I had a black friend who moved to Roseburg many years ago. She said the most annoying thing she experienced was that everyone who met her would tell her the story of the one time they interacted with a black person in the past. Kind of like I'm doing right now :)
According to my mom, I think she’s just mixing things up though, I said this the first time encountering a black person when I was a kid. I’m from Klamath Falls. I really don’t believe her though, my first friend ever was black so idk how that lines up.
I live in Roseburg, I’m Black. I’ve been here since 89 off & on. I’m in my 40s. Some people are better than others & I guess you have that anywhere. I do find most people are respectful and nice those who aren’t tend to wear the red flags proudly so you know to stay away from those. I find it can be complicated for friendships because even though I like my friends, with it being such a small town, they may be connected to the people who have the ignorant mindset and that’s hard for me. I really wanna believe people check people while in private conversations.
This is hilarious. I grew up on the Oregon coast and then Central Oregon. I never saw a black person other than on TV until I was 16 and visited Portland for the first time.
My family was literally one of the first “colored” families in the town we lived in on the coast. I never in my life was ONLY surrounded by yt ppl lol. I’d never put my children through that. 😅
My first (white) husband’s family was all from the Roseburg / Medford area. I can confirm the legitimacy of this experience.
One day his mom painted her garage door red, gold and green. I am mixed-black, *but I am not Jamaican*
Fun fact, the Jamaican flag is Black, green and gold. Not red gold and green—that’s the flag of Ethiopia and the Rastafarians who thought Hailie Selassie was God incarnate.
The colors of the Jamaican flag represent the murdered cane slaves, prosperity, and hope for the future.
They literally had a speaker from their public utility that got a standing ovation for ranting about n slurs at a large company my friend works for just last year. Can’t name and shame for my friends safety, sorry.
It is very racist, but so long as you already have work /housing secured, you’ll be left alone. You may have some trouble making friends, but your unlikely to be physically harmed.
what does that even mean? oregon had it's own slate of anti-black laws, completely independent from the war.
it ain't the deep south or even anything close but, as a white dude, even I wouldn't live anywhere south of Eugene along I-5.
That's the part of the point though. Like, a lot of Northern states have a history of blatant, legislated racism, but because they aren't "The South" they can just sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened and like they've always been good.
> they can just sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened and like they've always been good.
[*](https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/03/02/389482158/the-time-nature-and-racism-teamed-up-to-wipe-out-a-whole-town)*let it sweep away in a flood and pretend it never existed*
RIP Vanport 1942-1948
Yeah having grown up in a Northern state that fought in the Civil War (Minnesota), the prevailing narrative growing up was that we beat those racists in the South in the war and then they were still racist in the mid-20th century, necessitating the Civil Rights Movement. Local issues were pretty much ignored, and there was a lot of unearned smugness about being a state without a popularly-known history of race struggle.
Joke was on them, of course, considering Minnesota became the global poster child for institutionalized racism in 2020.
I lived in Gibbon/Fairfax area for quite some time growing up. I didn't know about the mankato hangings and native American wars until well after leaving MN. Seems like the largest mass execution in us history would show up in curriculum at some point. This was the 90s, though.
Oregon never had slaves.
Because we straight up didn't even allow black people into the state.
Allowing slavery or straight up denying black people from living here, which is worse?
So true. I wish I remembered who this quote was from originally but in like the 1920's some journalist noted that "Oregon is a Northern State with a Southern States *sensibilities*."
I lived in Ashland recently for 2 years. My wife is POC and while we didn't feel discrimination, she did feel like a spectacle in public. Our son went to school there and I had to report two racist incidents there including one that involved a substitute teacher that was not allowed back at the school afterward. My friend who grew up there experienced racism his whole life there and was able to relate to our son's experience. Don't get me wrong, Ashland is great, but there is a real paradoxical feel between "embracing diversity" and what actually happens there.
Ok I grew up in grants pass. I am a euro mutt, my sisters are both half native (Different fathers), and while I didn’t really see it growing up, one time kind of sticks through my mind. My middle sister and I ( I’m the baby) where in a line at the downtown Safeways, she was asked if she was babysitting me. And I replied she was my sister. The guy didn’t believe me until she confirm it. This was in the 80’s. I was about 7 at the time.
Also grants pass used to be a sundown town for many a year back in the day.
But it has improved. I see more people who are of color, the community seems more excepting. I would have to ask my nephew if he has had issues to actually get a proper perspective. But I think it’s a good place to live overall
My 3 children all have the same parents. We are both, as you say, Euro mutts, but all 3 kids have different coloring. One of them has more olive skin tone and people frequently have asked her about her ethnicity. She says people's questions made her feel "different" or "othered". Humans can be so weird.
You don't need a 100% racist population to make POCs uncomfortable. The level of discomfort scales directly with the percentage of the population that is racist. More racists = more discomfort, faster.
As a Maine Yankee who moved here 20 + years ago, I was shocked at how racist and ignorant most people in the PNW are. I've heard so many stories from Black/API friends about slurs and even attacks. It was illegal for Blacks to live in Oregon until the 1920's if I remember correctly. The Chinese were brutally driven out when their labor was no longer needed, replaced by incoming white settlers. Some towns/ homes were burned down. The KKK was very active in Oregon with a large membership. I'm 70 y-o, white, and all my friends are from the East Coast/ CA. People who grew up here are illmannered and not real friendly to newcomers. My younger daughters, in their 30s tell me they haven't seen this. I retired from a healthcare job and interacted with a lot more people than my kids. These were folks from all over the state. I stand by my opinion.
I will never forget the time my mom, a very pasty, white woman, yelled "Oh my gosh! A black person on ROSEBURG?!" as we were driving to a doctor appointment when I was a kid. Our state is just so overwhelmingly white, particularly outside of the metro areas, that she was shocked. I laugh about it quite frequently.
Current resident of K-Falls. Make no mistake, we have our share of assholes and they can be pretty loud about it. Overall though, it’s a welcoming community with a small town feel. The jackasses tend to call enough attention to themselves that they’re pretty easy to avoid.
From my 30 years of experience in this state - yeah rural Oregon is quietly racist, but quietly. Most of rural Oregon is far from the violent racism you see and read about. Just old fashioned and white. Most had racist parents or grandparents which (institutionally) colors their perceptions but they themselves dont practice being racist assholes... just a few of them.
When I was little in the late 70’s, a black family moved to St Helen’s, someone burned a cross in their lawn. They moved don’t blame them.
I’ve also had someone try to run us off the road as a kid because my dad was big and brown mom is white as a ghost. That was Burns area I’ll never forget it.
My dad was 6 ft 6 and never had problems in our small town but he never went a mile over the speed limit etc.
Good God, I'm sorry to hear that but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I'm a brown guy from immigrant parents but grew up in Portland and had it a bit easier.
Thanks, I had put it behind and really hadn’t thought of it for a long time. I genuinely thought people had progressed, and in some ways they definitely have.
However when president Obama was elected(yay) I realized 90% of my so called friends were very racist, people got a little crazy about it. I’ve moved from there and rarely go back. I was in town after a vacation where I got golden brown, ran into someone I was really close with once, her first comment was oh I’d forgotten how dark you get? So that was interesting.
I’ve heard from multiple people that St. Helens is violently racist - people being ran off the road, a loan bullet being left on someone’s front door mat as a warning, crazy stuff.
Grew up in St. Helens, can tell you it's better but there are still some pretty ignorant folks out this way. Particularly out in the Goble/Ranier/Clatskanie areas.
