES & OUR COMMUNITIESIn 2012, history was made by healthcare reformlegislation at both the state and nationallevel. Communities of color and public healthallies advocated for including culturallyproficient, evidence-based practice. As a result,the legislation highlighted the important role ofCommunity Health Workers (CHWs) in reducinghealth disparities and driving down the cost ofhealthcare.For centuries, CHWs have worked around theworld to identify and solve pressing healthissues in their own communities. This modelneeded to expand in Oregon’s Black community,within both clinical and community settings.Culturally specific solutions are now bearingfruit in effectively addressing the higher rates ofinfant mortality, diabetes, unemployment andincarceration that exist in Black communities,some of which are even higher in the BlackLGBTQ community.In 2012, the Urban League of Portland, theCommunity Capacitation Center of theMultnomah County Health Department (CCC)and North by Northeast Community HealthCenter came together and began to adapt theCCC’s empowerment-based curriculum for CHWsin Black communities. The partners envisionedthat the CHWs who graduated from this trainingwould establish a health equity movement deeplyrooted in Black culture and experience.CHW education uses a culturally-centeredcurriculum built on the World HealthOrganization’s broad definition of health as“a state of complete mental, physical andsocial well-being and not just the absence ofdisease or infirmity.” For that reason, CHWsuse approaches that focus on the “socialdeterminants of health” for whole communities,such as employment, environment, povertyand racism.Contribution by: Arika M. Bridgeman, SonyaBrookins, Angela Green and Noelle WigginsSince the launch of the We AreHealth Movement (WAHM),more than 50 WAHM CHWshave been trained. Many havebecome involved in policywork affecting CHWs andtheir communities, as well aslaunching many projects inthe field of public health. Asthese CHWs join cohorts fromother cultural groups, they areworking together to createsolutions rooted in multiculturalpower.24

Choreographer and visualartist, Bobby Fouther, leadselders in movement atPreSERVE Coalition’sAging & MemoryConference at LegacyEmanuel Hospital inPortland.25

HOUSING AND EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OFPARENTAL INCARCERATIONParental incarceration heightens risk factors for an already vulnerable population.89% of mothers and 67%of fathers who lived with their children just prior to theirarrest/incarceration reported providing financial support for their family. 5 The loss of thissupport can impact stability. Even when the absence of the parent improves the child’soverall situation, it is still a major disruption that can be difficult for children.Parental incarceration widens the gaps between White and Black children’s housing andeducation outcomes 6 :46%Increase inracial gap forbehavioralproblems24%Increase inaggressivebehavior65%Increase inracial gap inhomelessnessx2Doubles the riskof homelessnessfor Black children 7HAVE IMAGE?26

DISPLACEMENT, POVERTYAND SCHOOL CLOSINGSALL AFFECT EDUCATIONALOUTCOMESGentrification negatively impacts Blackfamilies’ access to schools and quality publiceducation. Parallel to their neighborhoods,historically Black schools experience asimilar cycle of disinvestment (funding andresources), school closures and redirectedinvestments when new residents move in.HIGHMOBILITYRATESLOWERACHIEVEMENTSCORESAdditionally, researchshows that highmobility and povertyresult in learningdisability, behavioralor developmentalissues and lowerachievement scores.61.4%In Oregon, childrenfrom low-incomefamilies on SNAPwho live in ametropolitan countymoved at least onceand moved across aschool boundary. 8When schools close,academic gains,standardized testscores, graduationrates and parentengagementall decrease fordisplaced families. 927

POLICY ACTIONSThe best way to strengthen the health of Black women,children and families is to start early. We must boost prenatalhealth care for families and provide support through thecrucial first 1,000 days—preconception up to age 2. Wemust also implement policies that prioritize reproductiveplanning and choice, economic security, stable housing andhealthy surroundings.POLICY PRIORITIES:1Implement a prenatal and first 1,000days agenda that includes:3Take advantage of public and privateeconomic development and community• Setting a food and nutrition goalinvolvement plans to reduce poverty infor women of reproductive age andOregon’s Black community.children in Black communities• Investing in reducing healthdisparities, especially those related4Encourage the Oregon Departmentof Human Services, local healthto low birth weight, infant mortality,departments and law enforcementobesity and mental healthagencies to partner together to support2Create housing stability forBlack Oregon by ensuring:the physical/mental health of Blackyouth.• Integrate trauma-informed practice• Stable and sufficient incomeinto service delivery• Affordability of rent/mortgage,• Retrain all police officers in trauma-utilities, property taxes andinformed approacheshealthcare• Invest in strategies that reflect best• Ability to maintain a home’spractices for violence reductionconditionand wrap-around services for Black• Feeling of safetyyouth• Satisfaction with children’s education• Connection with neighbors28

WHO CAN MAKE THE CHANGE?• Oregon Department of Human Services• Oregon Health Authority• Local and regional governments• Law enforcement• Public assistance programs29

CHAPTER 2PROTECT & EDUCATEFor Black youth to succeed in school, they need the basics of good physicaland mental health, a strong cultural identity, sufficient hours spent learningand positive teacher perception and expectation.The most persistent barriers for Oregon’s Black youth remain: unfair discipline practices;too few teachers of color; feeling isolated; and a lack of mentorship opportunities and culturallyspecific programming. Solutions to the educational achievement gap need to begin by targetingfunding for these.Disproportionate Discipline Rates(2012–2013)BlackWhiteExpelledExpelledSuspendedSuspendedMath State Benchmarks(2012–2013)BlackWhiteElementarySchool.09 %.03 %9.99 %3.26 % 19.55 %80%60%MiddleSchool.46 %.25 % 8.29 %40%20%HighSchool1.01 %.43 %8.01 %17.78 %3rdgrade5thgrade8thgrade11thgradeReading State Benchmarks(2012–2013)BlackWhiteEligible for Free and Reduced Lunch(2013–2014)75 % 41 % Eliminating povertybefore a studententers school isone of the bestways to improvegraduation rates.80%60%40%20%BlackWhite3rdgrade5thgrade8thgrade11thgrade30

ACTION VISIONEvery child should be able to attain an education and fulfilltheir dreams. We must focus on strategies to lift Black youthout of poverty, end school exclusion and foster respect forcultural identity.31

ESSAY 3THE POWER OF IMAGEKali Thorne LaddExecutive Director, KairosPDXAt the age of 4, Jesse was suspendedand eventually kicked out of his preschoolclassroom. At the age of 5, hedoesn’t know whether he’s ready forkindergarten or not. Neither do his parents; theyjust know that he’s “bad.”And so begins the familiar narrative, onethat says Black boys are more likely to getsuspended or expelled from school forsubjective offenses, such as insubordination,disobedience, disruption. The same narrativeshows their kindergarten suspension rates ashigh as 10 percent. For Black boys, this narrativeincludes the reality that less than 1 percent ofteachers in Oregon look like them and only40 percent of students who look like them aremeeting benchmarks in math at third grade.TIME FOR A NEW NARRATIVEThere’s no such thing as a “bad” child. As youread this, digest it; let it sink in. Children areinherently brilliant, capable and creative beings.Harvard research tells us that 700-1,000 neuralconnections are made per second in the firstyear of a child’s life. 1 The brain grows at a rapidclip. A newborn’s brain is about 25 percentof its approximate adult weight. Our job, asadults, is to retain the image of our children asthinkers, change-makers and entrepreneurs. Thediscouraging statistics on school performance arethe result of a failing system, not a failing child.Education leader Loris Malaguzzi tells us: “Thereare hundreds of different images of the child.Each one of you has inside yourself an image ofthe child that directs you as you begin to relateto a child. This theory within you pushes you tobehave in certain ways; it orients you as you talkto the child, listen to the child, observe the child.It is very difficult for you to act contrary to thisinternal image.”IT’S TIME TO EMBRACE A NEWIMAGE THAT INCLUDES:• Understanding that statistics don’t definethe child.• Recognizing the cultural richness thatchildren bring with them to school, seeingthat richness as an asset and reflecting thatrichness back to them in meaningful ways.• Seeing that we exist in a dominant narrativethat is not the only narrative possible.• Realizing that the constant referenceto Black children as “poor minorities” isdetrimental to the child’s image.• Changing language from children who are“at risk” to communities that are “at risk” oflosing their greatest hope for the future.Image change includes recognizing that theachievement gap is in fact a symptom ofstructural and systemic barriers that need tobe fixed, not children who need to be fixed.This can’t be done by maintaining the statusquo. It takes radical change in how schools andclassrooms are envisioned and organized.32

Early childhood education and a rigorous,engaging K-5 academic experience are waysto open up the world of opportunity for allchildren, especially those who are historicallyunderserved. Having healthy educationalexperiences earlier in life, not just later, increasesan individual’s ability to build and sustain qualityof life. It helps a person grow as an individualand contribute to the community.KairosPDX was founded in the context of thisreality, with a mission to improve outcomesand eradicate achievement gaps for children ofcolor PreK-5. However, it’s not the only groupwith such goals. From Albina Headstart to Self-Enhancement Inc. to the Rosemary AndersonSchool, these organizations, founded and ledby Blacks, have worked hard for decades tochange the narrative for Black children andother historically underserved communities.Collectively, they call on policymakers, business,education and civic leaders to partner andinvest with them to continue building a newimage for Black Oregon children.33

ESSAY 4REBUILDING STRONG SUPPORTSFOR OUR YOUTHDalton Miller-Jones, PhD, Professor EmeritusDevelopmental Psychology, Portland State UniversityThe disturbing portrait painted by thisreport has not changed significantlyfrom the Urban League’s State ofBlack Oregon 2009 report. 2 Whatconditions and dynamics lead to these persistentpatterns of inequities between Blacks and otherOregonians? For us, the historical roots of thepresent situation continue to influence what weexperience today.For Blacks, the more than 300 years (or over10 generations), of brutal slavery and thesubsequent terrorism of “Jim Crow” segregationand discrimination have been representedin daily culture. The Tuskegee Institutedocumented the lynching of 3,446 Blacksbetween 1882 and 1968. 3Black communities continue to experience overtaggression and threats of violence every day,including from law enforcement. “Young Blackmales in recent years were at a far greater riskof being shot dead by police than their Whitecounterparts—21 times greater, according to aProPublica analysis of federally collected dataon fatal police shootings” (drawn from reportsfiled from 2010 to 2012). 4The Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown incidentshave been widely publicized. In anotheroutrageous incident in New Iberia, Louisiana,Victor White III, a Black man, was shot to deathwhile in a police cruiser. The coroner claimed,and the court found, that he shot himself todeath while being handcuffed with his handsbehind his back.Similar incidents involving deadly use of forcehave happened here in Portland, most notablyKendra James and Aaron Campbell. Thiscontinued criminalization of being Black and themilitarization of law enforcement are deeply feltin the Black community.MICROAGGRESSIONSBlack youth experience daily assaults ontheir integrity by people in positions ofauthority, such as teachers and police.These microagressions become internalizedconsciously and unconsciously. Dr. Joy DeGruyLeary’s book “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome”equates these stresses with those experiencedby former combat soldiers. Black malescan respond to these assaults with fear andantagonism toward the police and school. WhenBlack male students are constantly accused ofmisbehavior, their personal integrity is offended.Although some research suggests that Blackstudents are not actually more disruptive in classthan White students, they are suspended andexpelled at rates double that for Whites. 5It doesn’t start out this way. Most young Black 3-and 4-year-olds arrive at school eager to pleasetheir teachers and may aspire to be police orfiremen. But after many encounters where they34

are criticized, corrected and accused of badbehavior, and are the first to be suspected oftransgressions, this takes its toll on the Blackpsyche. 6 To restore their sense of Black malepersonhood, they seek out peer-based supportsystems: either positive, like sport teams; orpotentially negative ones, like gangs.POSITIVE INTERVENTIONSMany constructive efforts are under way tocounter Black youth alienation:• Programs like Our Gang Impacted FamiliesTeam (GIFT) and Street Level GangOutreach Program provide intense casemanagement for families of gang members.• Programs like Self Enhancement Inc. andR.E.A.P provide alternative pathways to moreconstructive Black, Latino and Asian identity.• Community Health Workers, who come fromthe community, have direct experience withthe conditions affecting our youth.But much more is needed.REBUILDING STRONG, STABLECOMMUNITIESBlack communities have traditionally providedsecure havens and positive social and culturalinfluences. But our neighborhoods are beingdestabilized by the linked dynamics of urbanrenewal, gentrification and Black middle-classout-migration.Our neighborhoods are critically importantbuffers to the microassaults, microinsults andmicroinvalidations we receive from WhiteAmerican society. Former Oregon State SenatorAvel Gordly, in her personal memoir, recalls theprotective support of neighborhood women,church members, Black business owners, andguidance from elders and family members. 7As a young male, my behavior was monitoredand corrected by adults whose culturalobligation was to see that my behavior matchedstandards set by our parents and what might becalled the Black Collective. My dentist, doctor,lawyer, teachers, realtor, etc. were all Black.As urban renewal brought on Black Removal,our communities experienced an increase ingangs, crime, drugs and incarceration. Howcan we improve neighborhood cohesion?One solution would be to meet the needsfor low-income housing to ensure that Blackhomeowners can remain in their neighborhoods.Another one is to support existing and emergingBlack-owned business. In Oregon, only 1.2percent of businesses are Black-owned firms. 8In addition, R.E.A.P., Albina Headstart and Self-Enhancement Inc. are excellent examples ofAfrocentric programs that support a sense ofBlack identity. Programs like these promote thegoal of Black community revitalization.LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUALTRANSGENDER AND QUEEREXPERIENCES IN SCHOOL“Whether they’re too visibleor invisible, LGBT youthtoo often find themselvesswept down a pipeline thattypically begins with conflictin the home, continues atschool with bullying, leadsto suspension and expulsionand eventually the juvenilejustice system.” 936

REROUTING THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINETOWARD SUCCESSFor many Black students in Oregon, tough disciplinary actions like suspension or expulsionlead to poor academic outcomes:31%Suspended orexpelled studentsrepeated their gradeat least once.Recent strides have been made to advance thiswork. Portland’s Parkrose and Centennial Schooldistricts have set target goals to reduce schoolexclusionary practices, using culturally specificstrategies and interventions.40%Those disciplined11 times or more hada 40 percentgraduation rate.These tough disciplinary policies can thenlead to juvenile justice involvement:Black youthare only of the youth3%population in Oregon, butthey comprise more than11%of those held in closecustody in Oregon facilities.White peers represent71% of the youthpopulation compared withof those in close53%custody. 10“Policies to Eliminate Racial Disparities inEducation: A Literature Review,” released byPSU’s Center to Advance Racial Equity, is arobust compilation of research examining aset of system changes that will keep studentsof color engaged in the classroom. 11WHAT WE CAN DO:• Uphold state mandate: Oregon’slegislature repealed “zero tolerance”policies in 2013, a first step towardeliminating poor and unfair disciplinepractices in schools. The goal was toincrease education outcomes for allstudents, especially students of color.The Oregon Department of Education isresponsible to uphold this mandate andensure that school districts are takingconcrete steps toward compliance.• School districts and boards of directorsmust provide public leadership, fundingand resources that directly meet theneeds of students of color. Policy changecan shift school culture by namingnegative teacher perceptions, andunconscious or conscious bias, as theinstigator of school exclusion. 12 Mandatingracial equity strategies will best supportteachers, school administrators, parentsand students. This includes improving thehiring and retention of teachers of color.• Superintendents are responsible forcreating and overseeing multi-levelchange strategies that specifically outlineeffective pedagogy and training. CulturallyResponsible Positive Behavioral Supports(CRPBIS) and Restorative Justice are twoapproaches proven to keep students inthe classroom and improve achievementoutcomes.37

ESSAY 5TACKLING INEQUITY HEAD-ONKeva M. Miller, PhD, LCSW, Associate Dean and Associate ProfessorPortland State University School of Social WorkAcross the country, it’s acknowledgedthat racial disparity exists withinAmerica’s institutions. We see thisespecially in the number of Blackchildren in the child welfare system and the seaof Black individuals in the correctional systems.For example, in Oregon, Black people makeup nearly 10 percent of the prison populationdespite being only 2 percent of the overallpopulation. Black children are removed fromtheir families by child welfare agencies at seventimes the rate of White children. 13 Yet, accordingto many, Oregon is a “progressive” state. Or arewe truly progressive when it comes to race?In larger urban areas, people speak with prideabout the community’s progressive stance onsocial issues, including racial equity. In ruralcommunities, we are quick to point out thatfew, if any, people of color reside in smallercommunities and are clearly not visible withinthese communities’ systems. Some call thisvalue “color blindness.” I call it theoreticalprogressiveness; it is easy to believe in theorythat we are open to all individuals, yet we rarelyengage with or expose ourselves to people withdifferent identities. As a result, there is no senseof urgency to address racial disparity faced bypeople of color across the state. Depending onthe political climate, the commitment to changewaxes and wanes.Oregon’s Black community can no longerafford such a state of denial or apathy. A trulyprogressive Oregon must embrace the factthat communities of color, including BlackOregonians, are growing in number andincreasingly essential to our state’s success.Current practices that disproportionatelymarginalize and institutionalize Black familiesare unsustainable; costly for the taxpayers, anda stress on human resources. Racial inequitymust be addressed.KEY RECOMMENDATIONSCritical steps that can be implemented withinsystems to address racial disproportionalityand disparity:• Implementing accurate data systems• Partnering with leadership in stakeholdercommunities to change policies andpractices, not just engagement• Shifting work environments to supporta culturally competent workforceby creating checks and balances toeliminate personal and structural bias inorganizational values and culture• Re-examining policies and practicesthat contribute to disproportionality andredesigning them• Understanding that families need multiplesupports. Cross-systems collaborationto help break down silos and fosterinteragency communication, coordinationand shared accountability• Bringing family and community resourcesinto the process, as cultural experts incourt proceedings, caseworker trainingand advisory meetings38

“We have a powerful potential in our youth,and we must have the courage to change oldideas and practices so that we may directtheir power toward good ends.”— Mary McLeod Bethune39

CASE STUDY 3FIGHTING FOR HER CHILDREN’SEDUCATION & REDEFINING RESPECTDonelda Weiss spends 35 percent ofher time navigating the school system.She’s been doing it so much, she putseverything in writing, literally.It’s a Thursday; and she’s already been to herchildren’s schools four times, all to ask why herkids keep getting suspended from the schoolbus and sent out of class. They’re not the onesfighting and throwing stuff, she says. Instead,they’re getting suspended from the bus formonths at a time for such infractions as “talkingtoo loud”—hardly an anomaly for elementaryand middle school students.They’re not alone. Donelda says Blackstudents in her school district are beingdisproportionately and unfairly disciplinedcompared with their White counterparts.Furthermore, many parents either don’t knowor feel too discouraged by the school system totake action.Donelda says tapes of the district’s schoolbuses show similar behaviors between Whiteand Black children. But White kids rarely getkicked off the bus. The students paying to usethe city bus and walking to school are primarilylow-income and children of color.“More than any other kid, these kids needschool not only for education but for food, formentoring, for inspiring and empowering.By the school taking the buses away from themand then walking back and forth from school—they’re only going to walk so many times.”When Donelda gets a call from the school,it’s most often about her children being“disrespectful.” That word in particular is usedto degrade children of color and parents alike,says Donelda, referencing an incident where ateacher claimed she “demanded” an incidentreport.“It’s all in the writing. When they write thesereports, they write them so the report looksnegative.” Donelda has also learned thatdocumenting everything is a must. Thisattention to detail helped her when she decidedthat the stress of riding the school bus was nolonger a good option for her boys. With the helpof an Urban League advocate, she successfullynegotiated with the school district to pay forpublic transportation to school for her children,citing a series of incidents she thought wereunfair and biased.“This was definitely a win and I felt good aboutit. The school wants me to problem solve andto figure out issues, which I’m more than happyto and I do. But I also think the school needs tosolve their issues as well, instead of me havingto do it. They’re educators. They’re teachers.They’re trained. They need to know how tocommunicate with the kids.”40

CASE STUDY 4TRAILBLAZING A PATHWAY TODIVERSITY & EDUCATIONAs a child growing up in Houston,Donald Easton-Brooks strove tochange his community. He wassurrounded by crime and violence, buthis mother showed him a different path. Donaldsays, “To be a Black woman in the ’60s in Texasand get a college degree was pretty huge.”Donald is now the dean of Eastern OregonUniversity’s College of Business and Education.He used a football scholarship to get adoctorate and become a professor. Over thecourse of his career, he’s worked in places likeConnecticut, Rhode Island, Seattle, Minnesotaand his native Texas.This is his first year in Oregon. In Houston,almost all of his teachers were Black. Accordingto the 2014 Oregon Minority Teacher Act StatusReport, a third of Oregon students are ethnicminorities, while 91.7 percent of the teachersare White.Donald notes that many minority teachersgo into the field specifically to change theircommunities. However, they’re leaving theprofession at higher rates than Whites. “We haveBlacks or other minorities going into educationfor one reason and Whites going into it for adifferent one. So when they come together andtry to educate a group of people, they’re not onthe same page. If there are five against one, it’seasy to feel beaten down so much you feel likeyou can’t do this. You just move on.”However, Donald says that Oregon provides moreopportunities for Blacks to gain wealth thanmany other states, so education is even moreimportant here. He’s exploring ways to increasethe numbers of Black teachers in Oregon. Whilerecognizing that the Black population is relativelysmall, he says that it’s a matter of continuing tobe a significant part of the political, educationaland economic landscape.Recently, he instituted a diversity scorecardto track how well school systems recruit andretain minority teachers. The data will be publicknowledge. He hopes it will encourage schoolsthat have institutionally shut out minorityteachers to change their ways.Teaching also has to compete with otherindustries that are looking to diversify theirworkforce. Part of Donald’s effort to addressthis is the Oregon Teacher Pathway program. Itreaches out to students, starting in 11th grade,with opportunities to get college credits andinteract with the profession.“Here in Oregon, we have to make educationmore attractive. We have to help peopleunderstand the value of the teaching profession—what that means and what that’s all about.”42

CASE STUDY 5AFRICAN AMERICAN RITES OFPASSAGE PROGRAM BUILDS PRIDEIN LANE COUNTYIt’s no secret that the Eugene/Springfieldarea has a sparse Black population. Thathasn’t stopped Greg Evans from running asuccessful rites of passage program. “Beingin the minority does not mean you’re weak,” hesays. “We have power that we don’t necessarilyuse because we’ve been conditioned to be seenas someone who is always in need of help. Iwant these students to be conditioned to havethe power not to be susceptible and subservientto other people.”Greg, a Eugene city councilor and the directorof African American Student Programs atLane Community College, started the AfricanAmerican Rites of Passage Summer Academy(AAROP) in 1996. The three-week program isheld at Lane and serves seventh- through 12th-44

graders, mostly from Lane County. AAROP’spresence in the local school districts lets it bothrecruit students during the school year andadvocate for them.Originally from Cleveland, Evans modeledAAROP on the Upward Bound and now-defunctTalented Tenth programs. A typical day inthe program consists of tai chi, history class,literature and music lessons and female andmale empowerment sessions. At the end of thethree weeks, the students hold a communityperformance called Capstone.Greg says that one of the program’s goals is tobuild social structure. He notes that for manyof the students, AAROP is the first time they’vehad a Black instructor and been in a class wherethey were the majority.Even though many of the students don’t knoweach other going into AAROP, they tend to buildrelationships within the first few days. AshleyCleary, who participated in the program forseven years and now serves as a peer mentor,says that she was reluctant initially. “I was shythe first day. By the third day, you have all yourfriends here. You’re not going to want to goback to sleeping in until noon and chilling on thecouch, watching TV, when you can be hangingout with friends and learning new stuff.”One reason these students embrace educationis that they have freedom within the structureof the program. This is most evident withCapstone. They get to choose their projectbased on what they’ve learned. In the past,they’ve incorporated poetry, dance, theaterand other forms of expression. Last year, theyproduced a film. Jordan Krush, an instructorwhose twins are in the program, says that her sonwas shy, but by the end of the session, he was notjust on screen, but also writing and producing.The success of AAROP all comes back to Greg’spersonality. “The message sounds like, ‘You can’tdo this.’ Your response is, ‘I will and I can.’ This ishow you create the next Oprah Winfrey, the nextfederal judge, the next top-notch lawyers, doctors,journeyman mechanics and plumbers.”45

OREGON SNAPSHOTCULTURAL IDENTITY HELPSBI-RACIAL YOUTH NAVIGATERURAL OREGONIf you only see “progressive” Oregon onTV, you wouldn’t think there are still schoolswhere Black students hear the n-word everyday. Yet this bigotry exists throughout thestate and youth are the prime targets. Shauna,16, barely leaves her house in Knappa unless it’sto go to nearby Astoria. She says, “We just gohome to eat, sleep, get up and come here.”Bi-racial Shauna and her twin brother attenda high school, where there is only one otherBlack student. They transferred froma rural school district after the election ofBarack Obama in 2008. Students were passingthem death threats on the bus and theyreceived little help.At their school, some Whites still use the n-wordoften but Shauna ignores it. The twins rely oneach other to cope with racism and isolation.Down in southern Oregon, Teresa, who identifiesas mixed race, attends a southern Oregon highschool. She moved to Oregon from Wisconsin in2012. Her friends there never used to make jokesabout her race. Now she feels isolated.“I first knew about race when my friends madecomments—jokes—about my hair,” she says.“It’s naturally curly. Sometimes I felt kind of badabout myself because my friends—people I careabout—were saying that to me. It was hurtful.”Teresa wishes there were more people of colorat school. She hears the n-word every day andteachers are never around when it happens.Even if they were, Teresa doesn’t believe thatwould make it stop.Her friend Julia who is also bi-racial, puts someof the onus on herself. “Part of it is our fault,”Julia says. “We don’t say anything about it. Howdo we expect teachers to know if we don’t sayanything? We brush it off. I kind of block it out.”In addition to relying on thick skin, Julia dealswith bigotry by embracing her culture. Inseventh grade, she decided to grow out hernatural hair. “There was like a rebirth. Eatinghealthier, being happier, embracing my trueself—it made me become someone else. I’ve justgrown out of my shell since I let my hair grownaturally.”Miles up the road, like Teresa, Shauna yearns formore Black people in her life. With few Blackresources, she connects to her culture throughthe Internet, her two Black peers and an annualBlack gathering in McMinnville.Until recently, she attended a boarding schoolin Auburn, Washington. There, Blacks were themajority. “I could cope better. I was just morecomfortable around them.”Although she moved back to be closer to herbrother, she hopes one day she can regain thatfeeling of community.* Names have been changed to protect privacy.46

BLACK MALE ACHIEVEMENT IN MULTNOMAH COUNTYThe City of Portland was selected as oneof 11 cities to be part of a National Leagueof Cities project called the Black MaleAchievement Initiative (BMA), which aims toimprove outcomes for Black men and boys.BMA is designed to address four specificfocus areas: education, employment, familystability and criminal justice. 14Housed in the Office of Equity and HumanRights, within the mayor’s portfolio, BMArelies on hard data. It highlights disparitiesand holds leaders accountable for ensuringthat Black men and boys have sufficientaccess to the factors that lead to health,safety and success.A CORE ELEMENT OF THIS WORK IS TO:1 2 3key partners.Encourage mayors tobuild relationships withyouth organizationsand youth leaders andto be directly involvedin local efforts.Take action through policiesand promising programsthat build safe, vibrantand caring communitiesto reduce violent deathsamong Black men and boys.Engage youngBlack males as48

MORE DIVERSE EDUCATORS IMPROVE OUTCOMESStudies show that Black students whohad at least one Black teacher before fifthgrade scored higher on reading and mathtests. Stressing cultural identity in schoolswith educators of color improves studentengagement and achievement. 15The percentage of Black teachers isdecreasing, while the achievement gapbetween Black and White students isgrowing.The number of diverse, culturally responsiveK-12 educators can be increased byhelping teacher education programs todiversify their faculty ranks. At the sametime, we must provide authentic, culturallyrelevant pedagogy to all future teachers.More support is also needed to expand andreplicate efforts like the Portland TeachersProgram (a partnership among PortlandPublic Schools, Portland State University,Portland Community College and BeavertonSchool District), which has been producingteachers of color for over 25 years. Theseteachers work in their communities and haveformed a strong alumni association thatcontributes to the recruitment and retentionof teachers of color. 16In 2011 and 2012,26%of Oregon’s publichigh school graduateswere students of color.In the 2015-2016school year,31%of Oregon publicschool graduates willbe students of color.Between 2003 and 2013,students of color increased12%in public schools.During the 2015-2016school year,91.7%of teachers were White,while Whites made up64.7%of the students.Black teachers made up0.6%of all teachers, whileBlack students made up2.5%of all students.49

