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Racing to Change chronicles the civil rights movement in Eugene, Oregon, during the 1960s and 1970s—a time of great upheaval, conflict, and celebration as new voices clashed with traditional organizations of power. Codeveloped with Oregon Black Pioneers, the exhibit illuminates legacies of racism and the unceasing efforts of Oregon's Black communities to bring about change.
Visit the exhibit online.  
Through photographs, recorded interviews, and historical archives, Racing to Change explores how racist policies and attitudes created a pressing need for bold civil rights activism in Eugene. Firsthand accounts from movement organizers, former UO students, elected officials, and other members of Oregon's Black communities paint a vivid picture of the area's past, and urge us to take part in building a more just future. While focused on the 20th century, the exhibit also illuminates a longer history of exclusion and resistance through historical documents dating back to the nineteenth century.

On view October 12, 2019 through Sunday, September 19, 2021.

Are you a secondary educator teaching about race in Oregon? Request our free Racing to Change Educator's Guide for grades 6 through 12. 
UO students relax in front of Susan Campbell Hall in the 1970s
UO students relax in front of Susan Campbell Hall in the 1970s
The Eugene Black Panthers speak on the UO campus in support of a Black student protest at Oregon State University in the late 1960s
The Eugene Black Panthers speak on the UO campus in support of a Black student protest at Oregon State University in the late 1960s. From left to right: Oliver Patterson, Tommy Anderson (speaking), Howard Anderson, William Green, Jerome Foster, Julius Hurst, Dennis White, Darrell Fields, Teo DeRuso, Artie Cox.
An exhibit panel in Racing to Change
A panel from Oregon Black Pioneers' Racing to Change exhibit
Racing to Change exhibit panel 1
A panel from Oregon Black Pioneers' Racing to Change exhibition