Thanks for checking out The Quest Continues! As always, you’re joining BHQ host and fellow Oregon Black Pionerd, Mariah Rocker, for an update on all things BHQ. Read on for a recap of our most recent episode, a reminder of how BHQ inspires us, and a peek at what’s to come!
Black History Quest: Dance Against Ballot Measure 13
This July, coinciding with Portland Pride, we partnered with Cayla McGrail, the board president of Oregon Queer History Collective. For this research, Cayla explored the 1994 “Soul, Rhythm and Blues Funk Fest Dance Against Ballot Measure 13,” held at the Echo Theater.
In order for us to understand how this event came to be, Cayla provided an overview of the anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation of the late 1980s and 1990s, including Ballot Measure 8 and the infamous Ballot Measure 9, which would be reworked as Ballot Measure 13. They highlighted the ways that the Black community supported opposition of these measures, despite being excluded from some of the broader campaign efforts.
Dance Against Ballot Measure 13 likely made an impact on the people who attended it, but it was difficult finding records related to it. Though there wasn’t much uncovered by this research, the conversation was an important one, emphasizing how smaller, community-driven events like dance nights were vital for building coalitions and maintaining morale during volatile political times; something we can still learn from today.
Cayla’s next steps are to continue uncovering other examples of Black queer community organizing, to help reflect how this one event is part of a larger framework of political organizing in the 90s.
A Call To Action
In May’s episode, What was Seaside’s Sunflower Camp? Milo Reed emphasized connecting names to the people in historical photographs, to actually honor the individuals portrayed. We took that lesson to heart and pulled together some details about the people featured on our website. Check out the Faces of the Oregon Black Pioneers Website for more info!
Sunshine Trip Recap
As mentioned in the last Quest Continues, two of our former history investigators are continuing to tell the story of Timothy S. “Frank” Pettis (from episode 2 Mystery in Marshfield, the murder of Timothy S. “Frank” Pettis). As part of the historic Sunshine Trips organized by the Oregon Remembrance Project, Pamela Filbert walked us through the details and brought us to Mr. Pettis’ final resting place, where local community members placed a marker shortly before the centennial of his death.
As a guest on this memory walk, it was powerful to see Pamela and Taylor Stewart (from episode 9 The Green Book in Oregon) in action. Though it was hard to engage with this dark story, we must continue to shine a light on these issues and learn from the past. As Pamela wrote in the tour brochure: “While no one can undo what happened to Mr. Pettis, we can write a better ending to the story…and that can only come through telling the story.”
Martin Luther King Jr. popularized the phrase, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” During this trip, Taylor made the important point that it doesn’t bend toward justice on its own, but does so thanks to the efforts of everyday people who grab the rope and do the bending.
Thank you to Taylor, Pamela, and the Sunshine Trip participants for telling these stories and acting as “benders of the universe” (to paraphrase Taylor).
On Deck
September is almost here, which means a new episode of BHQ to look forward to! We’re working with David Hedburg, of Outdoor History Consulting, to dive deeper into the story of an iconic Black airman, Robert Deiz. Stream David’s episode live on Wednesday, September 30th at 7:00 PM on Facebook or YouTube to learn more!
Be a part of BHQ!
Do you have something to add to a previous investigation, or simply want to learn more about these stories? Don’t hold back; we’d love to hear from you!
Can’t get enough? Check out all of our previous episodes of Black History Quest on YouTube.
Signing off,
