Thread by @NPR

1/ Oregon was nearly 87% white in 2019.

But that didn't happen by coincidence.

It began as a whites-only state by design — through a series of racist exclusionary laws created to discourage Black people from living there in the first place. (@OPB) trib.al/lBTOw70

2/ Oregon was a territory when it passed its first anti-Black exclusionary law in 1844.

It banned slavery — but also banned Black people from living in there for more than 3 years.

If Black people broke this law, the consequence was 39 lashes, every 6 months, until they left.

3/ Another anti-Black exclusion law was passed in 1849.

This one barred Black people who were not already in the area from entering or residing in Oregon territory.

4/ A third exclusion measure came a decade later — as a clause in the Oregon Constitution when the territory became a state in 1859.

It prohibited Black people from owning property and making contracts.

5/ These laws were rarely enforced, but they did what they were created to do: Establish Oregon as a majority-white state.

According to Census Bureau estimates, Oregon’s Black population was just over 2% in 2019.

6/ These laws were repealed almost a century ago, but the remaining racist language in the state constitution wasn’t removed by voters until 2002.

Black studies educator Walidah Imarisha notes that — 18 years ago — 30% of voters elected to leave the language as is.

7/ “Oregon is a useful case study for the rest of the nation,” Imarisha says.

“The only thing unique about Oregon is [it] was bold enough to write it down. The same policies, practices and ideologies that shaped Oregon, shaped the nation as a whole.” trib.al/lBTOw70