POLICY ACTIONSEvery child should be able to attain an education and fulfilltheir dreams. We must focus on strategies to lift Black youthout of poverty, end school exclusion and foster respect forcultural identity.POLICY PRIORITIES:1Factor food, housing and parentalemployment into school-readiness4standards for Black youth.23Train and develop Black leaders,mentors and teachers and implementBlack leadership and mentorshipprograms for Black students inpredominantly non-Black schools andother public institutions, including thefoster care system.Set strong targets for hiring teachersof color.56End “zero-tolerance” discipline policiesand create a classroom atmospherewhere Black students are engaged andencouraged to participate.Develop education models that reflectthe lives and experiences of Black youthand train educators and other schoolstaff in culturally-responsive practices.Update criminal sentencing guidelinesfor Black youth to emphasizeaccountability, education, andemployment training, not incarceration.End mandatory minimum sentencing.“Never underestimate the power of dreamsand the influence of the human spirit. We areall the same in this notion: the potential forgreatness lives within each of us.”— Wilma Rudolph50

WHO CAN MAKE THE CHANGE?• Oregon Legislature• Oregon Employment Department• Public assistance programs• Oregon Department of Education• School districts and school boards Stateand district school superintendents• Law enforcement• Oregon Youth Authority51

CHAPTER 3PREPARE, SUPPORT & EMPLOYThe greatest predictor of Oregon’s future prosperity is the status of its youth.Communities of color continue to grow, including Black Oregonians. Ourstate’s economy will increasingly rely on their skills, expertise, innovationand creativity to remain competitive. Black youth need to be preparedfor emerging economic opportunities and given the foundations to build wealthwithin their communities. This preparation will guarantee that the next 10 years looksignificantly better for Black Oregonians, and therefore our entire state.Leading strategies for prosperity are job preparation, career pathways and training, work-basedlearning, financial literacy and higher education opportunities. Preparing the next generation forsuccess will require policymakers to end profiling practices that channel Black youth into thecriminal justice system.Unemployment Rate by Age(2013)BlackWhiteCollege Debt(National)16–19 years23 %STUDENTS WHOBORROW MONEY20–24 years16–24 years16+ years55 % 18 %28 % 16 %4 % General populationMandatory Minimum Sentencing(Measure 11 Indictments)16 %18 %BlackWhite19 % Indictments61 %75 %DO NOT FINISHCOLLEGE DUETO DEBTBlack69 %Black65 %White43 %WhiteGraduation RatesBlack57 %4-years59 %5-years9 % BlackFINISH WITHOVER $30,500OR MORE DEBT81 % 16 %27 %White71 %4-years75 %5-yearsWhite52

ACTION VISIONGaining skills and expertise for employment is critical to thefinancial health of youth of color. Investment in these programsis essential to the success of Black families.53

ESSAY 6CREATING OPPORTUNITIES INSCHOOLS & HIGHER EDUCATIONYvette M. Alex-AssensohVice President, Equity & Inclusion, University of OregonKwadwo S. Alex Assensoh, WriterThere are too many Black youth inOregon’s prisons and not enough oncollege and university campuses. Thefirst challenge for Oregon educators isinterrupting school-to-prison pipelines so that moreBlack youth enter colleges and universities. Thesecond challenge is ensuring that they graduate.WHAT WORKS• Relevant curricula that prepare students forsuccess in college-level courses, includinghonors and advanced placement• Pipeline programs that evaluate youth andsupport them as they enter college life—suchas the Oregon Young Scholars Program(OYSP) and Summer Academy to InspireLearning (SAIL)• Family, adult and peer networks that reinforcea college-going culture• Mentoring programs and other communityservices that help students and familiescomplete pre-college processes like admissionsand financial aid applications. 1Black youth enrolled in unfamiliar predominantlyWhite colleges and universities need retentionresources. These can include:• Programs that foster social involvement withcultural peers• First-year programs that orient freshmen touniversity life• The opportunity to participate in faculty-ledresearch projects—experiences that underlieacademic successOther strategies include early warning systemsthat retain students likely to leave collegewithout a degree. The University of Oregon’sCenter for Multicultural Academic Excellence(CMAE) has such warning systems, triggeredthrough GPA, advising and peer-mentoringreviews. The academic success of Black malesdepends heavily on their emotional well-being.Female Black students often more easily createtheir own supportive networks. However,retention strategies for Black men need to focuson creating a similar space for engagement,dialogue and support.Mentoring programs that provide new social andprofessional networks make it easier for youthexiting the juvenile justice system to succeed.Programs like the Next Door Project help removebarriers to employment and licensure by helpingreleased prisoners demonstrate evidence ofrehabilitation.The educational status of Black youth cannotbe improved without confronting America’shistorical and contemporary race issues. It’s likeputting a band-aid on a wound that requiresinvasive surgery. It’s crucial to see education asa social good that benefits everyone. We mustalso learn to judge each person by the content oftheir character, not by the color of their skin. Thistrue healing must begin if we are to provide theequitable education that Black children deserve.54

CHILDREN’S SAVINGSACCOUNTS: STUDENT DEBTAND ECONOMIC MOBILITYBlack college degree earners aredisproportionately saddled with debt,thereby reducing their ability to build assetsover their lifetimes.27%of Blackbachelor’sdegreerecipientshad more than$30,500of debt, comparedwith just 16 percentof White students. 263%40%52%Households withcollege debt haveless net worthless home equitylower retirement savingsthan those with nooutstanding student debt. 3 55Properly designed Children’s SavingsAccounts, a promising poverty reductiontool, can encourage economic and socialdevelopment of youth—and, over time,their communities. In addition to increasingfinancial assets, they can also spur apositive outlook on the future, long-termplanning and more civic and politicalengagement in one’s community. 4

ESSAY 7PREPARING BLACK YOUTHFOR THE WORKFORCEHeather FichtDirector of Youth Workforce Services, Worksystems, Inc.56The best workforce training program isa job. Unfortunately for young peopletoday, it’s harder than ever before to findone. Nationally, youth employment hasplummeted from 46 percent to 27 percent overthe past 10 years. This means that only aboutone in four youth aged 16-19 has a job. Tragically,for young people of color, the employment rateis even lower. Only about one in 10 young Blackmales has a job. 5Youth who work during their high schoolyears experience increased lifetime earnings,and their probability of being employed insubsequent years is greater. Intervening in thisdisproportionately high unemployment rate ofBlack youth is critical to reduce disparities inthe economic prosperity of Black households.In addition, youth employment positivelyimpacts educational outcomes. Youth who workgraduate from high school at higher rates andhave higher rates of college entry. 6Summer is the ideal time for school-agedyouth to work, as it can reduce summerlearning loss and bridge classroom learningand real-world experiences. Ideal summeremployment programs target youth of colorand low-income youth and offer many typesof entry-level employment. A good exampleis Worksystems’ SummerWorks program,a public-private partnership that relies oncommunity-based programs, schools and faithcommunities to reach young people of color.Since the program’s inception in 2009, anaverage of more than 76 percent of the youthserved in SummerWorks identify as youth ofcolor. In addition, the successful completionrate, defined as completing at least 80 percentof their planned hours and a positive supervisorevaluation, is nearly 91 percent.In the Portland area, county and citygovernments have stepped up in significantways, collectively funding hundreds of jobs. Therecently released Oregon budget also involvedfunding for summer employment programs. Theprivate sector needs to play a more significantrole in summer employment for youth, especiallyin industries that lack diversity and/or anticipatesignificant worker shortages.Summer interventions are also needed toprepare younger youth for the world of workand help them explore career options. Forexample, Reaching and Empowering All People(REAP) holds the weeklong Challenge: Academyof Leadership Innovation, targeting Black teensfor career exploration.“There is in this world nosuch force as the force of aperson determined to rise.The human soul cannot bepermanently chained.”— W.E.B. Dubois

GIVING BLACK YOUTH THE TOOLS THEY NEEDCulturally specific programs in Portlandand Eugene have been shown to begood methods for reducing Black youthunemployment. They aim to give Black youththe tools they need to enter the workforcewith knowledge, confidence and establishednetworks.Before entering the Urban League ofPortland’s Youth Employment SummerProgram, Sabrina Clark was a motivatedand hard-working student. However, shestruggled with time management andorganization, and she didn’t have a careerpath in mind.Sabrina says, “The Urban League YouthProgram definitely helped me take schoolmore seriously. Before the program, I knewI wanted to go to college, but I didn’t haveas much determination. I didn’t have muchmotivation to look for my college options untilI got into the program. Then I started to see;I saw my options. I figured out a path that Iwanted to take, and I pursued that path.”100% of 2014Young Adult EmploymentSummer Program graduatesgained employment either during theprogram or within weeks of completing it.Sabrina is starting her first year at PortlandCommunity College, where she plans to studychild psychology and education. She recentlyfinished her first job—a summer job at theTrailblazers Boys and Girls Club.57

CASE STUDY 6MAKING EDUCATION AFFORDABLESHOULD BE “COMMON SENSE”As a freshman at the University ofOregon, Tyree Harris often had tochoose between buying books andeating. But he worked hard, rosethrough the ranks of the student newspaperand eventually became its first Black editor-inchief.Now, a year after graduation, he works inadvertising in Los Angeles and his student loandebt is “manageable.” He says, “I’ll be debt-free in10 years.”Tyree notes that he’s an extreme outlier.According to Debt.com, referencing data fromthe Department of Education, the College Boardand The Institute for College Access & Success,the average student debt in Oregon is $25,577 7with a 14.3 percent default rate. 8Tyree was one of the lucky ones who found awell-paying job. However, he had to give upliving close to his family and pursuing his truepassion of journalism. These realities inspiredhim to deliver a TED Talk and release an albumtitled “Financial Aid: The Trials and Tribulationsof the 21st Century College Student.”Coming from a low-income, single-parentfamily, Tyree knows how hard it is for those withsimilar backgrounds to get into the universitysystem. During his senior year at Parkrose HighSchool, he says his school was more focusedon achieving a 70 percent graduation rate thanactually preparing anyone for college. He saysthat Parkrose didn’t provide him with necessaryinformation on applying for financial aid. This sethim up to struggle freshman year of college.As he watched his peers going through similarstruggles, it became clear that rising collegecosts were protecting the status quo, shuttingout many low-income and minority students. Heworries that higher education will become anexclusive upper-class privilege. “People can saywe have a diverse campus, but in reality, most ofthese people have a relatively similar background.This cheapens everyone’s college experiencebecause we don’t get to interact with peopleoutside of our own experiences. That’s how wegrow and become more robust and versatilepeople—by being challenged to understand otherpeople’s worlds.”Tyree says that a college degree is still aworthwhile investment, but instead of producingempowered individuals, college creates valuablehuman resources. If he hadn’t been in debt, he’dhave continued with journalism. Despite hisjournalistic accolades and experience, Oregonoffered few options in his field. So he movedaway from his family and pursued advertising,which was far more lucrative from the outset.One day he hopes to write a piece attackingcollege debt. “It seems so common sense,” hesays. “An educated nation is a strong nation,so make education accessible. We spend a lotof money killing people. We should be able toeducate them.”58

CASE STUDY 7INFORMAL SUPPORTS HELP ELTONCODY WRITE HIS OWN STORY60Elton Cody has spent his life dealingwith challenges. Both of his parentsdied from AIDS complications beforehis 11th birthday. He missed full years ofschool as he moved in and out of foster care,group homes and juvenile hall.Elton often felt alone in his fights. Through allthis, he struggled to embrace his identity as agay Black male, living in environments where hewas surrounded by homophobia and/or racism.Elton is an emerging rap artist who performsunder the stage name Elton Cray. He’s also builta reputation as an outspoken voice for theLGBTQ community. While his strong will and hissister’s support helped him navigate growing upin Los Angeles, informal supports in Portland ledhim to come out and take his next step in life.As he was growing up, elders in Elton’scommunity shamed LGBTQ people. To this day,he still struggles with self-condemning voicesin his head. After high school, he moved toPortland to attend Warner Pacific College andrun track. The mostly White, often homophobicenvironment left him with few people to talkto about his sexuality. He then transferred toPortland State University (PSU), where hesought out sexuality counselors. Elton saysthose candid sessions gave him the tools tomove forward. “The conversations we hadwere very informal. They weren’t structured.Everything was organic. We used slang.I don’t really like organizations that are tooprofessional. It’s too formal. And these types ofproblems are informal. You can’t simulate them.You can’t simulate life—life just happens.”After more soul-searching, Elton came out inJune 2013. He was surprised to find racismprevalent in Portland’s LGBTQ community.Members of a PSU gay student associationdidn’t welcome Elton unless it was to hit on him.A White man even called him the n-word at agay nightclub. He says, “In the gay community,there’s a big divide between Blacks and Whitesthat nobody chooses to acknowledge.”He maintains a small support circle and for themost part relies on this diverse group of friends.However, he recently joined PFLAG, PortlandBlack Chaptor, an organization that servesPortland’s Black LGBTQ community. “Essentially,I’ve created my own category. I’m able to blendin with anybody while still being me.”Elton hopes to help others find peace ofmind. He especially takes pride in inspiringyoung people. One White LGBTQ youth evenmessaged him, saying Elton’s music stoppedhim from committing suicide.Elton says, “The first words you hear whenyou’re born aren’t ‘don’t’ and ‘no.’ You don’tcome into this world with restrictions. You comeinto this world with abundance. You come intothis world being free.”

OREGON SNAPSHOT“DON’T FORGET ABOUT CENTRALOREGON, BECAUSE WE’RE HERE”With a small Black population,Bend doesn’t have a traditionalBlack community. Black historyand cultural events draw mostlyWhite crowds. Residents struggle to identifyBlack-owned businesses and elders. In place oftraditional supports, some educators play therole of mentors—working to foster communityand cultural pride among Black students.“There’s no grandma on the porch in the rockingchair,” says Mosley Wotta, a local musician andeducator. “That’s Hollywood. That’s not here.”Many of the town’s Black youth struggle withfeelings of isolation and connecting to theiridentities. When he moved to Bend in 1992,Mosley, who is bi-racial, was one of them. As ateacher, he’s well known for his spoken word andhip-hop workshops. “Music has always playeda vital role in our ability to not only convey amessage but also remember it. We weren’twriting things down at first. We were hoping nextgenerations would absorb these songs.”He says that his goal is to get students to wakeup to their own voices. “There’s a lot of stories toshare about who you are. There’s a perception ofyou based on what you look like on the surface.But you’re growing up outside of the media’snorm, so you might not match the stereotype.It’s just not who you grew up to become.”While Mosley has gotten to know many of Bend’sBlack teens, Gordon Price (photo on pg. 93)has focused his efforts on college students. Asthe Director of Student Life at Central OregonCommunity College (COCC), he’s heavily involvedin the African American Heritage Club. Accordingto Gordon, they have about a dozen activemembers, out of COCC’s total of 40 Black students.The club provides a space to discuss cultureand history and to help students deal with racialincidents on campus. Beyond cultural awareness,he hopes to give members more confidence.“That knowledge of your culture helps youbecome a more confident, self-assured person.If you know where your roots are, you’ve gotsomewhere to grow from.”In addition to meetings, the club goes to movies,hosts potlucks and coordinates cultural eventson campus. Gordon admits there are times whenLatino and Native American students outnumberBlacks in the club’s meetings. But the club isslowly growing in both participation and impacton campus. One member even galvanized theschool to eliminate racial bias from its criminaljustice curriculum.Gordon continues to aim for a critical mass—reaching out to students, staff and Blacks innearby towns. Ultimately, he hopes to make theBlack community’s presence felt. “There arelots of Black folks in Oregon,” he says. “We’rescattered, but we’re still here and we need tobe acknowledged. Don’t forget about CentralOregon, because we’re here.”62

PAN AFRICAN STUDENTACHIEVEMENT IN PORTLANDPUBLIC SCHOOLSPortland Public Schools Pan African*students demonstrate roughly the sameaverage daily school attendance as theirWhite counterparts, but experience someof the greatest education disparities instudent achievement. Teacher trainingand preparedness must better equip oureducators to address the academic needsof Pan African students, ensuring thattime spent in the classroom prepares ouryouth for graduation, higher education andemployment.*Here, Pan African refers to students who are more likely to beculturally connected to Africa—either born in an African country,or their (or their parent’s) primary language is an African dialect.Percentage of Portand Students (by race)Meeting or Exceeding State BenchmarksThis table was provided by the Research & EvaluationDepartment of Portland Public Schools. The datarepresents students from the 2014-2015 school year, andtheir most recent OAKS State Assessment test status.64

De Marcus Preston, community non-violenceadvocate, runs Gee’s to Gents to serve at-riskyouth in Portland. He’s with his two sons atAlberta Community Cycling Center’s Take BackThe Streets event at Columbia Park.EARLY INTERVENTION REDUCES YOUTH VIOLENCEHomicide is the #1 cause of death inBlack youth aged 10-24. Multiple traumas,interpersonal trauma and chronic stress inthe environment can overstimulate the fight/flight/freeze response.In 2011, 185 men of color aged 10-24 wereseen in Legacy Emanuel Hospital’s emergencydepartment with a penetrating trauma (shotor stabbed).Several studies across multiple citiesdemonstrated the effectiveness of reducingyouth violence by intervening at the hospitallevel. For example, Healing Hurt PeoplePortland is a community-focused youthviolence prevention program that targetsyoung males of color who have suffered apenetrating trauma.The program makes contact in theemergency department within four hours,in a culturally sensitive, compassionate way.Its wraparound services help the young menand their families for 6-12 months after theincident. 965

POLICY ACTIONSGaining skills and expertise for employment is critical to thefinancial health of youth of color. Investment in these programsis essential to the success of Black families.POLICY PRIORITIES:661Better prepare Black youth for theworkforce by:• Increasing opportunities for summerand internship programs for Blackyouth through public/privatepartnerships• Expanding the definition of“success” to include high schoolcompletion via the GED (high schoolequivalency exam) and participationin concurrent GED/communitycollege programs• Requiring school districts to offereducation to students throughage 21 and expanding the “middlecollege” model• Implementing and expanding STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering,and Mathematics) programs forBlack students• Providing direct funding to culturallyspecific nonprofits for youthdevelopment, career readiness,mental health, social supports,mentoring and teacher professionaldevelopment• Making career pathway, advancedtraining or post-secondary educationopportunities accessible for everyBlack student2345• Taking advantage of Oregon’sprovision that lets school districtsaward high school credit for learningopportunities outside the classroom• Ensuring pipeline programming forthe trades and related fieldsTie WorkSource Oregon investmentsto culturally specific post-secondaryeducation and vocational trainingprograms.Explore models that include communitycolleges serving incarcerated youth.Lower the cost of higher education byexploring ideas like:• Free or subsidized communitycollege• Continuation of successful programsthat support students, includingPortland Community College’sFuture Connect Scholarship ProgramImprove financial literacy amongBlack youth by supporting successfulprograms like Children’s SavingsAccounts that provide the ability togenerate savings and wealth.

“Where there isno vision, there isno hope.”— George Washington CarverWHO CAN MAKE THE CHANGE?• Oregon Legislature• WorkSource Oregon• Oregon Department of Education• State and local business associations• Oregon universities• Labor associations and trade unions.67

SECTION 2ADULTHOODCHAPTER 4 70SECURITY & WELL-BEINGCHAPTER 5 92GROWING A WORKFORCECHAPTER 6 112PROSPERITY & OPPORTUNITY69

CHAPTER 4SECURITY AND WELL-BEINGEmployment and economic opportunity are at the heart of reversing thehealth crisis of Black Oregonians. Poverty, displacement, policing andcriminal justice policies all have a significant impact on the mental andphysical health of Black Oregonians. The stress of social isolation, hostileworkplace environments and the daily realities of “living while black,” known as“racial microaggressions,” further aggravate health inequities.Improved access to healthcare is a positive step forward. Prevention and wellness demand anintegrated approach, including government, business and social services. As health reformunfolds, culturally specific approaches are needed that take into account all the contributorsto poor health outcomes: social and economic, as well as the daily challenges that racismplays in the lives of Black Oregonians.Median Household Income(2000, 2006–2010)$50,000$40,000Nearly 30 percentof all Black families inOregon live in povertyWhite household:+22% changeIndividuals Below Poverty Level(2006–2010)BlackWhiteHigh Blood Pressure(2012))BlackWhite12 %41.4 %25.3 %29 %$30,000Black household:+9% changeDiabetes(2012)2000 2006–10BlackWhite6.2 % 13.4 %70

ACTION VISIONWe must strengthen the health of our communities by building acommunity that makes healthy choices easier for Black families.71

ESSAY 8AN ECONOMIC JUSTICEFOUNDATION TO HEALTHRachael Banks,Director, Healthy Birth Initiatives (HBI)Healthy Families of Multnomah CountyShavantee, a college-educated motherof five, struggles to “get it right” asa parent. She often feels that she’sswimming upstream against a currentof life circumstances outside of her control.These include struggling to make ends meet andpolicies that make it harder to raise her kids.Shavantee’s journey has taken her through achallenging childhood, a college degree andmotherhood—trying to do all the “right things”society says you should do. When her familymembers fell ill, she stayed home to care forthem. She went to work when she could. Whenher kin needed help running their businesses,she helped them. Now that her childrenneed her in their most precious years, she’scommitted to that.In order for Shavantee to do what science saysis most beneficial and society says is mostnoble, she suffers as economic pressure andpoor housing push in on her and noticeablyimpact her family’s health.Shavantee’s pregnancies have shown howeconomic security, stable housing and asupportive family affect birth outcomes. Whenthese key conditions were met, she deliveredhealthy babies. She didn’t understand why herthird baby was born too early and too small. Sheracked her brain trying to figure out what she’ddone wrong—why this outcome was differentfrom the others. Then she saw a skit about thesocial determinants of health, and it all clickedfor her.The poor birth outcome of her third child wasnot about her individual behavior, but a result ofher living conditions. While she was pregnant,she was experiencing discrimination at work,then she lost her job of 11 years—all while she livedin a gentrifying neighborhood and watched herrent rise beyond her reach. Her health outcomeswere reflecting her economic reality.Despite this, Shavantee continues to press on.She’s resilient, strong, smart and dedicated.Public policy has a role in creating systems tosupport her. Shavantee’s story is one of manythat highlight the need for jobs and policies thatsupport healthy, stable, attached families.Over 100 years ago, Frederick Douglass said,“Where justice is denied, where poverty isenforced, where ignorance prevails, and whereany one class is made to feel that society is anorganized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degradethem, neither persons nor property will be safe.”72

Today this still rings true and applies directlyto the health of Black adults, families andcommunities in Oregon.With the Affordable Care Act and Oregon’s ownhealthcare transformation, much focus has beenon access to care. It’s also imperative to recognizeeconomic instability, racism and environmentalconditions as root causes of poor health. 1 Truewellness in the Black community will require multilayeredapproaches that involve many sectors.HEALTHCARE IS NECESSARY, BUTNOT SUFFICIENTIn Oregon, Blacks experience disparities for eachof the social and economic health indicators. Inorder to eradicate health inequities, economicinequities must be eliminated as well as the toxicstress that results from poverty and racism. 2“High poverty rates and the disparities thataccompany them impact the stability and wellbeingof the entire community.” 3Healthcare is a human right and access to careis a social justice issue. Physical, social andeconomic environments, collectively referredto as the “social determinants of health,” havea far greater impact on how long and how wellpeople live than healthcare access does. 4 Noamount of healthcare service wrapped aroundan individual will be effective without changingthe structural and environmental barriersfaced by Black people. However, policy-levelapproaches will. Studies have shown that whenthere have been supportive social policies, thehealth of Black people has improved.EQUITY-FOCUSED STRATEGIESTO IMPROVE HEALTH FOR BLACKOREGONIANS• Effective public health approaches ensurethat individuals receive responsive services;support healthy behaviors; removeshared barriers; and create new economicopportunities for Blacks. Decision-makersare informed about the health equityconsequences of various policy options—at best, early in the policy developmentprocess; and at least, before theirimplementation.• Anti-poverty strategies assist workingfamilies through family-friendly leavepolicies, quality affordable childcare, earningsupplements and work-supports; implementpolicies that reduce incarceration; introducepolicies and programs that can increase jobsand business ownership for Black people. 5• Using a racial and ethnic equity lens allowsthe opportunity to understand the effect ofa policy or practice on people of color andhelp to achieve equity goals. 6Like Shavantee’s journey, history shows thatBlack Oregonians have achieved major successeswhen system-level barriers have been reduced.We have all the brilliance, passion and dedicationneeded to make our communities thrive.RACIAL MICROAGGRESSIONS ALSO AFFECT HEALTH OUTCOMESOn a daily basis, people of color experienceracial microaggressions 7 that, intentionalor not, relay unwelcoming messages andcreate a hostile living environment. Thisrepeated experience, whether it’s in theworkplace, on the streets or in school,increases their stress (the hormone cortisol)levels and over time can wear down theiroverall health and well-being.73

ESSAY 9HOLISTIC SOLUTIONS FORINCLUSIONjohn a. powellDirector, Haas Institute for a Fair & Inclusive SocietyProfessor of Law, African American & Ethnic StudiesUniversity of California at BerkeleyBlack Oregonians face challengesthat are both unique and universal.Although Oregon has fewer Blackpeople per capita than other states, it’sthe same nationwide pattern of uneven accessto opportunity.Housing segregation in the ’40s, ’50s and’60s limited Black Oregonians to certainneighborhoods. Gentrification has dispersedBlack communities, but they remain segregatedand isolated from mainstream opportunities.I co-developed an Opportunity Scoring andMapping methodology that tracks geographicareas in terms of education, economicopportunity and quality housing. This mappingshows that Black exclusion from neighborhoodsof high opportunity is greater in Oregon thanthe national average.Is more integration a solution? While integrationmay provide greater access to “high-opportunity”neighborhoods, it renders Black Oregonians moresusceptible to other structural disadvantages,not least of which is reduced electoral strength.So I believe that three principles must inform anysuccessful intervention.First, interventions must take into account theparticular experience, conditions and needs ofBlack Oregonians relative to other populations.Universal approaches that treat all groups thesame will fail to achieve their intended aims.“Targeted universalism” is a policymakingapproach that pursues universal goals—forinstance, a 100 percent graduation rate—and alsorecognizes the need for particular interventionsbased on the specific social and structuralconditions of Black youth to achieve those goals.The second principle is that any successfulintervention must link together individual andcommunity well-being. Affordable housing planswon’t succeed if they don’t connect residentswith job opportunities and educational resources.Similarly, the gentrification that arises from transitand infrastructure development may displacepeople who can’t afford the new housing prices.We need holistic solutions.Third, Black people must be included in thedecision-making process. This can take extraeffort in Oregon, with its lower than nationalrepresentation of Blacks. But we must rememberthat how the decision is made is as important asthe decision itself.74

Joy Alise is a foundingpartner of Portland basedDesign+Culture Lab andrecipient of the PDX StartupChallenge.LOCAL AND REGIONAL EQUITY STRATEGIESIn 2012, the Partnership for Racial Equity,convened by the Urban League of Portland,released a Racial Equity Strategy Guide forcity and bureau leadership. Its aim was tobuild capacity within the city to achieveequity on an operational basis. By focusingon race, the guide sets out a strategy thatwould both address Portland’s deepest racialinequities and advance whole communities.It’s three main goals can be applied to public,private and agency settings.1. Establish strong leadership, training andtechnical assistance for citywide racialequity initiatives.Racial equity starts with a commitment byleaders at all levels to eradicate inequitiesin public service and improve outcomesfor all Portlanders. This is shown throughpublic support, staff training and technicalassistance resources.2. Develop a bureau/department-specificracial equity strategy with measurabletargets.Racial equity belongs at all levels ofgovernment. Every bureau serves a uniquerole in the city’s operations and servicedelivery, and has an opportunity to improveracial equity. Taking the time to develop astrategy will help to set measurable goalsfor operations and outcomes.3. Implement strategy, develop tools andtrack progress.Through implementation, bureaus/departments can develop equity toolsto intentionally shift how they do theirbusiness in a way that has a positive socialimpact on all Portlanders.75

BLACK IMMIGRANTS & REFUGEES,COMMUNITY SURVEYIn 2014, the Urban League of Portland conducted a small community survey of134 Black immigrant and refugee Oregonians in an effort to go beyond the limiteddata that are available. The survey was limited in scope and illuminated many ofthe challenges of high-quality data collection. The following is a short snapshot ofthe survey findings in addition to recommendations for overcoming challenges tosurvey and data collection within these communities (see Appendix E for more information).DEMOGRAPHIC & ECONOMIC STATUSEMPLOYMENT5The averagenumber in ahousehold7%Reported beingfinancially strong.A majority of respondentswere not able to meetbasic needs.49% Employed36%CurrentlyCurrentlyUnemployedReligious Background44%Muslim31%ChristianPlace of Origin77%Africa16%Caribbean41%Relocated fromrefugee camps12% Managerial20 % Mid-Level47 % Low-Wage/Entry-Level76