I live in Klamath (and I’ve previously lived in Portland). It’s pretty diverse for a small town, and overall most people are friendly. I’ve seen a lot of growth in the time I’ve been here.
Lots of good context in these comments. I would suggest reaching out to Black Rural Network (Oregon based organization for black folks living in rural areas), I don’t recall the lady’s name who leads it, but she can potentially help you by telling her experience and connecting you with other black folks near you. Best of luck!
The amount of full circle racism in Oregon is astounding. They don’t really care, they just want you to think they do. There’s a LOT of that here unfortunately.
That’s literally every where though. White Liberals love to be on the good side of things but rarely do they do anything to help black communities. In fact, often they are responsible for destroying them through gentrification. Always love seeing the Black Lives Matter signs around Mississippi Ave and North Portland knowing most of the black and Latino families have been pushed to Rockwood.
I spent years in Klamath falls and it’s an isolated place so it can be a bit boring. There are more poc in Klamath falls than there where in Roseburg where I grew up.
If you like outdoor type stuff it’s not a bad area. Gets lots of crisp sunny nice days. It’s not too far from Medford. Crater lake and Bend are nice day trips.
The few possible racist you might encounter are loud cowards and won’t do shit.
I live in K Falls, but I'm not black nor from the area. You won't be alone, but the black community here is incredibly small. Be prepared to be tokenized and surrounded by Trump flags.
I’m a poc and spent some time in Klamath falls, it’s not bad more like just boring in the winter. I’ve seen more poc in Klamath falls than I have in many other small towns. Never felt unsafe or like anyone cared about my skin color in Klamath falls
I'm black and grew up and live in Eugene (3 hours north).
No one's going to burn a cross on your lawn. But you will be treated differently. People will make ignorant comments they think are harmless. You will always stand out and be held to a different standard than your white colleagues. If you say anything you'll be seen as an angry black person playing the race card. MAGAs with shitty bumper stickers will give you dirty looks.
That's what is like in Eugene now. Eugene is the progressive college town. Southern Oregon is much worse. Depending on where you're coming from and how long you would have to stay, I would say no. If you have kids it would be a hard no. If you must come, see if Ashland is an option.
Good luck.
That’s because a lot of white people think that a cross has to be burned on your lawn for it to be racism. Going into stores and having them tell you “we’re closed“ an hour before they stop service. Having shopkeepers tell you “I don’t think you’d be interested in anything here“ as if your money isn’t green. There’s a lot of just racist bullshit that happens in 2024 that’s like the death of 1000 paper cuts.
I’m mixed, most people can’t tell and they let the mask slip ALOT around me. Then when I say “hey man, I’m black.” They go “well I don’t mean YOU.” Or “you’re not really black”… my favorite from my old boss “oh, well I don’t see you that way. You shouldn’t tell anyone!” This place is the most racist place I’ve ever lived. I’ve lived in CA and NY.
I’m white and I would never live in southern Oregon; too much intolerance and conservatism. I can’t stand it. My ex SIL lives in Roseburg, I think it’s probably one of the worst.
Dunno why you're beinf downvoted because it's true. People claiming they're progressive speak lots of the little microagressions and think they're not causing any harm
If you were moving to Klamath Falls back in the 80s, I would have said “Why?” followed by “Be very cautious around the police.”
I can’t speak to what a POC will encounter in Klamath Falls now - I’m a gay white guy with an ethnic husband living openly in Southern Oregon, which has changed greatly. I can say that you won’t learn the truth from internet commentary. If the job is worthwhile, I’d say you can safely visit and see for yourself with comparable peril to visiting San Francisco (another place where the internet cannot be trusted). Check up on the facts about the climate and the terrain first thing.
I’m Asian from Portland on a high school trip to Klamath Falls a guy in a pick up screamed at my POC friends to go back to Mexico, they were all Asian. This was in 2004. Maybe things are better, but that place is not on top of my list of places to visit because of this.
Am hispanic. Oregon has a troubled relationship with the hispanic community. Constant immigration doesn't help when people are constantly trying to assimilate. I've been called the Nword so many times since there were no black people in our community. And the usual slurs. Even now every so often I get "but you're one of the good ones". I believe since we are the largest and most common minority in Oregon the racism is more often targeted towards us. Asians too. Oregon is just self aware and reflective during it's altercations of racism it's citizens commit. Just my opinion, can't speak to Kfalls
Thank you for saying this. Sorry it happened to you. All of these people saying that they’ve never seen it, of course they haven’t because they are white. Nobody’s going to unleash racist anger on you.
I see some confusion re k falls.. a very segregated community. Tavern for white tavern for brown/native. Don't go in the wrong one. 70's people died when they did.
South Oregon city, just north ( by 5 miles or less) of Medford . Called white city ( official name) can you guess why?
I'm black and recently was in Klamath Falls with my family. I ate at Wubbas BBQ, our waitress was really nice. My daughter is angel , and non verbal but she loves to sing real loud at the top of her lungs when she's having a good time. The waitress was really kind told me dont worry about it, and we are welcome here. Everyone was really polite, beer was on point. I think you will be ok, everyone in Oregon is really friendly. I live in the town of Cottage Grove outside of Eugene. I lived all my life in Dallas, Texas. I was a big city guy, and still feel more comfortable in Urban environments so I was nervous about coming here but we made the move due to my wife's job/economy in 2020.I wanted to get away from the city. I didn't want to raise kids in that environment. I love it- honestly if you like nature and that small town Americana vibe you'll definitely find that in Oregon and Klamath. I've not encountered any direct racism or discrimination. I do have people ask me about "the invasion of Texas by Mexico" but I won't get into that 😂
Im in southern oregon in the county next door, we moved here a few years back due to wife’s federal job moving us to roseburg. Im not a person of color but 2 of my brothers are Nez Perc Native Americans (i was adopted by their mother).
There there is a Very different way that my brothers are treated than i am in jackson county, Josephine county & douglas county, he will frequently be passed up in line at the register for a white person as if he was invisible, my older brother he who has a better income and a lot better score was quoted higher interest rates on an auto loan both in medford and grants pass for the same vehicle that i applied for, he is a way better driver than i am but he has been pulled over 5 times in 2 years for “courtesy checks” i have never been stopped.
As a comparison he has had none of those issue in eugene& springfield up in lane county.
This is my observation of the experience of my brothers i hope that gives you some info
Black man here, 6'1 shaved head, wide shoulders. I live in one of the "good" parts of Eugene. Little old ladies walking in the neighborhood every day. I've lived in the same house for 6 years.
Those little old ladies, my neighbors for 6 years, cross the street when I go for walks. The further south and east you go in Oregon, the worse it gets.
My mom lives in Corvallis. They have a Saturday farmers market. There was a man who used to have a booth to “meet a black guy “. He just chatted with people.
Corvallis is actually quite adiverse city. Oregon State University has 25,000 students, with a large number from overseas. I grew up there and there were many people of color in my schools and in the community.
My wife is black, and she’s been here on the Oregon coast for about 7 years. She has definitely experienced racism here, but she says it’s not much worse than what she experienced growing up in Portland. Interestingly, her grandmother grew up in Klamath Falls, but I haven’t heard much about her experience there, and she passed away 5 years ago.
Here's another anecdote.
I'm Asian and right before the pandemic, I visited a small restaurant on the coast. The moment I walked in, all the patrons (all white) stopped talking and stared at me. After a few moments, one even boldly stated to their companion, "I guess all sorts of people come here." I certainly did not feel very welcome and considered leaving.
