Recently an interviewer asked Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones what it would have meant to her younger self to have access to texts that chronicle the contributions of black Americans to the nation. Texts like those she has created in the last few years (1619 Project, Born on the Water).
"I wouldn't have had to spend all of those years sitting in the classroom feeling completely inferior, feeling that black people had never accomplished anything of worth, believing that the reason we weren't in the story was because we didn't do anything important and how differently my concept of myself would have been had anyone bothered to teach us any of this."
Her response echoes the desire of Carter G. Woodson, the man who created Negro History Week in 1926 in Washington D.C. Woodson believed that making black life and history visible had the potential to move our nation toward equality. Fifty years later, in 1976, Negro History Week became Black History Month. Each February, we are reminded of black Americans' deep and meaningful contributions to our nation and our culture and lives.
This February we explored the 28 days of black history from the team at Anti-Racist Daily, information compiled by Oregon REALTORS about black history and real estate in Oregon, and Vanport Mosaic- a community oral history project.
We are firmly committed to learning about our history so that we can begin (and continue) to do better. As real estate professionals in Oregon, we are driven to rectify the longstanding inequity perpetuated through federal and local housing policies and real estate practices. Taking Ownership PDX is an outstanding example of an organization addressing current housing disparities. Their focus on keeping black residents in their homes and supporting black families in building generational wealth meets immediate needs and nudges us onto a course toward a more equitable future.