EDUCATION LEVEL22%Finished high school intheir home country13%13%8%4%Completed secondaryeducation in their homecountryReceived a BA/BS degreein their home countryReceived their postgraduatedegree from theirhome countryReceived their master’sdegree from their homecountryBETTER SURVEY & DATACOLLECTIONThis survey had certain limitationsdue to a lack of sufficient resourcesand time. First, it was availableonly in English with the intentionof working with communitytranslators—which proved morechallenging than anticipated dueto lack of funding and communitytranslators. Consequently,the results are biased towardimmigrants able to read and write inEnglish.Future surveys/data collectionshould be translated into one ormore languages spoken by Africanimmigrants. Additionally, translatorsand/or community members shouldbe recruited to support collectionof data from non-English-speakersas well as those with limited readingabilities.COMMUNITY & HEALTH36%33%13%The majority of participantshad a strong religious communityaround them+Go to direct services organizationsfor healthcare or servicesGo to their respective communityleaders for healthcare or servicesSeek advice about healthcarefrom other immigrantsDue to limited access tocomputers and other technology,it is critical that adequatefunding be allocated for survey/data collection. The survey wasstatewide, but due to our limitedabilities to travel, a majorityof responses came from thePortland metro region. In orderto capture a statewide snapshotof African immigrant and refugeecommunities, resources should beallocated in additional geographicareas.77

CASE STUDY 8BELINDA JILES IS CONNECTINGGENERATIONS, HEALTH &EMPLOYMENTBelinda Jiles says, “We know thatwhen someone has a decent, healthyrelationship, a job and money, thingsrun smoothly. But when you’re missingthese things, that can cause a lot of bad stuff tohappen.”As a community health worker, Belinda actsas an advocate and a go-between linking hercommunity with the wider world. On a typicalday, she’ll meet with several clients at her churchas well as negotiate with people who control theresources her clients need. These people includedoctors, nurses, employers, prison officials andstaff at the food bank.Belinda says that she goes into thesenegotiations as if they are “bad car deals.”The key for her is maintaining a calm headand keeping the lines of communication open.She tries to appeal to people’s hearts andemphasizes that their contributions are aninvestment in the community.Belinda sees her work as paying it forward.“We’ve got to get back to the basics ofgetting my generation involved with this newgeneration. For me, helping others, I’m leaving afoundation for my child and my grandchildren,so if my son happens to stumble, or fall or comeupon hard times years from now, someone willlook out for him.”The next step is using inter-generationaldialogue to develop skills and createemployment. Belinda sees construction training,increased fitness activities and food vansconnected to health-focused grocery stores aspossibilities in the near future. She’s talking withher father about putting on a cooking class forboys like her son.Additionally, she wants Black folks to capitalizeon the city’s food cart craze. “People claim theyhave some of the best cooks in their church. Sowe should be getting land for food carts to givethem jobs.”“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.Always remember, you have within you the strength,the patience, and the passion to reach for the starsto change the world.”— Harriet Tubman78

TALKING WITH OLDER ADULTSBlack older adults illuminated a number ofconcerns related to health and well-being ina series of focus groups (see Appendix D).ACCESS TO HEALTHCAREAmong the concerns relating to healthcarewere: limited emergency services in close-inneighborhoods; perceptions that the emergencydepartment serves as a barrier tohospital care; and difficulty understandinghospital and healthcare bills. Having culturallycompetent care and providers of color wasdesirable and hard to find. Others reportedreceiving insensitive care and/or that racismpersists in our healthcare system.THE EFFECTS OF DISPLACEMENTRelocation to outer city areas (Gresham, Fairview,Tualatin, Vancouver) because of gentrification,for instance, was felt to have decreasedsocial networks and increased isolation amongolder Black people. Some participants areconcerned about mental health as they or theirloved ones in outlying areas grow older andhave less connection to social outlets. Transportationwas an impediment to reaching N/NE social outlets and health and social services.This problem includes the cost (gas andpublic transit), inadequate public transit networksand not knowing how to use serviceslike the TriMet LIFT.Participants said that the Black dispersionto outlying areas made services less available.And while housing may be less costlyin these areas, other costs, such as travel toneeded services and healthy food sources,are higher than for those who live in service-richneighborhoods. Participants believedthere is a lack of a concerted effort bythe City of Gresham and the City of Fairviewto meet their needs.NEGATIVE RACE-BASED EXPERIENCESOlder Black adults we interviewed felt thatupon walking into a business or service, theywere spoken to in a confrontational ratherthan welcoming and professional manner,and got inadequate treatment from thosereceiving them. Often this was even beforethey communicated the purpose of theirvisit. Many agreed with one participant’scomment that sophisticated dress or speechsometimes made things worse because theywere seen as “out of place.” Participants reportedthat dismissive or inadequate treatmentis so frequent, over time they’ve cometo expect it.80

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIESIn Oregon13.3%of people ofall ages have adisability.16%of working-age people (ages 21 to 64)with disabilities, were Black.15.2%of working-age people with disabilities,received SSI payments. 881

CASE STUDY 9WALKING TALL, BLACK & PROUDIN ASHLANDRobert Goodwin is from Chicago(population: 2.72 million, 33 percentBlack). Now he lives and works inAshland (population: 20,300, 1 percentBlack). He says, “Southern Oregon is a foreignenvironment. You name it, it’s all different:population, speed, access, weather and diversityin people, activity and nightlife. There’s a ton ofstars in Ashland and cloudy skies in Chicago.”Robert got his master’s in finance and a degreein acting at Chicago’s De Paul University—“GoBlue Demons!” In Chicago, he worked inperforming arts, documentary film, TV andoriginal theater. This included producingeducational programs for young people.In Ashland, he now produces youth educationalprograms at the world-famous OregonShakespeare Festival. He’s also still an actor.Robert says, “I chose this opportunity becauseof the organization’s reputation and the stepit could be in my professional development.That focuses me. But it doesn’t mean it’s notchallenging. And as a big Black man, six feettall and 200 pounds plus, I get a lot of looks.People don’t see Black men here of my age andcarriage. I move with a gravitas that takes folksaback. I can go into a store anywhere in this areaand people will check me out and then look atmy license plate. ‘You can’t be from here. Wehaven’t seen anyone who looks like you.’”He speaks in deep, resonant tones that carrya natural command, authority and confidence.“There’s a toughness, a thickness of skin that youdevelop being a Black man. You can assess yoursurroundings and deal with foreign environments—and this definitely is a foreign environment.”Even within the confines of the festival campus,he finds that he needs his official badge.Without it, but with the same face, he sees asubtle wariness in others and not so subtlebehavioral changes. “Without the badge, amI legitimate or a threat? I have to mitigate theperception of threat. This takes a lot of energyout of my normal existence.”Ashford, Medford and Central Point havehad instances of hate crimes, includingcross- burnings. Over time, Robert hasdeveloped “agency,” an ability to deal withsocial challenges. But in the Rogue Valley andbeyond, he sees local youth and students ofcolor “under attack, under siege”—sometimesphysically, sometimes emotionally. He says,“They feel they can’t be who they are, so theytry to blend into the areas where they walk. Ifyou don’t see yourself, it’s hard to know howto be yourself. If you’re under assault, then youlearn really quickly how to choose battles andwhether you’re going to fight. If you don’t havea model, like a parent who knows how to dealwith things to help you develop; if you don’thave rites of passage or a cultural reference82

point—you decide to acquiesce. You’re literallydrowning.”What’s needed? “You need to be able to seeyour own reflection. You have to learn what todo in tough situations. You have to understandthat you’re still all right in the middle ofdevelopmental challenges.”Robert rejects the idea that Southern Oregontowns are substantially different from the rest ofthe state. “The whole state needs to be treatedwith respect and caution. People battle for theirway of life, and a lot of that relates to race andclass. Oregon is about being restrictive, notinclusive. I make sure I remember that and Icarry myself with that understanding.”Robert also makes sure any students of colorvisiting the Ashland Shakespeare Festival knowthat a Black man, someone who looks like them,is the manager who had the ability to get theminto the festival. They can see their adult selvesreflected in him.83

OREGON SNAPSHOTDOCUMENTING ENVIRONMENTALINEQUITYResearchers have consistentlyidentified a correlation between thelocation of minority populations andenvironmentally contaminated sites.In Portland, this correlation holds. Through ananalysis of Oregon Department of EnvironmentalQuality (DEQ) and U.S. Census Bureau data,Portland State University’s Population ResearchCenter (PRC) found a spatial correlation betweenthe location of known or contaminated sites andthose census tracts with high percentages ofBlack Portland residents.Nearly 84 percent of the Black population liveswithin three-quarters of a mile of a known orpotentially contaminated site (see Chart). InPROXIMITY OF THE BLACK POPULATION TO KNOWN OR POTENTIALLYCONTAMINATED SITES WITHIN THE CITY OF PORTLAND, OREGONKnown or potentiallycontaminated sites (DEQ)Industrial Use2010 Census Tracts:Percent of tract population that isBlack or Black in combination withone or more other races.LOMBARDI5I205Less than 5%6% - 10%11% - 15%16% - 25%More than 25%MURRAYSUNSETINTERSTATEI405GRANDCESAR E CHAVEZHAWTHORNEI84122NDPOWELL181STSTARKI84I5TACOMASCHOLLS FERRYTERWILLIGERHWY 21784CARMANBOONESFERRYCOUNTRY CLUB

PERCENT OF POPULATION LIVING WITHIN PARTICULAR DISTANCEBANDS OF KNOWN OR POTENTIALLY CONTAMINATED SITEScontrast, 68 percent of the White, non-Hispanicpopulation lives within three-quarters of a mileof a known or potentially contaminated site.The analysis also found a higher percentageof the Black population lives near a known orpotentially contaminated site at every distanceacross Portland.The Black population is concentrated in Northand Northeast Portland; more specifically theBlack population is concentrated along twocommercial and industrial corridors, MartinLuther King Jr. Blvd and NE Columbia Blvd(see Map).The known or potentially contaminated sitesare also concentrated along commercialand industrial corridors; as shown by thecrosshatching.See Appendix F for methodology and studylimitations. The data available for analyzingissues of environmental justice are in many casesincomplete, limited in scope, and are not kept upto date. Due to these limitations, PRC recommendsthat any future analysis of environmental justicein Portland must rely on a more robust datasetor employ advanced spatial methods.85

OREGON SNAPSHOTIMPROVING DATA COLLECTION FORBLACK LGBTQ OREGONIANSLift Every Voice: The Black LGBTQOregonian Experience 2010 report,released by the Urban League ofPortland and Portland’s Parents andFriends of Lesbians of Gays Black Chapter(PFLAG-BC), revealed the findings froma community survey of over 200 BlackOregonians. Survey results highlighted thesocial and economic status of Black Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queercommunities in Oregon. It also revealed thelack of data on Black LGBTQ people and theneed to invest in additional research.The lack of representative data has been apervasive obstacle for the LGBTQ community.National social science surveys, like the GeneralSocial Survey (GSS), have only collected LGBTQ86

data since the 1980s. The data are generallyderived from relatively small sample sizes, whichmakes generating accurate findings problematic.Many LGBTQ policymakers were particularlyoptimistic following the decennial 1990 census,when more than 100,000 same-sex (male-maleand female-female) households checked the“unmarried and/or married partners” optionto describe their household relationship. Sincethen, scholars and policymakers have reliedheavily on census data to count, map anddescribe the LGBTQ community over the pasttwo decades.While the availability of census data hasundoubtedly improved the visibility of manyLGBTQ individuals, it continues to overlookmany LGBTQ people, including single individuals,homeless, adults living with children and manyothers. It also does not account for the factorsthat contribute to how people identify. Forexample, the likelihood of identifying as a samesexpartner is strongly linked to educationalattainment, income and geographic residence.This means that the data fail to include thefull race/ethnic, socioeconomic class andgeographic diversity of the LGBTQ community,and exclude individuals and couples in the“closet.” African Americans for example, accountfor roughly 7 percent of same-sex couples in2013, but compose more than 13 percent of thenation’s total population, according to AmericanCommunity Survey 2013.These limitations, among others, underscorethe shortcomings of these data. Given thatmany Black LGBTQ Oregonians are excludedfrom and/or are underrepresented in thesedata, we avoid reporting it altogether. In orderto acknowledge the greater diversity amongBlack LGBTQ Oregonians, we must invest insolutions that remedy these challenges of datacollection. (Research contributed by JasonJurjevich, Ph.D at Population Research Center,Portland State University).87

OREGON SNAPSHOTIN ASTORIA, KEMBOI CHESIMETGETS MOST OF HIS SUPPORTOVER THE PHONERunning took Kemboi Chesimet fromKenya to the United States, then acrossEurope, and now to, of all places, Astoria.“Running has kept me alive for manyyears,” he says. “Running is what keeps me inAstoria. Otherwise I think I would’ve left.”The son of a pastor and a nurse, Kemboi wasborn in a western Kenyan city known for havingsome of the best marathon runners in the world.He grew up running, developed his skills andearned an athletic scholarship to the University ofLouisiana at Lafayette.In 1991, he began the next phase of his life, inthe United States. All he brought on his journeywas a small bag and underwear. Kemboi’s olderbrother, who was already here, met him at theairport in Chicago. From there, he made his wayto Louisiana, where his sole support system wasthe student athlete program.vegetables to being addicted to Popeyes. It wasa shock to my system.”But he found success, achieving record times inthe Half Mile and going pro for five years aftergraduation. During his time as a professional runner,Kemboi traveled throughout Europe and earned anumber of sponsorships, including a high-profilecommercial with Coca-Cola. Being in Europe madeit easier for him to visit his family in Kenya.In 1999, he ended his professional career to focuson his family—a daughter from his first marriagewho ran track at Astoria High School and OregonState University, and two younger children whonow live in Portland with his second ex-wife.As someone who grew up in a small city, Kemboicould never get used to Portland. He foundsupport in a church, but outside of this nucleus,he felt “lost in the numbers.”88While the program helped him transition intouniversity sports and academics, Kemboi reliedon the solid foundations of his early life to copewith the culture shock. It wasn’t always easy. “Youhave to be proactive or else things will pass youby,” he says. “Culturally, I don’t think I was trulyequipped. There were always those shocks.”The shocks included driving, American attitudes,the fast-paced nature of life—and even food.“I went from eating simple cornmeal andAlthough much smaller, Astoria has its ownproblems, he says—first and foremost, practicingthe liberal values it preaches. “They’re veryintellectual when it comes to diversity. They givelip-service to the cause, but in practice, theydon’t really know what it is. Paranoia permeatesthe town, regardless of political affiliation. I don’tthink it’s a liberal view or a conservative one. Ithink fear goes deeper than those two camps. It’sa human view.”

A coach in area high schools for six years, he’spaid particular attention to the struggles ofEthiopian and Sudanese students. Even thoughthese students are speaking English, staffmembers often claim there are language issueswhen they cannot deal with them.Kemboi says, “Why can’t they take the time tolisten? Why don’t we slow down our thinkingand not see everything from a McDonald’s pointof view? Diversity is being able to meet peoplewhere they are. Sometimes we want peopleto be what they can’t be. Why can’t we meetpeople where they are and accept them?”Kemboi credits his extensive travels for his abilityto communicate across cultures. This sense ofperspective lets him put up with the obliviousteachers and other Astoria residents. Just likenavigating American culture when he first arrivedhere, coping with Astoria isn’t always easy. To stayconnected with his culture, he reads his SwahiliBible and listens to Kenyan radio stations.When he can, he speaks with family and Kenyanfriends on the phone. “I wish the ‘pursuitof the mighty dollar’ didn’t create so muchdisconnection. Busy people aren’t good atproviding support. The only support you get thisway is a voice. We all need tangible support.”89

POLICY ACTIONSWe must strengthen the health of our communities bybuilding a community that makes healthy choices easier forBlack families.POLICY PRIORITIES:123Build healthy, vibrant and economicallyviable neighborhoods for BlackOregonians by:• Improving economic opportunity,access to adequate and affordabletransportation, safe and walkableneighborhoods, and healthy foodchoices• Targeting funding for programs thatimprove health outcomes, such asthose that seek to tackle high bloodpressure and diabetesEstablish mechanisms in all healthcareinstitutions to ensure goals thatprioritize improving healthcare accessfor those most affected by poor healthoutcomes.Create partnerships between educators,law enforcement, and health carepractitioners to improve the mentalhealth of Black Oregonians:• Apply a race equity lens andculturally competent strategies topolice training, trauma interventionservices and school mental healthservices4• Hold law enforcement and healthinstitutions accountable forimproving outcomes for the BlackcommunityBoost research funding that will identifystrategies for mitigating the welldocumentedshort- and long-termhealth effects of chronic stress and dailyracist microaggressions, including:• Establishing metrics for improvingworkplace and healthcareenvironments and strategies foremployers to shift workplace cultureand improve the well-being of allemployees• Instituting evaluation and outcomebasedsurveys for healthcare settingsto ensure that those accessingservices feel safe and receiveculturally proficient care• Building a legal framework to holdemployers/employees accountablefor workplace microaggressions90

“We are caught in aninescapable networkof mutuality, tied ina single garment ofdestiny. Whatever affectsone directly affects allindirectly.”—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.WHO CAN MAKE THE CHANGE?• Oregon Legislature• Oregon Health Authority• Local, county, regional and state planningagencies• Healthcare institutions• Community development agencies91

CHAPTER 5GROWING A WORKFORCEOregon’s economy has experienced steady improvement. Yet Black unemploymentstill remains double that of White Oregonians, and 30 percent of Blacks live inpoverty. The income gap between White and Black Oregonians is higher now thanit was pre-recession. Over the next 10 years, Oregon will invest millions of publicand private sector resources in workforce development and preparation. Unless we addressthe specific barriers to steady employment facing Black Oregonians and work to close theincome gap, these resources we invest in workforce development will simply not reach thosemost significantly impacted by unemployment and poverty.Black Oregonians are a ready and willing workforce that can play a critical role in growing Oregon’seconomy. The Urban League’s Jobs Vision for Black Oregon, which applies a race equity lens toOregon’s current job creation efforts, identifies opportunities to overcome barriers created by thejustice system, poverty, displacement, racism and poor educational outcomes.Oregon Unemployment(2013)BlackWhitePortland Unemployment(2013)Black16 %9 % 21 %Work Status by Gender(full-time job only)70%65%60%55%50%White men:+2.5% changeWhite women:–1.3% changeBlack women:–10.9% changeBlack men:–10.4% changeWhite2000 2006–108 % BlackEarnings by Race & Ethnicity(in thousands of dollars, 2007–2011)WhiteApprenticeship Completion Rates30%20%Black workers are overrepresented in low-wagejobs and underrepresented in living wage jobs21.5 %Black10%92

ACTION VISIONAs the Oregon private sector moves forward to create a 21st centuryworkforce, additional steps are needed to ensure its diversity. Evenwhen Black Oregonians meet the education, training and employmentrequirements for good jobs, we still encounter an environment thatleaves Black workers behind. Oregon businesses should challengeand improve their own hiring practices, and we must do more toensure they access a talented pool of diverse workers.93

ESSAY 10EQUITY WILL HELP OREGONPROSPERAngela Glover Blackwell,Founder and CEO, PolicyLinkGrowing numbers of economicleaders—from Nobel prize-winningeconomist Joe Stiglitz to PresidentObama to the CEO of GoldmanSachs—believe, as the president put it, thatinequality is not only a moral travesty, but also“bad economics.” 1STRENGTHENINGOREGON’S ECONOMYTheir statements are backed by the data:inequality hinders the level and durability ofgrowth, while more equal societies experiencestronger and more sustained growth. Andthe same relationship holds true in regions: askilled workforce, high levels of racial inclusionand greater income equality correlate stronglyand positively with economic growth. 2 Harvardeconomist Raj Chetty and others show thatless racial and economic segregation and lessincome inequality correspond with greaterregional upward mobility. 3The need for racial and economic inclusion inOregon is urgent. The state’s Black population isbeing left behind as inequality rises. 4Harnessing the economic potential of the Blackcommunity by connecting workers to good jobsin growing industries will strengthen Oregon’seconomy. For these workers, it will boost incomeand economic security. To accomplish this, thereare several promising strategies.PATHWAYS TO INCLUSIONOne pathway is to foster greater racial inclusionin Oregon’s rapidly growing tech sector, dubbedthe “Silicon Forest.” 5 Access to these technologysector jobs is essential. Adopting programs likeBlack Girls Code and Code2040, which provideskills training and access to tech industry jobs foryoung people of color, can build a more multiracialnext generation of coders and tech leaders. 6Green jobs, particularly energy efficiencyretrofits of large commercial and governmentbuildings, are growing occupations that can andshould be accessible to all workers. A big stepforward is the work Portland is doing as partof the Emerald Cities Collaborative. Recently,Portland approved a Community BenefitsAgreement (CBA) for city projects. It improvesworkforce diversity, increases utilization ofdisadvantaged businesses and provides highroadwages. The CBA also provides funds foroutreach, training, oversight and technicalassistance for disadvantaged contractors. Muchmore can and should be done to extend the useof CBAs in public and private sector projects.Another pathway to equitable development isthrough neighborhood-focused inclusive andsustainable growth, like the Living Cully initiativein the Portland area. Local groups establishedthe Living Cully Ecodistrict, putting equitableeconomic development at the heart of the“Ecodistrict” concept. Living Cully is a long-term,94

community-based and collaborative strategyto bring environmental investments and assetsinto low-income communities of color withoutdisplacing community members. Its projectsbuild the capacity of target businesses and trainyouth in new skills. 7 Supporting local initiativeslike this allows programs to be tailored tocommunity needs.TAPPING THE POTENTIAL OFBLACK ENTREPRENEURSOregon should also do more to encouragethe growth of Black-owned businesses.Despite major challenges accessing capital,connections and training, Black-ownedbusinesses have still grown. The state can helpturn this Black entrepreneurial drive into newjobs and economic growth by offering smallbusinesses state tax breaks that lower start-upcosts. Increasing access to affordable capital,connections to investors, business training,mentorship and government contracts can alsofoster inclusive business growth.All of these ideas would also address the lossof wealth in Black communities that is holdingback their contributions to the state’s economicgrowth. While the median household income forWhite Oregonians rose 21.6 percent from 2000-2010, the median household income for Blackfamilies only rose 5.7 percent. 8Strategies to rebuild wealth and economicstability should increase access to affordable,long-term homeownership and stop abusivelending practices. They should also createother wealth-building opportunities, suchas children’s savings accounts and secureretirement programs.While Oregon may have a small Blackpopulation, the community has significanteconomic potential that will help the entire statesucceed. With smart, forward-thinking policiesand practices that place equity at the heart ofany growth, the Black community in Oregoncan, and will, thrive.Cosmetic Chemist andEntrepreneur, PaulaHayes, in her Beavertonlab, Hue Noir.95

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE TRADESThe construction industry offers the typeof long-term, livable wage jobs that, ifconnected with the Black community, couldhelp address racial inequities in employmentand overall household income.A recent report, published by the OregonBureau of Labor and Industries, confirmedthat we can do more to support our Blackapprentices.Termination during theprobationary periodwas more likely for allBlack apprenticescompared toWhite males30.24%12.42%21.51% of Blacks completed their apprenticeships, and theirtermination rate was an astonishing78.49%In comparison, White male participants had a completion rate of54.54% and a termination rate of just 45.4% 9We can do better. We need to open up more opportunities to quality construction careersand other union jobs and create alliances between community benefits and project laboragreements and hiring targets.96

Kimberlin ButlerPresident, Urban Leagueof Portland YoungProfessionalsBLACK WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCEBlack women are more likely to beresponsible for the financial stability of thehousehold.Black women are more likely to take on therole of decision-maker in the household. It’sdifferent in the workplace.Black women experience a “double outsider”status:• Negative stereotypes• Frequent questioning of their credibilityand/or authority• Lack of institutional support• Exclusion from informal networks• Conflicted relationships with Whitewomen”Whereas 74%of the general householdpopulation has a spouseor partner present,only 60%of Black households do. 10SOLUTIONS:• Enforce “Equal Pay for Equal Work” lawsin Oregon so that hard-working womenand their families are on a level playingfield• Provide tax credits for more equitableworkforces• Ensure paid sick time and family leave forall workers 1197

CASE STUDY 10GROWING ALL OF OREGONMaurice Rahming started out asan apprentice, then advanced tojourneyman, qualified to work acrossthe whole country. That was way back.Now he, along with his wife Ali O’Neill, ownsPortland’s biggest Black contracting firm—one ofthe top three Black businesses in Oregon. Annualsales have topped $14 million.At the height of the season, some 75 findwork with O’Neill Electric, and about 50 workpermanently throughout the year. Some 40 to45 percent of the O’Neill Electric employeesare minority. But that proportion is higheramong what Maurice calls his “core people,”the foremen, project managers and supers. TheO’Neill Electric superintendent on the PortlandTransit Bridge project, spanning the Willamette,is Latino. The company’s lead on the newPortland Community College SE campus is awoman. Another project manager is from Haiti.The company works with organizations likeConstructing Hope, Oregon Tradeswomen,Second Chances are for Everyone and Youth98

Building to offer real apprenticeships leadingto journeyman positions. But Maurice—chair ofthe Metro Alliance for Workforce Equity andpresident of the National Association of MinorityContractors—wants to see more Black and otherminority businesses. He reckons if minoritycontracts are really receiving the money claimedby Portland and its agencies, such as thePortland Development Commission, then thereshould be at least 10 contractors the size of O’NeillElectric in the city. In the state, there should be 50.The city, counties and state are playing a numbersgame, a “shell game” he calls it.The result is fewer job opportunities and realapprenticeships for minorities. It also leaveslittle incentive for majority contractors to stopseeing diversity programs as just stereotypicalbureaucratic hoops.Most minority jobs in construction are intrucking, flagging, moving dirt and cleaningup. The high-paid, skilled jobs in mechanics,electrical and plumbing mostly go to themajority workforce. Current diversity programsdo little more than encourage contractors toboost menial jobs to meet quotas. But the realproblem is “fee brokering,” where a majority-runcontractor offers a small minority contractor asignificant percentage to front a bid that meetsdiversity hiring requirements. Although theminority contractor may be no more than a onemanoffice and do little or no actual work on thecontract, the percentage is reported as city orstate investment in minority jobs. There may bealmost no substantial minority jobs as a result.There are excellent programs to copy: Portland’sTriMet, for instance, or projects under a CBA(Community Benefit Agreement).Instead of just tracking dollars and ignoringthe scam, the city, counties and state shouldtrack skill levels—journeymen, foremen,superintendents and real apprenticeships—andcontractors’ ability to “self-perform,” to actuallydo the job. Maurice says, “If a contractor saysthey can wire a ten-story building, and when yougo to their office, that’s it—just a small office,no gang boxes, no coils—then it’s a front. TriMetand CBA projects do that kind of checking.”Real-world monitoring would lead to morepeople like Maurice: Black apprentices,journeymen and business owners.99

CASE STUDY 11FOR YOUNG BLACKPROFESSIONALS, OREGONCAN BE A TOUGH SELLCrystal Roberts is an overachiever. Shehas a résumé to die for. She’s a highschool valedictorian with straight As,an honors GPA and scholarships. Shewent on to a law degree from Lewis and Clark,with memberships in Delta Sigma Theta sorority,legal associations and mentoring networks.She’s both a civil rights investigator and aRose Festival princess.Crystal accomplished this in spite of the feelingthat she was not always welcome. “Growingup in Portland, it was so normal for me to goplaces where we didn’t get service. Or why is thefamily behind us getting served first, and we’vebeen standing here for 10 minutes waiting to beacknowledged? As children, our feelings werehurt and we wanted to leave.”Crystal says, “You second-guess yourself.Am I crazy? Is this happening because ofmy race or some other factor? You’re overlypolite and overly nice, and then you feel likeyou’re letting yourself get run over. It’s a verytroubling sentiment that you have to faceinternally and struggle with.”Crystal says, “If you don’t have people activelytelling you that you could do better and thatyou are somebody—people who lift up yourself-esteem and encourage your spirit to pushthrough and persevere no matter what you’reexperiencing—then it’s easy to fall into thestupor of depression.”Bryan Burroughs has come a long wayfrom home in Alabama, via San Antonioand Baltimore, to work in Portland. Hetook a pay cut to come west and work inthe city’s VA medical center as a senior managerin the anaesthetics department.Bryan was attracted by Portland’s growingreputation as a great place to live, and bythe opportunity to care for the people who’dserved this country. Friends and family wereshocked by his choice to move to Oregon.“You don’t hear about Black people in Oregon.”He’s the only Black person in his department.“It’s challenging, but the people I work withhave been amazing.”Bryan likes Portland and the state—the food, themindset, the environment, cycling, the coast, themountains, and the clean air. “It’s the cleanest airI’ve ever breathed.”But it’s clear he misses the company of Blackfolks. “There’s little diversity here. I joined aMasonic lodge for support, but I’m the only Blackperson in their lives.”Bryan says, “I’m in survival mode, I do what Ihave to do to make it, learn to adapt, keep anopen mind and make the best of it. Still, beingable to connect with other minorities is huge. Idon’t know whether I can do this. I negotiate withmyself on a weekly basis whether I’ll stay.”100

