For decades, what happened after dark shaped the reputation of some Oregon communities. Known as "sundown towns," they discouraged Black people and other racial minorities from living in or even passing through.
Today, the Oregon Remembrance Project is trying to change that history. Its Sunrise Project encourages communities to confront their past while creating places where people of all backgrounds feel welcome. One effort, called Sunshine Trips, brings Black Portlanders to Southern Oregon for free two-night visits designed to build connections in communities that once excluded them.
aylor Stewart, founder of the Oregon Remembrance Project, said sundown towns deliberately excluded Black people and other racial minorities through fear, violence and intimidation.
"Sundown towns were communities that purposefully excluded African-Americans and other racial minorities from living in or simply passing through the community through a culture of fear, violence, and intimidation," Stewart said.
Stewart said the idea for Sunshine Trips grew out of his own experience exploring Oregon beyond Portland.
"My hope through this program is to offer that same opportunity to other Black Portlanders to expand their sense of home here in the state," Stewart said.
Stewart said the trips are intended to make Oregon's outdoor recreation, tourism and communities feel more accessible to Black Oregonians who have historically been excluded from many parts of the state.
He said the biggest impact isn't sightseeing but the relationships participants build with people they meet along the way.
"It's really just people and relationships that make people feel like they can call a space their home," Stewart said.
Stewart said he hopes the Sunrise Project can become a model for communities across the country.
"I hope that through the Sunrise Project, we can become an example for communities around the country on what it means to create communities where folks can feel like they can belong regardless of racial identity," Stewart said.
Guest
- Taylor Stewart, founder, Oregon Remembrance Project
