There were several sensory-rich, tactile bus tours around Portland, Oregon highlighting a few sites where various forms of historic housing discrimination had taken place. Special guests and expert panelists discussed the past, present, and future of housing equity. Over 400 people participated in tours across April and May, including three fee-for-service private tours.
Below are pictures from our Fair Housing Month activities as well as Governor Kulongoski's Fair Housing Month Proclamation and other fun, related items.
If you have questions about the events, would like to sponsor a similar tour or event, or would like to participate in next year's Fair Housing Month events, write dhess@FHCO.org or visit our Tours page. To learn more about Fair Housing Month visit www.FHCO.org/fair_housing_month.htm; to learn about the history of civil rights in housing visit www.FHCO.org/history.htm. Thank you for your interest.
2009 Event Pictures:
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Samples of the Tour Here: 2009 Event Sponsors:
- Bay Bank
- Bittner & Hahs
- Bowen Property Management
- City of Beaverton
- City of Corvallis
- City of Eugene
- City of Gresham
- City of Portland
- Clark County
- Cowlitz Bank
- C&R Real Estate Services
- Kell, Alterman & Runstein Attorneys
- Key Bank
- Kristine McVikar
- Metro Multifamily Housing Assn.
- Multnomah County
- Oregon Economic and Community Development Department
- Oregon Housing and Community Services
- Oregon Rental Housing Assn. and the Rental Housing Assn. of Greater Portland
- Princeton Property Management
- Regional Multiple Listing Service
- Sterling Savings Bank
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Vancouver Housing Authority
- Washington County
Fair Housing Proclamation:
Fair Housing Month Activities:
- Press Conference with Brad Avakian of Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industry
04/20/09, Eugene
- A Pig Is Moving In Library Reading
04/02/09, Beaverton Library
- A Pig Is Moving In Library Reading
04/20/09, Eugene Library
- A Pig Is Moving In Library Reading
04/29/09, Washugal Library
- Bus Tour with Housing Authority of Portland Resident Leaders
04/19/09, Portland
- Bus Tour with Lewis & Clark College Law School
04/24/09, Portland
- Bus Tour with Princeton Property Management and C&R Real Estate
04/28/09, Portland
- Bus Tour with Portland's Human Rights Commission, Fair Housing Month Supporters, and Media
05/14/09, Portland
- Bus Tour with Housing Authority of Portland Staff
05/27/09, Portland
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City Councilor Pryor at the Downtown Eugene Library reading A Pig is Moving In to local children. |
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Click the image above for a copy of the Eugene library reading promotional flyer. |
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Kids were intrigued as City Councilor Stanton read A Pig is Moving In at the Beaverton Library. |
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The Beaverton Library also featured a special display on diversity in honor of Fair Housing Month. |
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Artist, Valerie Otani explains the importance and symbolism of the traditional Japanese gates she designed as a memorial. (04/19/09) |
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A close up of Ms. Otani's tribute to those detained in Japanese interment camps for four months before being forcibly relocated from Oregon. (04/19/09) |
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Ms. Otani explains to onlookers that the exhibit honors more than 3,700 Japanese Americans who were detained at the Portland Expo Center, the site of a 1942 Japanese interment camp. (04/19/09) |
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Folks file out of buses at two designated stops. (04/19/09) |
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Mr. Washington, Former Metro Counselor, shares his memories of growing up in the City of Vanport, which was washed away by a massive flood in 1948. (04/19/09) |
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Folks listen as Mr. Washington shares his story. (04/19/09) |
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Participants learn about the history of housing discrimination as well as current trends and issues following the bus tour. (04/19/09) |
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Folks across Oregon enjoyed Anywhere but Here, FHCO's traveling exhibit which details the history of housing discrimination in Oregon. |
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"Anywhere But Here" is the name of a moving and historical display the FHCO has created. The banner above serves to introduce the display. |
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Ed Washington and Valerie Otani take time for a picture during the 04/24/09 bus tour with Lewis & Clark College law students. (04/24/09) |
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There's nothing like a group shot to finish off a great trip! (04/24/09) |
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The FHCO's Diane Hess corrals a wet but attentive group off the bus to hear the first of two guest speakers. (04/28/09) |
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Ed Washington, standing before a historical marker detailing the Vanport flood, speaks to participants while Valerie Otani stands by. (04/28/09) |
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A hardy group from Princeton Property Managment well prepared for Oregon's "liquid sunshine," are rapt by Mr. Washington's anecdotes. (04/28/09) |
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Tour participants share musings following Mr. Washington's presentation. (04/28/09) |
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"Come on!" It's back on the bus as we head to our second stop at the Expo Center. (04/28/09) |
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Ms. Valerie Otani speaks to a captivated audience. (04/28/09) |
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A shot of tour participants in the foreground and Ms. Otani's ceremonial gates in the background. (04/28/09) |
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A moving and majestic close up of Ms. Otani's artful memorial. (04/28/09) |
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Participants from Portland's Human Rights Commission, members of the media, and some of the Fair Housing Month supports look on as Mr. Ed Washington points out where his home was located back in the hayday of the City of Vanport. (05/15/09) |
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While at Vanport, participants gather around a new plaque at the site of the flood. (05/14/09) |
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The Vanport plaque was erected by Kaiser Permanente. (05/14/09) |
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Both the City of Vanport and Kaiser Permanente were founded by Henry Kaiser pictured above. (05/14/09) |
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A picture from the Vanport plague of a dike giving way as the City was destroyed. (05/14/09) |
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Participants are engrossed by the humor, humility, and tragedy of the Vanport story as they listen to Mr. Washington tell it. (05/14/09) |
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Ms. Valerie Otani again tells her story of how not only family members, but an entire county's Japanese citizens, were forcibly rounded up and installed in cattle stalls at sites like the Expo Center's former fairgrounds. (05/14/09) |
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Fifty of the Housing Authority of Portland's (HAP) staff, pictured here, gathered to attend a tour and post-tour discussion. (05/27/09) |
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HAP's Executive Director, Steven Rudman, kicked of the day's activities with a few words of inspiration as well as appreciation for the work his staff does. (05/27/09) |
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Out on the tour, HAP staff listen intently as Mr. Ed Washington cries... (05/27/09) |
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"Mother Dear, here comes the water!" (05/27/09) |
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Ms. Valerie Otani and FHCO's Jo Becker visit as folks gather to hear her story. (05/27/09) |
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As she talks with participants, Ms. Otani wears a sample luggage tag similar to those Japanese families were required to attach to those belongings they could carry with them to the internment camps. (05/27/09) |
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Some listened to her tales with shock and empathy... (05/27/09) |
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While others admired Ms. Otani's work nearby. (05/27/09) |
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Over lunch, discussions were varied and lively. (05/27/09) |
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Following lunch, FHCO's Diane Hess invited comments from participants. (05/27/09) |
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Some were amazed by the forms housing discrimination takes today. (05/27/09) |
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Others shared personal stories of discrimination... (05/27/09) |
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As coworkers listened with care.. (05/27/09) |
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... amazement, and concern. Many told us the group discussions amongst friends and coworkers following the tour were the most powerful moments of the day for them. (05/27/09) |
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