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CASE STUDY 12THE PATH FROM PRISON TOEMPLOYMENT IS A LONG ONEAfter 22 months locked up, Spencer islooking forward to leaving ColumbiaRiver Correctional Institution. Spencerhas been through this process before.This time, he knows it’s going to take patience.He says, “When you’re released, you think youcan make up for all these lost opportunities; youcan rush to the finish line.”When it comes to finding employment, Spencerknows he’s looking at an uphill battle. While lookingfor a job, he has prison-related expenses, includingmonthly payments to his parole officer and thecost of any job training he might need. Accordingto Spencer, these training programs can costaround $150, and the parole officer might want$50 a month. Some parolees are also ordered intoprograms on drugs and alcohol, domestic violenceand anger management. This can make thecosts even more debilitating, but not making themandatory payments can result in a parole violation.Spencer feels the prison could providemore effective job preparation for inmates.Educational programs are available, but hefeels they have limitations. There are also jobpreparation programs, but only a few of themtranslate into finding work immediately out ofprison.Even with training, former inmates are subject toemployment discrimination. Being a hard workerand a model inmate is no guarantee a potentialemployer will look past your criminal past. Spencersupports the Ban-the-Box campaign, which seeksto remove the felony box from job applications.“I think everyone should have an opportunity tobounce back—have a second chance.”As stressful as finding work can be, Spencer saysmost of the pressure actually comes from theobligations he has to his family. They may notunderstand why the process could take a couple ofmonths. “It isn’t that my loved ones intend to putthat pressure on me. But people in the free worldare also dealing with the same stress and worries.”For example, his daughters, who are going intoa new school year, need clothes and supplies.And it hurts him not to be able to provide forthe people, like his mother, who supported himduring his hardest times.He says, “It’s important to prepare fordisappointment and rejection. That way, it’seasier to not get down on yourself and fall backinto old behaviors.”He credits his daughters with his motivation tokeep on the right path. In fact, he’s working on abook titled “Respect Our Daughters.” It includescontributions from 30 other inmates.Spencer marvels at all the potential housed inthe prison. “Why is all this talent being wasted onthe wrong things? Not everyone wants to be arapper. Some want to be architects. Others wantto go to culinary school. They just don’t knowhow to get there.”102

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CASE STUDY 13THE STORY OF ONEWORKER’S FIGHT AGAINSTDISCRIMINATION AT WORKEvery Oregonian deserves a workplacefree from discrimination. The state’s laborcommissioner confirmed this when sixworkers at Daimler Trucks North Americawon a $2.4 million settlement after sufferingracial abuse and discrimination at the company’sSwan Island, Portland, plant.The six were forced to take sick leave with no payfor stress, after months of daily racial abuse anddiscrimination, including:• Repeatedly being shown a rope nooseand physically threatened• Being assaulted at the time clock• Having chicken bones and watermelondumped in a personal locker• Simulated whippings• Frequent use of the n-word as well asracial and sexual epithetsMuch of the abuse was witnessed by supervisors.Despite frequent complaints to the plant’s HRdepartment, the company failed to stop theharassment and abuse.One of those who bore the brunt of the abuse, aBlack materials handler, described being showna noose in the parking lot on the night shift: “Hepointed at me and showed me a noose. He saidhe was going to tie me up and drag me down theroad, and when he was finished I was going to be100 pounds lighter.”Other workers were confronted with noosesin the production areas. Nazi hate symbolsremained in the rest rooms. When two of theworkers signed up as shop steward candidates,their names were crossed off the election list.“I’m very uncomfortable at work. It’s a veryhostile and unfair work environment. Since Icomplained about the noose and the hostile workenvironment, I haven’t felt safe. I feel threatened,harassed and uncared-for.”On the advice of the Urban League, he filed acomplaint with the state Bureau of Labor andIndustry (BOLI). He’d experienced weight loss,sleeplessness and anxiety resulting from theconstant threat of harassment and violence atwork.As part of the settlement, Daimler agreed to:• Installing a civil rights complaint hotlinefor workers• Mandatory supervisor trainingsorganized by BOLI• Training at least two designatedmanagers to conduct internalinvestigations in any future incidents• Supervisor logbooks for recording anyfuture incidents104

Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian says, “Thissettlement sends a strong message that everyOregonian deserves a workplace free fromdiscrimination. It’s difficult for any worker to stepforward in the face of a hostile work environment.”The bureau interviewed more than 60 current andformer Daimler employees and supervisors andreviewed hundreds of documents. The award of$2.4 million was the largest monetary settlement inthe history of the bureau’s Civil Rights Division.WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION40.2%Although Blacks make up only 2% of thepopulation, 40.2% of Oregon’s reportedworkplace discrimination claims from 2009 to2014 were filed by Black employees, comparedwith just 7.3% of Whites.12105

CASE STUDY 14STAYING STRONG FOR ALL OF HISHIGH SCHOOL STUDENTSAs a gay Black man, Mr. Roland*describes himself as a “two-spiritmulti-ethnic warrior.” Even thoughhe’s going on his eighth year teachingat his high school, some colleagues still treathim as though he’s invisible.He experiences microaggressions first thing inthe morning, simply trying to greet colleagues.“I’ll say good morning and they won’t turn andlook at me. I’ll say good morning again but theywon’t look at me or acknowledge me.”Roland teaches drama and dance and serves asa resource for LGBTQ students and students ofcolor. He also works with the student government,Southern Oregon University’s Queer ResourceCenter and Multi-Cultural Student Center, as wellas other entities around the state to develop antibullyingmaterial and suicide-prevention training.Institutional pushback is an ever-present reality.“I was told if my name and face were on it, thena lot of other teachers wouldn’t get on board.”When it comes to racism and homophobia atthe high school, he says most of the incidentsrevolve around words. He once received a deaththreat, but for the most part, he deals with Whitestudents’ frequent use of the n-word and thef-word. What makes matters worse is that theirparents often excuse it or refuse to acknowledgethere’s a problem at all.He says, “I don’t think they understand the racething here. They don’t get it. I’ve had a grownman in his 40s coming into my office, saying“colored.” I honestly believe he felt that was anOK thing to say. Not to make an excuse for him,but I feel that because of White privilege, it didn’teven register for him.”According to Roland, the high school has a 1.5percent Black student population. There are veryfew teachers of color. As a result, many studentsrely on Roland for support.Early on, that stress took a toll on his health. Hewas having trouble sleeping, often waking upearly in the mornings. He was also drinking andgaining excessive weight from stress eating.Things reached a breaking point five years ago.Roland decided he needed to find balance byfocusing on his mental, physical and spiritualhealth. “Instead of running away from theproblem, I’ve cleaned up what I eat. I definitelyeat to perform. I don’t stress eat anymore.”Getting his health in order helped Roland focusmore on his students, especially those whorely on his counsel. Before, he used most of hisenergy dealing with the people making racistand homophobic comments. “It’s not my work topolice those things for them. I need to be healthyand be here for myself and for all my students.”* The subject’s name has been changed toprotect his privacy.106

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A JOBS PLAN for Black OregonAs the Oregon private sector moves forward to create a 21stcentury workforce, additional steps are needed to ensure itsdiversity. Even when Black Oregonians meet the education,training and employment requirements for good jobs, we stillencounter an environment that leaves Black workers behind.Oregon businesses should challenge and improve their ownhiring practices, and we must do more to ensure they access atalented pool of diverse workers.1Meet Oregon’s 40-40-20 goal toimprove education outcomes forBlack OregoniansTo meet the needs of the 21st century workforce,Oregon has set the 40-40-20 goal. By 2025,Oregon will work to see that:• 40 percent of adults will have earned abachelor’s degree or higher• 40 percent of adults will have earned anassociate degree or post-secondary credential• 20 percent of adults will have earned at leasta high school diploma, modified high schooldiploma or its equivalentEqual representation of Black youth and adultsin the 40/40/20 vision requires that we firstaddress the educational inequities they face by:• Developing new models for, and resourcingof, secondary completion support for Blackstudents that take into account each student’sindividual barriers and the need for acceleratedindividualized student success approaches• Targeting a goal and strategy to counteractBlack students’ current disproportionatelower achievement levels in the middle “40”educational goal• Expanding apprenticeship opportunities inhigh-wage and high-demand career paths anddeveloping recruitment and employment goalsspecifically targeting Black students as a wayto drive 40/40/20 achievement• Analyzing current outreach, education andtraining efforts in the state’s public schools,4-year colleges and university systems andtheir results for Black Oregonians related toprogram completions, graduations and relatedemployment outcomes2Make Certified Work-ReadyCommunities a real option forBlack OregoniansIn order to attract businesses, our communitiesmust have a diverse, skilled and job-readyworkforce. A new strategy designed to certifythem as “work-ready communities” offersemployers a way to understand the availabilityof skilled workers, while giving job-seekers away to certify their skills.To ensure that all Oregonians can fully benefitfrom the resources being invested in Certified108

Work-Ready Communities, we must first addressspecific barriers facing Black Oregonians by:• Increasing awareness of the “Certified Work-Ready Community” initiative and how BlackOregonians can participate, become certifiedand benefit from the initiative• Identifying areas of strength and areas that willrequire additional support to close skills gapsin the Black community• Developing ways to link the work-readinesscertification levels of the assessment with thereal work experience, professional certificationsand credentials—or lack thereof—of BlackOregonians so they can use the certification toinform their career path or secure employment• Ensure related economic developmentefforts establish local hiring goals and utilizecommunity benefits agreements3Expand workforce developmentfor Black OregoniansOregon’s public workforce development systemis investing significantly in coordinated newways to meet the needs of both employersand Oregon’s un/underemployed population,but Black Oregonians are not taking enoughadvantage of available workforce education,training and development services to makeneeded changes. This is due to chronicunemployment within the Black community, atechnology gap, lack of sufficient transportationand access to job training opportunities, higherrates of criminal justice involvement, poor creditand poor health outcomes.We can improve Black Oregonians’ access toworkforce development by:• Creating new training programs to matchprojected high-demand, high-wageemployment opportunities for BlackOregonians• Ensuring that WorkSource Oregon,community-based organizations and othernonprofits are working together to producegreater employment outcomes for BlackOregonians• Developing ways for Black Oregonians toexplore in-demand career opportunities,map their career pathway and get culturallyappropriate career coaching and counseling,through training and during the first year onthe job• Developing industry-specific networkinggroups to help mentor Black students, traineesand new employees as their career progresses• Establishing a specific education and trainingfund for Black Oregonians that helps themachieve their career goals by: accessingemployment and training services; loweringcosts for tuition, books, fees, fines, licensesand childcare during the training period; andgaining greater access to paid internships andon-the-job training• Secure stable funding for culturally specificnon-profits providing workforce services forBlack Oregonians• Ensure goals for Black recruitment andcompletion of apprenticeship programs4SupportentrepreneurshipSupporting the growth of small businesses andentrepreneurship in Oregon is not only a criticalpart of wealth creation in Black communities,but is also a significant source of jobs for allOregonians.All entrepreneurs, even the most successful,need help along the way. They need capitalto fund their growth, operational experience,industry expertise, and a peer network to call onfor shared information. Oregon needs to investin un/underemployed communities to ensurethat existing businesses are protected in urbanrenewal areas and that community investmentefforts address barriers to small business growthin Black communities.109

To boost entrepreneurship and small, mediumand large business, we must:• Coordinate existing small businessdevelopment, economic opportunity andminority business development programs tomake them better-known and more accessible• Expand access, training and investment ofsmall business development programs forBlack entrepreneurs• Increase and improve targeted capital-accessprograms such as microenterprise and venturecapital funds for Black entrepreneurs• Set up crowdfunding ventures that providecapital to Black entrepreneurs by allowingthem to raise smaller investments of capitalfrom other entrepreneurs• Make federal, state and local procurementopportunities more accessible for Blackentrepreneurs by combining existing programs• Provide technical expertise assistance andtraining to Black entrepreneurs on building andgrowing their business5Bolster employer commitment toOregon’s Black CommunitiesWe all benefit when businesses have a socialresponsibility to work with communities toensure equal access to livable wage jobs, andinvest in growing and diversifying the state’spool of job applicants.In addition to compiled disparities in educationoutcomes and job readiness, Black Oregoniansface employment barriers that include practicesin hiring, workforce advancement, pay scaleand earnings. These are areas that public policycan’t control. As community education andworkforce development efforts are under way,employers should also do their part to addressbarriers to Black equality, such as lack of skillsdevelopment and job training, hostile workplaceenvironments, hiring from limited networks andpoor outreach to Black communities.Local businesses can help bolster Blackemployment by:• Developing reports that show the businessbenefits of a diverse workforce• Ensuring that industries better reflect thediversity of the communities in which theyoperate through carefully outlined communitybenefits agreements, local economicdevelopments—such as urban renewal areas—and other publicly funded initiatives• Expanding first-source hiring processes andenforcing targeted hiring provisions in allstate, city, county and economic developmentconstruction and service contracts• Creating customized training and hiringplans that lead to permanent jobs for BlackOregonians and communities most impactedby unemployment using the projected trainingneeds to create scalable customized trainingmodels• Establishing and supporting professionalnetworking associations in high-growth, highdemandand high-wage industries, focused onbuilding new pipelines and retention modelsfor Black Oregonians• Identifying and supporting culturally specificnonprofits as the best vehicles for servicedelivery• Using Excellence in Diversity Awards, prioritycontracting opportunities and other incentiveprograms to recognize companies for theirworkforce diversification efforts, especiallythose related to hiring Black OregoniansOur Jobs Plan for Black Oregon was developedby the Urban League of Portland in partnershipwith John Gardner, Director of Business Servicesfor Worksystems Inc. Our approach was informedby multiple community partners and developed tocomplement state-wide jobs initiatives.110

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CHAPTER 6PROSPERITY & OPPORTUNITYJust as the indicators of poverty shift over time, so too must our solutions.Given the rising cost of living and debt, income is no longer poverty’s singlemost accurate measure. Policymakers need to pay closer attention to theeffects of multi-generational poverty, high-interest rate loans, credit card debt,poor access to business capital, low wages, part-time employment and financialsystems that are hard to navigate. These factors combined with inherited povertyacross generations have a cumulative effect on many Black families’ ability to buildwealth and assets.Financial stability of the next generation needs to be a priority for policymakers; it is an opportunityto advance the security of the Black middle class. Improving wages and income, entrepreneurshipopportunities, financial literacy and retirement security and ensuring affordable childcare can all play arole in building equity within Oregon’s Black communities.Home Ownership vs. Renting(2010)Median Net Worth of National Households(2013)Black32.3 % ownership 67.7 % rentBlack$11,000(down 43% since 2007)White65.2 % ownership 34.8 % rentWhite$141,900(down 26% since 2007)Cost-burdened Households(households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs,2006–2010)100%Black household, OregonBlack household, U.S.White household, OregonWhite household, U.S.Number of Black-ownedSmall Businesses(per 100 small businesses in Oregon)1.280%60%40%20%

ACTION VISIONStrengthening financial security for Black Oregonians is dependenton ending student and consumer debt, increasing home ownershipand access to business capital and mandating affordable childcareand retirement security.113

ESSAY 11A NEW PROSPERITY PARADIGMMike GreenCo-founder, ScaleUp Partners, LLC114Entrepreneurship is the driving forcebehind the growth of the global economyand creation of wealth. That’s greatnews for Black Americans, who lead thenation with a 60 percent annual growth rate inentrepreneurship. Black and Hispanic populationshave demonstrated entrepreneurial growth,yet represent a disproportionately smallerpercentage of the GDP and job growth.EDUCATION KEY TO THE NEWECONOMIC PARADIGMToday, America’s students are in a globalcompetition for opportunity and wealthcreation. More colleges and high schools todaythan ever before are adopting a culture ofentrepreneurial education to equip studentswith essential basic skills needed to succeedin a 21st century economic paradigm: criticalthinking, problem-solving, collaboration,curiosity, creativity and imagination.Black Oregonians, in particular those clusteredin the Portland area, are uniquely positioned tolead the nation in developing new educationalmodels. These focus on STEM entrepreneurship(science, technology, engineering and math) andare bolstered by policy investments that equipBlack communities to contribute more to regionaleconomic competitiveness.STEM education is the single entry pointto dual opportunity pipelines: a high-wage,tech-based workforce and a high-growth,tech-driven entrepreneurial landscape thatcreates generational wealth. As the nation,driven by demographic shifts, turns toward avision of inclusive competitiveness strategiesand frameworks, Oregon finds itself with anembarrassment of riches hidden within its Blackpopulation.Portland’s Black population has a significantnumber of leaders in key positions acrossseveral communities of influence: education,policy, investments, business and economicdevelopment. These leaders need tocollaborate by sharing an economic visionand creating effective strategies for long-terminvestments with measurable outcomes. Theirstrategies, based on the inherent talent in ourBlack communities, can transform the wholenation’s economy.AMERICA’S COMPETITIVEADVANTAGE: BLACK INNOVATIONIronically, America’s landscape of deprivedminority communities is now her greatestopportunity. By mid-century, the Black andHispanic populations are projected to make up42 percent of the nation’s entire population.The health and wealth of Black and Hispaniccommunities depend on their own ability toproduce jobs. On a larger scale, the strength ofAmerica’s global economic competitiveness alsodepends on these two demographics addinggreater business productivity, jobs and wealth.America’s economy once depended on therichness of Black labor. Today, history is revisitedas America again needs the inherent talent foundin its Black population. But this time the “free”

Stephen Green at theOregon Public House, theNE Portland non-profit pubhe co-founded in 2014.market private sector must embrace meritocracy,invest in new infrastructure and establish greateraccess to capital resources. It must redesign theK-12 and higher education landscape to develop,not undermine, all potential talent. It mustengage in the process of economic gardeningto grow local innovators, entrepreneurs andqualified workers who enrich the area that, inturn, enriches their lives.Additionally, we need to look at older adults as avaluable resource for the Black community andfor all of Oregon. One in four individuals ages 44to 70 is interested in becoming an entrepreneur,and 63 percent of Americans plan to work duringretirement, according to the website www.encore.org. Small business ownership is a good optionfor many baby boomers. Small business ownerswho get long-term counseling may see biggersales, hire more workers and have more longevity.The Small Business Administration and AARP Inc.provide training and mentoring services to olderentrepreneurs to help them successfully start andgrow businesses and create jobs.We can envision the economic landscape forBlack Oregonians over the next five, 10 or even20 years. We can join Greater Portland Inc.as it develops the Comprehensive EconomicDevelopment Strategies plan for the Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan Statistical Area. We cangather the data that will help us transform Blackcommunities into investment-worthy areas. Wecan overhaul education in the public schoolsthat serve low-income communities so that theircurricula develop entrepreneurial skills and atech-based workforce.We can come together and establish an economicvision to create jobs and wealth for BlackOregonians. The only question is whether we will.The health and wealthof Black and Hispaniccommunities dependon their own ability toproduce jobs115

ESSAY 12UNIVERSAL CHILDCAREOPENS DOORSCheryl Miller,Executive Director, Oregon Home Care CommissionPoverty has traditionally been calculatedby comparing a family’s median incomewith expenditure on essential costs ofliving, such as housing. 1 Now, with therising cost of debt, housing costs, cuts to publicassistance, and ballooning childcare expenses,Black families face more roadblocks to wealthcreation and pathways out of poverty. Offeringa childcare subsidy would spur wealth creationand diversified employment opportunities to theBlack community, especially Black women.As public assistance declines, childcare, ifadequately funded, would be cost neutral.A German study, released in June 2012 byDavid Domeij—titled Should Day Care beSubsidized?—showed that governmentsubsidizedchildcare increases the laborrate among young women. 2 Their added taxcontributions to the economy more than coverthe cost of the subsidies. Childcare subsidiescan also reduce the number of women andfamilies needing public assistance. Oregon’sown experience in helping families return tothe workforce through Temporary Assistancefor Needy Families (TANF) confirmed thatEmployment Related Day Care (ERDC) helpedpeople stay employed and off state and federalbenefits and build wealth, and provided a liftout of poverty. This type of program can makea significant difference in the lives of women,children and families.Childcare subsidies can also offer Black womengood business opportunities—with the addedbenefit of making childcare more culturallyresponsive to the needs of Black children. Theskills developed as a childcare provider canlead some Black women to consider working inthe healthcare field as a homecare or personalsupport worker, earning a living wage with goodbenefits.It is clear that child care subsidies are not onlybeneficial to families in need of affordablechildcare, but to a potential growth industryof childcare workers, in equal measure. Smallbusiness entrepreneurs may also provide adultor child foster home services for children,seniors and people with disabilities. Expertise inchildcare may also lead to work as a communityhealth worker or personal health navigator.Training community members for such jobsensures linguistically and culturally appropriateservices to the community while offering Blackwomen an opportunity to advance their careers.This is only half of the solution. Providingopportunities to overcome poverty will requiremore than just affordable childcare, but helpingmothers get back into the workforce byproviding affordable, quality childcare optionswill grant women the ability to pursue multiplepathways out of poverty.116

INTERGENERATIONAL CHANGES, INTERGENERATIONALKNOWLEDGEParticipants in the Black Older AdultsFocus Groups (see Appendix D for surveydescription) felt that younger generationslack early financial education and that acommunity norm of Black property ownershipis critical for developing financial security.Participants felt that their peers must play acritical role in instilling strong financial valuesearly in life, as their parents did, who paidcash for homes and clearly communicatedthe necessity and value of frugal living with abuilding-for-the-future.Participants felt that the preference amongBlacks in the 1990s to rent in outlyingareas rather than buy homes in Blackneighborhoods significantly reducedopportunities to learn valuable financiallessons as well as contributing to thedisintegration of Black neighborhoods andbusinesses. Ultimately, this has placed theBlack community in a continuous state ofstarting over, rather than building from onegeneration to the next.117

BLACK FINANCIAL EXPERIENCEIn general, Black Americans are inadequatelyprepared for retirement. 3Blacks retire earlierthan the general population and withthe medianless than halfsavings in their employer plans—$9,000 compared with $20,000. 4Blacks are more likely to use credit cards and lesslikely to have savings accounts. Many report notlearning financial skills from their parents. Blackcollege graduates say that they’re disadvantagedby a lack of financial literacy and by their inabilityto manage debt. 5Financial literacy programs can overcome thesebarriers. Such programs should help participants:• Know their legal rights• Access financial products and options• Gain awareness of individual susceptibility totemptation• Develop structures to facilitate good financialdecisions• Enlist social networks to promote positiveactions regarding personal finance. 6Social Security is a critical program tohelp older Blacks as well as children• Social Security benefits are the onlysource of income for two of every fiveBlack retiree households age 65 or olderreceiving benefits.• More than a third of Blacks expect SocialSecurity to be their major source ofretirement income.• One of every five children (nearly 21percent) who receive Social Securitydisability benefits is Black.• Social Security keeps roughly one-thirdof older Blacks and Hispanics and 20percent of older Asians out of poverty.Nonetheless, high poverty rates persistamong these groups.• In Oregon, 91.6 percent of older Blacksreceive Social Security benefits, which theyhave earned through a lifetime of work. 7118

UPWARD MOBILITY43%of Americans born into thebottom economic quintileremain stuck there as adultsAmong those born into the two lower quintiles,70% can’t even move tothe middle of the ladder.Stable family income makes possibleinvestments, such as college education, thatcan play a large role in upward mobility.College graduates, dual-earningfamilies and those who are continuouslyemployed have a more than an80% chance ofmoving up the ladderThis is not true for most of those withoutcollege, single-earning families and peoplewho’ve been unemployed.A study by the Pew Charitable Trust foundthat upward income mobility is not directlyrelated to personal savings and wealth.Instead, families with more savings can bettermake the investments, such as college costs,that lead to upward mobility. The parents ofthose who moved up had almost double theincome of those who remained in the bottom. 8119

CASE STUDY 15SUCCEEDING AGAINST ALL ODDSIN SOUTHERN OREGONAself-described “little, small, Blackwoman,” Julie Grey maintains a largepresence in Southern Oregon. Thetiny Black population, old boys’ clubatmosphere in the business community andsmall but vocal White supremacist presencehaven’t stopped her from succeeding as theowner of the only Black-owned constructionbusiness in town. Julie says, “If I can make ithere, I can make it anywhere.”Her company, Complete Home Repairs &Remodels, covers two counties—operatingout of Jacksonville, a small suburb of Medfordand Ashland. Julie is also involved with theOregon Commission on Black Affairs, theMedford Chamber of Commerce, the WomenEntrepreneurs of Southern Oregon and theDepartment of Transportation and FederalHighway Administration’s Workforce and SmallBusiness Advisory Committee.Being so involved, she makes it a point tosupport Black-owned start-ups. Most ofthe Black population in Southern Oregon isconcentrated in Ashland, as part of the AshlandShakespeare Festival. As a result, there’slittle support for Black businesses, and manyclose down within a few months. “There’s noleadership development,” she says. “There’sno business organization that addresses ourparticular needs as a minority group strugglingto grow a microbusiness into a small business.”In particular, she’s had trouble obtaininggovernment contracts. The vast majority ofpublic works contracts go to two or three largefirms who use the same subcontractors on allof their projects. Southern Oregon Universityis the only institution that has welcomedJulie, despite her efforts to reach out to largercontractors and the City of Jacksonville. “If Igot government contracts, that would let megrow my business. I could do more hiring andshow credibility in being able to do the work ontime and within budget.”Southern Oregon doesn’t put much emphasis onminority women and emerging small businessparticipation. There are no political initiatives toencourage a change in this atmosphere. “Theydon’t have a mandate. They have goals, but theydon’t intend to meet them.”Despite these odds, she manages to keeppushing forward. She participates in variousbusiness organizations, makes a pointof meeting with realtors and has workedhard to build relationships with other smallcontractors. “I’m constantly referring work toa local woman electrician—as she does to me.I make connections with other contractors sothat they can make referrals to me in areaswhere they don’t work.”Her visibility isn’t lost on the White supremacistelements in Southern Oregon. Most notably,Julie made headlines when she stood up to120

participants in a White supremacist rally and,with the backing of other concerned communitymembers, forced them to pack up and go home.Since that incident, she’s had a few run-ins withthem, including threatening phone calls and anin-person threat on her life.Julie emphasizes that these were isolatedincidents, and that most of the community isfriendly and supportive. Still, she’s consideringrelocation to a place with a larger Blackpopulation and support networks like theOregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs,located in Portland.Julie says, “Interaction with other Blacks issomething you can’t replace because there’s amutual understanding of the obstacles we face,like the difficulty of growing without properfinancing or support. But we support each other.”121

WEALTH CREATION STRATEGIES THAT WORKIndividual Development Account (IDA)programs increase financial literacy and wellbeingfor low-income individuals. According toone Ohio State University survey of a local IDAprogram, graduates:• experience higher post-program financialassets than those who drop out• have a higher annual household income• are more likely to own an investmentaccount and be employed full-timeOf program graduates who saved to purchasea home, all but one still owned it. Additionally,three-fourths of IDA participants who usedfunds to open a small business were able tosustain it. 9In Oregon, the IDA Initiative has producedsimilar findings, but the outcomes are slightlydifferent for Blacks. In Oregon, 7.2 percent(600) IDA program participants were Black,over half of whom were saving to buy ahome. Of these Black participants, almost40 percent couldn’t complete programrequirements for reasons like “not being ableto attend financial education classes or assetspecificeducation.” 10When funding these programs, it’s important to:• provide extra support to minorities andpeople who have employment difficulties• educate participants on the benefits ofinvestment accounts• stress the importance of future life events,such as buying a home or college costs• foster skills that help in coping withsituations of limited resources• encourage participants to pursue/explorethe possibility of formal educationIDA program outcomes demonstrate thatincreasing financial literacy is critical to longtermwealth creation in the Black community. 11122