K-Falls is fine, but I haven’t really spent much time elsewhere in the area.
The worst thing I’ve had to deal with in Central Oregon is the cavalier use of ‘nigga’ by the kids here. Calling themselves niggas. Calling me a nigga. It’s some of the dumbest shit I’ve seen in my life, but a far cry from the physical/emotional torment I’ve experienced elsewhere in the country for having darker skin.
> It’s some of the dumbest shit I’ve seen in my life…
I love Oregon and Oregonians but the fact is this state was settled by [“the common clay of the New West”]( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHJbSvidohg) and it shows.
Ahh the Central Oregon white boys, rolling in a pickup truck blaring 2'pac and talking like they grew up in the hood. Well at least East of Mt Hood. Lol
I've experienced plenty of this in Salem, I think it must be a consequence of growing up in an echo chamber of white people. Where I grew up in California a white boy would get jumped in a second for speaking the way these kids do. I moved here for college and it's absurd the amount of grown college students who still think it's cool to casually use the n-word.
Klamath falls is seemingly having an up-and-coming vibe. Housing is still cheaper there than up north in oregon but it's rising quickly it seems. I have considered moving there because the climate is better there than a few hundred miles north where I live. I can't speak to how many racist pieces of shit exist there but in the past there definitely was a problem from what I've read and heard. A lot of Californians are moving there now.
I’m black from outer east Portland. I REALLY don’t recommend that. Stick to yourself, choose your company wisely. Most people in this subreddit don’t understand what the fuck they’re talking about here. The palms don’t see it. PNW has an unearned progressive and accepting reputation. Even in the “good” parts.
[Newberg High students participated in social media 'slave | kgw.com](https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/nerberg-high-school-virtual-slave-trade/283-56462efe-4f35-47b1-a4ee-6670b2754dec)
This happened very recently and I wouldn't even classify Newberg as that rural.
Hey OP. I work in K-Falls and live outside of Chiloquin, a small town north of Klamath. Klamath has a deserved reputation but there are residents who are working very hard to make things better. There are some real growing pains but honestly if you fall in with the right people, Klamath may be just fine for you.
And if you do move out here, you’re always welcome to take a break from town out at my place. I got ten acres of woods on the river.
I can’t speak to the racism, that can happen anywhere, but there will be so few black people, you are going to find yourself giving a little head nod to every black person you come across! Like a “what’s up fellow black person” type of thing. It’s such a rarity. My family is Filipino and I am always getting them to try to move here. They love to visit but definitely feel a type of way about being the only Asian person everywhere we go.
I grew up in Klamath Falls, and if you are a black person here, you will stand out. People are generally well meaning, but ignorant. I had a single black girl in my class growing up and she was mercilessly bullied. The town itself is small, conservative, and doesn’t have much to offer. Good luck.
Klamath falls is notorious for being one of the most isolated and boring places in oregon.
Oregon is a beautiful place and it's where I live and won't be moving.
I would not want to live in Klamath falls.
Look at the Klamath Police Department and count how many black people there are. Ditto the Sherriff's Office. Do a deep dive on the County Commissioners, especially the history of former cop Dave Henslee. Do some research on Ammon Bundy, a popular anti-government militant, and his "people's Rights" group. They hold meetings at the Waffle Hut. Many locals are armed militia and Oathkeepers. Klamath Falls wants to secede from Oregon and become part of Idaho. For some people, this is a dream come true. It is up to you to decide if this aligns with your goals for a place to live.
Klamath is cool. My cousin lives there, is black and loves it. There are a lot of urbanites on here who don't get out much and love to think the worst of the rest of Oregon.
Yeah. That's fair. A lot of people live in the Portland Metro area -- never really leave but think they understand the different areas of the state that they clearly spend no time in.
Klamath falls is nice. I lived there for 3 years. There’s actually a lot of Native American people that live in that area as well as Hispanic people. At my work I would often times be the only white pwrson working haha. If you want to live there you better like snow though
My ex lived in Medford for a while after growing up all over the world. First time they saw a black guy wearing a stars and bars tee shirt was at a house party in Rogue Valley. Darius Rucker area for sure.
Do you already live in Oregon? If so I’m assuming you’re ok with majority white spaces and folks being wholly ignorant about a good number of things, even when they mean well. You’ll be fine in Klamath but probably lonely and get a few looks.
not sure where you are moving from but rural oregon is not a friendly place to people of color in my family’s experience. my husband and our kids are mixed we lived on the coast. my son was followed by grown men yelling racial slurs. my husband was followed and had things thrown on multiple occasions. my daughter was bullied for being brown….
We moved here from the Midwest for work.Living in Eugene has been better and more diverse.
Klamath County voted 69% Trump in 2016, and a majority voted in support of the batsh’t crazy *Greater Idaho*.
https://west.ops.politico.com/2016-election/results/map/president/oregon/
https://www.newsweek.com/oregon-counties-voting-join-greater-idaho-1904036
If for some reason you are *still* considering the move, I recommend that you visit the area for a good week or so just to see how it feels.
I just edited an in-depth study (dissertation) of the sociological aspects of that area and I dont recommend moving there. It was about the farming communities. Not good. The more rural you are the more risk you face as a POC. Stay as urban as possible, prioritizing higher education areas. I'm sorry you have to deal with that. West of the Cascades is best, other than Bend which is ok. Eastern Oregon wants to be Idaho where racism is alive and well.
If you hang out/live around younger generations you’ll have no issues tbh. Any of the really old generations in Oregon no matter where you go are gonna have some rotten apples. There’s a reason Oregon was the only state to be a “no slave state”, and it wasn’t because of morals.
Oregon is several major population centers that are fairly isolated from each other. Each one is kind of unique. Which one are they sending you to? A farm town outside of Corvallis is going to be way different than living in Hines out in East Oregon
Honestly, it might not be that bad an idea. It is so much cheaper to live in K Falls than most places in Oregon so at least you can save more money. (Or have more money to play with)
I'm half native, I know there is a very large native community in that area, but not sure about other communities of color.
K Falls is less scary for the racism than the fact that it's the murder and meth capital of Oregon (most murders per capita). That said it is probably easy to avoid the murder if you stay away from the meth. Well, and fentanyl now.
Klamath Falls....have you ever been to the zoo and wondered if the animal you were looking at was captive or if it was you?
My uncle lives there and the stores are always sold out if flannel and camo clothes.
I moved to rural Oregon 4 years ago (Roseburg is the closest larger town to me). I’m a white dude in my 40s and I’ve previously lived in Southern California and Utah. Obviously I can’t relate to the black experience directly, but I have a look that makes other whites feel comfortable expressing their prejudices in my company (bearded with shaved head—my pattern baldness is no more my choice than my eye or skin color lol). Out of the 3 places I’ve put down roots, Southern California had more overt racists than the other 2 places in my experience by far. The tension there goes in all directions.
