Blacks in PDX

[Nell Plotts]

One of the reasons why many blacks moved to Oakland from the south is that Henry J. Kaiser recruited them to his shipyards. White males during WWII were conscripted into military service creating a labor shortage. For some reason not so many Black men (perhaps level of education?). Mr. Kaiser also saw the different treatment his black employees and their families experienced so he provided health care which is now Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser Permanente's headquarters are in Oakland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser...te#Early_years

After the end of WWII Kaiser closed all his Portland area shipyards (I am old enough to have seen them) but shipbuilding and repair operations continued in the Bay Area.

IMHO the primary reason why Black families stayed in the Bay Area after WWII was the availability of jobs and inexpensive higher education. Portland metro didn't measure up in comparison.

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

One of the reasons why many blacks moved to Oakland from the south is that Henry J. Kaiser recruited them to his shipyards. White males during WWII were conscripted into military service creating a labor shortage. For some reason not so many Black men (perhaps level of education?). Mr. Kaiser also saw the different treatment his black employees and their families experienced so he provided health care which is now Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser Permanente's headquarters are in Oakland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser...te#Early_years

After the end of WWII Kaiser closed all his Portland area shipyards (I am old enough to have seen them) but shipbuilding and repair operations continued in the Bay Area.

IMHO the primary reason why Black families stayed in the Bay Area after WWII was the availability of jobs and inexpensive higher education. Portland metro didn't measure up in comparison.

The East Bay is culturally mixed and embraces the diversity. It is the diversity that still attracts so many people from all walks of life and makes it one of the most desirable places to live in the country. The East Bay has always been the most diverse and accepting part of the Bay Area. When I was a teen and would go to San Mateo County for high school football games you would see the non- liberal parts of The Bay Area. Things have changed since the 80's and San Mateo is quite diverse but during the 80's not so much. The recent transplants in the Bay Area have no idea what things were like not long ago.