Kayin and Cleo Davis of SoapboxTheory and Screw Loose Studios runone of the few remaining Black-ownedbusinesses on Williams Avenue.GENTRIFICATION’S IMPACT ON PORTLAND’S BLACK BUSINESSParticipants in our Black Older Adults FocusGroup (see Appendix D for description)were pessimistic about the future for Blackbusinesses in Portland. They agreed thatgentrification affected Black business insuch a profound way that the Portland Blackcommunity may not reach previous levelsof entrepreneurship for a very long time,or ever. Black business in N/NE Portlandspecifically, and in greater Portland generally,was described as “a thing of the past.” It wasgenerally perceived that racial discriminationoccurred around liquor licensing and businessloans, resulting in the widespread dismantlingof Black businesses in N/NE Portland.*Note: Portland saw a vibrant Black businesscommunity in N/NE Portland, with its hub onN. Williams Avenue, before the large-scaleurban renewal project near Legacy EmanuelHospital.“Gentrificationand displacementaren’t inevitable.Black Oregonianshave voiced avision for thrivingneighborhoods. Thatvision for communitydevelopment can bemade real with a clearfocus on racial justiceand empowerment.”— Dr. Lisa K. Bates123

CASE STUDY 16IDA PROGRAM TAKES BUSINESSTO THE NEXT LEVELIme Etuk’s passion for film has taken himfrom Jefferson High School’s prestigioustelevision production program to Atlanta to theDirector’s Guild in Los Angeles. His film creditsare lengthy, including award-winning movieslike “Crash” and “Training Day.” Now, over 20years later, he travels all over the globe, directingmovies and music videos, as well as assistingsmall businesses through his own productioncompany, Laugh Cry Love Entertainment.Ime says, “I want to do projects that makeyou laugh—that make you cry. But with theunderstanding that love is the most powerfulthing and the only undefeatable force.”He started Laugh Cry Love in 2012, five yearsafter moving back to Portland. Despite spendingnine years in L.A., becoming a member of theDirector’s Guild and working with the likes ofDenzel Washington and Laurence Fishburne, hisbusiness sense was limited.At the time, Ime was still doing most of hislarge projects in L.A. But between jobs, he wasstruggling to find work. He began doing smallbudgetvideo production for friends and churchorganizations. While he found some assignmentsparticularly fulfilling, his income didn’t reflect thatenthusiasm. “I was doing these different thingsthat were smaller in budget but trying to givethem high production value. They were good inthe sense that they were passion projects, but itdidn’t really make sense for business because Iwasn’t making money, and I might’ve lost moneysometimes by the time I put the project togetherthe way I wanted to.”Ime began Laugh Cry Love to provide smallbusinesses with affordable, high-quality videoproduction. In order to make his companysustainable, he began attending meetings of theOregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs.In his search for entrepreneurial resources, hecame across Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon(MESO). This program helped Ime with marketingresearch, networking opportunities and one-ononecounseling. From the outset, the close-knitatmosphere of the MESO office impressed him.“They had everything you needed at one place.It was just such a small supportive family feel. Iknew it was something I wanted to be a part ofand could benefit from.”Using MESO’s services also let Ime takeadvantage of the Individual DevelopmentAccount (IDA) program. Through it, MESO clientsreceive 3:1 matched savings. For every dollar theclient saves, the organization matches it witha $3 grant. The program encourages clients topractice good savings habits and accumulatecapital to purchase necessary business assets.Before applying for an IDA, Ime had some lights,cameras and old computers that were sufficientfor his small budget projects. However, someclients required high-end equipment, so he hadto outsource. Besides cutting into his budget,124

this also limited his productivity. With the IDA,Ime upgraded his equipment, including a newcomputer to replace his old Macbook. “Thatcomputer was dying. Now I’m able to do twothings at once. It’s made me more efficient andmore profitable.”Despite Ime’s extensive résumé, he recognizesthat competition is all around him. Newtechnology allows more people than everbefore to be videographers. Thus, his betterequipment and efficiency help separate Imefrom people who can charge far less, but can’tproduce nearly as good a product. Now, whenhis customers see fliers with him standing nextto Denzel Washington and Al Pacino, they knowit’s not just for show.“I may do the same job as someone down thestreet,” Ime says. “But you know that I’ve beenaround greatness and I know what I’m doing.”125

OREGON SNAPSHOTOWNING THE ONLY BLACKBUSINESS IN PENDLETONLeon Ransom’s home has walls plasteredall over with pictures. He can tell you thestory behind each one. He says, “I’m thefamily historian.”This is a rightful distinction, considering that he’sbeen in Pendleton since he was six-months old.Born in Springfield, Illinois, Leon moved with hismother and older brother to Pendleton in 1952.They were following his father, who’d arrived twoyears earlier to work on the railroads.Leon’s parents had worked as sharecroppers inMississippi. His father would pick 200-300 poundsof cotton a day. “I asked my dad why he stoppedhere in Pendleton. He said he wanted to get as faraway from the cotton fields as he could.”As a youth, Leon was never afraid to speak hismind. When the family went back to Mississippi,they wouldn’t let him go into town with hisseven siblings because they feared for his safety.Leon’s attitude didn’t endear him to many inPendleton either, but his athletic exploits morethan made up for that. He played football,basketball and baseball, and he ran track.Despite a few confrontations, he never got intotoo much trouble because the school wantedhim on the field. He was one of the top footballplayers in the state, even though he only playedhis senior year—surprising because he spentthat entire school year in jail. Leon had gottencaught with marijuana. To make an example ofhim, the judge sentenced him to a year behindbars. He could, however, get out to go toschool and play sports. Ironically, the man whoprosecuted Leon helped him get into Universityof Nevada in Las Vegas. To this day, he stays incontact with many of his teammates. His wifejokes that high school never ended.Now, he spends a lot of time with horses. Heworks as a pen rider, attending to farmers’ cattle.“If you don’t know livestock, they don’t wantyou around them. But I grew up with these guys.They know that I can ride. That I can rope.”Leon first took an interest in horses and farmingas a child. He and his father would go huntingwith George Fletcher, a famed Black cowboy androdeo competitor, whose statue now stands indowntown Pendleton.Leon started going to the Pendleton Round-Up, one of the world’s biggest rodeos, when hewas six. The town’s population quadruples forthe event. The Round-Up gives him a chance tocatch up with other Black cowboys who comeinto town. They pay little attention to the anticsof some of the other cowboys. “These good oleboys, they’ll test you. Anything but the n-word I’lllet slide most times. You’ll stay mad all the time ifyou keep that in your head. It’s got nothing to dowith me. It’s their personal problem.”126

Much of the town’s economy depends on theRound-Up. He and his business partner own oneof the few local businesses that defy the realityof rodeo culture—Get Wit It Detail, a car detailingshop. It’s the only Black-owned business in town.Leon attributes their success to providing aservice no one else offers. “They only support GetWit It Detail because they want their cars done,and they don’t want to do it.”With so little to do in Pendleton, most of Leon’sfamily moved to Portland decades ago. He visitsoften but has no intentions of moving. He’s usedto being “the only one.”127

POLICY ACTIONSStrengthening financial security for Black Oregoniansis dependent on ending student and consumer debt,increasing home ownership and access to business capitaland mandating affordable childcare and retirement security.POLICY PRIORITIES:1Ensure affordable childcare for allOregonians. Resources invested• Down payment assistance andhomeownership support targeted toin employment, housing and adultpriority households and communitieseducation should reach all families in• Targeted business developmentevery community.services and resources2Invest in public and private sectorinitiatives that encourage Blackcommunity financial literacy, savingsand investments, and provide a range4• Expanded and fully-enforced publicbenefits agreementsUpdate poverty measurement toconsider housing, utilities, childcare,of public options to enable saving andtransportation, healthcare, householdretirement security, including:goods, emergency and retirement• Children’s Savings Accountssavings, student debt, public assistance• Individual Development Accountsand taxes(IDAs)• Consumer-oriented credit-buildingtools5Remove barriers to financialadvancement, including asset limits for• Employment match programspublic programs and “benefit cliffs” that• Modernized retirement savings vehiclespenalize increased income3Do more to encourage Black wealthcreation—from homeownership tobusiness development—through socialenterprise and collaborative businessendeavors, by providing:128

“What the peoplewant is very simple.They want an Americaas good as itspromise.”— Barbara JordanWHO CAN MAKE THE CHANGE?• Oregon Legislature• Oregon Department of Human Services• Oregon Department of Education• Oregon Housing and CommunityServices• Business associations129

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SECTION 3COMMUNITYCHAPTER 7 132PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIESCHAPTER 8 156WRITING OUR NEXT CHAPTER131

CHAPTER 7PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIESFamilies and individuals need community to aid social and economic wellbeing.This can mean having a neighbor who cares for your kids on shortnotice so you can make it to a job interview; knowing that families who’vebeen in the neighborhood for generations will continue to support yourbusiness; walking a few short blocks with friends to church on Sunday instead oftaking the bus alone from across the city; or ensuring your newly immigrated familycan connect with other African families for support in navigating a new culture. Theseunderlying layers of community can determine the effectiveness of public policy andcushion or enhance the impact of economic trends.Oregon policymakers must identify and reverse policies that break up Black communities. Policyinitiatives that predictably increase racial disparities can no longer be tolerated. They are unsustainable.A strong, cohesive community is more than just an ideal condition for families. Rather, it should be thefoundation of strong local and state economic and health policies.Incarceration Rate per 100,000 People(each circle represents 100 people)BlackWhiteRace at Police Stops(percent of total traffic & patrol stops, Portland, 2010)BlackWhite3,19517 %71 %506Black Portlanders Movement Over Time(Change in density, 2000–2010)25%2000 2010132

ACTION VISIONUrban renewal, law enforcement and related policies that unfairlyburden and disadvantage Black communities must be reformedto form a more equitable, fair Oregon for its Black community. Torestore confidence in law enforcement and to ensure public safety,we must implement reforms that change the culture and practiceof policing, including policies and methods of de-escalation to keepincidents from rising to an excessive use of force.133

ESSAY 13THIS IS GENTRIFICATIONLisa K. Bates, PhDAssociate Professor, Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning; andBlack Studies, Portland State UniversityPortland’s planning has been held upnationwide and internationally as theepitome of sustainability and urbanlivability. Our “emerging” and “up-andcoming”N and NE neighborhoods are cited asvibrant. But for Black Portlanders, this planning“success” just continues a history of displacementand disenfranchisement. Memorial Coliseum.The Minnesota Freeway. Emanuel Hospital. I-5.Long-time Black Portlanders can point to formerhomes and businesses as they run down thelitany of sites.During what we think of as the “bad old days”of urban planning, Black neighborhoods wereoften under threat from the bulldozer. Urbanrenewal was premised on stopping the spreadof blight—with slum clearance tearing downbuildings for real estate development andhighway construction. Community opponentsoften called it “Negro removal.” In effect, Blackpeople were seen as a problem, and urbanrenewal as its solution. The presence of Blackcommunities in substandard housing justifieda blight designation. These practices didn’taddress the structural causes of racializedpoverty, poor-quality housing and segregation;they simply eliminated the problem people froma valuable location.It’s now widely recognized that these practiceswere counterproductive. Many locations—like theWilliams Avenue lots, vacant for decades—werenever profitably redeveloped.More important, these actions deepened raceand class inequality by destabilizing Blackfamilies and communities. The results included:losing property, related to the massive racialwealth gap; “root shock,” caused by displacementfrom homes and neighborhoods and linkedto a variety of negative health outcomes; andseparation from economic opportunities. Urbanrenewal’s large-scale clearance has passed, butthe underlying concept remains an urban policyassumption—neighborhoods are fixed whenthey’re remade for new people.Even without government-sponsoreddemolitions, many Blacks are now experiencingdéjà vu. An estimated 10,000 Black peoplehave moved out of N/NE Portland. Many weredisplaced involuntarily from their homes by:rising rents; properties converted from rentedto owned; or foreclosure. 1 With no majorityBlack neighborhood left in Portland, today’sdemographic changes are more completethan the old “Negro removal” ever was inmoving Black people away from desirable andpotentially valuable locations.This is gentrification: fundamentally changingthe character of neighborhoods as those witheconomic means and racial privilege outbuyexisting residents. Unlike the days of bulldozersand red lines on bank maps, it can be difficultto identify the actors on the scene. Publicinvestments are framed as community benefits;equity goals are set in community plans;eminent domain is no longer the primary toolfor development; and “social sustainability” is abuzzword.Policymakers and real estate interests have a new134

Dr. Lisa K. Bates at the work siteof a changing Williams Avenue inPortland, OR.language for this change. Today’s neighborhoodrevitalization is celebrated as sustainabilityand a “return to urbanism.” Politicians pointto new amenities and vitality, asking “what’sthe downside?” of change. Others dismisscommunity outcry by saying that neighborhoodshave always changed, and gloss over the unevendistribution of change’s benefits and burdens.The more the community demographicschange, the more new housing and commercialdevelopments respond to new tastes at higherprices. Policymakers call this “the market” andclaim it’s beyond their control.Behind these rationalizations, planning policiescontinue to “upgrade” urban neighborhoods withlittle attention to the needs of the people alreadyliving in them. As development and rehabilitationfunds pour into Portland neighborhoods, thepromised programs and resources to stabilizeand prevent displacement don’t materialize.In Oregon, Tax Increment Financing subsidiescan only be used for “bricks and sticks,” leavingout workforce development, education andhealth interventions. As historically Blackneighborhoods become high-value hot spots foreconomic growth, Black community indicatorshave hardly budged.The small size of Portland’s Black populationmakes the effects of gentrification even worse.You couldn’t erase Blackness from a placelike Harlem, where the deeply ingrained Blackpresence is seen as culturally vital. But forPortland’s N/NE neighborhoods, it will soon be asif Blacks had never been there at all.135

What’s the alternative? How can Blacksparticipate in neighborhood revitalization thatincludes them, rather than displacing them?We need an entirely new approach, wherecommunity development empowers peopleliving in neighborhoods to plan for and benefitfrom change.Black-centered community development isfounded on community history and values.It prioritizes the work of Black-servingorganizations and demands that the publicsector align its practices with community values.Gentrification and displacement aren’tinevitable. Black Oregonians have voiceda vision for thriving neighborhoods. Thatvision for community development can bemade real with a clear focus on racial justiceand empowerment.A MULTI-LEVEL APPROACH TO FIGHTING GENTRIFICATIONCOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT& THE RIGHT TOSTAY IN PLACE• Housing is the most basic elementof security, and too many Blacks areprecarious in their homes. Safe, decent andaffordable housing has been at the coreof community development programs. Astable housing priority needs a strong antidisplacementcomponent, including a rightto return for those involuntarily relocatedthrough public policy and its marketconsequences.• Presence and visibility are critical forcommunity. Urban design, art, publicspaces and community events shouldhonor history and culture in meaningful,not superficial or stereotypical, ways. Thetalents of Black designers make publicplaces welcoming. Public social spaces alsoneed to be safe. A Black “right to the city”includes the ability to walk, bike, shop andsocialize in our neighborhoods, free fromsuspicion, police profiling and violence.MEANINGFUL & INCLUSIVESOCIAL AND ECONOMICSTRUCTURES• Lifting up people requires resources foreducation, workforce development and jobplacement in growth industries to ensureBlack participation in emerging areas.• Oregon’s entrepreneurial values ofcreativity, innovation and sustainability areall embodied within the Black community.Given appropriate capital support andtechnical assistance, these potentials couldbe realized in revitalized neighborhoods.• Neighborhood organizations needauthentic participation by communitymembers who are vulnerableto displacement and economicprecariousness. Black civic engagementis not only important for social ties, butalso for decision-making and resourceallocation.136

A BLACK-CENTEREDAPPROACHTO PLANNING• Black neighborhoods must be fullyengaged in building supportive institutionslike schools and community-basedorganizations. Their planning must focusa racial justice lens on systems that affectBlack people’s ability to thrive in place,including predatory lending and racistpolicing practices.• Displacement occurs in part due to lackof ownership—of homes and businesses.Black community development shouldencompass a range of possibilities, notonly individual, but also collective andcommunity ownership. Historically, Blackshave shared collective values of puttingdown roots, creating multi-generationalopportunities and building communitywideprosperity. For instance, Blackshelped to create the first community landtrusts in 1969.BLACK POLITICALEMPOWERMENT &ACCOUNTABLE PUBLIC POLICY• Too often, policymakers protest thatgentrification is out of their hands, whiletheir decisions foster private profits withoutinsisting on public benefits. Communitiesof color need collective political educationand mobilization to create actionstrategies that will hold public officialsaccountable for their decisions. Communitydevelopment demands a Black voice indecision-making.• Instead of offering developers no-stringsattachedtax incentives and subsidies,economic development agencies mustrequire them to address social impactsin return for public dollars. This includesminority contracting and hiring, and fundsto offset negative effects of new building.• A strong, organized community cannegotiate directly with developers anddemand legally enforceable CommunityBenefits Agreements aimed at specificoutcomes.“We’re survivors as people. And we’re trying toconnect as much as we can. But as far as citieslike Fairview or Gresham are concerned, they’renot giving the Black community a sense ofbeing wanted out there, and certainly not thatthey want to meet our needs.”-Older Adults Focus Group participant137

ESSAY 14BREAKING THE CHAINSDavid RogersGoverning Committee Chair, Oregon VoiceAmerica is beginning to wake up andrecognize that we have a profoundproblem. For 30 years, we’ve been ona massive prison build-up. The U.S.has 5 percent of the world’s population, but over25 percent of the world’s prisoners—no othercountry comes close. 2 In Oregon, the prisonpopulation has almost tripled since 1990. Ifyou’re Black, you’re six times more likely to endup in the Oregon prison system than a Whiteperson, although actual crime rates remainlargely the same across racial groups. 3CHANGE IS NEEDEDHow do we break the chains forged overyears of denial, bad intentions, misinformationand misguided policies? There isn’t just onesolution. We need to take individual andcollective responsibility for factors within ourcontrol, but we also need multi-dimensionalsystem changes. Oregonians need to pushpolicymakers for thoughtful ways to reduceracial disparity in our justice system. We needpolicies based not on emotions and mediahype, but on evidence.It’s time to put the punishment paradigm behindus. Look what it’s gotten us so far. We can havesafe and healthy communities by breakingchains, not making them.RACISM IN SENTENCINGRecent research confirms what we’ve knownfor years, that racial bias plays a role in theway police, prosecutors and judges makediscretionary decisions. If we don’t addressinequities at each of these decision points, wecompound the problem. Sentencing policies,including a mandatory minimum term for a lowleveloffense, must be reformed to support safecommunities and reduce our reliance on thecriminal justice system.SOLUTIONApply Oregon’s new Racial Impact Statementsto analyze how various policies might bringabout racial disparities in funding and policydecisions. The legislature needs to use themwith proposed sentencing or juvenile justicebills. The Oregon Criminal Justice Commissionshould also identify needed reforms byapplying racial impact analysis to key existinglaws, such as Measure 11.FUNDING ALLOCATIONSince the 1980s, the Department of Correctionshas had one of the fastest-growing state agencybudgets in Oregon. This leaves less money foreducation and the social services that would moreeffectively build safe and healthy communities.SOLUTIONPrioritize investments in programs that helppeople impacted by crime rebuild their lives:drug and mental health treatment; alternativesto incarceration; and re-entry options for formerprisoners. These are all proven ways to reducejustice involvement and recidivism.138

JUVENILE JUSTICEIn Oregon, Black youth under age 18 are morelikely than White youth to be charged as anadult for the same offenses. Adult convictionrecords follow them around for the rest of theirlives—creating barriers to education, housingand employment.SOLUTIONEliminate Measure 11’s automatic transfer ofyouth to adult court. Adopt sentencing policiesthat address disproportionate school disciplineand the ways in which “in school” arrests lead tojustice involvement.CHILDREN OF INCARCERATEDPARENTSWomen are being incarcerated at a faster pacethan men, in a pipeline already known for racialdisparities. It is estimated that 80 percent ofincarcerated women are mothers, most ofwhom are likely to resume parenting roles oncereleased. Research clearly shows that youngpeople with incarcerated parents are more likelyto end up incarcerated themselves.SOLUTIONOregon’s Department of Corrections is set tophase out its Family Preservation Project inearly 2015. Nearly half the women involvedidentified as a person of color and benefittedfrom skills development and improvedrelationships with their children. Not oneparticipant in the program’s history hasreturned to prison. Although the Departmentof Corrections (DOC) might not be in abudgetary position to sustain the programon its own, DOC needs to begin developinginnovative partnerships with other stateagencies to build on this work and take it toscale.Emanuel Price is the founderof Second Chances Are ForEveryone (SCAFE), a nonprofitthat works to reducethe rate of recidivism formen & women leaving thecriminal justice system139

Issues of intergenerational criminal justiceinvolvement, family health and successful youthdevelopment are not the responsibility of theDepartment of Corrections alone. Complex socialproblems require cross-sector collaborationand responses. For example, before eliminatingprograms like the Family Preservation Project,DOC should look to partner with Child Services,the Department of Human Services, and theDepartment of Education.Additionally, we need to begin looking at frontendsolutions. There are ways we can beginkeeping families together by changing sentencinglaws. The Washington State Legislature passeda law in 2010 that created a judicial sentencingalternative designed to keep non-violentoffenders with minor children out of prison. TheFamily & Offender Sentencing Alternative, orFOSA, is a collaboration between Washington’sDepartment of Corrections and the Departmentof Social and Health Services (DSHS). This is thekind of innovation we need in Oregon.COMMUNITY IMPACTSocioeconomic status is a significant factorin property crimes, which are roughly half ofcrimes committed. Economic instability leads toincreased justice system involvement. Raciallydisproportionate incarceration leads to greaterinstability of Black communities. It’s a viciouscircle: no job — crime — stiff sentence — release— no job — more crime — even stiffer prisonsetence; with the family affected as much as theprisoner.SOLUTIONSTarget policies to lift up the economic viability ofcommunities of color.Enact “Ban-the-Box” laws that eliminatequestions about conviction history on jobapplications. The prospective employer can stilllearn about the conviction later in the hiringprocess, but the former prisoner won’t be ruledout at first glance. Ensure that people doing thehard work of turning their lives around don’t getshut out of viable employment opportunities—avital component to a strong economic justiceagenda.Eliminate policies that limit the eligibility ofpeople with criminal records, and their families,for public benefits or subsidized housing.“If you want to see where society is failing,one need only look in prisons”— Max Williams, CEO Oregon Community Foundation140

TAKING ACTION FOR BLACK IMMIGRANT & REFUGEECOMMUNITIESThe foreign-born Black population isimpacted by institutionalized racism, such asdisproportionate involvement in the criminaljustice and foster care system and biasbasedpolicing. Black Muslim immigrants andrefugees also face religious discrimination.Others can’t progress economically becausethe system doesn’t recognize the certificatesor diplomas they earned in their country oforigin. Next steps include:• Licensure: Oregon should developa reciprocal licensing program forimmigrants and refugees who holdadvanced or specialized degrees fromtheir countries of origin—to make gooduse of our newest residents’ skills.• Employment: New trainings can helpskilled Black immigrants and refugeesenter Oregon’s job market.• Data collection: Black immigrantsand refugees have specific challengesand issues. State, county and localgovernments must collect disaggregateddata to identify people by country oforigin and language, not only race.• Services: Don’t wait for data collection.We already know the severity of disparitiesBlack populations are facing. The state,counties, local governments and privatefoundations must invest in culturallyspecificcommunity-based organizationsthat serve all Black Oregonians.• Programming: Black immigrants andrefugees can benefit from the knowledgeand experience American-born Blackshave gained in fighting for racial justice.American-born Blacks can benefitfrom Black immigrants’ and refugees’connection to the African diaspora. Sowe encourage developing programs thatcan promote cross-cultural leadership andcommunity building.141

ESSAY 15THE ROLE OF FAITH IN KEEPINGOUR COMMUNITIES SAFERev. Dr. T. Allen BethelAlbina Ministerial AllianceIn our history’s turbulent times, houses of faithhave provided information, values, places todevelop demands for justice and refuges fromthe injustices and disparities experienced bythe Black community. The church was central inthe civil rights movement and continues to playan influential role today as a source of hope anda strong moral voice.The Black community has long had roots deeplyembedded in faith, even before slavery broughtour forefathers to this country. W. E. B. Du Boisasserted that the Negro church is “the only socialinstitution among Negroes which started in theAfrican forest and survived slavery.”The excessive use of police force—suchas officer-involved shootings that result indeath—and the lack of police accountabilityare paramount concerns in our community.When community and police relations arepoor, senseless shootings occur in escalatedsituations—and too often, police rely on the legaldefense of “I feared for my life.” When there’s noaccountability for those actions, it exasperatesany community.When this scenario results in death, the healthand well-being of our community are threatenedand nervous energy begins to rise, sometimesto an explosive point. Feeling unsafe in yourown community makes people afraid to be nearofficers—seeing them as dangerous and uncaring.The loss of life of a young mother, father, sister,loved one or friend makes you wonder if you’llever heal, or will bear this cross for life.WE NEED ACCOUNTABILITYTo further community protection, we need asystemic review of police policies. Applying aracial justice lens to hot-spot policing, exclusionzones, gang designation and racial disparities inpolice stops and searches will all help to ensureequal protection under the law.SOLUTIONS• Amend Oregon statutes so an officer’s“fear for my life” statement is not groundsfor exoneration. State law should allowjuries to decide what a reasonable personwould believe, under the circumstances inquestion.• Develop community-based policeoversight bodies, with the authority andm e a n s to i nve st i g a te p o l i ce m i s co n d u c t .• Policies and methods of de-escalation tokeep incidents from rising to an excessiveuse of force should require:1. A thorough review by anindependent investigator; if findingswarrant, employ a prosecutor notaligned with the police agency underinvestigation2. Restrictions on law enforcementand the media releasing informationthat suggests the victim/suspectdeserved what happened due tohistory and the officer “did the rightthing”142

3. Appropriate discipline, includingtermination and loss of certification,when an officer is found out-ofpolicyin using excessive force thatresults in death or injury4. Clear and enforceable accountability5. Termination of all race-basedpolicing practices, beginning withgang “enforcement” unitsLet’s break the pattern of showing up onlyduring a crisis and leaving after the media andbuzz have settled until the next crisis. Those ofus in the community who continue the struggledaily need your voices, even in the quiet beforethe storm. We’re still fighting for accountability,police reform and “justice that rolls on like a river,righteousness like a never failing stream!”143

CASE STUDY 17GENTRIFICATION AND HOUSINGINSECURITY ERASE THE PAST ANDCREATE AN UNCERTAIN FUTURECharlene Campbell has lived most ofher life in N/NE Portland. Now, likemany of her former Black neighbors,she lives east of 82nd Avenue. Charlenesays, “There are more Blacks living out here thanbefore. Go farther out—Burnside and 162nd, andeven out on 181st—you see a lot of Black faces. Allthose people you mean when you say, ‘I wonderwhat happened to them.’ They’re out here.”For the last seven years, Charlene, 62, has livedwith her 39-year-old daughter and her threegranddaughters, ages 21, 13 and 8. Earlier, shemoved from place to place, progressively fartherfrom N Portland, where she grew up.Before moving in with her daughter, Charlene’slast stable living situation was a house in NEPortland. She received a “no cause” eviction; thelandlords didn’t have to explain why they werekicking her out. The constant uncertainty wasa struggle. She says, “It affects a lot becauseyou don’t know whether you’re going to be in aplace or on the streets.”Charlene helps her daughter pay rent and bills.Even though Southeast is more affordable thanNortheast, it’s still a daily struggle to makeall the payments. With the inflation in rentalprices, going back to her old neighborhood isunthinkable.Charlene grew up in Columbia Villa whenBlacks primarily lived in North Portland. Placeslike Mississippi Avenue and Alberta Street arestarkly different from when she was young.She rarely saw Whites in these areas, whichwere predominantly Black, full of businessesthat served the Black community. Now they’remostly White, with little indication of the past.Even Columbia Villa is a far cry from what sheremembers. It was rebuilt and renamed NewColumbia in 2005. Charlene says the mostnoticeable difference is the influx of housingdevelopments. “When I lived there, it was betterbecause you had your own yard. You could doyour own thing. You had neighbors, but it wasn’tlike your door here, their door there.”While her new home in many ways remindsher of where she grew up, there are also majordifferences. Southeast is rural. The streets arelong, with few sidewalks, and you can walk longstretches without seeing a crosswalk. She hasfew friends who live in the area and relies onthe phone to stay in touch. For the most part,Charlene keeps to herself.144