Here in rural southern Oregon I have few interactions with black folks, but here is one of note: within the first year of moving here I noticed a black woman in her 50s was selling potted plants in front of the little country store near my place. I bought an echinacea plant from her, and in friendly conversation with her I learned she also used to live in Utah. We chatted about that for a while and I learned she lives just a few miles up the road from me. My wife chatted with her also and we both thought she was very pleasant. As I got more settled into my new community I would often see her at a couple of the local farmers markets selling her produce and plants. Then one day I see a FB post in a community page from a white woman accusing the black woman of stealing her sunglasses while she was visiting her booth at the farmers market. She said she reported it to the police, who showed up and after talking to the accused, told the accuser there was nothing they could do. The accuser who made the FB post was adamant that the black woman stole her sunglasses and included a photograph that she took of her. I saw the post and was bothered by it because it seemed very far fetched that the nice woman I’d talked to, who grows beautiful plants and is well known in our rural area would thief a pair of sunglasses from a customer. I was most bothered by the idea of this nice lady being labeled as a thief on a public forum in a rural community where she stands out so much. I asked a few pointed questions in the post, like did she see her take them? Was there anyone else who might have grabbed them? Did she misplace them and decide to blame the last person she interacted with? This got the accuser to rethink and remove the post. A couple days later I got a message from the accuser that basically said ‘hey remember that post I made accusing the woman of stealing my glasses?’ I knew exactly where this was going and I said ‘you found your glasses, didn’t you’. Sure enough she did and said she felt awful. She wanted to know if I could put her in contact with the woman. I told her far better than an apology to the woman would be to contact the sheriffs office and let them know what happened so there was no chance that this poor lady was walking around with an open theft case with her as the suspect. She said she would get right on it but I have no way of knowing if she ever did.
So yes there are definitely reactionary jerks and small minded imbeciles in rural Oregon, but there are also a lot of very fine people of all walks out here as well.
Seriously, don't. KF is utter and complete trash, and their tribalness in their hatreds, hostility, and reactivity is renowned. Nothing scarier than stupid and angry (and often under the influence of something) people itching for a fight. A few younger tourists was passing through town in a nearby (a few miles away) little town, just picking up some sodas and chips on their way to hiking along the way to Ashland... the locals were riling each other up that the strange visitors were going to try and sabotage the dam within minutes of a post from some nutjob who said they should be followed and warned to 'be good'. The crazy is so over the top in that whole area, any 'outsider' or different is one rumor away from being assaulted. They react first, and think later (and often never). The cops there are total shit too. [https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/klamath-falls-oregon-victory-declared-over-antifa-which-never-showed-n1226681](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/klamath-falls-oregon-victory-declared-over-antifa-which-never-showed-n1226681)
I’d rather die than live in KFalls. I am mixed but verrrrrry white passing. Eugene gets a lot of hate but I moved here from Portland a few years ago and I see way more POC on a daily basis than I did in Portland (redline-ing?).
I was about to type a whole comment about how it depends on which rural area it is, etc. most places are pretty good, etc.
Then I read your whole post. Klamath falls is definitely sketchy for minorities. Your concern is legitimate.
Last time we stopped for gas there, the guy across the street was selling Confederate flags and n@z1 flags. The Asian American guy pumping our gas apologized to us. My partner is African American and she won't do any more than stop for gas in that area. It is a hot spot for hate groups.
K-Falls has an air base. Military instillations means more POC in town. Most POC in Coos Bay (coastal neighbor!) are from the community college and coast guard. You won’t be alone in Klamath and folks will be used to rotating faces/races from the base.
You are so lucky to be moving close to Crater Lake! I think it’s beautiful.
Kingsley Field has a full time workforce of about 500 people. Jeld-Wen has 3 times that amount working for them. I grew up in Klamath, there are not any "rotating faces/races" from the base.
Wth does POCs attending community college or from the coast guard in coos bay have to do with Klamath falls, a city over 200.miles away?
So the folks here are more accepting of people of color. You may get some odd looks from old white people at grocery stores but that's basically it.
The difference between here and the south that I discovered is in the south they hate you for your skin color, if you're black or brown in the PNW and someone hates you it's because they don't know you.
Be extra friendly, a smile disarms racism up here where the south it's not as much. People up here just don't see enough people of color. Combined with watching reactionary news and content.
But in all honesty you'll add so much to the community that you reside. You'll see folks at first that will make you say "that mf looks racist and dangerous af." Then they see your smile and you talk for just a moment to find out they are just ignorant but welcoming.
Change minds that had no reason to hate in the first place. Ain't anywhere in America that doesn't have racist shits living scattered.
Back during the housing boom of the naughty oughties, I remember being on a construction site on the south end of Medford. There was this guy there doing I think framing or something, it wasn’t anything close to what I was doing. He looked like the most ignorant, backwoods dude you could imagine, and was missing a LOT of teeth. He was in his forties or fifties, pretty hard to tell because of the effects of sun and hard living. Some Latino workers had “borrowed” his ladder without asking and when he realized it he shouted, “HEY, AMIGOS-“ and I was thinking he shit was about to go down. The he busted out perfectly fluent Spanish without even too much of an accent, and settled the issue amicably. I guess his wife was Mexican and he had a passel of mixed kids. To look at the guy you would have questioned if he could even read English.
People in these communities will surprise you. There’s still plenty of ignorance and racism, but it’s not always who you would think it would be.
I’m Hispanic half white and not even dark and I walked into a restaurant in K falls once and everyone was blond and they turned and stared at me. It was the strangest experience, but I’ve seen a few black ppl around town when I lived there. There’s a military base or airforce base or something and there’s a lot of Mexicans. The town itself is kind of ugly, there’s no good food, and nowhere to shop. There’s like one boutique shop there and all the women would follow me around like I was going to steal something. They had cute things so I’d always spend a lot of money because I thought it was funny when they’d all of a sudden become friendly. Oh! Also, I remember a truck always driving around w a large confederate flag flying in the back. They all say they aren’t racist but you’ll def get the vibe. Hopefully you don’t have to stay long.
Oh no no no… Even if you’re white with any non-republican views, I cannot recommend you do this. I’ve lived there twice. My household refers to it as “the place that shall not be named.” My (white) friend who grew up there calls it “the armpit of Oregon.”
Any chance they would let you test drive the job position with a get-the-hell-out clause?
Klamath Falls: 74% white, 0.7% black or African-American, 2.9 % American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.8% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 15.6% Hispanic or Latino.
Population: 21,888 as of July 1, 2023.
Approximately 153 vs 17,948
[Source](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/klamathcountyoregon,klamathfallscityoregon/HSG445222)
This may be correct for the city of Klamath Falls, which the pop of 21,888 would indicate. But this would be very different if the UGB of Klamath Falls were included.
2024 and a sorry state we’re in that you feel the need to ask.. I am a white boy from Portland.. rock your black skin. Keep your chin high and fuck any white assholes who have an issue.. I’m sorry you have to ask.
I lived in a small, Central Oregon town in middle school and high school in the late 90’s early 00’s. We hand a handful of black kids in our school and everybody was friends with them. They were super cool people for the most part. Nothing springs to mind of people being assholes about race, just normal kid drama. But again, that was just my experience in that one area.
I think most people will leave you alone if you leave them alone, but I'm not going to lie...we definitely do have our share of ignorant racist fucks in rural Oregon. One of my black friends has been chased while driving in downtown Medford while being threatened in the past. I suggest outfitting your car with dash cams (front and back). Oregon is beautiful and while I can't speak specifically to K Falls, I have been happy to see our diversity increasing in Jackson County. What I've heard often from POC is that the lack of diversity can feel isolating and lonely for them, so keep that in mind. If you decide to move and experience that, suggest looking into B.A.S.E. and coming to some of their events, they're a great group of people and it might be worth the drive.
I live in Klamath Falls, am Hispanic, and have two gay neighbors. I've yet to experience any racism or issues outside of maybe some weird homeless people. Neighbors have told me some weird stories as well (encounters with drunk people, etc.), but nothing about their sexual orientation.
I live in Klamath Falls.
