Juneteenth in Oregon
{{Short description|Celebration of the end of slavery in the United States}}
Juneteenth, a celebration of emancipation from slavery, was introduced to Oregon in 1945 by Kaiser Shipyard worker Clara Peoples, was recognized by the city of Portland in 1972, statewide in 2013, and federally in 2021.
Timeline
Peoples helped make Juneteenth recognized by the City of Portland in 1972. Mayor Sam Adams and Amanda Fritz declared Peoples the "Mother of Juneteenth" in 2011.{{Cite web |title=Juneteenth Oregon Celebration Goes Livestream |work=The Skanner News |date=18 June 2020 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= https://www.theskanner.com/news/newsbriefs/30111-local-juneteenth-celebrations-go-virtual}}{{Cite web |title=Clara Peoples, Mother of Juneteenth in Portland |author=Amanda Fritz |work=portlandonline.com |date=30 October 2011 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= https://www.portlandonline.com/fritz/index.cfm?a=371158&c=49233}} Juneteenth became an observed holiday for the City of Portland and Multnomah County employees in 2020, as part of a resolution to address structural racism.{{Cite web |title=City of Portland and Multnomah County Formally Recognize Juneteenth as a Holiday |work=The Skanner News |date=17 June 2020 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= https://www.theskanner.com/news/northwest/30110-city-of-portland-and-multnomah-county-formally-recognize-juneteenth}}
Peoples and first Black Oregonian Senator Avel Gordly led an effort to make Juneteenth a statewide holiday in 2001. The resolution passed.{{Cite web |title=Multnomah County celebrates Juneteenth, honors former Oregon Senator Avel Gordly |author= |work=Multnomah County |date=19 June 2018 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= https://multco.us/multnomah-county/news/multnomah-county-celebrates-juneteenth-honors-former-oregon-senator-avel}}{{Cite web |title=Multnomah County Resolution 2019-059: Proclaiming June 19th, 2019 as Juneteenth Day |author= |work=multco.us |date=2019 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= https://multco.us/file/81426/download}}
Multnomah County first recognized Juneteenth in 2018, sponsored by County Commissioner Loretta Smith. That event celebrated and heard from Senator Gordly.
Clara Peoples
Clara Peoples (Née Clara Mae Walker) was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma on 8 September 1926. She moved to Vanport, Oregon in 1945, working for Kaiser Shipyards during the World War 2 shipbuilding efforts, where she started a Juneteenth event in 1945. Her family was flooded and displaced in the 1948 Vanport floods. Moving to 1406 NE Ainsworth with her husband Haley Peoples Sr. in the redlined area of Northeast Portland, she then organized efforts to feed people, which turned into the Community Care Association in 1969. By the following year the association was operating out of 2022 NE Alberta Street, rent-free from the anonymous building owner.{{Cite web |title=Cornerstones of Community: Buildings of Portland's African American History |author1=Darnell Millner |author2=Carl Abott |author3=Cathy Balbraith |work=pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu |date=August 1995 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1059&context=black_studies_fac|pages=402–}}{{Cite web |title=Mother of Juneteenth Honored |author= |work=portlandobserver.com |date=24 November 2015 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= http://portlandobserver.com/news/2015/nov/24/mother-juneteenth-honored/}}{{Cite web |title=A Plan For Giving |author= |work=Ebony |date=December 1971 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YHZ2VMzAqpkC&q=%22haley+peoples%22+clara+portland&pg=PA102 |pages=96–98,102|publisher= Johnson Publishing Company}} The Alberta Street location was previously the Red and White store, seen in a 1931 photo, and was later the Don Pancho Taqueria and Market from 2000 to 2016.{{Cite web |title=Alberta Loses Latino Market |author=Cervante Pope |work=portlandobserver.com |date=19 April 2016 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= http://portlandobserver.com/news/2016/apr/19/alberta-loses-latino-market/}}{{Cite web |title=Red & White Store, 1931 |author= |work=Vintage Portland |date=24 September 2012 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= https://vintageportland.wordpress.com/2012/09/24/red-white-store-1931/ |quote=The fairly serious-looking staff of The Red & White Store pose outside of their shop in this fine 1931 photo. The store was on NE Alberta Street between NE 20th and 21st Avenues. The building still exists although the home reflected in the window is long gone. }}
Later, Peoples and Arlene Grice became the first two Black elevator operators at Joseph Shemanski's Eastern Department Store. She was also the first Black person on the State Board of Agriculture. She was also a hall monitor at Adams High School.{{Cite web |title=Community Care Group Feeds Needy |author=Molly Grothaus |work=Oregon Journal |date=22 February 1971 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=HVVKAQAAIAAJ&q=%22haley+peoples%22+clara+portland&pg=RA1-PA414}}
In 2011 and 2013, Oregon politician Lew Frederick introduced bills to recognize Peoples. It was enrolled and signed by the governor on May 1, 2013.{{Cite web |title=HCR8 2013 Regular Session - Oregon Legislative Information System |author= |work=olis.oregonlegislature.gov |date=2013 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2013R1/Measures/Overview/HCR0008}}{{Cite web |title=HCR42 2011 Regular Session - Oregon Legislative Information System |author= |work=olis.oregonlegislature.gov |date=2011 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2011R1/Measures/Overview/HCR0042}}
Peoples died on October 5, 2015, at age 89. The annual parade was named the "Clara Peoples Freedom Trail Parade" beginning in 2016.{{Cite web |title=Oregon Mother Of Juneteenth Leaves Lasting Legacy |last=Chan |first=Shirley |work=opb.org |date=18 June 2016 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url=https://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-mother-juneteenth-clara-peoples-celebration/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620042257/http://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-mother-juneteenth-clara-peoples-celebration/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 20, 2016 }}{{Cite web |title=Juneteenth Weekend Celebrations |author= |work=portlandobserver.com |date=14 June 2016 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= http://portlandobserver.com/news/2016/jun/14/juneteenth-weekend-celebrations/}}
By 2020, Peoples' granddaughter, Jenelle Jack, was the director of Juneteenth Oregon.{{Cite web |title=Honoring the 'Mother of Juneteenth' in Portland, Clara Peoples |author=Katherine Cook |work=kgw.com |date=19 June 2020 |access-date=20 June 2020 |url= https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/mother-of-juneteenth-clara-peoples-historic-portland-celebration/283-5397a974-30c0-4a44-8a13-48d2d77eb98b}}