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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