Civil Rights Legislation

In 1950, Portland was the only major city in the northern United States without some form of civil rights legislation. In February of that year, the Portland City Council unanimously passed an ordinance that would fine business owners $500 for refusing to serve African Americans. Opponents of the city council's decision—including the Oregon State Hotel Association and the Oregon Restaurant Association—petitioned to refer the ordinance to a citywide vote. Voting "no" meant voting to overturn the ordinance. If a majority voted against the ordinance, business owners would still be permitted to discriminate against customers. The petitioners gathered enough signatures, and in the November elections that year, opponents of the ordinance won: only 24,391 voted in support of it, while 30,226 voted to overturn it. Discrimination against African American customers remained legal. African Americans in Portland gained legal protection three years later (1953) when Oregon's Public Accommodation Law banned discrimination in places of business statewide.