The Provisional Government of Oregon, which was established by settlers in the 1840s, passed Oregon’s first racial exclusion laws. These laws barred Black people from living here, and were part of a climate of intolerance that kept the state’s Black population small. However, during the 1890s, a number of African Americans moved to Portland to work in the hotel and railroad industries, and established the city’s first sizable Black neighborhood, in Northwest Portland.

Over time, Portland's Black community expanded, and its geographical center shifted multiple times, moving to the east and north, largely due to racial discrimination and public policies that pushed African Americans to less desirable neighborhoods. When the city changed and those neighborhoods began to be seen as more desirable, Black residents were again pushed out, by urban renewal, private development, rising housing costs and gentrification. This cycle is ongoing today.

Physical copies of many items in this collection are held by Multnomah County Library. However, the library does not hold the copyright to these items. Copyright usually resides with the creator(s) of the items. Any information about copyright for items in this collection will be noted in the metadata and Rights & Usage field for each item.

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. It is the responsibility of any users of this digital collection to determine whether their intended use of an item is acceptable under copyright law.

If you are a copyright holder for an item on this website that is not properly identified, please contact us. When contacting us about an item in this collection, please include the identifier for the item (e.g., XXmap_000041).