NPR

How Portland's Racist History Informs Today's Protests

Oregon was founded on white supremacist principles. But it also has a long history of anti-racist protests, says Lisa Bates, who teaches urban studies at Portland State University.

The arrival of federal agents in Portland three weeks ago to crack down on racial justice protests fueled tensions there, and helped push the city to the forefront of coverage of the nation's racial justice movement.

As one of the whitest big cities in the America, Portland's outsize role in the nationwide protests may strike some as surprising.

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