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CASE STUDY 18DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS POWERTHE OREGON SOMALI FAMILYEDUCATION CENTERWhen Somali immigrants cometo the U.S., transitioning into anew society is a tall order. At oneBeaverton apartment complex,five volunteers are up to the challenge. Foundedby Abdi Muse, the Oregon Somali FamilyEducation Center (OSFEC) seeks to empowerSomali families, smoothing their transition tothe U.S. Abdi says, “The end goal here is a selfsufficientcommunity moving forward as acontributing part of our society.”Serving 150 people, OSFEC receives a smallgrant from the City of Beaverton, but mostlyrelies on volunteers. The group’s journey beganin 2001, when Abdi was working at JacksonMiddle School. He and other communitymembers noticed that recently immigratedstudents were struggling.One seventh-grade girl in particular was thecatalyst for creating the organization. Accordingto Abdi, she only spoke Somali but couldn’twrite it. Jackson teachers asked him to help her.This turned into one of the biggest challenges ofhis life. How was she supposed to learn English,math and science when she couldn’t even writein her own language? “That’s like throwing youinto a Chinese college and saying, ‘Hey, startfrom there, my friend. Your next assignment isdue next week. Have a nice day.’”OSFEC officially began in 2002 with tutoringand a homeschool program. Coming fromrefugee camps, where there was little, if any,schooling, students had a lot of ground to makeup. Since then, the program has expanded, withthe help of student volunteers from PortlandState University, to include adult English classes.In addition to tutoring, OSFEC educates parentsabout the U.S. school system and reaches out toschools so staff can better understand Somalistudents’ specific needs. “Back home, educationwas about teachers taking care of students,period. Having an immigrant family come herethrows them off.”OSFEC also helps families fill out forms, providesinterpreting to help people with their bills andeven offers a tailoring class. The volunteersalso handle police profiling, domestic violenceand child custody issues, as well as other dailytroubles.Another major issue facing many Somalis isnutrition. Back home, they only ate organic foodsand walked most places. In the U.S., they’rebombarded with processed foods and have anumber of sedentary transportation options. Asa result, the rate of diabetes has increased in thecommunity. Through a partnership with OregonState University, volunteers teach people aboutAmerican foods and cooking dishes like the foodfrom back home.146

There are also tensions left over from Somali’scivil war. Some families from opposing sidesrefuse to speak or work with each other.However, Abdi notes that clan dynamics aredying down, due in large part to the youth. “Overhere, people just go through a different identitycrisis. ‘Am I African? Am I Somali? Am I Muslimfirst? Who am I?’ With no connection back homeat all, the young ones assimilate right away.”This rapid assimilation, however, makes itdifficult to ensure youth retain their culture. Withchildren spending the majority of their time inschool and parents working, there’s little time topass on traditions.Job-hunting causes many Somali families to leaveOregon. Recent college graduates are having aparticularly difficult time. In response, many Somaligraduates relocate all across the country, with theirfamilies coming along for support.Those who choose to stay in the Beaverton areacan rely on the dedicated members of OSFEC tohave their backs. As tiring as the work is, Abdiknows it’s essential. “It’s very time-consuming.But if you’re passionate about helping peoplelike I am, you have to do it.”147

CASE STUDY 19THE HISTORY OF OREGON’S BLACKLOGGERS WILL NEVER BE LOSTBy honoring the legacy of her familyand preserving the history of Maxville’smulticultural logging community,Gwendolyn Trice hopes to effectchange and empower others.Gwendolyn’s family history in Oregon datesback to 1924. Her grandfather and father camefrom Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to Eastern Oregon ina boxcar. The Bowman Hicks Lumber Companyrecruited them. Her grandfather had experiencein mechanics, which he passed on to his son.At the time, Blacks could saw the logs but weren’tallowed in the mill. Gwendolyn says that while theracial climate wasn’t as intense in Eastern Oregonas it was in the South, there was segregation.“In the South, if you were to look at someone in adifferent way, you might get hung,” she says. “InEastern Oregon, it wasn’t that way. There was stilla separateness and that Southern mentality.”The logging company separated workers bytheir ethnic groups. However, they used baseballto build camaraderie by forming a successfulmixed team. Ultimately, the economic impactof the mill prevented more hostile Whitesupremacist elements from gaining a foothold inthe town. One Ku Klux Klan member was evende-hooded by community members.“They’re not going to stand with the Klan if it’sgoing to mess with the income and industrycoming in,” says Gwendolyn.Her father in particular made a reputationfor himself as an advocate for the Blackcommunity. Gwendolyn notes that he oncesaved a young, White logger’s life. She,however, didn’t get to see his exploits firsthandbecause he was 56 when she was born.By that time, the logging industry was long gone.The combination of the Great Depression andWorld War II killed the industry and caused most ofthe Black community to relocate. The exodus of theBlack community brought an end to the Southernmentality. Soon, schools were integrated. However,Gwendolyn doesn’t look back on this time withfond memories. She was isolated and didn’t learnmuch about her cultural history or identity.In 1977, she decided to move to Seattle. There,she found steady work and had a chance toheal. She also found a new mission: preserveand share the history of her father and the Blacklogging community of Maxville.Gwendolyn moved back to Wallowa County,where she was surprised to find welcomingneighbors. Since returning, she’s noticed ongoingeffects of the loss of the logging industry.148

Gwendolyn does, however, see potential for abudding tourist industry. There is an abundance ofnatural resources, which Gwendolyn believes canbe used to create jobs.In 2008, she founded the Maxville HeritageInterpretive Center. Their mission is to preserveand record the history of the multiculturallogging and timber industry of Maxville. Inaddition to the tours, exhibits, and educationalprograms, the organization also puts oncommunity events. One of the most notable isthe Maxville Gathering, which the center putson in partnership with the Nez Perce. The centercontinues to build community through historyand story.149

OREGON SNAPSHOTFOR MAY BATES-PATTEN,IT’S ALL ABOUT FAMILYDespite being Black and lesbian, MayBates-Patten doesn’t worry aboutdiscrimination.The former Benson High Schoolbasketball standout works at both SEI andCharter Communications while going to schoolto become a teacher. On top of that, she playsthe role of second mother to her two daughters.Juggling work and school, she’s focused onproviding for them.For May, family support is crucial. Growing up ina religious family, she was nervous about comingout to her mother. But the family still loves andsupports her to this day.May is open about who she is with anyonewho asks. With her outgoing personalityand ambition, she gets along with almosteverybody. Her ambition was evident in middleand high school, where May says she didn’thave a sexuality. She was too focused on schooland basketball. Her athletic prowess took her tothe University of Arkansas, where she spent asemester before returning to Oregon.May explored many other areas before sherealized her calling to be a teacher. “Adults areharder to fix than kids,” she says. “Kids, you canstill influence them and show them the right way.”she’s going to be discriminated against. Thatcan lead to a confrontational first impression. Ifsomeone interviewed with her, looking for a jobwith that attitude, she admits she wouldn’t hirethat person either.She’s had no problem finding housing. Betweenher income and credit, she’s able to rentanywhere. Currently, she lives in the AlbertaDistrict, close to a host of bus lines, businesses,friends and family. Equal parts Black, Hispanicand White, everyone in her apartment complexgets along. “Everybody’s cool. Their kids playwith my kids.”May hasn’t thought about marriage, but her lackof legal rights makes her uneasy. “It’s not eventrust. It’s like faith. You have to have faith thatwhatever happens I’ll always have my kids.”For May, everything comes back to family.For May, everythingcomes back to family.A key to her success, she says, is that she doesn’tgo into a new situation with the attitude that150

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OREGON SNAPSHOTCARVING OUT OPPORTUNITIESIN KLAMATH FALLSBetty Henderson came from Arkadelphia,Arkansas, to Klamath Falls in 1954.Her new home was like nothing she’dever experienced. The town was veryprejudiced. Few jobs were available to Blacks.But something changed for the town in the’60s. She links the turn in racial politics to thearrival of the Air Force base. The military oftenintervened in instances of discrimination againstBlack officers and their families. Suddenly, Blackswere allowed to apply for many jobs and to rentanywhere in town.In another part of Klamath Falls, Lee Harris neverformally learned about Oregon’s exclusion laws.As a “military brat” in Klamath Falls, she didn’tneed to. Her family moved there in 1958, when152

she was 6 years old, and her father went towork on the military base. Lee lived a differentreality from that of her civilian peers, like Betty.In Klamath Falls, there were cross-burnings andBlacks had to walk on the left side of the street,but Lee’s family lived “the military life.”When Betty first came to town, she made a livingcleaning houses. She became one of KlamathFalls’ first Black cooks, then later moved onto home healthcare. With the change in racialclimate, Whites began attending Black churchesand vice versa in the early ’60s, helping to bridgeWhite and Black relations.Lee was the second Black person to work in theschool district. By the time she retired in 2009,the district had only hired three Black employeesin its whole history.Raised with the “tools” to deal with racism,Lee often confronted co-workers and otherassociates. Her contemporaries even convincedher to become the president of the ClassifiedEmployees Union. Through labor fights andher presence in the district office, she built areputation. People couldn’t intimidate her, andfew dared to mess with her sons. Now whenshe goes out, many people recognize her eventhough she doesn’t know most of them.Lee is one of the few Black people in the smalltown. People often ask if that bothers her. “I grewup during segregation,” she says. “I was alwaysthe only one. That don’t bother me. I was raisedso that I can go and do anything I want to.”Betty notes that Black youth, mostly bi-racial,often leave Klamath Falls to go to school and findjobs in more active cities. But as a retiree, sheloves the town’s comfort and quiet. “I’ll be hereuntil the Lord tells me to move.”153

POLICY ACTIONSUrban renewal, law enforcement and related policies thatunfairly burden and disadvantage Black communities mustbe reformed to from a more equitable, fair Oregon for itsBlack community. To restore confidence in law enforcementand to ensure public safety, we must implement reformsthat change the culture and practice of policing, includingpolicies and methods of de-escalation to keep incidentsfrom rising to an excessive use of force.POLICY PRIORITIES:1Support the 10-point plan put forwardby the National Urban League, whichcalls for:• Widespread use of body camerasand dashboard cameras• Broken windows reform andimplementation of 21st CenturyCommunity Policing Model• Review and revision of police use ofdeadly force policies• Comprehensive retraining of allpolice officers• Comprehensive review andstrengthening of police hiringstandards• Appointment of special prosecutorsto investigate police misconduct• Mandatory, uniform FBI reportingand audit of lethal force incidentsinvolving all law enforcement• Creation and audit of nationaldatabase of citizen complaintsagainst police23• Revision of national policeaccreditation system for mandatoryuse by law enforcement to beeligible for federal funds• National comprehensive anti-racialprofilinglawCall for thorough review of potentiallyillegal police actions by an independentinvestigator.Prevent and reverse the detrimentaleffects of gentrification through multilevelcommunity development, by:• Advocating for a community-ownedand cooperatively-controlled landbank/trust to be used to fulfillcommunity-development needs andneighborhood stabilization• Implementing a “Right to the City”policy to reconnect Black people,geographically, to the heart of ourBlack Community154

• Adopting of the HUD mandate toAffirmatively Further Fair Housing, whichwill de-concentrate poverty and increaseintegration by creating affordable housingin areas of high opportunity• Engaging Black neighborhoods in buildingsupportive institutions like schools andcommunity-based organizations• Strengthening housing stability andchoice through policies such as rentcontrol, just-cause evictions controlsmonitoring and enforcement of the FairHousing Law in the rental market.• Securing Black businesses in traditionalneighborhoods through development,incubation, access to capital, subsidizedleases and location incentives• Investing in resources for education,workforce development and jobplacement in growth industries toensure Black participation in emergingtechnological areas• Providing capital support and technicalassistance to ensure that Oregon’sentrepreneurial values of creativity,innovation and sustainability are lifted upin Black neighborhoods• Finding solutions that ensureaccountability, monitoring andevaluation of the efficacy of targetedpolicy interventions5• Prioritizing investments inprograms that help peopleimpacted by crime rebuild theirlives, such as drug and mentalhealth treatment, alternativesto incarceration and re-entryoptions• Eliminating Measure 11’sautomatic transfer of youth toadult court• Adopting sentencing policiesthat address disproportionateschool discipline and the waysthat “in school” arrests lead tojustice involvement• Providing additional educationand mentoring resources tochildren of incarcerated parents• Prioritizing living-wage jobsand economic security as acore component of all re-entryprogramsIncrease civic engagement indisplaced neighborhoods to ensurethat the voices of Black Oregon areheard, and support a new generationof leaders to foster a growingnew electorate and maximize itsinfluence.4Make key reforms to the JusticeSystem in policies that havedisproportionately hurt Blackcommunities, by:• Eliminating mandatoryminimum sentences for lowleveloffenses and racismin sentencing policies anddiscretionary judicialdecision-making• Applying Oregon’s new RacialImpact Statements to analyzehow various policies affectracial disparities within thecriminal justice systemWHO CAN MAKE THE CHANGE?• Oregon Legislature• Oregon Department of Corrections• Police departments• Local planning bureaus• Business associations• Neighborhood associations155

CHAPTER 8WRITING OUR NEXT CHAPTERConnecting Black communities across Oregon is key to increasing politicalinfluence and securing our role as a political force in the state. It is also animportant step for Black Oregonians to play our part fully among the risingAmerican electorate of voters of color, women and youth.By advancing a distinctive Black political agenda, including policy and elected leadership, we cancreate a political environment that fosters vibrant, productive communities and healthy generationsof Black Oregonians.We can begin by engaging a new generation of voters and leaders.2014 General Election Turnout, All AgesBlack registeredvoters55.1 % 71.8 %Whiteregistered voters2014 General Election Turnout, 18–24Black registeredvoters30.4 %Whiteregistered voters40.5 %Black 18–24 Year Old Registration GapBlack registeredvoters 65 % 35 % unregistered“We are the ones we have been waiting for”—June Jordan156

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ESSAY 16LEADERSHIP FOR THE FUTUREKathleen D. SaadatCommunity ActivistMidge PurcellDirector of Advocacy and Public Policy, Urban League of PortlandIf our community is to thrive, we must bethe leaders we want to see. The legacy ofBlack leadership in Oregon is proud anddeep. The task now is to identify and developa new corps of courageous leaders who areknowledgeable about power, policymakingand the legislative and electoral process.Elected or appointed, young or old, activistsor faith leaders—all can work together tobuild structures that let us coordinate efforts,communicate effectively, exchange ideas anddevelop strategies for change.While we honor the past, new technologicaltools can help us organize to achieve a viable,prosperous and sustainable future for Blacks inOregon.ORGANIZING BLACKCOMMUNITIESGentrification and its related migration havemade it difficult to identify a specific geographicplace that is the location of the Blackcommunity. While the last census showed thatthe Black population had diminished in N/NEPortland, it had grown statewide by more than24 percent. It’s time for Black people in Oregonto look beyond historical geography. Whereverwe reside, we define the Black community byour shared culture, experience and common setof issues.For building a Black Oregonian movement,our greatest assets are the network of Blackorganizations, the faith community and ourdynamic youth. Many of these activists, leadersand students were motivated by the events inFerguson, Missouri, and elsewhere. In Oregon,we can overcome our dispersal by linking Blackindividuals and communities statewide with astrong, shared vision; expanding the groups thatexist already; and recruiting, training, mentoringand supporting new leaders.ACTIVATING BLACK VOTERSAs voting rights are being rolled back across thenation, Oregon continues to lead in expandingaccess to the vote. The push for automaticregistration means that our communitycan focus on mobilizing voters to fulfill anagenda for change. A new generation of BlackOregonians must raise awareness among allBlack voters that voting is a small but firm steptoward equality and justice.Let us begin with our youth—preparing allyoung people to participate in the politicalprocess. The next generation of Black leadersmust also understand that true leadershipmeans a life of service, a life of building bridgesand cultivating unity.WHAT DOES A POLITICALSTRATEGY FOR THE 21STCENTURY LOOK LIKE?• Develop specific actions to win policies andcampaigns on issues that affect the Blackcommunity in our cities, counties, region andstate.158

ELECTORAL POLITICS• Elect decision-makers committed to ouragenda and accountable to our communities.Invest in candidate recruitment anddevelopment, with a long-term strategy formoving good candidates toward higher office.• Invest in training a new generation ofgrassroots political campaign organizers.• Develop effective electoral infrastructure; useavailable tools like political action committeesand organizations with lobbying capacity; anddevelop pipeline programs modeled on theEmerge program to prepare Black candidatesto run successfully for offices across the state.Ensure that the structures and expertise existto support their candidacies.ORGANIZE WINNING CAMPAIGNS• Develop campaigns led by the most affectedcommunities with tangible results on issues likejobs, education, policing and policies to endgentrification.COALITION BUILDING• Build racial justice coalitions led bycommunities of color and supported byallies. Their combined resources and politicalcoordination can promote agendas thatwill benefit all low-income and workingOregonians. When all of these are workingtogether, we build long-term movement andcommunity power that will be instrumental inwinning victories at the ballot box.159

ESSAY 17WE ARE ALL BLACK OREGONKayse JamaFounder/Executive Director Center for Intercultural OrganizingOregon is home to a growing numberof Black immigrant, refugee andasylum-seeking communities hailingfrom Africa, the Caribbean andSouth America. Because our populations aresubsumed under the category Black/AfricanAmerican by the U.S. Census Bureau andstate and local jurisdictions, official populationstatistics remain unavailable. The Oregonianestimated Multnomah County’s populationof Africans alone at 18,000. Taking all Blackforeign-born groups into considerationstatewide, the number is likely closer to 25,000,with the vast majority having arrived in the past15 years as refugees from East Africa. 1Somalis are the largest African population inOregon, but there are significant numbers ofother East African groups, including Ethiopian,Eritrean, Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan. Othercountries of origin include Angola, Mali, Liberia,Togo, Chad, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sudan,Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republicof the Congo. In my work at the Center forIntercultural Organizing (CIO), I’ve encounteredAfrican Oregonians from most of thesecountries. In addition to people from the Africandiaspora, Black immigrants and refugees includethose from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cubaand other Caribbean islands, as well as Afro-Brazilians and other Black South Americans.Although most foreign-born Black Oregonianslive in the Tri-County Area, many are venturingout to rural areas in search of affordablehousing and jobs or have been placed in ruralareas by refugee agencies. Some families haverelocated to the small towns of Marion County,such as Woodburn, Mill City and Stanton—andagricultural work in Hermiston has lured anumber of Somalis.Like our American-born brothers and sisters,Black immigrants and refugees struggle withhigh unemployment rates, acute healthcaredisparities and poor access to living-wage jobs.In addition, the majority of foreign-born BlackOregonians face additional difficulties, includingcultural and language barriers.CULTURE SHOCKOregon’s Black population is linguistically andculturally diverse, but in the eyes of many otherOregonians, all Blacks are the same group.The overt, covert and institutional racism thatBlack immigrants and refugees experienceimmediately on arrival is a shock to the systembecause for them, this is a new concept. Backhome, people may identify themselves by theircountry of origin—such as Kenyan or SouthAfrican—or even as a particular tribe or clan,but never before on the basis of color. Theirresistance to this newly assigned identityisolates them from the American-born Blackswith whom they now have much in common.This is particularly clear within the educationsystem. Once foreign-born Black childrenarrive, they’re immediately assigned theidentity of African American and are treatedaccordingly. Like American-born Blacks, theimmigrants and refugees find their kids falling160

ehind educationally and being expelled fromschool at a much greater rate than their Whitecounterparts. Their youth also linger in jails,exposed to the full brunt of our failed criminaljustice system. All this is discussed in Africanhomes, but not well understood.To quote a young Somali man, Omar SheyOmar, “When you are here, people do not careif you are African American or Black immigrant/refugee, they only see you as a Black person.As a youth I have seen Somalis being expelledor suspended from school. I have seen manyyoung men profiled by the police, and I haveseen many youth without jobs or prospectsof achieving economic mobility. They treat uslike African American youth, but when I goback home, I have to deal with the additionalstruggles that my parents face because theydo not speak English, nor do they understandhow to navigate their new country’s cultural andracial dynamics.”161

ESSAY 18WE NEED EACH OTHERBruce PoinsetteContributing Writer, State of Black OregonWe hear it all the time. The samepeople who tell us we’re theleaders of the future are oftenthe ones who silence us andrefuse to see the work we’re doing—the impactwe already have.Politics is more than speeches, voting andprotests. Politics emerges from the things thatunite us. It’s culture, music, fashion and sports.And it’s business. In the face of unemployment,we’re gradually building economic powerthrough entrepreneurship.Every time we come together with other Blackpeople, we’re building networks. We depend onthem for job recommendations and collaboratewith them to create galvanizing art, organizepolitical actions and devise innovative businessideas.At the end of the day, politics is about taking careof our people. We all want stable housing. We allwant others to respect our rights. We would alllike to be comfortable being ourselves.But embracing our identity, never mind takingcare of our economic needs, can be difficult inOregon. We’re spread out all over the state. Eventhe largest concentration of Blacks in North andNortheast Portland is dispersing as a result ofgentrification. If you live in places like Knappa,Lake Oswego or Klamath Falls, some Portlandersdon’t even know you exist. We don’t see eachother and, as a result, we don’t communicate.As young people, we’re going to have to bemore intentional about building community. Wehave to network, coordinate gatherings and usetechnology to reach out to everyone we can. Welive in different parts of the state, characterizedby different natural resources, economies andopportunities. We don’t have to escape to L.A.,Atlanta or New York. The business partner,bandmate or collaborator you’ve been looking formight be just a two- or three-hour drive away.Of course, as youth, our resources are limited.We need mentorship, job training and access togathering spaces. Historically Black organizationslike the Urban League provide these things,but many of us don’t know this or don’t takeadvantage of it. We feel disconnected becausewe don’t communicate. All we know is what wesee in the news and the political campaigns.Many people ask for our participation but don’taddress our concerns. Often, it feels as thoughwe don’t even get the chance to speak—thechance to be taken seriously. We need to makeour presence felt. If we don’t feel organizationsare serving us, we can go to them and initiate theconversation. Even with our small numbers, wecan do so much. But we need each other. We areour most reliable natural resource.162

OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO CIVIC ENGAGEMENTWe can’t forget that the Black community’srelationship with law enforcement andthe criminal justice system can hinder ourefforts to engage new voters. Researchshows that negative contacts with criminaljustice institutions alter how people perceivegovernment and their own role as citizens.Those who’ve had even minor encounterswith police later vote less often, trust electedofficials less and become less involvedcitizens than their peers who are simplyfacing economic disadvantages.• People imprisoned for more than a yeartrust government nearly 40 percent lessthan those without any contacts with thecriminal justice system.• When asked how much governmentleaders “care about people like me,”75 percent of people involved in thecriminal justice system said “very little,”compared with just 36 percent of similarpeople with no criminal justice contact.• Compared with people who’ve never hadcontact with the criminal justice system,those who’ve been arrested but neverconvicted are 16 percent less likely to “feellike a full and equal citizen” of the U.S.These individuals are also 20 percent lesslikely to believe that “everyone in the U.S.has a chance to succeed.”• People who’ve been stopped andquestioned by police, or arrestedfor a crime but never convicted, areabout 10 percent more likely thancomparable people to express distrust ofgovernment. 3, 4163

CASE STUDY 20POLITICS IS ABOUT COMMUNITYAlthough Amber Starks didn’t know itat the time, a call to Oregon’s Boardof Cosmetology was about to changeher life. She wanted to braid fosterchildren’s hair but didn’t have a license. Ambersays, “If you touch anyone’s hair that’s outside ofyour family, you need a license. Volunteering isnot an exemption.”The woman on the other line jokingly said that theonly way around this was to change the law. Furious,Amber decided she was up for the challenge.Today, her name is synonymous with thepassing of HB 3409, which exempts natural haircare from the state’s barbering requirements.Previously, braiders were required to go through1,700 hours of cosmetology training, whichdoesn’t even include natural Black hair care.Although changing the law seemed to be amatter of common sense, the process wasanything but simple. It took Amber two years ofdiligence and persistence to see the bill becomelaw. Even though she was the face of the campaign,she emphasizes it was a community effort.The process started in early 2011. At the time,Amber was going through the Urban League’sSocial Justice and Civic Leadership Academy.Frustrated by statistics outlining disparities inthe Black community, she decided to take action.After learning Black and Native Americankids were over-represented in the foster caresystem, Amber chose to pursue hair braiding.“I didn’t want to volunteer just for the sake ofvolunteering. I wanted to do something thatwould help these kids’ confidence and self-esteem.”The Oregon Department of Human Servicesinformed her that she’d need a license.This prompted the frustrating call to thecosmetology board. After that, upset butdetermined, Amber began searching theweb for similar situations in other states. Thesearch led her to an article by Alan Durningthat highlighted unfair laws in the Northwest,including the requirements for braiding. Amberreached out to Durning, who helped her drafta letter to her state legislators. RepresentativeAlissa Keny-Guyer and Senator JackieDingfelder responded.Amber followed up with weekly emails until shesecured a meeting in the fall of 2011. There, theydecided the fairest solution would be an onlinetest for a hair-braiding license. The politiciansinsisted that Amber work with the cosmetologyboard and the Oregon Health Licensing Agencyto get a bill ready for the next legislative session,a year away.Over that next year, Amber launched an onlinepetition and social media campaign andattended a number of natural hair care events.Soon, local media took to her story. In particular,she credits The Skanner News’ Lisa Loving withspreading the word across the country and164

encouraging other news outlets to addressthe issue. The last piece of the puzzle broughtAmber full circle, back to the Urban League,which was so enthusiastic that she was hired tobe a lobbyist for the bill.Meanwhile, Rep. Keny-Guyer and Sen. Dingfelderwere working diligently with the cosmetologyboard and the health licensing agency. By 2013,they had the cosmetology board’s support.When it came time for Amber to go to Salem,the bill passed unanimously in the House ofRepresentatives. The Senate posed more of achallenge, including a senator who dismissed thebill as “reverse racism.” However, it still passed 18-11, including three Republican votes.Amber notes that HB 3409 was really aperfect bipartisan bill. It was designed tocreate economic opportunities by eliminatingunnecessary government regulation, and totop that off, it didn’t create any additional fiscalworries for the state.Amber credits her community for the bill’ssuccess. While she was the mouthpiece, shepraises her representatives and the communityorganizations that backed her without tryingto take control of the bill. She also notes thatpersistence and not skipping any steps in thepolitical process were essential.But, at the end of the day, she says that itwould’ve all been for nothing without herpassion for what she was doing. “I genuinelycare about the way people in my communityfeel about themselves,” Amber says. “For me,this is bigger than money. This is about ushaving access and choice and being able to useour craft to make a living.”165

CASE STUDY 21PROTESTER TO PARALEGAL:FIGHTING FOR HOUSING JUSTICEIn 2009, Fredi Jackson wanted to move closerto her sister in inner Northeast Portland. Shefound a home right next to her. The house,built in 1936, with two bedrooms—each the sizeof a closet—and one bathroom, was going for$325,000. Fredi changed her mind and movedto Gresham. Her new home there, which washalf the Northeast price, has four bedrooms, twobathrooms and much more space than her firstchoice. Many Black Portlanders, hoping to buyin their old neighborhood, are going throughthe same situation. Fredi says, “They (the City ofPortland) make it hard (for us) to buy in the innercity. It’s easier for them (newcomers).”According to a 2013 report in the PortlandTribune, homeowners in North, Northeast andSoutheast Portland are paying property taxesbased on less than 60 percent of their homes’true values. East of 82nd Avenue, residents arepaying taxes based on 80, 90 and even 100percent of the true value. “Their taxes are lessthan mine and their house costs twice as much,”Fredi says. “The tax is unfair and unequal.” 2Fredi’s frustration has led her to becomea housing activist. She speaks with localpoliticians like Senator Jeff Merkley, who held apress conference in front of her home in 2012.Fredi also works with local community activists.In the past, she worked with We Are Oregon, agroup that, among other things, advocated forolder Black folks trying to keep their homes.Many were the victims of housing scams andsub-prime mortgages. Fredi, who’s 74, is nostranger to the situation. She’s been battlingwith Bank of America for the last few years,trying to refinance her home.Fredi had to slow down her activism becauseof illness. However, she’s had time to work onthe next phase of her justice work—becoming aparalegal. She’s studying at Portland CommunityCollege’s Cascade Campus—the only PCCcampus with a law program. Her goal is tobecome a reputable lawyer with a backgroundof winning cases against what she calls “big,greedy banks and scam artists.”Whenever she can, Fredi urges other people ofcolor to pursue the law. “I think I can work throughthe law to make differences that I can’t make as aregular person,” she says. “The kind of case I’d beinterested in, the legal clinics wouldn’t take.”Upon completion of her course, she has a jobwaiting for her in the PCC law department.It doesn’t matter that she’s one of the oldeststudents in the program. She’s on a mission tomake changes. “You don’t need to have a bunchof people to make a difference. That one voicecrying in the wilderness is all it takes.”166

