Thread by @Cajsa

The Proud Boys chose Delta Park because they are racist and chose a park that is central to Black Portland history. They chose it to insult and flaunt the impunity of whiteness where the racist scars of history remain.

To understand Portland and Oregon, you must always remember that it although it was a free state, it was not abolitionist. It was intended to be Black-free. The Oregon Consitution prohibited Black people from living in and owning property or a business in the state.

Obviously, the 14th Amendment overruled the state constitution, but redlining, racism, and the Klan managed to keep Black people out pretty effectively. The only real influx of Black people were railroad employees and they were allowed to live in nearby Albina neighborhood

Oregon STILL had the racist 10-2 verdict system than even Louisiana recently rid itself of until the US Supreme Court struck it down in April this year. Yes, we had Klan juries until April 2020.

oregonlive.com/news/2020/04/o…

During WW2, Kaiser had a shipyard in Portland and many Black people moved here to work there, but there was nowhere for them to live. The city's Housing Authority was too racist to move to open areas for housing Black people. They dithered, so on its own, Kaiser built Vanport

It was ramshackle, but it was housing for the ship workers and about a third of the residents of Vanport were Black. It was in low land along the Columbia River and protected by dikes.

In 1948, the dikes were breached and Vanport was utterly destroyed. What was so horrible is that the people were told there was nothing to worry about. It was untrue. The dikes failed and the city was flooded in minutes.

And let's just say that Portland did not welcome the displaced Black people of Vanport - and they were shunted into Albina and North Portland, creating a very segregated city.
oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/vanpo…

To pour salt on the wounds, Portland used eminent domain to demolish the vibrant Black commercial district and residential neighborhood that stood where Legacy Emmanuel hospital was built. Of course, being Black, white Portland called it blight

So Black Portland was forced out once again with a host of empty promises. Legacy just started talking about keeping promises made in the 60s a year ago, now the Black people have been displaced by gentrification.

So, fifty years after promising a pittance - a community center - to Black Portland, they start talking about delivering on that promise now that most Black people in the Albina neighborhood have been gentrified out to Gresham - straight out of the city .
oregonlive.com/portland/2012/…

So, in addition to being white nationalists coming to a "progressive" city, the Proud Boys are picking a scab, flaunting the impunity with which the police treat them, and doing it at the site of a historical wound.

And by the way, here are the results from a referendum to remove the ban on Black people from the Oregon Constitution. It is galling and shameful that so many voted to retain the language. They claimed it was respect for history. Just like the traitor statues and flag defenders.