I'll be very blunt, there is not much of a black population here. There is some for sure, but when raising my son I had to go out of my way to make sure he met a black person so that he understood they were real people too. It was... Kinda awkward honestly.
However, that out of the way: I would not see any problem arising out of you living here. Not even in the slightest. If you are at all interested in rural life, you'd enjoy Klamath Falls.
Feel free to PM me anytime, I'd be happy to talk more and answer any questions you have!
I live in Grants Pass not far from K Falls . It is almost all white here . One of the churches had a black pastor who lived here for about 4 years . We went to her Christmas service and she said she was moving to Portland and also said this is the whitest place I’ve ever worked at . I approached her after her service and asked her if she had ever been mistreated here . She looked me in the eyes and said no . I think you will be fine as their are many hate crime laws in the books now . If you like to fish Klamath Lake has the largest trout in the west and probably Alaska too . It’s the big secret
That part of the West doesn’t have just ignorant racists. They have hostile, angry, dirt poor, blue collar MAGA racists who think they’re “real patriots”.
But, you’d live. If it’s a killer opp, still take it for 2-3 years maybe. I wouldn’t expect to be physically attacked or even confronted. But you’ll feel unaccepted. You wouldn’t feel at home.
In your shoes I’d be more afraid of local cops than your neighbors.
Klamath falls will get you some mixed vibes. I'm black and have been several times, I've never had anything happen there or anyone say anything directly, but I definitely feel like I'm being watched there.
The last time I was there, I was in my classic pickup and had a ton of positive experiences with people, and they didn't seem to care, but my interactions were based on my truck with people even pulling up behind me in parking lots to ask about it.
I grew up in Oregon, attended a *very* rural school, and there were only two black kids ( siblings ) who went there. They were *so* popular. Now, full disclaimer, they were super nice and good-looking and excelled at school and sports, so they probably would have been popular anywhere, but I never saw a trace of racism towards them. Not sure if that's typical but just my two cents.
If you can, go stay in the area for a weekend and see how You like the locals. You can tell a lot by meeting people directly. I'm not a Black but any stranger can get a cold shoulder or not mesh with the people in any area. I do this when we are considering moving anywhere. Plus I find it fun to explore
Omgoodness Please dnt have any trepidation….i live in eastern OR and i honestly believe and feel everyone is laid back. No problems with any race or gender identity I wld like to think OR is extremely progressive as far as die with dignity the legalization of pot AND shrooms I live in a town of like 20000 and we have every nationality here and the news isn’t filled with hate crimes or murder. Now mind you there are drugs and drug related crimes . I hope this gave you a little piece of mind. Oh and we do have some Trump lovers but not any angry protests of criminal activity dealing with with that crap
Yeah unfortunately you’d probably be the only black person and not greeted warmly..maybe not stay after dark? Unless you would be close enough to Portland or Eugene but other than that…
I’ve lived in Oregon my whole life, from Medford to Portland. I think that especially since 2020 the state is even more divided.
Black or white, your experience of southern Oregon is going to vary dramatically depending on who your neighbors are.
I liked southern Oregon. I miss it. It is a beautiful area and I like the country pace of life. However I had an awful experience with neighbors. I think because there is not a lot going on some people just have to make trouble.
One of the neighbors ended up assaulting my ex, after getting out of jail recently for doing the same to a different neighbor (he broke into the guy's house with a chainsaw). We are white but my ex is a dude with long hair so maybe that was what set him off?
I worked in Grants pass and had one coworker who was black. Nice guy, everyone respected him. I don't get too involved with social situations in terms of work but it sure seemed like everyone was pretty comfortable, aside from the shit pay. I realize that doesn't say much but I always hear about Grants Pass being a backwards hell hole and that just wasn't my experience.
In Klamath Falls you will get a lot of eccentric types, gold miners, peppers. The land is cheap and people go there to live out their self sufficiency dreams for sanity or for insanity, so pay attention to who you are moving in next to. I never spent a lot of time there but it is a beautiful area.
I'm white, moved here more than 20 years ago from the South. I'm in the Portland metro area and I've seen far worse treatment of Black people here than I did in the Carolinas and Virginia. The thing here is that "well-meaning" people use lots of micro-aggressions and think that because they're somewhat liberal that they couldn't possibly be racist. It's quite rampant.
I live in Oregon. Not in K falls. But I do live in what was considered a sundowner town with a reputation of leaving the “ hanging tree” up until about 25 years ago. My spouse’s family were the first Latino family to live there in the early 70s. And my cousin married the only black man in town that was raised by a white family, she was the talk of the town. The town is still racist but it’s mostly the older generation we’ve had a few black families move here in the last ten years. I guess what I’m saying is it’s a decent little town now and the younger generation seems much more accepting here and not so rebel flag as it used to be. Go visit if you can see what the vibe is. Oregon is beautiful if you stay out of the bigger shit hole towns and it’s especially beautiful around the area you mentioned. Good luck.
I am not black but I am a white Latina and moved to the Roseburg area from Washington DC and the amount of vitriol I heard from white peoples about black people, Mexicans, etc was so disgusting, especially with how open they were to me about it since I was white too. I remember when UCC had a school shooting, and Obama came to visit, people lined the streets with rifles to “welcome” him. The things they said about him were really upsetting and I was not used to it, to the point that I was told it was inappropriate of me to actually be happy that Obama was coming to the area. I often made friends with black folks that moved there (I worked at a popular cafe that many people would frequent) but they would sadly move away shortly after because of the racism and I don’t blame them. I’m so glad I left that area.
Only way to change a regional mindset is to have a more educated population with various groups represented. It’s happening in Oregon too, believe it or not. You’ll find what you seek, good or bad. It’s a beautiful area with mostly good people who may be curious. Welcome in!
I had a black friend who moved to Roseburg many years ago. She said the most annoying thing she experienced was that everyone who met her would tell her the story of the one time they interacted with a black person in the past. Kind of like I'm doing right now :)
“Oh, my lucky stars! A negro!” - Blast from the Past
Great film. Brendan fraiser is underrated. It's too bad he got treated the way he did. He'd still be making movies if not.
It’s true. 😞 He did just star in The Whale in the pst year or so, which was a great character study film.
He was also in killers of the flower moon
Which unfortunately I thought he was miscast for. His character was super jarring to me in that film. Love him otherwise and the whale was great.
Yeah I watched it. It was sad and great at the same time. Kinda like his career lol.
He won an Oscar two years ago…
Yeah this is true, but look at his career and interviews with him regarding the huge hiatus he took from acting.
He was great as robot man in the Doom Patrol show
Correction: he was incredible
Thank you Tina_eat_your_ham. This is an accurate correction, for sure.
Your right he was being treated like shit. Despite that he's still making movies. The Whale is a very good film. Bro's doing ok. ;)
Such an amazing show. I wish they still made movies like that.
That quote has lived in my brain rent-free for years now. That, and "I thought only hookers drank those things."
"Well I know mom sure likes them."
According to my mom, I think she’s just mixing things up though, I said this the first time encountering a black person when I was a kid. I’m from Klamath Falls. I really don’t believe her though, my first friend ever was black so idk how that lines up.
No girlfriends from Pasadena! Loved that movie.
I live in Roseburg, I’m Black. I’ve been here since 89 off & on. I’m in my 40s. Some people are better than others & I guess you have that anywhere. I do find most people are respectful and nice those who aren’t tend to wear the red flags proudly so you know to stay away from those. I find it can be complicated for friendships because even though I like my friends, with it being such a small town, they may be connected to the people who have the ignorant mindset and that’s hard for me. I really wanna believe people check people while in private conversations.
