Racing to Change: Oregon's Civil Rights Years—The Eugene Story
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 by the Museum of Natural and Cultural History and Oregon Black Pioneers, the exhibit illuminates legacies of racism and the unceasing efforts of Oregon's Black communities to bring about change.
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 While focused on the 20th century, the exhibit also illuminates a longer history of exclusion and resistance through historical documents dating back to the nineteenth century.
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. 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.
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.
A panel from Oregon Black Pioneers' Racing to Change exhibit
A panel from Oregon Black Pioneers' Racing to Change exhibit
A panel from Oregon Black Pioneers' Racing to Change exhibition
A panel from Oregon Black Pioneers' Racing to Change exhibition