I guess
the title of this post is what this blog is all about, but I'm
referring specifically to race. I grew up in a very small, very
white town. My upbringing was a little unusual for my area, because
I actually knew Black people as a child. My mother was a Job Corp
volunteer, teaching reading to the youth who lived in the barracks of
what had formerly been a WWII Navy Base. I was about three at the
time and most of these youth were Black. They were away from
families, and homesick. Many of them had younger siblings, so when I
tagged along with her, I was coddled and adored by these boys. I was
their little mascot. I am very grateful to my mother, who believed
in civil rights and taught me to as well. She was ahead of her time,
and a bit of an anomaly in our backwards little town.
As I
grew older, I didn't realize or pay much attention to the fact that
there were almost no Black people in our town. I guess I just
thought that mostly white populations were the norm. I noticed that
many of our local rivers and other features had Native American
names. I was vaguely curious about Chief Kilchis, a local chief, who
had figured prominently in local history. I lived in what was
called, “the Kilchis District,” and there was a small cemetery
down the road from my house, where I liked to walk and think. I read
the names on the gravestones, and tried to imagine people's stories.
I was fascinated to find a gravestone that said, “granddaughter of
Chief Kilchis.” I began to wonder why there were no Kilchis
Indians. How could it be that there was a whole tribe of them? What
happened? As an adult, I became more acutely aware of the racial
disparity in my town, and I had heard rumors that we had once been a
Ku Kux Klan stronghold. I wondered what other secrets Tillamook
held.
I went
to the local library and checked out books on local history. There
were interesting stories about the Kilchis tribe, but nothing to
indicate whatever happened to them. I talked to a local historian
and friend, Gerry Hysmith, and she told me an interesting story.
Warren Vaughn, a local pioneer, had been the only white man the
natives had trusted or liked, apparently (and with good reason). The
little cemetery down the road from me had been their sacred burial
ground until the early 1900's, when it was taken over by white
people. Early on, the Kilchis tribe had brought their complaints to
Warren Vaughn about their burial area being desecrated and pillaged
by white men. Warren Vaughn vowed to put a stop to it.
At that
time, Bay City was a thriving port town, and the county seat. Ships
would come in with a load of ballast to weigh down and stabilize
them, mostly dirt, rocks, and the sort. Vaughn found a small twig
that had been discarded in a load of ballast, and presented it to the
natives as a peace offering, and declared it to be his promise to
stop the pillaging of native graves. The twig was planted at the top
of the cemetery hill, where it grew into a very imposing tree that
overlooks the entire cemetery. The tree is pretty much dead, but it
stands as a reminder.
About
four years ago, I met a woman named Helen Hill, a local playwright,
artist, historian, and general renaissance woman. As we chatted, I
learned she had written a book called, “A Brief History of Fear and
Intolerance in Tillamook County.” She offered me a copy of the
book, and I went home and read it in one sitting.
In it, I
learned about the Klan activity in Tillamook County. I learned that
under that giant sacred tree in “my” little cemetery (where my
parents are now buried), lie the children of Chief Kilchis in
unmarked graves. I learned that Chief Kilchis died on a reservation
in a different county. And I learned why there were no more Kilchis
Indians in Tillamook County. Eugenics. The males in that tribe were
systematically sterilized. Sterilization is such a handy little
word... sounds like neat and clean, but it belies the deep ugliness
of what was happening; a young native man would break an arm and be
taken to Bay City hospital, where he would be treated, and
sterilized. THAT'S what happened. The book answered my questions,
but it broke my heart. I knew that the very land I “own” was
native land, that my family was only the second white family to ever
live on it. I grieved for what my unearned privilege had cost
others. I vowed that eventually I would find a way to mark those
graves, and I would do my part to ensure that everyone heard this
truth. I called Helen and asked her if she had more copies of the
book, because I needed to buy them... for my kids, for my friends,
for anyone who cares at all about our community. Long story short,
she gave me the printing rights to the book, and I have gifted it to
many people.
Race has
remained at the forefront of my consciousness, as I see the way that
racism plays out in my community, from hearing people of Middle East
descent, who bought a local convenience store chain, called,
“ragheads,” to hearing racist and hateful remarks against
Hispanic immigrants, to the fact that there remains very, very few
Black people in Tillamook.
A few
months ago, I was contacted by a woman from the Rural Organizing
Project (www.rop.org) named Sam
Hamlin. We met over lunch, and discussed concerns about the sharp
rise in racially-based hate crimes in Oregon, along with an alarming
increase in White Supremacist activities and presence in the state.
The ROP had planned what they referred to as an “emergency
response” to this disturbing situation.
A
professor from Portland State University, Dr. Walidah Imarisha, had
offered to tour rural Oregon, where these groups like to do their
dirty work, and present on Black History...not only a history of
oppression and struggle, but of resilient, thriving communities of
color that had survived against overwhelming odds and contributed a
great deal to Oregon. Thanks to ROP, Oregon Humanities, the
Tillamook Co. Pioneer Museum, the Women's Resource Center, and Bay
City Arts Center, we were able to bring her to Tillamook County. The
presentation was called, “Why Aren't There More Black People in
Oregon? A Hidden History.”
I had
only received 39 RSVPs for the event we set up on September 9th,
so I was a little nervous, but over 60 people turned up that evening
to participate in the presentation. It was electrifying to see that
many people who are investing in addressing this issue; maybe I
hadn't given Tillamook enough credit!
Dr.
Imarisha used a timeline of Black History in Oregon to shed light on
things that most people didn't know. Horrifying and sad things. She
asked how many people in the room had grown up and attended Oregon
schools, and many hands went up. She then asked how many people had
learned of this history, and I don't believe I saw a single hand.
She did a fine job of illustrating that this is everyone's history,
not just Black history, and it's important for us all to know it.
Many
people take pride in knowing that Oregon was founded as an
anti-slavery state, without realizing that it was not anti-slavery
out of concern for civil rights. It was because slavery would bring
Black people to Oregon and they weren't wanted here. Oregon was
intended to be a “white homeland.” I learned about the 1844 Lash
Law, and many other egregious and hateful practices in what I was
always taught was a progressive, open-minded state. I was sad and
ashamed.
Helen
Hill was there, along with another local hero, retired Justice of the
Peace Neal Lemery. When a member of the crowd asked the presenter to
show “proof” that Tillamook was a Sundown Town (in which local
laws prevent persons of color from being there after sundown), Neal
turned around and said that, until 1982, it was still written into
local ordinance. What he didn't mention is that he was instrumental
in having it removed from the books, against resistance and personal
backlash. He had finished law school and come back to his hometown
to practice, only to be disheartened, but ready to do something about
it. Helen didn't mention her book, but others did, along with a play
she had done about the KKK.
We broke
into small groups and discussed what we would like to do to move
forward to make our community a more welcoming and safe place to
live, for everyone. This was never intended to be a one-time
conversation, so we collected contact information from those
interested in follow-up. I have recently obtained the notes from
that meeting, and I am working with the ROP to set up our next event,
where we will have the opportunity to plan ways to make this happen.
Here is
a link to the PowerPoint created by Dr. Imarisha for this event. It
is available on YouTube, with or without commentary. I'm attaching
the version with commentary, in case you were not fortunate enough to
hear her in person.
Anyone
who is interested in joining this very important conversation is
welcome. If interested, please contact me at 503-842-8294, x. 209,
or email me at romy@tcwrc.net.
You can live anywhere in the world and start these conversations.
Ending racism is a pretty tall order, but we have to start somewhere
right?
“Never
doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change
the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret
Mead