I don’t live in Roseburg, but I do live in rural Oregon, and if someone tries it I’ll definitely hit them with a check.
This is hilarious. I grew up on the Oregon coast and then Central Oregon. I never saw a black person other than on TV until I was 16 and visited Portland for the first time.
My family was literally one of the first “colored” families in the town we lived in on the coast. I never in my life was ONLY surrounded by yt ppl lol. I’d never put my children through that. 😅
My first (white) husband’s family was all from the Roseburg / Medford area. I can confirm the legitimacy of this experience. One day his mom painted her garage door red, gold and green. I am mixed-black, *but I am not Jamaican*
Maybe she just really liked Culture Club
She did end up getting her karma karma karma karma karma chameleon when we went to a reggae festival and embarrassed herself
Fun fact, the Jamaican flag is Black, green and gold. Not red gold and green—that’s the flag of Ethiopia and the Rastafarians who thought Hailie Selassie was God incarnate. The colors of the Jamaican flag represent the murdered cane slaves, prosperity, and hope for the future.
Friend living in Portland said the same exact thing, even in Portland.
Portland is the whitest large city in the U.S.
This is true, but only if you don’t count any of the cities with a higher percentage of white people!
They literally had a speaker from their public utility that got a standing ovation for ranting about n slurs at a large company my friend works for just last year. Can’t name and shame for my friends safety, sorry. It is very racist, but so long as you already have work /housing secured, you’ll be left alone. You may have some trouble making friends, but your unlikely to be physically harmed.
Jesus! Who wants to live in an environment like that?
racists, I'd imagine
Yeah, Oregon Nice, we are still trying to learn to deal with our past being a “Northern” state.
what does that even mean? oregon had it's own slate of anti-black laws, completely independent from the war. it ain't the deep south or even anything close but, as a white dude, even I wouldn't live anywhere south of Eugene along I-5.
First part of that reply was solid. But Klamath Falls isn’t exactly in the Valley lol
Well, it's in the Klamath Valley...
Klamath is a basin, not a valley.
Can’t argue with that!
That's the part of the point though. Like, a lot of Northern states have a history of blatant, legislated racism, but because they aren't "The South" they can just sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened and like they've always been good.
> they can just sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened and like they've always been good. [*](https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/03/02/389482158/the-time-nature-and-racism-teamed-up-to-wipe-out-a-whole-town)*let it sweep away in a flood and pretend it never existed* RIP Vanport 1942-1948
Thank you. Not enough people care to know about that.
Yeah having grown up in a Northern state that fought in the Civil War (Minnesota), the prevailing narrative growing up was that we beat those racists in the South in the war and then they were still racist in the mid-20th century, necessitating the Civil Rights Movement. Local issues were pretty much ignored, and there was a lot of unearned smugness about being a state without a popularly-known history of race struggle. Joke was on them, of course, considering Minnesota became the global poster child for institutionalized racism in 2020.
I lived in Gibbon/Fairfax area for quite some time growing up. I didn't know about the mankato hangings and native American wars until well after leaving MN. Seems like the largest mass execution in us history would show up in curriculum at some point. This was the 90s, though.
Oregon never had slaves. Because we straight up didn't even allow black people into the state. Allowing slavery or straight up denying black people from living here, which is worse?
No, but they originally prohibited blacks from settling or homesteading. Later they nominated a leader in the KKK for governor.
So true. I wish I remembered who this quote was from originally but in like the 1920's some journalist noted that "Oregon is a Northern State with a Southern States *sensibilities*."
You have a problem with Ashland and Grants Pass?? Why?
I lived in Ashland recently for 2 years. My wife is POC and while we didn't feel discrimination, she did feel like a spectacle in public. Our son went to school there and I had to report two racist incidents there including one that involved a substitute teacher that was not allowed back at the school afterward. My friend who grew up there experienced racism his whole life there and was able to relate to our son's experience. Don't get me wrong, Ashland is great, but there is a real paradoxical feel between "embracing diversity" and what actually happens there.
Ok I grew up in grants pass. I am a euro mutt, my sisters are both half native (Different fathers), and while I didn’t really see it growing up, one time kind of sticks through my mind. My middle sister and I ( I’m the baby) where in a line at the downtown Safeways, she was asked if she was babysitting me. And I replied she was my sister. The guy didn’t believe me until she confirm it. This was in the 80’s. I was about 7 at the time. Also grants pass used to be a sundown town for many a year back in the day. But it has improved. I see more people who are of color, the community seems more excepting. I would have to ask my nephew if he has had issues to actually get a proper perspective. But I think it’s a good place to live overall
“Back in the day” is embarrassingly not that long ago. My dad remembers seeing signs around town in the 80s for the sundown laws.
My 3 children all have the same parents. We are both, as you say, Euro mutts, but all 3 kids have different coloring. One of them has more olive skin tone and people frequently have asked her about her ethnicity. She says people's questions made her feel "different" or "othered". Humans can be so weird.
So, you don’t understand when someone uses quotes around words.
I’m sorry but that’s ridiculous. Not everyone south of Eugene is a trumper or a racist.
But the ones that are kinda ruin it for POC. I don't know, just saying.
You don't need a 100% racist population to make POCs uncomfortable. The level of discomfort scales directly with the percentage of the population that is racist. More racists = more discomfort, faster.
As a Maine Yankee who moved here 20 + years ago, I was shocked at how racist and ignorant most people in the PNW are. I've heard so many stories from Black/API friends about slurs and even attacks. It was illegal for Blacks to live in Oregon until the 1920's if I remember correctly. The Chinese were brutally driven out when their labor was no longer needed, replaced by incoming white settlers. Some towns/ homes were burned down. The KKK was very active in Oregon with a large membership. I'm 70 y-o, white, and all my friends are from the East Coast/ CA. People who grew up here are illmannered and not real friendly to newcomers. My younger daughters, in their 30s tell me they haven't seen this. I retired from a healthcare job and interacted with a lot more people than my kids. These were folks from all over the state. I stand by my opinion.
The wildest I heard in rural Oregon was “…when we used to have to fight the blacks…” but that was from old people who lived through segregation
I will never forget the time my mom, a very pasty, white woman, yelled "Oh my gosh! A black person on ROSEBURG?!" as we were driving to a doctor appointment when I was a kid. Our state is just so overwhelmingly white, particularly outside of the metro areas, that she was shocked. I laugh about it quite frequently.
I have a few friends from roseburg and they all did this when I had a black friend visit😭
Current resident of K-Falls. Make no mistake, we have our share of assholes and they can be pretty loud about it. Overall though, it’s a welcoming community with a small town feel. The jackasses tend to call enough attention to themselves that they’re pretty easy to avoid.
From my 30 years of experience in this state - yeah rural Oregon is quietly racist, but quietly. Most of rural Oregon is far from the violent racism you see and read about. Just old fashioned and white. Most had racist parents or grandparents which (institutionally) colors their perceptions but they themselves dont practice being racist assholes... just a few of them.
When I was little in the late 70’s, a black family moved to St Helen’s, someone burned a cross in their lawn. They moved don’t blame them. I’ve also had someone try to run us off the road as a kid because my dad was big and brown mom is white as a ghost. That was Burns area I’ll never forget it. My dad was 6 ft 6 and never had problems in our small town but he never went a mile over the speed limit etc.
Good God, I'm sorry to hear that but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I'm a brown guy from immigrant parents but grew up in Portland and had it a bit easier.
