Beatrice Morrow Cannady and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Oregon, 1912-1936

In the article below, Kimberley Mangun, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at The University of Utah, describes how she “discovered” Beatrice Morrow Cannady, an editor who spent nearly 25 years advocating civil rights in Oregon. Cannady used her Portland-based newspaper, The Advocate, … Read MoreBeatrice Morrow Cannady and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Oregon, 1912-1936

Juneteenth: The Growth of an African American Holiday (1865- )

The Juneteenth Minidoc In the article below, historian Quintard Taylor describes the origins and evolution of the Juneteenth holiday since 1865.   Any bright high schooler or Constitutional law expert would say that African Americans were formally liberated when the Georgia legislature ratified the 13th Amendment on December … Read MoreJuneteenth: The Growth of an African American Holiday (1865- )

Edwin C. “Bill” Berry (1910-1987)

Civil rights activist Edwin C. “Bill” Berry was affiliated with the Urban League for over 30 years and served as executive director of the Chicago Urban League from 1956 to 1970. When he arrived in Chicago he denounced the city’s segregationist practices and drove anti-discrimination … Read MoreEdwin C. “Bill” Berry (1910-1987)

The Black Laws of Oregon, 1844-1857

Beginning with the Exclusion Law of 1844 enacted by the provisional government of the region, Oregon passed a series of measures designed to ban African American settlement in the territory.  Historian Elizabeth McLagan describes those laws in the article below. Oregon passed exclusion laws against … Read MoreThe Black Laws of Oregon, 1844-1857

The Manumission of Monimia Travers: A Slave Freed at Fort Vancouver

Few people identify slavery with Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.  However, there were slaves in the region particularly in the decade before the Civil War.  In the following article, Gregory Paynter Shine, the Chief Ranger and Historian at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, describes … Read MoreThe Manumission of Monimia Travers: A Slave Freed at Fort Vancouver

Christopher Paul Gardner (1954- )

Christopher Paul Gardner—entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, and writer—was born on February 9, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Gardner, never knowing his father, lived periodically with his mother, Bettye Jean Triplett, as well as in foster homes. After high school, he joined the Navy and then moved to … Read MoreChristopher Paul Gardner (1954- )