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COMMUNITY ACTIONSSOCIALCHANGEADVOCACYThis approach speaks the needs of other people.SERVICEThis approach meets people’s immediate needs. Direct servicesfall in the “give a man a fish” category.ELECTORALThis engages public officials on a deeper level to supportthe development and implementation of policy initiatives,gets measures on the ballots and encourages people in theircommunities to vote.ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTThis approach addresses issues such as low-skilled workersor the need for more employees in a particular industrythrough workforce skill development.The issues facing our communitiesare influenced by political, social andhistorical frameworks. As we deepen ourunderstanding of the issues, institutionsand policies that affect our lives, it’s critical thatwe begin to think about how we effectivelyadvocate for ourselves and for our communities.Our community has a rich history of buildingmovements and working together to achievesocial change. When thinking about howwe engage in our neighborhoods, schools,workplaces and faith communities, theCommunity Actions section can provide aframework for moving forward.The Community Actions section is meant toserve as a toolkit for social change. It outlinesfour approaches and provides examples ofwhat you can do to address inequities andimprove the lives of people in our communities.Understanding these approaches is critical to theadvancement of equity for Black Oregonians.ADVOCACYDEFINITION: An individual or group that speakson others’ behalf.EXAMPLE: The work of PFLAG Portland BlackChapter and Urban League of Portland is a greatexample of advocacy.There is a significant lack of data about the livesof Black LGBTQ people and families locally andacross the country. Elevating the visibility of thisoften hidden population is our first step forward.Black LGBTQ people are parents, children, andfamilies in our community. The Urban Leagueof Portland and PFLAG Portland Black Chapterpartnered to produce LIFT EVERY VOICE: TheBlack LGBTQ Oregonian Experience.This report allowed others to raise the visibilityof this community. It also articulated the uniqueneeds of this historically underrepresented andunderserved group.168

DIRECT SERVICEDEFINITION: This approach meets people’simmediate needs.EXAMPLE: Every week, Inger volunteers hertime at Tubman Elementary to help closethe educational achievement gap for AfricanAmerican school age youth. Tutoring is a greatway to meet the immediate needs of peoplemost negatively impacted by an issue. In thiscase the issue is education equity.ELECTORALDEFINITION: This engages public officials ona deeper level to support the developmentand implementation of policy initiatives, getsmeasures on the ballot, elects communityrepresentatives and encourages people in theircommunity to vote.taking action:+ advocacy+ directservice+ electoral+ communityorganizingEXAMPLE: VOTE!! Had it not been for theAfrican American vote, we would not havebeen able to benefit from the legacy ofgroundbreaking politicians like Senator AvelGordly, Margaret Carter, JoAnn Hardesty, andLoretta Smith. Are there other Black politicianspast or present in the state? With increasedrepresentation of Blacks in elected positions,we have a stronger voice and a better chanceof influencing policy that addresses inequities inBlack communities.COMMUNITY ORGANIZINGDEFINITION: Community organizing is a processby which people who are most impacted by anissue organize and take measures to influencethe policies and/or culture surrounding them.EXAMPLE: Public school parents have organizedto demand a high-quality education for theirchildren. In 1982, Ron Herndon and othersdisrupted a Portland Public School Boardmeeting and insisted that Tubman be located inthe heart of the Black community.169

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APPENDIX AREPORT FRAMING, POLICY ACTIONS& DATAFRAMEWORKThe State of Black Oregon 2015 report illustrates the status of Black Oregonians through data, analysis andstorytelling. To some, the statistics speak the loudest. To others, the stories and photography that lift up theface of Black Oregon are the most powerful. We believe it is the combination of these elements that helpus understand the experience of Black Oregonians and the factors that shape our community today. Theanalysis—offered by academic experts in national and state policy—ties the data and research to best practiceand offers a path toward a healthy, vibrant and engaged community, core to Oregon’s economic growth.The report is not organized in traditional policy “silos.” We have used a framework that looks at the entireindividual, family and community through three sections: Children & Youth, Adulthood and Community. Ithighlights how multiple systems, service agencies and policy intersect with employment, housing and povertyto create either opportunity or inequity for Black Oregonians in key stages of their lives.The framework assesses the current position of Black Oregonians and future prospects as job opportunitiesshift toward science, technology, engineering and math, healthcare, and a revitalized manufacturing industry.It has also guided our policy agenda. A holistic approach to policy and practice will produce greater resultsfor all of Oregon.ABOUT OUR POLICY ACTIONSOver the next five years, the Urban League of Portland will work with our partners to advance focused,economic justice strategies with measurable outcomes. The policy actions at end of each chapter representthe areas where we believe policymakers, the private sector and public service providers need to applytheir best thinking and implement change. These action areas are meant to serve as a guide for morecomprehensive policy approaches to economic justice and social change.THE DATAThis report sources the American Community Survey and U.S. Census for the majority of economic andhousing indicators. Portland State University’s Population Research Center assisted significantly with thisprocess. In this report, we used the U.S. Census Bureau’s race and ethnic group of “Black or African Americanalone or in combination with one or more other races” (BAOIC). With the changing demographics of Oregon,we feel this provides the most accurate picture of Black Oregon today. When we were not able to pull BAOICdata, we used data from the “Black or African American alone” race and ethinic group, which is noted with anasterisk. All data represents state figures unless otherwise noted (I.e. National, local).All tables, graphs and infographics sources are in the Appendix C data tables, unless directly sourced or endnoted. Our research team pulled the remaining data from state sources including-but not limited to-Oregon’sDepartment of Education, Department of Corrections, Health Authority and Department of Human Servicesunless noted. We worked closely with state agency partners to ensure the most updated state-level data.Please note that while the availability of quantitative data disaggregated by race and ethnicity has improved,it remains limited, especially on a state and local level. We have tried to complement missing state datawith national sources, supporting research and community survey studies. We will continue to advocate forimproved data systems that regularly collect race and ethnicity data.173

APPENDIX BEND NOTESCHAPTER 11. American Community Survey. (2010).2. Oregon Health Authority. (2014).3. Samaan, R. A. (2000). The influences of race, ethnicity, and poverty on the mental health of children. Journal of HealthCare for the Poor and Underserved, 11(1), 100-110.4. Misslin, R. (2003). The defense system of fear: behavior and neurocircuitry. Clinical Neurophysiology, 33(2), 55-66.5. Shlafer, R. J., Gerrity, E., Ruhland, E., & Wheeler, M. (2013). Children with incarcerated parents – Considering children’soutcomes in the context of family experiences. Children, Youth & Family Consortium. Retrieved from http://www.extension.umn.edu/family/cyfc/our-programs/ereview/docs/June2013ereview.pdf6. Wakefield, S., & Wildeman, C. (2014). Children of imprisoned parents and the future of inequality in the United States.Scholars Strategy Network. Retrieved from http://www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/sites/default/files/ssn_key_findings_wakefield_and_wildeman_on_children_of_the_prison_boom.pdf7. Porter, S., & Edwards, M. (2014). Household and economic factors associated with geographic and school mobilityamong low-income children. Journal of Children and Poverty. doi: 10.1080/10796126.2014.9791408. See Appendix C Data Table Youth Success9. Contribution by Robin Johnson.CHAPTER 21. Brain architecture. (2015). Center on the Developing Child. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/key_concepts/brain_architecture/2. Bates, L., Curry-Stevens, A. (2014). The African-American community in Multnomah county: An unsettling profile.Coalition of Communities of Color. Portland, OR: Portland State University.3. Lynchings by state and year, 1882 - 1968. (n.d.) University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Retrieved from http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/shipp/lynchingsstate.html4. Gabrielson, R., Jones, R. g., & Sagara, E. (2014). Deadly force, in black and white: a propublica analysis of killings bypolice shows outsize risk for young black males. ProPublica. Retrieved from http://www.propublica.org/article/deadlyforce-in-black-and-white5. McCarthy, D. & Hoge, D. (1978). The social construction of school punishment: Racial disadvantage out of universalisticprocess. Social Forces, 65, 1101-1120.6. Sue, Derald W. (2010). Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender, and sexual orientation. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley& Sons, Inc.7. Gordley, A. & Schechter, P. (2011). Remembering the power of words: The life of an Oregon activist, legislator, andcommunity leader. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press.8. See Economic Opportunity Table, page p. 182.9. Irving, A. (2011). LGBT kids in the prison pipeline. The Public Intellectual. Retrieved from http://thepublicintellectual.org/2011/05/02/lgbt-kids-in-the-school-to-prison-pipeline/.174

10. Oregon’s school-to-prison pipeline update. (2013). American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon Foundation. Retrievedfrom http://aclu-or.org/sites/default/files/ACLUF_OR_STTP_Update_2013.pdf11. Curry-Stevens, A., Lopezrevorido, A., & Peters, D. (2013). Policies to eliminate racial disparities in education: Aliterature review. Center to Advance Racial Equity. Retrieved from http://coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Literature-Review.pdf12. Disproportionate discipline in Oregon’s K-12 schools. (2013). Oregon Education Investment Board. Retrieved fromhttp://www.oregon.gov/Hispanic/pdfs/Issue%20Brief%20-%20Discipline%20-%20FINAL%20APPROVED%20FOR%20DISTRIBUTION.pdf13. Briggs, H. (2011). Governor’s task force on disproportionality in child welfare. Department of Human Services. Retrievedfrom http://www.oregon.gov/dhs/children/docs/tf-report.pdf14. Black male achievement. (2015). Office of Equity and Human Rights. Retrieved from https://www.portlandoregon.gov/oehr/6651415. Johansen, M. (2012). Lessons from Hawaii’s efforts to use ‘race to the top’ to boost achievement of native Hawaiianschool children. Scholar Strategy Network. Retrieved from http://www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/content/lessonshawaiis-efforts-use-race-top-boost-achievement-native-hawaiian-school-children16. The 2014 Oregon minority teacher act status report. (2014). Oregon Education Investment Board. Retrieved fromhttp://education.oregon.gov/Documents/archive/Minority_Teacher_Report_FNL_bkmarked.pdfCHAPTER 31. Tierney, W. G., Bailey, T., Constantine, J., Finkelstein, N., & Hurd, N. F. (2009). Helping students navigate the path tocollege: What high schools can do. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practice_guides/higher_ed_pg_091509.pdf2. Kerby, S. (2013). Borrowers of color need more options to reduce their student-loan debt. Center for American Progress.Retrieved from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2013/05/16/63533/borrowers-of-color-need-moreoptions-to-reduce-their-student-loan-debt/3. Elliott, W. (2014). Redeeming the American dream: Children’s savings accounts (CSAs) build children’s capacity foreconomic mobility. Corporation for Enterprise Development. Retrieved from http://cfed.org/assets/pdfs/CSA_Redeeming_The_American_Dream_Report.pdf4. New American Foundation. (2008). Child savings accounts a primer. Global Assets Project. Retrieved from http://www.newamerica.net/files/nafmigration/CSA_Primer.pdf5. McLaughlin, J. & Sum, A. (2011). The steep decline in teen summer employment in the U.S., 2000-2010 and the summer2011 teen job market disaster: another bummer summer. Center for Labor Market Studies. Retrieved from http://iris.lib.neu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1044&context=clms_pub6. Sum, A., Khatiwada, I., Trubskyy, M., Ross, M., McHugh, W., & Palma, S. (2014). The plummeting labor market fortunes ofteens and young adults. Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings. Retrieved from http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Reports/2014/03/14-youth-workforce/Youth_Workforce_Report_FINAL.pdf?la=en7. Addressing the youth employment crisis through summer jobs. (n.d.). Worksystems, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.worksystems.org/sites/default/files/SummerWorks%20Program%20Info_0.pdf8. Reed, M., & Cochrane, D. (2014). Student debt and the class of 2013. The Institute for College Access and Success.Retrieved from http://ticas.org/sites/default/files/legacy/fckfiles/pub/classof2013.pdf#overlay-context=posd/map-state-data9. Student loan default rate. (n.d.). Assets & Opportunity. Retrieved from http://scorecard.assetsandopportunity.org/latest/measure/student-loan-default-rate10. Moreland-Capuia, A. (2014a). How the natural fear response, unwoven, predisposes to violence: Healing hurt peoplePortland (HHP) services to undo what has been done.175

CHAPTER 41. Rudolph, L., Caplan, J., Ben-Moshe, K., & Dillon, L. (2013). Health in all policies: A guide for state and local governments.American Public Health Association and Public Health Institute. Retrieved from http://www.phi.org/uploads/files/Health_in_All_Policies-A_Guide_for_State_and_Local_Governments.pdf2. Multnomah County Report Card on Racial and Ethnic Disparities. (2014). Multnomah County Department of CountyHuman Services. Retrieved from https://multco.us/file/37530/download3. Poverty in Multnomah county report. (2014). Multnomah County Department of County Human Services. Retrieved fromhttps://multco.us/dchs/news/2014-poverty-multnomah-county-report4. Rudolph et al. (2013)5. Fast focus. (2010). Institute for Research on Poverty. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin-Madison. Retrieved fromhttp://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/fastfocus/pdfs/FF6-2010.pdf6. Multnomah county equity and empowerment lens. (2015). Multnomah County Office of Diversity and Equity. Retrievedfrom https://multco.us/diversity-equity/equity-and-empowerment-lens7. Sue, D., Capodilupo, C., Torino, G., Bucceri, J., Holder, A., Nadal, K., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions ineveryday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271-286.8. 2008 Disability Status Report - United States. (2010). Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on DisabilityDemographics and Statistics. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations.CHAPTER 51. Equity and the future of the American economy: A policy agenda to build an equitable economy. (2013). PolicyLink.Retrieved from http://www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/ESGM_POLICY_PRIORITIES_FINAL_20130201.PDF2. Buddy, can you spare some time? Social inclusion and sustained prosperity in America’s metropolitan region. (2013).MacArthur Foundation Network on Building Resilient Regions. Retrieved from http://brr.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Benner-Pastor-Buddy-Spare-Some-Time.pdf3. Chetty, R., Hendren, N., Kline, P., Saez, E. (2014). The land of opportunity? The geography of intergenerational mobility inthe United States. Retrieved from http://obs.rc.fas.harvard.edu/chetty/mobility_geo.pdf4. Economic gains flow to the top as Oregon income inequality soars. (2014). Oregon Center for Public Policy. Retrievedfrom http://www.ocpp.org/2014/04/30/fs2010430-economic-gains-Flow-top-oregon-income/5. Business Oregon: High technology. (n.d.). Oregon Business Development Department. Retrieved from http://www.oregon4biz.com/assets/docs/High-Tech.pdf6. Women of color in technology. (n.d.). BlackGirlsCode. Retrieved from http://www.blackgirlscode.com/7. Living Cully: A Cully ecodistrict. (n.d.). Coalition for a Liveable Future. Retrieved from http://oregonon.org/files/2011/11/Living-Cully-Fact-Sheet-2-5-13.pdf8. Calculation of American community survey data. (2010). Urban League of Portland. Portland, OR.9. Arévalo-Meier, N. (2014). Status report on the disproportionately high termination rate for African American apprentices in2006-2010. Retrieved from http://www.oregon.gov/OCBA/PDFs/Minority%20Apprentice%20presentation%20-%20Meier.pdf10. African Americans making financial progress but still facing financial challenges. (2015). Prudential Financial, Inc.Retrieved from http://www.prudential.com/media/managed/aa/aafacingthechallenge.shtml11. The African American financial experience. (2014). Prudential Insurance Company of America. Retrieved from http://www.prudential.com/media/managed/aa/AAStudy.pdf12. Calculated by Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries from data retrieved on September 2014.176

CHAPTER 61. United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/about/overview/measure.html2. Guner, N., Kaygusuz, R., & Ventura, G. (2014). Childcare subsidies and household labor supply. Universitat Autónoma deBarcelona. Retrieved from http://pareto.uab.es/nguner/gkv-childcare-June2014.pdf3. Veal, J. (2013). How to solve our financial literacy crisis. LifeHealthPro. Retrieved from http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2013/09/11/how-to-solve-our-financial-literacy-crisis4. Lowery, C., & Taylor, S. (2013). The African American Financial Experience. Prudential Insurance Company of America.Retrieved from http://www.prudential.com/media/managed/aa/AAStudy.pdf5. IBID6. Soaries, D. (2011). Dfree: Breaking free from financial slavery. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan.7. Leigh, Wilhemina A. (2011). African Americans And Social Security: A Primer. Joint Center for Political and EconomicStudies.Caldera, S., Koenig, G., & Waid, M. (2012). Social security: A key retirement income source for older minorities. AARP PublicPolicy Institute.8. Moving on up: Why do some Americans leave the bottom of the economic ladder, but not others? (2013). The PewsCharitable Trusts. Retrieved from http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/0001/01/01/moving-on-up9. Loibl, C., & Red Bird, B. (2009). Survey of former IDA program participants: How do they fare? Journal of Extension,47(6). Retrieved from http://www.joe.org/joe/2009december/rb3.php10. Overview of the Oregon IDA Initiative. (n.d.). Oregon Initiative. Retrieved from https://oregonidainitiative.org/overview/11. Loibl, C. & Red Bird, B. (2009).CHAPTER 71. Hannah-Jones, N. (2011). In Portland’s heart, 2010 Census shows diversity dwindling. The Oregonian. Retrieved fromhttp://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/04/in_portlands_heart_diversity_dwindles.html2. Mauer, M., & Ghandnoosh, N. (2014). Incorporating racial equity into criminal justice reform. The Sentencing Project.Retrieved from http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/rd_Incorporating_Racial_Equity_into_Criminal_Justice_Reform.pdf3. The growth of incarceration in the United States: Exploring causes and consequences. (2014). National ResearchCouncil. Retrieved from http://johnjay.jjay.cuny.edu/nrc/NAS_report_on_incarceration.pdfCHAPTER 81. Timms, D. (2013). African refugees and immigrants in Multnomah County face daunting economic odds. The Oregonian.Retrieved from http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/09/african_refugees_and_immigrant.html2. Law, S. (2013). Similar properties, unequal taxes. Portland Tribune. Retrieved from http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/126280-similar-properties-unequal-taxes3. Lerman, A., & Weaver, V. (2014) How harsh policing and mass imprisonment create second-class American citizens.Scholars Strategy Network. Retrieved from http://www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/content/how-harsh-policing-andmass-imprisonment-create-second-class-american-citizens4. Weaver, V. (2010). How mass imprisonment burdens the United States with a distrustful civic underclass. ScholarsStrategy Network. Retrieved from http://www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/content/how-mass-imprisonment-burdensunited-states-distrustful-civic-underclass177

APPENDIX CDATA TABLES178

DemographicsOregon Profile Black # Black % White # White % SourceTotal Population 98,479 2.50% 3,005,848 78.50% PRC 1 , 2010, State [2010 Census: TablesSF1-P5, SF1-P7, SF2-PCT3]Geographic DistributionPRC, 2010 Census [Table SF1-DP1]Astoria 94 1.0% 8,458 89.2%Bend 698 0.9% 69,977 91.3%Eugene 3,815 2.4% 134,018 85.8%Klamath Falls 424 2.0% 17,380 83.4%Medford 1,234 1.6% 64,452 86.0%Pendleton 306 1.8% 14,507 87.3%Portland 45,545 7.8% 444,216 76.1%Salem 3,647 2.4% 122,213 79.0%Age DistributionUnder 18 37,099 – 573,013 –Calculated from PRC, ACS, 2010, State[06-10 ACS Survey selected populationtables]18-64 56,098 – 1,938,200 –65 or over 5,282 – 494,635 –SubpopulationsTotal Men 15 and older– Never Married– Now Married– Divorced34,07017,12211,4374,13554%50.3%33.6%12.1%1,302,423394,387703,931152,11649%30.3%54.0%11.7%ACS, 2010, State [06-10 ACS Surveyselected population tables](Never Married, Now Married, Divorceddoes not equal Total Men or Women 15and Older)Total Women 15 and older– Never Married– Now Married– Divorced29,04614,4448,0243,88846%49.7%27.6%13.4%1,360,345323,552691,366193,14951%23.8%50.8%14.2%Female householder, nohusband present (in familyhouseholds)Grandparents Living w/ownGrandchildren under 18Grandparents Living w/ andResponsible for Grandchildren6,449 22.7% 126,646 9.4%1,350 – 47,076 –760 56.3% 20,381 43.3%Foreign–born Oregonians– English first language– English not first language(Weighted Cases as % of racial category)8,989(ACS, 2010)––12.8%(PRC data)32.5%66.3%– 8.2%(PRC)31.7%67.5%ACS [2010, State] & PRC [Source: U.S.Census Bureau, American CommunitySurvey 2007–2011 5-Year sample,Extracted using IPUMS USA]All Homelessness– HUD homeless1,2578645.2%*20%13,8532,99758.0%69%OR housing & Comm. Services, 2011,State [Found here: http://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/ISD/RA/docs/county-reports/statewide_findings.pdf ]City of Portland, 2013 [Found here:https://www.portlandoregon.gov/phb/article/513379 ]Prevalence of disabilityfor working-age people(ages 21–64)– 15.7% – 12% 2012 Disability Status ReportOregon. www.disabilitystatistics.orgOlder Adults (65+) 5,282 494,635 PRC [ 2010 Census: Tables SF1-P5, SF1-P7,SF2-PCT3 ]1 PRC refers to Portland State University’s Population Research CenterOverall Note: The U.S. Census Bureau reports individuals identifying as a single race alone (e.g. Black), as well those individuals identifying with one or more of the other major racegroups (i.e., White, Asian, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and Some Other Race), referred to as “race alone or in combination.” Andbecause the bureau considers Hispanic ethnicity separate from race, individuals of any race can identify as Hispanic/Latino.Geographies Note: Data for other Oregon-specific geographies are available, including the Portland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and City of Portland, but require additionalcompilation.All data listed as percentage of Black or White population unless otherwise noted as percentage of total population.179

APPENDICESBlack Youth and Families Black White SourceChild population under 18 years 37,099 573,013 PRC, 2010, State [2010 Census: Tables SF1-P5,SF1-P7, SF2-PCT3]Child population under 18 years – Metro area 25,845 230,911 PRC, 2010, Tri-County Metro [2010 Census: TablesSF1-P5, SF1-P7, SF2-PCT3]Two-parent households 44% 74% Children’s First for Oregon, 2014, StateNumber of foster children per family household by race 585 2,566 PRC, 06-10, state [Source: U.S. Census Bureau,American Community Survey, B09016]% of Children that are Foster Children 1.6% 0.4% PRC, 06-10, state [Source: U.S. Census Bureau,American Community Survey, B09016]Community Number Percentage SourceBlack Urban population 93,688 95.1% PRC, 2010 see belowBlack Rural Population*Incarcerated blacks included in rural population data4,791 4.9% "Source: 2010 Census, Tables P5 and P7Voting Demographics Black* White Source2014 General Election Turnout 55.14% 71.8% 2013, State [U.S. Census Bureau, AmericanCommunity Survey Public Use Microdata Sample(PUMS) 2014 5 year estimates.2014 General Election Turnout (registered 18-24 year olds) 30.4% 40.5% “Registration Gap 35% - “Economic OpportunityPoverty Black White Source% of all people under 18 whose income in the past12 months is below the poverty level% of families with female householder, no husbandpresent, whose income in the past 12 months is belowthe poverty levelPoverty Status by race: Individuals below the povertylevelPoverty Status by race: Individuals at or above thepoverty level33.9% 16.3% ACS, 06-10 [06-10 ACS Survey selected populationtables]49.2% 27.8%29.3% 11.7% PRC , 06-10, State [U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010American Community Survey, Table B17001]70.7% 88.3% PRC, 06-10, State [U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010American Community Survey, Table B17001]Children living at 200% Poverty or below 62% 37% Children's First for Oregon, 2014, StateMedian net worth of households(Nationally, 2013)$11,000(wealth loss : -43%)$141,900(wealth loss : -26%)http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/12/12/racial-wealth-gaps-great-recession/Median net worth of households(National, 2007)$19,200 $192,500 ‘‘Homeless SNAP clients (Portland) 19% 68% City of Portland, 2013 [Found here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/phb/article/513379 ]180Cost-Burdened Households 1,2 United States Householders Oregon HouseholdersIncome Group Black White Black WhiteLess than $10,000 76.4% 74.9% 92.2% 75.5%$10,000 – 19,999 72.7% 62.5% 69.2% 65.7%$20,000 – 34,999 60.9% 44.6% 64.8% 48.8%$35,000 – 49,999 49.4% 35.2% 61.4% 44.6%$50,000 – 74,999 34.3% 25.5% 55.1% 33.6%$75,000 – 99,999 22.6% 16.7% 29.4% 19.4%$100,000 or more 12.4% 8.7% 12.8% 7.6%All groups together 41.5% 27.2% 44.3% 32%Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey, Table C250951 Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs.2 Margins of error are not shown in this table.

