Celebrating Black History in Oregon!

Celebrating Black History in Oregon

This February, we’re celebrating Black History month on the Oregon Coast with Oregon Coast Visitors Association and Oregon Black Pioneers!

Our friends at OCVA and OBP have compiled amazing stories to celebrate Black history along the coast. Here is one story focused on Astoria:

People of African descent have been walking Oregon’s beaches for over 400 years, and their stories are part of the fabric of what makes this place so special. In acknowledging Black History Month, we must recognize the historical disparities and injustices that have shaped the experiences of Black communities. In 1844, the Oregon Territory—present day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of Montana and Wyoming—passed its first racial exclusionary law to ban free Blacks from entering. Later on, Oregon became the only state with a Black exclusionary law to join the Union (Source: Melanin Base Camp). 

As a predominately white region that became that way by design, it's crucial for us as cities, counties, and businesses to shed light on these stories, not just to acknowledge the disparities of the past, but to understand their impact on our present. By sharing these narratives, we aim to foster a community that's aware, empathetic, and committed to creating a more equitable future. Join us in exploring these stories that shape our coast and resonate with the journey toward inclusivity.

Enjoy this story from Astoria: Home of Black Explorers!

As the oldest American town west of the Mississippi River, it makes sense that Astoria’s Black history goes back a long time. The first Black person known to have visited the site of Astoria is York, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, who spent the winter of 1805-1806 at Fort Clatsop. York experienced the first real freedoms of his life on the journey while he hunted and worked in the forests below Young’s Bay. Within a few years, more men of African descent moved to the area while working in the fur trade. One French and Afro-Canadian man, Francois Duchoquette, was a member of Wilson Price Hunt’s overland party which founded John Jacob Astor’s Fort Astoria in 1811. The Astor expedition also sent a maritime party to the Lower Columbia aboard the ship Tonqui –  that group included two free Black members of the crew: Thomas Williams and Francis Robertson.