Oregon BIPOC Caucus Calls for Action to Support Victims of Gun Violence
The Legislative Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Caucus has released the following statement in response to the tragedy at Half Moon Bay, CA that left seven dead and one person wounded, all of whom were people of color
Democrats Voice Priorities for Coming Year in the Capitol
Highlights from the Democrats 2023 legislative agenda.
Colorado Lawmakers Look to AI to Detect Wildfires Earlier
A historic drought and recent heat waves tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight in the American West and scientists say warming weather will continue to make fires more frequent and destructive.
Justices Weigh Effort to Balance Washington State's Tax Code
Washington is one of nine states without an income tax, and its heavy reliance on sales and fuel taxes to pay for schools, roads and other public expenses falls disproportionately on low-income residents.
Oregon Graduation Rate Rises With Gains Made In Every Student Group
Class of 2022 graduation rate is second highest In Oregon’s history ...
City Council Approves 13 to Independent District Commission
The commission will lead the effort to establish four new geographic districts for Portland’s next city council. ...
Incorporating Mindfulness Into Social Justice Classes Topic of Feb. 8 Oregon State Science Pub
The free event, which can be attended in person or viewed online, will feature a presentation by Kathryn McIntosh. She will discuss...
Exhibit "Flowers for Elders" Celebrates Living Portland Artists
Free, public, multimedia exhibit runs through Feb. 25 in SE Portland ...
The Skanner Foundation's 37th Annual MLK Breakfast to Air on TV
The sold-out event will air on 5 upcoming dates and times on Comcast Xfinity channels at the start of Black History Month. ...
Fully clothed bathing burglar found in Seattle bathroom
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Man accused in substation vandalism is released from custody
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Krikke scores 30, leads Valparaiso over Evansville 81-69
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Russell leads SE Missouri State over Eastern Illinois 79-68
CHARLESTON, Ill. (AP) — Phillip Russell scored 19 points and Southeast Missouri State beat Eastern Illinois 79-68 on Saturday. Russell added six assists for the Redhawks (12-11, 7-3 Ohio Valley Conference). Adam Larson and Israel Barnes scored 11 points apiece. Larson blocked three...
It's Time to Irrigate the Fallow Ground of Minority Media Ownership
In 2023, one aspect of civil rights and racial justice that barely remains addressed is racial inclusion in media ownership. ...
A Letter to Residents of N. and N.E. Portland from Commissioner Susheela Jayapal
Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner for District 2, North and Northeast Portland, reviews her first four-year term and looks forward to her second term ...
“So, you have two types of Negro. The old type and the new type. Most of you know the old type. When you read about him in history during slavery he was called ‘Uncle Tom.’ He was the House Negro.”-Malcolm X ...
State of emergency declared over Atlanta 'Cop City' protest
ATLANTA (AP) — Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Thursday, giving him the option of calling in the Georgia National Guard in response to a violent protest in downtown Atlanta over the killing by authorities of an environmental activist said to have shot a state trooper. ...
Jury rejects lawsuit filed by family of teen killed by cop
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New US race, ethnicity standards proposed; first since '97
A Middle Eastern and North African category could be added to U.S. federal surveys and censuses, and changes could be made to how Hispanics are able to self-identify, under preliminary recommendations released Thursday by the Biden administration in what would be the first update to race and...
Review: Joe Henry returns with varied 'kind-word blues' set
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Smokey Robinson, 'King of Motown,' to release new solo album
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Jesmyn Ward novel 'Let Us Descend' to be published Oct. 3
NEW YORK (AP) — The next novel by Jesmyn Ward, the two-time National Book Award winner, is the story of an enslaved teenage girl that the publisher is calling a blend of magical realism, historical narrative and Dante's “Inferno.” Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster,...
Trump opens 2024 run, says he's 'more committed' than ever
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Pence: 'Mistakes were made' in classified records handling
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Japan firm opens whale meat vending machines to push sales
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Study: Enough rare earth minerals to fuel green energy shift
The world has enough rare earth minerals and other critical raw materials to switch from fossil fuels to renewable...
Brutality of Russia's Wagner gives it lead in Ukraine war
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Challenge for Tunisian democracy: Getting voters to show up
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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (AP) — Amid the jerseys and baseball bats held in a secure room at SCP Auctions, there's a piece of sports memorabilia that speaks to much more than athletic prowess: an Olympic medal won by track star Jesse Owens at the 1936 Games in Berlin.
The medal — being auctioned online — recalls both the Nazi propaganda myths that Owens busted with his world record-setting 100-yard dash, and the American segregation that he came home to when he returned to the U.S. after the Games, which Adolf Hitler had orchestrated to showcase his ideas of Aryan supremacism.
“Almost singlehandedly, Owens obliterated Hitler's plans,” SCP Auctions partner Dan Imler said. “You've got an African American, son of a sharecropper, grandson of slaves who overcame these incredible circumstances and delivered a performance for the ages.”
Owens won gold in the 100- and 200-meters, the 400 relay and the long jump. But when he returned from the Berlin Games, he struggled to provide for his family.
His job options were limited by segregation and because he decided to return home instead of going on tour with the U.S. Olympic Team, he was stripped of his amateur athletic status.
“When they came back, the U.S. was just as it was when he left — segregated. Even though he came back an Olympic hero, he wasn't offered opportunities that Olympic heroes of today are offered,” said his daughter, Marlene Owens Rankin, 74, of Chicago. “We lived well, a middle class life. We didn't want for much. But like many black men of that era, he struggled to provide for his family.”
Owens gave one of his four Olympic gold medals to dancer and movie star Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, another supremely talented African-American whose career was hemmed in by limited roles for black men, Imler said. Robinson befriended Owens after the athlete return from the Olympics.
“They formed a friendship and also a professional relationship. Bojangles helped Owens get work in the entertainment field,” Imler said. “Owens gave him this medal out of gratitude and as a token of their friendship.”
Owens worked for a short time as a band leader but eventually returned to his hometown of Cleveland where he worked for the parks department and eventually found his way into public speaking, his daughter said.
“The black community revered him for what he had accomplished,” she said. “Had it been an even playing field, my father and Bojangles would have been super-stars.”
The medal comes from the estate of Robinson's widow. The Robinson family declined to comment but Imler said they plan to use the proceeds to pay college tuition and contribute to charity.
SCP Auctions confirmed that the medal is genuine. The whereabouts of the other three original gold medals is unknown.
“We just hope that it's purchased by an institution where the public could have access to it, a museum or something like that,” his daughter said.
The auction closes on Dec. 7.
Photos from The Skanner Foundation's 37th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast.