Public meeting of the State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation disrupted by bias attack, Nov. 1

Salem, Ore – An October 21-22, 2021 public meeting of the State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation (SACHP) ended less than an hour after it started because a public attendee began typing racist and other hate-filled slurs, and posted personal home addresses of committee members. The SACHP is a nine-member, governor-appointed body of citizens with expertise in fields relating to historic preservation. The group reviews all proposed National Register nominations in Oregon, and the agenda covered several of these items, including three associated with African-American resources in Portland from the 1851-1973 time period. The incident has been referred to the Oregon State Police for investigation, and reported to the Oregon Department of Justice Bias Response Hotline (https://StandAgainstHate.Oregon.gov, 1-844-924-2427). “There is zero room in the public square for this vile behavior,” says Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Director Lisa Sumption. “I apologize to our committee members and the people bringing nominations forward for having to endure this attack.”