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Does Oregon Have a Racism Problem?

Stand up and be heard. Think Out Loud, Oregon Public Broadcasting's daily talk show, will be tackling the issue of race in Oregon, and how Oregon's relative lack of diversity affects people in different parts of the state.

OPB's Scott Silver reached out to Colors of Influence, to find folks who would be interested in sharing their experiences and opinions in addressing the question:

Does Oregon have a racism problem?

Here's an overview of the project, according to Scott Silver:

We're trying to connect with people of different races and ethnicities in different parts of the state, to ask them about their experiences in Oregon.

We've created an online space where people can share their experiences and stories with us:

http://news.opb.org/link/racism

We'll be using the responses to help guide our coverage of this issue, and a producer may send them a follow up email or give them a call. As well, people who respond will become a part of OPB's Public Insight Network, our network of news sources. We hang on to their contact information, and ask them to contribute their experiences periodically for news stories we're working on.

This is a worthwhile effort to bring to the surface the often contentious issues of race and racism among our communities. People from various communities of color living in Portland have many stories to share about what it's like to live as part of a racial/ethnic/tribal minority group in Portland, dubbed as the "whitest major city in America."


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