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State-Of-Black-Oregon-2015

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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 <strong>Black</strong>s.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 against<strong>Black</strong> officers and their families. Suddenly, <strong>Black</strong>swere allowed to apply for many jobs and to rentanywhere in town.In another part of Klamath Falls, Lee Harris neverformally learned about <strong>Oregon</strong>’s exclusion laws.As a “military brat” in Klamath Falls, she didn’tneed to. Her family moved there in 1958, when152

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