CITY CLUB OF PORTLAND

57

survey there were 5,200 Negroes living in Van-port, as of May 1, 1945 the count was 6,317. The Kaiser Company, Inc., found in excess of fifty percent of Negroes planned to stay in Portland.

GROWTH OF POPU LATION—VANPORT CITY

Date White Negro Total

Jan. 30, 1943 4,840 1,176 6,016

June 30, 1943 22,932 2,156 25,088

Jan. 30, 1944 28,160 2,159 31,093

June 30, 1944 23,232 3,818 27,082

Nov. 1, 1944 _ 26,656 5,808 32,622

May 1, 1945 24,525 6,317 30,842

Distribution of Negro Population

The map reproduced herein gives a spot check of the distribution of Negro residents in the City of Portland, indicating that Negro families live in sixty of sixty-three (U. S. Census Bureau) districts in Portland. The district bounded by N.E. Holladay, North and N.E. Russell, N.E. Union Avenue and the Willamette River, containing a large majority of Negro residents in the city may be said to constitute an area of concentration of Negro families.

This concentration has largely been brought about by an unwritten code of real estate interests governing the sale of property to Negroes only, in a part of this area bounded by N.E. Holladay, N. Russell, N. Williams Avenue and the river. Also, because of its close proximity to downtown Portland, Union Station, the railroad shops and yards making easy transportation to centers of Negro employment.

During the years of the existence of this Negro community there have been established in it eighteen places of business and amusement, among which is found one physician's and one dentist's office, two fraternal buildings, several clubs and restaurants.

The other principal concentrations of Negro population are in the Woodlawn, Alberta, and Waverly Heights districts. In these areas permanently employed Negroes live in well-kept individual family dwellings.

As indicated in other parts of this report, there is a large block of Negro families living in Guilds Lake and Vanport temporary war housing projects. There are a few Negroes living in a housing project in Linnton, also in Fairview Homes. In Guilds Lake, Vanport, and Fairview housing projects, Negro houses are segregated from other residences. The committee, in attempting to learn the reasons for adoption of this policy, were buffeted back and forth between the Federal Housing Authority and other real estate interests. The nearest to an answer received was the theory expressed that in constructing war housing, the pattern set by the community was followed.

Economic Opportunities Organized Labor Local Policies

While the above expressed policies of A. F. of L. and C. I. O. leave no room for doubt as to the position of these two labor bodies in opposing discrimination against the Negro, it must be

DISTRIBUTION OF NEGRO POPULATION IN PORTLAND

CITY CLUB OF PORTLAND

87

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