Median Household Income (change over time) 1,2 Black White Total population2000 $30,454 $41,779 $40,9162006–2010 $33,171 $50,822 $49,260Change 2000 to 2006–2010 8.9% 21.6% 20.4%Source: 2000 Census, SF4-PCT089; U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey, Table B190131 Margins of error are not shown in this table.2 Inflation adjustments from 1999 to 2010 dollars made using data from http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm, accessed 3/12/2014Per capita income 1, 2 , Oregon Black White Total population2000 (inflation-adjusted) $17,386 $29,443 $27,4082006–2010 $15,539 $28,739 $26,171Change 2000 to 2006–2010 –10.6% –2.4% –4.5%Source: 2000 Census, SF4-PCT130; U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey, Table B193011 Margins of error are not shown in this table.2 Inflation adjustments from 1999 to 2010 dollars made using data from http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm, accessed 3/12/2014Households that received Food Stamps/SNAP in the past 12 months 1 Black WhiteUnited States Total HH Received Food Stamps/SNAP 21.6% 6.3%HH 60+ Received Food Stamps/SNAP 4.7% 1.7%HH Under 60 Received Food Stamps/SNAP 16.9% 4.6%Oregon Total HH Received Food Stamps/SNAP 31.8% 11.5%HH 60+ Received Food Stamps/SNAP 5% 3%HH Under 60 Received Food Stamps/SNAP 26.9% 8.5%Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey; SF4 Table B220011 Margins of error are not shown in this table.Unemployment Black* White SourceUnemployment rate 2013 Oregon 16.3% 8.7% Source: US Census, ACS 1 year ACS; s2301Change from 2008 +3.0 pts +2.3 ptsUnemployment rate 2013 Portland 20.7% 7.6%Change from 2008 +4.6 pts +1.1 ptsUnemployment Rate by Age and Race, Oregon 2013 Black* White Source16–19 years 55.2% 23.4% U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey’s2013 1-Year Estimates20–24 17.6% 15.9%16–24 28.2% 18.1%Population 16 years and older 16.3% 8.7%Work Status by Gender Black Women White Women Black Men White Men2000 (full-time job only) 66% 64.8% 60.6% 65.0%2006–2010 (full-time job only) 55.2% 63.4% 50.2% 67.5%Change 2000 to 2006–2010 –10.9% –1.3% –10.4% 2.5%Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4, Table PCT0822010: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006‐2010 American Community Survey, Table B23022Compiled by PRCMargins of error are not shown in this table181

APPENDICESEarnings by Race and Ethnicity for Personsin Oregon’s Labor Force 1 (2007–2011)BlackWhite alone,Non-HispanicLess than $10,000 33.5% 26.4% 27%$10,000 – 14,999 8.1% 7.4% 8.2%$15,000 – 24,999 16.3% 13.7% 15.4%$25,000 – 34,999 12% 12.8% 13%$35,000 – 49,999 13.2% 15.2% 14.5%$50,000 – 74,999 10.7% 13.6% 12.7%$75,000 – 99,999 4.5% 4.9% 4.6%$100,000 – 149,999 1% 3.1% 2.9%$150,000 – 199,999 0.4% 0.8% 0.8%$200,000 or more 0.3% 1% 0.9%Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2007–2011 American Community Survey, PUMS Data Extracted from IPUMS USA on March 12, 2011 Margins of error are not shown in this table.TotalJob by Occupation by Race/Ethnicity for Persons 16 years and Older in Oregon 1 Black White2000Computer, engineering, and science occupations 4% 5.5%Education, legal, community service, arts, and media occupations 10.9% 10.7%Construction and extraction occupations 2.9% 5.4%Production Occupations 8.9% 7.4%2006–2010Computer, engineering, and science occupations 2.1% 5.6%Education, legal, community service, arts, and media occupations 5.8% 11.2%Construction and extraction occupations 2.7% 5.2%Production occupations 4.8% 5.5%Source: 2000 Census, SF4-QT-P27; U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey, Table C240101 Margins of error are not shown in this table.Apprentice Discrimination, 2006–2010 Black WhiteCompletion rates 21.5% 54.5%Termination rates 78.5% 45.1%Source: Oregon Commission on Black Affairs and Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries Status Report on the DisproportionatelyHigh Termination Rates for African Americans Apprentices in 2006-2010, Nora Arevalo-Meier, pgs. 8 - 12, 2014Adult Education Black White SourceCommunity College Enrollment 2.3% 56.1% Oregon Minority Teacher Report, 2014, stateAdmitted OUS Compared to OR HS Grads 1.9%/2.5%Oregon University System Enrollment by Race 2.1% 67% Fall 2012, OUSGED Test Takers vs OR population 6%/2% 66%/85% City Club of Portland, 2014 report-- 2012 datayear, State, page 69 [Found here: http://media.oregonlive.com/education_impact/other/A%20Second%20Chance%20for%20Oregon%20High%20School%20Dopouts%20and%20the%20GED.pdf ]http://media.oregonlive.com/education_impact/other/A%20Second%20Chance%20for%20Oregon%20High%20School%20Dopouts%20and%20the%20GED.pdf ]GED Test Pass Rate 75.3% 92.8% 2013, Annual Statistical Report on the GED testReport% of GED test candidates in Correctional Centers 8.5% 66.1% 2010 GED testing srvs.Black Business Black SourceBlack Owned firms (% of total) 1.2% Census, 2007, state [2007 Economic Census: Survey of Business Owners]182

Arrests and Incarceration Black White SourceIncarceration rates by race, # of people incarcerate per 100,000 peoplein that groupParole recidivism: Cumulative % convicted of any felony- % convicted in12 monthsProbation recidivism: Cumulative % convicted of any felony- %convicted in 12 months3,195 506 Prison Policy Initiative, 2010, Racial Disparitiestabel: http://www.prisonpolicy.org/profiles/OR.html17.6% 13.7% Oregon Criminal Justice Comission, 2010 report,97-08 Data years http://www.oregon.gov/CJC/docs/oregon_arrest_rates_by_race_1997_2008.pdf10.7% 11.7%Policing (Portland) Black White SourceCitywide Hit Rate of Stopped Drivers for all contraband(all hits that resulted in contrabands)All contraband 33.6%(of all hits)Citywide Race at stops of pedestrians (traffic & Patrol) 17%(of all hits)Citywide Race at Stop of driver (traffic & Patrol) 12.8%(of all hits)39%(of all hits)70.9%(of all hits)71.7%(of all hits)Portland Police Bureau,report year 2015, data year2013;‘‘‘‘Stable HousingAccess and Affordability Black White SourceHousehold by type – Owner occupied 32.3% 65.2% PRC, 2010 [Source: 2010 Census, Table SF2-HCT2;margin of error not shown]Household by type – Renter occupied 67.7% 34.8% “Public Housing, distribution by head of household’s Raceas a % of 50058 Received3% 92% HUD, 2013–2014, Resident Charactaristics ReportMortgage Lender Denial Rates 20% 13.6% 2012, Metro Region [ Found here: http://www.golocalpdx.com/news/portland-latinos-and-blacksdenied-mortgages-at-twice-the-rate-of-whites]All homelessness(includes race & ethnicity information all people counted who wereexperiencing homelessness on the night of the count. This includesthose who were: staying in emergency shelters or transitional housing,were turned away from a shelter due to lack of space, were provideda voucher for a motel or campground instead of space within anemergency shelter, or were living unsheltered).5.2% 58% OR housing & Comm. Services, 2011, State [Foundhere: http://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/ISD/RA/docs/county-reports/statewide_findings.pdf ]Affordable Housing Units and Eligibility 1 Black # Black* White # WhiteExtremely Low Income

APPENDICESTransportation Black White SourceTransportation Profile (Community to work)Car, truck, or van —drove alone 65.2% 73%Car, truck, or van—carpooled 10.4% 9.9%Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 13.1% 3.8%Walked 4.2% 3.8%Mean travel time to work of workers 16 years andover who did not work at home (min)Multnomah Co. 26.6 24.1Washington Co. 27.4 24.1Clackamas Co. 30.1 26.2Tri-County Area–Average 28 24.8ACS, 06-10, State [06-10 ACS Survey selectedpopulation tables]25.2 22 ACS, 06-10, State [06-10 ACS Survey selectedpopulation tables]Youth SuccessSchool Readiness Black White SourcePercent of families with female householder, no husbandpresent, whose income in the past 12 months is belowthe poverty levelChildren from low income families on SNAP, who live in ametropolitan county and moved at least once*Children from low income families on SNAP, who live ina metropolitan county, moved at least once and movedacross a school boundary*49.2% 27.8% ACS, 06-10, State [06-10 ACS Survey selectedpopulation tables]67.4% 61.2% "Suzanne Porter & Mark Edwards (2014):Household and economic factors associated withgeographic and school mobility among low-incomechildren, Journal of Children and Poverty, DOI:10.1080/10796126.2014.97914061.4% 52% ‘‘Hunger in Household+ (not age adjusted)* 11.6% 8.8% State, 2010-2011, NOT age adjusted, Data from OHABRFSS surveyFood Insecurity in Household (not age adjusted)* 44.1% 18.7%% of Children with Asthma 8.8% 5.4% CDC, State, 2008Eligibility for Free or Reduced Lunch 74.9% 41.4% ODE, 13-14, provided by Office of DeputySuperintendentDisproportionate Discipline Rates Black White SourceDiscipline Rates – Elementary % suspended 9.99% 3.26% PRC, 12-13, State, Oregon Department of Education(ODE)% expelled 0.09% 0.03%Discipline Rates – Middle % suspended 19.55% 8.29%% expelled 0.46% 0.25%Discipline Rates – High School % suspended 17.78% 8.01%Discipline Incidents by Race, 12–13, with one or moreincidences in school year%expelled 1.01% 0.43%14.4% 6.1% ODE Report card, 12-13, stateRace definitions available at http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/schoolanddistrict/testresults/reporting/asmtsubgroupdefs1011.pdf; last accessed 5/23/2014184

School Profile Black White Of Color SourceTeacher Demographics 0.6% 91.7% 8.2% ODE, 12-13, State (also in minority report p.16)School Admin Demographics [2088] [43] 2% [1872]89.6% [173]8.3% provided by Oregon Department ofEducation for school year 2013-14Superintendent [198] [1] 0.5% [193]97% [4] 2%Assistant Superintendent [58] [0] 0% [51] 88% [7] 12%Principal [1173] [29] 2.5% [1043] 89% [101]8.6%Assistant Principal [477] [13] 2.7% [410] 86% [54]11.3%SpEd Administrator, director [145] [0] 0% [140] 96% [5] 3.4%SpEd Administration, other [102] [0] 0% [96] 94% [6] 5.8%Student Demographics 2.5% 64.7% 35.3% OR Minority Teacher reportNon-Charter Enrollment 2.5% 64% 36% ODE, 12-13, report cardCharter School Enrollment 1.9% 79.3% 20.6% ODE, 12-13, report cardPreschool enrollment (percentage of 3-4year olds enrolled in pre-school)2013–14 Special Education% of Special Education v. Total enrolled population55% 57% – CFO, 20143.4% v. 2.5% 63.7% v. 64.7% 36.3% v. 35.3% provided by Oregon Department ofEducation for school year 2013-14% of Students in Special Education 18.3% 13.2% –Oregon School Achievement Black* White SourceState Benchmarks MathPRC, 12-13, State3rd grade 40.2% 67.8%5th grade 37.8% 63.7%8th grade 40.3% 67.4%11th grade 40.5% 72.8%State Benchmarks ReadingPRC, 12-13, state3rd grade 49.8% 73.7%5th grade 48.1% 74.2%8th grade 46.4% 72.8%11th grade 64.6% 88.5%Source: Oregon Department of Education (ODE); http://www.ode.state.or.us/apps/Navigation/Navigation.Web/default.aspx#/PAGRRace definitions available at http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/schoolanddistrict/testresults/reporting/asmtsubgroupdefs1011.pdf; last accessed 5/23/2014Portland School Achievement byRace and EthnicityOf Students who took State Assessment,percent achieving Meeting or Exceeding Statuson last assessmentReading Math ScienceAverageDailyAttendancePan African students 36% 25% 21% 94%African American who are NOT Pan African 49% 34% 34% 92%White 85% 77% 82% 94%Source: This table was provided by Jared Kobak in the Research & Evaluation Department of Portland Public Schools. The data represents students from the 2014-2015 school year,and their most recent OAKS State Assessment test status. Student enrollment data was pulled on February 23, 2015.Graduation Rates Black White SourceGraduation Rates 4 year 57.1% 71% PRC, 12-13, State, Oregon Department of EducationGraduation Rates 5 year 59.4% 75.2% PRC, 12-13, State, Oregon Department of EducationDrop out Rates 21% 10.6% ODE Report, 2009Race definitions available at http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/schoolanddistrict/testresults/reporting/asmtsubgroupdefs1011.pdf; last accessed 5/23/2014185

APPENDICESEducational Attainment 25+ Black White SourceLess than a High School Diploma 18.1% 8.1% PRC, 06-10, U.S. Census Bureau, AmericanCommunity Survey 2006-2010, Table SF4-DP02,Extracted using IPUMS USAHS Diploma only 22.4% 26.1%Some College 37.2% 35.8%Bachelor 16.6% 19.1%Graduate 5.7% 10.8%Margins of error are not shown in this table.Race definitions available at http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/schoolanddistrict/testresults/reporting/asmtsubgroupdefs1011.pdf; last accessed 5/23/2014Higher Education Black White SourceRetention of first-time freshmanentering OUS institutions 2002–03through 2008Retention of first-time freshmanentering OUS institutions 2007–08through 2013Graduation rate 44.4% 54% Oregon University SystemStopped out 52.5%% 42.7%Graduation rate 46.1% 56.5%sStopped out 47% 40.5%Juvenile Justice Black White SourceReferral Rates 1 2 2.54 1 Oregon Youth Authority, report year2012, (DMC) Disproportionate MinorityContact report [Source:http://www.oregon.gov/oya/dmcsummit/2014/Materials/OregonDMCReport2012FINAL.pdf ]Referral Rates: Public Order (Ratio to WHITES: 4.3)(2009)179 81 Oregon Youth Authority, Report year 2011,(JJSNA) Juvenile Justice System NeedsAnalysis [Source: http://www.oregon.gov/oya/dmcsummit/2014/Materials/OregonJuvenileJusticeSystemNeedsAnalysis_FeyerhermMarch2011.pdf ]Average number of referral per referred youth 2.2 1.8 OYA, 2012, DMC reportMale 2.4 1.8Female 2.0 1.7Prevalence Rates (per 1,000) total 166.5 90.6Male 202.8 113Female 127.6 67Rate of cases transferred to adult court 1 4.32 1 OYA, 2012, DMC reportRates of Recidivism per 1,000 43.5 27.8 OYA, 2011, JJSNACases petitioned rate 1 0.77 1 OYA,2012 DMC reportReferral rates of activity (OYA) (per 1,000 youth aged10-17 in the population)183 72 OYA, 2012 DMC report% of Measure 11 indictment comparedto general population19%(4% of pop.)61%(75% of pop.)Safety & Justice, report year 2011, State [http://www.safetyandjustice.org/files/MM-Race%20Black.pdf]Cases Resulting in Confinement in Secure Juvenile2.12 1 OYA, 2012, DMC reportCorrectional Facilities 11Relative Rate Index compared with White youth2 A referral is a written report or statement documenting juvenile justice involvement, which may or may not result in an arrest.186

Foster Care and Adoption Black White SourceChildren Served in Foster Care 7.0% 68.6% Oregon Department of Human Services, ChildWelfare Data Book 2013, state% Of Children that are foster children 1.6% 0.4% PRC, 06-10, [Source: U.S. Census Bureau, AmericanCommunity Survey, B09016]Entered Foster care 4.5% 54.9% Health and Human Services, Child Welfare, 2012,State, http://cwoutcomes.acf.hhs.gov/data/downloads/pdfs/oregon.pdfExited Foster Care 3.6% 60.5% Health and Human Services, Child Welfare, 2012,State, http://cwoutcomes.acf.hhs.gov/data/downloads/pdfs/oregon.pdfCount of Children Removed 5.4% 66.9% Oregon Department of Human Services, ChildWelfare Data Book data compiled by Natalie Seney& Angela Long, 2013, StateRatio Median Months of Fostercare* 22.47 18 Oregon Department of Human Services, ChildWelfare Data Book data compiled by Natalie Seney& Angela Long, 2013, State* Of children discharged, the median number of months to dischargeHigher Education Support Black White SourceNationally, bachelors Degree Recipients with $30,500or more student loan debtNationally, % of students who did not finish their collegedegree due to high tuition costsNationally, % of students who borrow money 81% 65%27% 16% Center for American Progress (CAP), 2010,NATIONAL, source: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2013/05/16/63533/borrowers-of-color-need-more-options-to-reducetheir-student-loan-debt/69% 43%Health and WellnessEconomic Security Black White SourceLow Poverty Areas 57% 79% Children's First for Oregon, 2014 / MAP% of all people under 18 whose income in the past 12months is below the poverty level% of families with female householder, no husbandpresent, whose income in the past 12 months is belowthe poverty level33.9% 16.3% ACS, 2010, State [06-10 ACS Survey selectedpopulation tables]49.2% 27.8%Median Household Income $33,171 $50,822 PRC, 06-10 [U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010American Community Survey, Table B19013]Poverty Status by race: Individuals below the povertylevelPoverty Status by race: Individuals at or above thepoverty level29.3% 11.7% PRC , 06-10, State [U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010American Community Survey, Table B17001]70.7% 88.3% PRC, 06-10, State [U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010American Community Survey, Table B17001]Children living at or below 200% Poverty level 62% 37% Children's First for Oregon, 2014Per Capita Income $15,539 $28,739 PRC, 06-10 [U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010American Community Survey, Table B19301]Hunger in Household+ (not age adjusted)* 11.6% 8.8% State, 2010-2011, NOT age adjusted, Data from OHABRFSS surveyFood Insecurity in household(not age adjusted)* 44.1% 18.7%Public Assistance (31.8%) (11.5%)Homeless SNAP clients (local percentage of total) 2,227 (19%) 8,027 (68%) City of Portland, 2013 [Found here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/phb/article/513379 ]Total Households that received food stamps/SNAP inlast 12 months (state)9,038 146,752 PRC, 06-10Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010American Community Survey; SF4 Table B22001* Those were results from our 2010/2011 race oversample survey of African Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and Asians/Pacific Islanders.The data were combined with completed interviews (both landline and cell phone) from the same three groups from the regular BRFSS survey in 2010 and 2011.187

APPENDICESHealth Outcomes Black White SourceWIC Participants by race/ethnicity(Participants may identify with multiple racial or ethnic categories; approx.1/3 of WIC participants who ID’ed as Black also ID’ed as White, 2,682)5% (7,921) 89% (143,627) Oregon Health Authority, data tabulated by BeckySeel, 2014, total partic. 161,335sUtilization Rate of Preventative Services for11+ covered by OHP (youth and adults)Utilization Rate of Preventative Services forChildren Birth-10 YO*1.28 0.914.01 4.21Female Breast Cancer EARLY Stage of Diagnosis 62% 74%Female Breast Cancer LATE Stage of Diagnosis 38% 26%% of Oregonians 19–64 No Health Insurance 28% 20% Oregon Health Authority, State Health Profile, reportyear 2012, Source: http://public.health.oregon.gov/About/Documents/oregon-state-health-profile.pdfInfant Mortality (deaths per 1,000 live births) 8.9 5.2 CDC, 2008, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_08.pdfFirst Trimester initiation of Prenatal care 63% 75% Oregon Health Authority & Oregon Departmentof Human Services, State of Equity Report, 2013,Immunization rate for 2 y/o 74% 73%http://www.oregon.gov/oha/oei/Documents/soereport-ph2-2013.pdfUninsured Children* 4% 6%Diversity of Healthcare workforce vs. OR adult pop . 2%/2% 86%/82% Oregon Health Authority & Oregon Departmentof Human Services, State of Equity Report, 2013,http://www.oregon.gov/oha/oei/Documents/soereport-ph2-2013.pdfDistribution APD and DD Clients Served 4%/2% 83%/84%Low birth weight 11% 6% Oregon Health Authority & Oregon Departmentof Human Services, State of Equity Report, 2013,Domestic Violence before pregnancy 9% 3%http://www.oregon.gov/oha/oei/Documents/soereport-ph2-2013.pdfDV during pregnancy 4% 2%Child Abuse/Neglect Victims(Race comparison, children in OR 3.3% black, 68.8% white)5.5% 60.7% Oregon Department of Human Services, ChildWelfare Data Book 2013, stateTeen pregnancy rate per 1,000 females 15-17 34.1 16.8 Oregon Health Authority & Oregon Departmentof Human Services, State of Equity Report, 2013,http://www.oregon.gov/oha/oei/Documents/soereport-ph2-2013.pdf% of Adults who are Overweight 31.7% 35.0% Oregon Health Authority, 2011, State% of Adults who are Obese 33.6% 25.7%% of 8th graders who are Overweight 19.2% 13.9% Oregon Health Authority, 2013, State% of 8th graders who are Obese 15.4% 8.6% of Adults with High Blood Pressure 41% 25% Oregon Health Authority, State Health Profile, reportyear 2012, Source: http://public.health.oregon.gov/About/Documents/oregon-state-health-profile.pdf% of Adults who smoke 30% 20% Oregon Health Authority, State Health Profile, reportyear 2012, Source: http://public.health.oregon.gov/About/Documents/oregon-state-health-profile.pdf% of Adults w/Diabetes Rates 13.4% 6.2% Oregon Health Authority, State Health Profile, reportyear 2012, Source: http://public.health.oregon.gov/About/Documents/oregon-state-health-profile.pdf% of Adults w/asthma 16.5% 10.10% Oregon Health Authority, State Health Profile, reportyear 2012, Source: http://public.health.oregon.gov/About/Documents/oregon-state-health-profile.pdf% of Children w/Asthma 8.8% 5.4% CDC, State, 2008HIV/AIDS diagnosis by race/ethnicity in Oregon 7% 70% Oregon Health Authority, Epidemological Profile,2012, source: http://public.health.oregon.gov/DiseasesConditions/CommunicableDisease/DiseaseSurveillanceData/HIVData/Documents/EpiProfile.pdfTreatment Admissions (MH) in Portland 11% 70% SAMHSA, 08New HIV/AIDS Diagnosis/ 100,000 cases 17.5 5.4 Oregon Health Authority & Oregon Departmentof Human Services, State of Equity Report, 2013,http://www.oregon.gov/oha/oei/Documents/soereport-ph2-2013.pdfRates of Infection compared to White OR% of Black w HIV in OR Foreign-born(Foreign born Blacks comprise 28% of living Oregon Black andAfrican American HIV cases)3.8 timesmore likely– Oregon Health Authority, Epidemological Profile,2012, source: http://public.health.oregon.gov/DiseasesConditions/CommunicableDisease/DiseaseSurveillanceData/HIVData/Documents/EpiProfile.pdf28% – Oregon Health Authority, Epidemological Profile,2012, source: http://public.health.oregon.gov/DiseasesConditions/CommunicableDisease/DiseaseSurveillanceData/HIVData/Documents/EpiProfile.pdf188

Health Outcomes Black White SourceChlamydia incidence per 100K 900 ~220 Oregon Health Authority, State Health Profile, reportyear 2012, Source: http://public.health.oregon.gov/About/Documents/oregon-state-health-profile.pdfYears of Life Lost before age 75 7,708 6,047 Oregon Health Authority & Oregon Departmentof Human Services, State of Equity Report, 2013,http://www.oregon.gov/oha/oei/Documents/soereport-ph2-2013.pdfHomicide Rates per 100,000 7 2.6 Oregon Health Authority, Violent Death ReportingSystem, report year 2012, source: https://public.health.oregon.gov/DiseasesConditions/InjuryFatalityData/Documents/NVDRS/Violent-Deaths-%20in-%20Oregon-%202012.pdfSuicide Rates per 100,000 6 21.4 Oregon Health Authority, Violent Death ReportingSystem, report year 2012, source: https://public.health.oregon.gov/DiseasesConditions/InjuryFatalityData/Documents/NVDRS/Violent-Deaths-%20in-%20Oregon-%202012.pdf5 year Avg Homicide Rate among males (per 100k) 12.4 2.9 Oregon Health Authority & Oregon Departmentof Human Services, State of Equity Report, 2013,http://www.oregon.gov/oha/oei/Documents/soereport-ph2-2013.pdfFirearm fatality rate per 100,000 7 13 Oregon Health Authority, Violent Death ReportingSystem, report year 2012, source: https://public.health.oregon.gov/DiseasesConditions/InjuryFatalityData/Documents/NVDRS/Violent-Deaths-%20in-%20Oregon-%202012.pdfViolent Death Rate per 100,000 15 26.8 Oregon Health Authority, Violent Death ReportingSystem, report year 2012, source: https://public.health.oregon.gov/DiseasesConditions/InjuryFatalityData/Documents/NVDRS/Violent-Deaths-%20in-%20Oregon-%202012.pdfHealth Coverage Black White SourceHealth Coverage – Private 53.3% 69.9% PRC, 2012Health Coverage – Public 39.4% 32.4%Health Coverage – No Health insurance 15.2% 12.9%Source: U.S. Census Bureau: 2012 American Community Survey, 1 - Year Estimate, Table S02011 Margins of error are not shown in this table.189

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APPENDIX DBLACK OLDER ADULTS FOCUS GROUPSEXPLANATION OF ANALYSISThe purpose of the focus groups was to hear first-hand perspectives and experiences of Portland’solder Black population on issues related to health and aging, quality of life, neighborhood and place,race and racism, the impact of gentrification and other significant issues as defined by focus groupparticipants. Findings were written to inform the State of Black Oregon 2015 report. The followingreport is a summary of focus group findings.METHODSParticipants were recruited using paper and digital flyers. Five focus groups were held with thenumber of participants per group ranging from six to nine. Total number of participants was 41,though only 39 participants completed the brief demographic survey administered at the start ofeach group. Focus groups took place at two centers in North Portland: four focus groups were atthe Urban League of Portland and one group at the Q Center. Participants received an informationsheet about the purpose of the focus groups and completed a brief demographic survey precedingdiscussion. The focus group moderator for each group asked the same set of open-ended questionsbased on a semi-structured moderator guide, as well as follow-up questions that allowed forfurther probing into issues and experiences brought up within each group. Focus group discussionwas approximately one hour. Discussion was digitally recorded and professionally transcribed.Participants were compensated for their time with a $25 store voucher and provided with light,healthy refreshments.ANALYSISFocus group transcripts were entered into Atlas.ti 7.0 qualitative software program. Transcriptswere coded for recurrent themes and salient issues. Themes and salient issues were analyzedand summarized by Drs. Croff and Boise, who are trained in qualitative research methods.Representative quotes for themes and salient issues were selected for inclusion in this report.LIMITATIONSFocus group participants were Portland and near-Portland area residents and African American,which limits our understanding of the wider geographic and more diverse Black population inOregon. While a focus group for African immigrants and refugees was arranged, circumstancesbeyond our control resulted in cancellation of this focus group.DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY RESULTSThirty-nine of the 41 focus group participants elected to fill out the demographic survey prior togroup discussion. The demographic survey asked about gender, year born, marital status, highestlevel of education completed, employment status, household income, if the participant is caring forrelatives or others in the same home, how many people are currently living in the household, whatarea of Portland does the participant live in and how long has the participant lived in his or hercurrent location. The following tables present demographic results from the 39 participants thatcompleted the survey. Numbers in parentheses indicate number of participants.191

APPENDIX ESUMMARY OF IMMIGRANTS & REFUGEESCOMMUNITY SURVEYIn 2014, the Urban League conducted a community survey of Black Immigrant and refugee Oregoniansin an effort to go beyond the limited data that are available. There were a total of 134 surveyscompleted. Out of 134 participants, 82 were male, 50 were female and two declined to answer thegender question. The demographic percentages only take into account those who answered singlequestions, not whether they filled out the survey completely.BETTER SURVEY & DATA COLLECTIONThis survey had certain limitations due to a lack of sufficient resources and time. First, it was availableonly in English with the intention of working with community translators—which proved morechallenging than anticipated due to lack of funding and community translators. Consequently, theresults are biased toward immigrants able to read and write in English.Future surveys/data collection should be translated into one or more languages spoken by Africanimmigrants. Additionally, translators and/or community members should be recruited to supportcollection of data from non-English-speakers as well as those with limited reading abilities.Due to limited access to computers and other technology, it is critical that adequate funding beallocated for survey/data collection. The survey was statewide, but due to our limited abilities to travel,a majority of responses came from the Portland metro region. In order to capture a statewide snapshotof African immigrant and refugee communities, resources should be allocated in additional geographicareas.192

APPENDIX FMETHODOLOGY AND LIMITATIONS OF “ANANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL INEQUITY”HOW THE ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTEDThe study area was the City of Portland. Two key data sets were used to map the proximity ofthe Black population to known or potentially contaminated sites. The Oregon Department ofEnvironmental Quality (DEQ) maintains a database that tracks sites with known or potentialcontamination from hazardous substances. PRC mapped the DEQ’s Environmental Cleanup SiteInformation (ECSI) database as points, and compared the spatial patterns of the hazardous wastesites to the percent of the total census tract population that is Black or Black in combination withone or more other races.PRC reviewed research literature on environmental justice mapping and found that there are threegeneral methodologies used to define spatial proximity to hazardous sites. These methods aredescribed by Maantay et al. (2010) as: (1) spatial coincidence analysis; (2) distance-based analysis,and; (3) pollution plume modeling. Spatial coincidence analysis assumes that the potential exposureto the environmental hazard is confined to the areal unit of analysis (e.g., census tract, ZIP code,county). Distance-based analysis assumes that the potential exposure to the environmental hazardis confined to a particular distance from the source of the hazard. Pollution plume analysis assumesthat the potential exposure to the environmental hazard is influenced by both the characteristicsof the hazard (e.g., chemical toxicity, rate of dispersion) and the local geologic and meteorologicalconditions. Spatial coincidence analysis and pollution plume analysis book end these threemethodologies in terms of complexity; with the former being the most straightforward and thelatter being the most complex. PRC opted to use a generalized distance-based method in which acontinuous distance was measured rather than a discrete distance from each ECSI site. This choicewas influenced by a key limitation of the ECSI data; the diverse types of environmental hazardsin the ECSI database complicate the choice of an “appropriate” buffer or discrete distance withinwhich to measure potential exposure to the hazard.Rather than define a particular distance surrounding each site, PRC measured the distance to thenearest known or potentially contaminated site from the center of each census tract. In turn thisyielded a measurement of the cumulative percent of the Black population living within a continuousdistance band from the nearest DEQ site. This output is graphed as a function of distance from thenearest known or potentially contaminated site.IMPORTANT CAVEATS AND TOPICSFOR FURTHER RESEARCHThere are a few important caveats:• The ECSI database is not a comprehensive list of known or potentially contaminated sites.193

APPENDIX F cont.• The ECSI database only includes contaminated sites reported to DEQ knows about—meaningthere are likely additional sites not included in this data set. According to the DEQ, sites areadded to the ECSI database through the following means: “investigative efforts by DEQ’s SiteAssessment Program; referrals from other DEQ programs or from other agencies; reportsof chemical spills; citizen reports/complaints; or data submitted voluntarily by site owners/operators.”• A site being listed in the ECSI database does not necessarily imply that it is actuallycontaminated.• Confirmation of contamination is not a requirement in order for a site to be listed in the ECSIdatabase.• The environmental hazard level varies widely and is not easily measured among the sites listedin the ECSI database.• There is no clear way to categorize the ECSI sites by their level of hazard. The absence of thisinformation makes it difficult, if not impossible to accurately assess the level of risk a site posesto nearby populations.• The density of known or potentially contaminated sites is not measured.• The distance calculations only measure the distance from the center of each census tract to thenearest single ECSI site; therefore this measurement does not capture the densities of known orpotentially contaminated sites relative to census tracts with high percentages of Black residents.• In summary the data available for analyzing issues of environmental justice are in manycases incomplete, limited in scope, and are not kept up to date. Due to these limitations, PRCrecommends that any future analysis of environmental justice in Portland must rely on a morerobust dataset or employ advanced spatial methods.194

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