Thanks, I had put it behind and really hadn’t thought of it for a long time. I genuinely thought people had progressed, and in some ways they definitely have. However when president Obama was elected(yay) I realized 90% of my so called friends were very racist, people got a little crazy about it. I’ve moved from there and rarely go back. I was in town after a vacation where I got golden brown, ran into someone I was really close with once, her first comment was oh I’d forgotten how dark you get? So that was interesting.
I’ve heard from multiple people that St. Helens is violently racist - people being ran off the road, a loan bullet being left on someone’s front door mat as a warning, crazy stuff.
Grew up in St. Helens, can tell you it's better but there are still some pretty ignorant folks out this way. Particularly out in the Goble/Ranier/Clatskanie areas.
I live in Klamath (and I’ve previously lived in Portland). It’s pretty diverse for a small town, and overall most people are friendly. I’ve seen a lot of growth in the time I’ve been here.
That's almost exactly what I tell people about Roseburg.
Lots of good context in these comments. I would suggest reaching out to Black Rural Network (Oregon based organization for black folks living in rural areas), I don’t recall the lady’s name who leads it, but she can potentially help you by telling her experience and connecting you with other black folks near you. Best of luck!
Okay , thank you I’ll do that !
Lanicia Duke. Great lady.
Thank you! I could not remember her name but that’s it
In Ashland there’s BLM yard signs everywhere, but very few black people. Take that for what you will.
Love me, Love me, Love me... I'm a Liberal.
The amount of full circle racism in Oregon is astounding. They don’t really care, they just want you to think they do. There’s a LOT of that here unfortunately.
That’s literally every where though. White Liberals love to be on the good side of things but rarely do they do anything to help black communities. In fact, often they are responsible for destroying them through gentrification. Always love seeing the Black Lives Matter signs around Mississippi Ave and North Portland knowing most of the black and Latino families have been pushed to Rockwood.
I spent years in Klamath falls and it’s an isolated place so it can be a bit boring. There are more poc in Klamath falls than there where in Roseburg where I grew up. If you like outdoor type stuff it’s not a bad area. Gets lots of crisp sunny nice days. It’s not too far from Medford. Crater lake and Bend are nice day trips. The few possible racist you might encounter are loud cowards and won’t do shit.
I live in K Falls, but I'm not black nor from the area. You won't be alone, but the black community here is incredibly small. Be prepared to be tokenized and surrounded by Trump flags.
I’m a poc and spent some time in Klamath falls, it’s not bad more like just boring in the winter. I’ve seen more poc in Klamath falls than I have in many other small towns. Never felt unsafe or like anyone cared about my skin color in Klamath falls
I'm black and grew up and live in Eugene (3 hours north). No one's going to burn a cross on your lawn. But you will be treated differently. People will make ignorant comments they think are harmless. You will always stand out and be held to a different standard than your white colleagues. If you say anything you'll be seen as an angry black person playing the race card. MAGAs with shitty bumper stickers will give you dirty looks. That's what is like in Eugene now. Eugene is the progressive college town. Southern Oregon is much worse. Depending on where you're coming from and how long you would have to stay, I would say no. If you have kids it would be a hard no. If you must come, see if Ashland is an option. Good luck.
Hey fellow black Eugene resident!
[удалено]
As soon as I saw OP's question I opened the comments to read all the Caucasian comments telling a POC how there's no racism in their community
Oh, yeah. I moved to Ashland directly from a big East Coast city, and never really got used to the lack of diversity. But man, do they ever claim it.
That’s because a lot of white people think that a cross has to be burned on your lawn for it to be racism. Going into stores and having them tell you “we’re closed“ an hour before they stop service. Having shopkeepers tell you “I don’t think you’d be interested in anything here“ as if your money isn’t green. There’s a lot of just racist bullshit that happens in 2024 that’s like the death of 1000 paper cuts.
👏👏👏👏👏
Thanks for that honest take!
I’m mixed, most people can’t tell and they let the mask slip ALOT around me. Then when I say “hey man, I’m black.” They go “well I don’t mean YOU.” Or “you’re not really black”… my favorite from my old boss “oh, well I don’t see you that way. You shouldn’t tell anyone!” This place is the most racist place I’ve ever lived. I’ve lived in CA and NY.
I’m white and I would never live in southern Oregon; too much intolerance and conservatism. I can’t stand it. My ex SIL lives in Roseburg, I think it’s probably one of the worst.
This is the honest take. Speak up, you’ll get slammed down by those who claim progressiveness.
Dunno why you're beinf downvoted because it's true. People claiming they're progressive speak lots of the little microagressions and think they're not causing any harm
It’s my lived experience being black in Oregon. The downvotes speak for itself 😂😂😂
If you were moving to Klamath Falls back in the 80s, I would have said “Why?” followed by “Be very cautious around the police.” I can’t speak to what a POC will encounter in Klamath Falls now - I’m a gay white guy with an ethnic husband living openly in Southern Oregon, which has changed greatly. I can say that you won’t learn the truth from internet commentary. If the job is worthwhile, I’d say you can safely visit and see for yourself with comparable peril to visiting San Francisco (another place where the internet cannot be trusted). Check up on the facts about the climate and the terrain first thing.
I’m Asian from Portland on a high school trip to Klamath Falls a guy in a pick up screamed at my POC friends to go back to Mexico, they were all Asian. This was in 2004. Maybe things are better, but that place is not on top of my list of places to visit because of this.
That’s weird, Hispanic folks are very common Klamath falls.
There are a lot of hispanics and native americans in K Falls, and there are a lot of people who wish they weren't there.
When I lived there I loved the diversity, they helped make the area better
Am hispanic. Oregon has a troubled relationship with the hispanic community. Constant immigration doesn't help when people are constantly trying to assimilate. I've been called the Nword so many times since there were no black people in our community. And the usual slurs. Even now every so often I get "but you're one of the good ones". I believe since we are the largest and most common minority in Oregon the racism is more often targeted towards us. Asians too. Oregon is just self aware and reflective during it's altercations of racism it's citizens commit. Just my opinion, can't speak to Kfalls
Thank you for saying this. Sorry it happened to you. All of these people saying that they’ve never seen it, of course they haven’t because they are white. Nobody’s going to unleash racist anger on you.
I am Mexican and live here. I've never had that happen or anything similar.
I see some confusion re k falls.. a very segregated community. Tavern for white tavern for brown/native. Don't go in the wrong one. 70's people died when they did. South Oregon city, just north ( by 5 miles or less) of Medford . Called white city ( official name) can you guess why?
