HISTORICAL QUARTERLY. I SPOKE WITH THE PEOPLE BEHIND
IT ABOUT THEIR GOAL FOR
READERS.
READERS.
READERS. >> TO MOVE FORWARD WE FIRST
HAVE TO UNDERSTAND OUR PAST.
>> WE DO ACADEMIC HISTORY.
BEING ABLE TO GET TO THOSE
COMPLEXITIES AND THOSE
SUBTLETIES THE WAY THAT HELP
SURFACE THAT STRUCTURE OVER
ALL, THAT'S OUR SWEET SPOT.
>> Reporter: THE WINTER ISSUE
OF THE QUARTERLY PEELS BACK THE
LAYER OF WHITE SUPREMACY IN OUR
STATE WITH GLARING EXAMPLES OF
HOW THE POWER IS BEEN
PERPETUATED FOR HUNDREDS OF
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. >>
YEARS. >> IT'S EVERYTHING.
OUR WHOLE SOCIETY AS I STATED
IN THE ARTICLE, IS FORMED UNDER
THE WHITE SUPREMACY.
PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO ACCEPT
THAT FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
I GET IT.
I GET IT.
I GET IT. BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS.
>> Reporter: INDEPENDENT
HISTORIAN SITS ON THE BOARD.
WAS BROUGHT ON AS A GUEST
EDITOR FOR THIS ISSUE.
>> OUTSIDE OF MY OWN
DISSERTATION.
DISSERTATION. YOU HAVE TO PUT A LOT OF CARE
AND WORK INTO REALLY UNPACKING
MY SUBJECT THAT IS SO LAYERED
AND ASKED DRESSES ITSELF IN
MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AND
IMPACTED VARIOUS OTHER GROUPS
OF PEOPLE BESIDES AFRICAN-
AMERICANS.
AMERICANS. >> Reporter: THE ISSUE OPENS
WITH A NOTE ASKING READERS TO
BEGIN WITH AN OPEN MIND.
THE ISSUE DOES NOT PUT BLAME
ONTO LEADERS WHO ARE LABELED AS
WHITE BUT CALL TO SELF
REFLECTION.
REFLECTION. >> IT WAS IMPORTANT TO US TO
OPEN THE ISSUE, ACKNOWLEDGING
THAT IT WAS NOT EASY TO BRING
ABOUT THIS HISTORY.
SOME FOLKS, I DON'T THINK WE
USE THIS WORD, WHITE FOLKS CAN
FEEL A LITTLE DEFENSIVE BEING
CONFRONTED WITH HISTORY AND
LEGACIES OF WHITE SUPREMACY
BECAUSE IT CAN FEEL PERSONAL.
>> Reporter: THE PRIMARY GOAL,
HELP READERS UNDERSTAND WHY
SUPREMACY.
SUPREMACY. NOT ALWAYS AS VISIBLE AS THE KU
KLUX KLAN BUT TO COLLECT THE
SET OF CODES SPOKEN AND
UNSPOKEN, IMPLICIT AND IMPLIED.
IN ORDER TO KEEP THOSE DEEMED
AS WHITE ON TOP AND EVERY OTHER
RACIAL GROUP BELOW THEM.
WITH SPECIFIC EMPHASIS IN THE
UNITED STATES AND KEEPING BLACK
PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM.
>> FOLKS WHO STUDY HISTORY, WE
ARE IN A REALLY GOOD PLACE FOR
BEING ABLE TO SEE THOSE
STRUCTURES OF WHITE SUPREMACY
BECAUSE YOU HAVE THAT 20/20
HINDSIGHT WHEN YOU LOOK BEHIND
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. >>
YOU. >> Reporter: THAT'S A WHOLE
ISSUE.
ISSUE.
ISSUE. HOW WHITE SUPREMACY IS DEEPLY
INGRAINED IN OUR STATE'S
HISTORY.
HISTORY.
HISTORY. THAT'S ESSENTIAL BECAUSE WHEN
WE LEARNED IN SCHOOL IS NOT THE
WHOLE STORY.
WHOLE STORY. >> WE ARE ALL GROWING UP IN
AMERICAN SOCIETY AND THE SAME
KNOWLEDGE.
KNOWLEDGE. THAT TELLS YOU THAT IT IS
INTENTIONAL AND IT IS PART OF
THIS OVERALL FRAMEWORK WHERE
THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM THAT WE
HAVE BOTH IN ELEMENTARY AND
SECONDARY AND COLLEGE IS ALL A
PART OF THE STRUCTURES IN
AMERICAN SOCIETY THAT
REINFORCES WHITE SUPREMACY AND
A CERTAIN WAY OF THINKING.
>> Reporter: THIS ISSUE TOOK
NEARLY 3 YEARS TO COMPLETE THE
PAINSTAKING RESEARCH, REVIEW
AND PURPOSE.
AND PURPOSE. SOON AFTER ONE OF THE MOST
VIOLENT ACTS IN SUPREMACY IN
PORTLAND HISTORY.
PORTLAND HISTORY. THE STABBINGS.
THE STABBINGS. TWO MEN WERE KILLED.
STANDING UP FOR TWO WOMEN OF
COLOR ON A TRAIN.
>> THOSE ATTACKS WERE THE MOST
GRUESOME AND DRAMATIC AT THAT
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. REALLY RECENT EXAMPLE OF
VIOLENT WHY SUPREMACY IN
ACTION.
ACTION.
ACTION. IT'S A ROOM FULL OF HISTORIANS.
AN ARCHIVIST.
AN ARCHIVIST. AND PEOPLE WHO STUDY AND THINK
ABOUT THE PAST.
THEY KNOW IT'S PART OF THE
BIGGER SYSTEM AND THE BIGGER
STRUCTURE OF WHITE SUPREMACY
THAT HAS BEEN IN OUR STATE AND
NATION THROUGHOUT THEIR
HISTORY.
HISTORY.
HISTORY. >> Reporter: THEM MAN WIELDING
THE NIGHT JEREMY CHRISTIAN WAS
SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT
PAROLE.
PAROLE.
PAROLE. WHILE HE SPEND THE REST OF HIS
LIFE IN BARS WHILE - - THE
IMPACT OF OUR RACIAL POWER
STRUCTURE CONTINUES TO THRIVE
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. MANY PEOPLE OF COLOR, IT'S
OBVIOUS, FOR MANY WHITE PEOPLE,
IT'S OFTEN EASILY DISMISSED.
WHEN WE OPEN OUR MINDS TO THE
PAST TO THE FULL SCOPE OF OUR
HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE, WE JUST
MIGHT BE ABLE TO LEARN AND GROW
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. >> ONE TO LOOK FOR HISTORY TO
BOLSTER US UP AND MAKE US FEEL
GOOD, WE'RE NOT GOING TO
UNDERSTAND WHO WE ARE AND WHY
WE ARE THE WAY WE ARE.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT AS A Y TO
REALLY TRULY UNDERSTAND WHERE
SOME OF OUR PROBLEMS AND
DIVISIONS AND INEQUITIES