Current Events > fun fact, Oregon was designed to be a white utopia, including prog Portland

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon

In December 1844, Oregon passed its Black Exclusion Law, which prohibited African Americans from entering the territory while simultaneously prohibiting slavery. Slave owners who brought their slaves with them were given three years before they were forced to free them. Any African Americans in the region after the law was passed were forced to leave, those who did not comply were arrested and beaten. They received no less than twenty and no more than thirty-nine stripes across their bare back. If they still did not leave, this process could be repeated every six months.[66] Slavery played a major part in Oregon's history and even influenced its path to statehood. The territory's request for statehood was delayed several times, as Congress argued among themselves whether it should be admitted as a "free" or "slave" state. Eventually politicians from the south agreed to allow Oregon to enter as a "free" state, in exchange for opening slavery to the southwest United States.[67]

Oregon was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1859. Founded as a refuge from disputes over slavery, Oregon had a "whites only" clause in its original state Constitution.[68] At the outbreak of the American Civil War, regular U.S. troops were withdrawn and sent east. Volunteer cavalry recruited in California were sent north to Oregon to keep peace and protect the populace. The First Oregon Cavalry served until June 1865.

http://gizmodo.com/oregon-was-founded-as-a-racist-utopia-1539567040

It was illegal for black people even to move to the state until 1926.

“What’s useful about Oregon as a case study is that Oregon was bold enough to write it down,” Imarisha told me. “But the same ideology, policies, and practices that shaped Oregon shaped every state in the Union, as well as this nation as a whole.”

Today, while 13 percent of Americans are black, just 2 percent of Oregon’s population is black. This is not some accident of history. It’s a product of oppressive laws and everyday actions that deliberately excluded non-white people from a fair shot at living a life without additional obstacles being put in their way.

Oregon today still exists as a white utopia in some respects. The state, much like so many others, is haunted by the residue of less explicit experiments in whitopia. These experiments form the basis of Rich Benjamin’s 2009 book Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America.

In it, Benjamin travels the country, visiting places that are overwhelmingly white. He meets fascinating characters along the way, and helps to explain places like Oregon and how the actions of the 19th and 20th century bleed into the 21st.

From Searching for Whitopia:

Through most of the twentieth century, racial discrimination was deliberate and intentional. Today, racial segregation and division often result from habits, policies, and institutions that are not explicitly designed to discriminate. Contrary to popular belief, discrimination or segregation do not require animus. They thrive even in the absence of prejudice or ill will.

It’s common to have racism without “racists.”

Very interesting. Who would have thought this about a place with Portland in it, then again, most of the progressives in Portland are also white....hmmm.
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I, too, am surprised that things can change in 150 years
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chill02 posted...

I, too, am surprised that things can change in 150 years

Did you know this already or just acting smug?
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I was aware of that a while ago, it was partly done as an effort to remain neutral during the civil war
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this is news? i dont even live in america and i know this
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Holy shit slavery was a legal thing in the US at some point?
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GOOMFalse posted...

Holy shit slavery was a legal thing in the US at some point?

oregon denied black people entry to their state long after slavery was abolished

for comparison, states that actually had slaves didn't even do this, I mean they now had a huge population of black citizens
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GOOMFalse posted...

Holy s*** slavery was a legal thing in the US at some point?

What's going on in this topic that you feel it requires a deflection?
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3rd_Best_Master posted...

GOOMFalse posted...

Holy s*** slavery was a legal thing in the US at some point?

What's going on in this topic that you feel it requires a deflection?

yea, it is very strange

maybe they are a liberal white who goes to college in Portland and want to act like this isn't a big deal?
to defend Oregon's honor or something? idk
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What are the current demographics of Oregon?
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Nukleen posted...

What are the current demographics of Oregon?

according to the article as I bolded:

Today, while 13 percent of Americans are black, just 2 percent of Oregon’s population is black.

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Is Oregon a safe place to raise children?
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Nukleen posted...

Is Oregon a safe place to raise children?

lol
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Nukleen posted...

Is Oregon a safe place to raise children?

what?

you mean because it only has 2% black population?
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yeah dudes a racist
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No I'm asking a question
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Nukleen posted...

No I'm asking a question

probably no more or less safe than Mississippi or Louisiana which has more than 30% black population
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I wonder how much of the alt-right live there?
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darkphoenix181 posted...

Nukleen posted...

What are the current demographics of Oregon?

according to the article as I bolded:

Today, while 13 percent of Americans are black, just 2 percent of Oregon’s population is black.

Oregon isn't exactly that populous of a state, though. Any state with a sizeable rural population is going to be pretty white.
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Yeah, Oregon's history is pretty ugly. Of course, the same is more or less true of just about every locale in this country.
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