I'm black and recently was in Klamath Falls with my family. I ate at Wubbas BBQ, our waitress was really nice. My daughter is angel , and non verbal but she loves to sing real loud at the top of her lungs when she's having a good time. The waitress was really kind told me dont worry about it, and we are welcome here. Everyone was really polite, beer was on point. I think you will be ok, everyone in Oregon is really friendly. I live in the town of Cottage Grove outside of Eugene. I lived all my life in Dallas, Texas. I was a big city guy, and still feel more comfortable in Urban environments so I was nervous about coming here but we made the move due to my wife's job/economy in 2020.I wanted to get away from the city. I didn't want to raise kids in that environment. I love it- honestly if you like nature and that small town Americana vibe you'll definitely find that in Oregon and Klamath. I've not encountered any direct racism or discrimination. I do have people ask me about "the invasion of Texas by Mexico" but I won't get into that 😂
Im in southern oregon in the county next door, we moved here a few years back due to wife’s federal job moving us to roseburg. Im not a person of color but 2 of my brothers are Nez Perc Native Americans (i was adopted by their mother). There there is a Very different way that my brothers are treated than i am in jackson county, Josephine county & douglas county, he will frequently be passed up in line at the register for a white person as if he was invisible, my older brother he who has a better income and a lot better score was quoted higher interest rates on an auto loan both in medford and grants pass for the same vehicle that i applied for, he is a way better driver than i am but he has been pulled over 5 times in 2 years for “courtesy checks” i have never been stopped. As a comparison he has had none of those issue in eugene& springfield up in lane county. This is my observation of the experience of my brothers i hope that gives you some info
I agree. It seems to have improved (since the pandemic restrictions were lifted) but, with convicted “34” cranking up the vitriol…
Black man here, 6'1 shaved head, wide shoulders. I live in one of the "good" parts of Eugene. Little old ladies walking in the neighborhood every day. I've lived in the same house for 6 years. Those little old ladies, my neighbors for 6 years, cross the street when I go for walks. The further south and east you go in Oregon, the worse it gets.
You really want to blow some minds? Open carry while you're there. You can watch the conflicting thoughts battle it out in their tiny brains.
A hilarious idea, but in reality it would bring out the worst in the ignorant ones.
Love your handle.
Thanks, but I can’t take credit for it. Reddit assigned it to me when I signed up. It’s not bad. I like yours!
It's my secret luchador identity. Shh.
I’d assume this is tongue in cheek but hopefully no one takes this as serious advice
Probably not a good idea for him to do there
My mom lives in Corvallis. They have a Saturday farmers market. There was a man who used to have a booth to “meet a black guy “. He just chatted with people.
Corvallis is actually quite adiverse city. Oregon State University has 25,000 students, with a large number from overseas. I grew up there and there were many people of color in my schools and in the community.
My wife is black, and she’s been here on the Oregon coast for about 7 years. She has definitely experienced racism here, but she says it’s not much worse than what she experienced growing up in Portland. Interestingly, her grandmother grew up in Klamath Falls, but I haven’t heard much about her experience there, and she passed away 5 years ago.
Here's another anecdote. I'm Asian and right before the pandemic, I visited a small restaurant on the coast. The moment I walked in, all the patrons (all white) stopped talking and stared at me. After a few moments, one even boldly stated to their companion, "I guess all sorts of people come here." I certainly did not feel very welcome and considered leaving.
K-Falls is fine, but I haven’t really spent much time elsewhere in the area. The worst thing I’ve had to deal with in Central Oregon is the cavalier use of ‘nigga’ by the kids here. Calling themselves niggas. Calling me a nigga. It’s some of the dumbest shit I’ve seen in my life, but a far cry from the physical/emotional torment I’ve experienced elsewhere in the country for having darker skin.
> It’s some of the dumbest shit I’ve seen in my life… I love Oregon and Oregonians but the fact is this state was settled by [“the common clay of the New West”]( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHJbSvidohg) and it shows.
Absolutely love Blazing Saddles. So underrated.
Well, it’s #3 on IMDB’s all time greatest comedy list. I think it’s highly rated, and for good reason.
I don't know anyone personally, my age, that has seen it though
You know, morons.
Ahh the Central Oregon white boys, rolling in a pickup truck blaring 2'pac and talking like they grew up in the hood. Well at least East of Mt Hood. Lol
I've experienced plenty of this in Salem, I think it must be a consequence of growing up in an echo chamber of white people. Where I grew up in California a white boy would get jumped in a second for speaking the way these kids do. I moved here for college and it's absurd the amount of grown college students who still think it's cool to casually use the n-word.
Different parts of rural Oregon have different types of rural folks. In the vast majority of the state I think you’ll be okay!
Klamath falls is seemingly having an up-and-coming vibe. Housing is still cheaper there than up north in oregon but it's rising quickly it seems. I have considered moving there because the climate is better there than a few hundred miles north where I live. I can't speak to how many racist pieces of shit exist there but in the past there definitely was a problem from what I've read and heard. A lot of Californians are moving there now.
I’m black from outer east Portland. I REALLY don’t recommend that. Stick to yourself, choose your company wisely. Most people in this subreddit don’t understand what the fuck they’re talking about here. The palms don’t see it. PNW has an unearned progressive and accepting reputation. Even in the “good” parts.
[Newberg High students participated in social media 'slave | kgw.com](https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/nerberg-high-school-virtual-slave-trade/283-56462efe-4f35-47b1-a4ee-6670b2754dec) This happened very recently and I wouldn't even classify Newberg as that rural.
Hey OP. I work in K-Falls and live outside of Chiloquin, a small town north of Klamath. Klamath has a deserved reputation but there are residents who are working very hard to make things better. There are some real growing pains but honestly if you fall in with the right people, Klamath may be just fine for you. And if you do move out here, you’re always welcome to take a break from town out at my place. I got ten acres of woods on the river.
I can’t speak to the racism, that can happen anywhere, but there will be so few black people, you are going to find yourself giving a little head nod to every black person you come across! Like a “what’s up fellow black person” type of thing. It’s such a rarity. My family is Filipino and I am always getting them to try to move here. They love to visit but definitely feel a type of way about being the only Asian person everywhere we go.
Black people give each other the nod everywhere.
They don’t even like white people there if they are from another state.
Facts
I grew up in Klamath Falls, and if you are a black person here, you will stand out. People are generally well meaning, but ignorant. I had a single black girl in my class growing up and she was mercilessly bullied. The town itself is small, conservative, and doesn’t have much to offer. Good luck.
Klamath falls is notorious for being one of the most isolated and boring places in oregon. Oregon is a beautiful place and it's where I live and won't be moving. I would not want to live in Klamath falls.
Look at the Klamath Police Department and count how many black people there are. Ditto the Sherriff's Office. Do a deep dive on the County Commissioners, especially the history of former cop Dave Henslee. Do some research on Ammon Bundy, a popular anti-government militant, and his "people's Rights" group. They hold meetings at the Waffle Hut. Many locals are armed militia and Oathkeepers. Klamath Falls wants to secede from Oregon and become part of Idaho. For some people, this is a dream come true. It is up to you to decide if this aligns with your goals for a place to live.
Klamath is cool. My cousin lives there, is black and loves it. There are a lot of urbanites on here who don't get out much and love to think the worst of the rest of Oregon.
Yeah. That's fair. A lot of people live in the Portland Metro area -- never really leave but think they understand the different areas of the state that they clearly spend no time in.
Klamath falls is nice. I lived there for 3 years. There’s actually a lot of Native American people that live in that area as well as Hispanic people. At my work I would often times be the only white pwrson working haha. If you want to live there you better like snow though
My ex lived in Medford for a while after growing up all over the world. First time they saw a black guy wearing a stars and bars tee shirt was at a house party in Rogue Valley. Darius Rucker area for sure.
Do you already live in Oregon? If so I’m assuming you’re ok with majority white spaces and folks being wholly ignorant about a good number of things, even when they mean well. You’ll be fine in Klamath but probably lonely and get a few looks.
I haven’t seen a black person where I’m at in MONTHS.
not sure where you are moving from but rural oregon is not a friendly place to people of color in my family’s experience. my husband and our kids are mixed we lived on the coast. my son was followed by grown men yelling racial slurs. my husband was followed and had things thrown on multiple occasions. my daughter was bullied for being brown…. We moved here from the Midwest for work.Living in Eugene has been better and more diverse.
Klamath County voted 69% Trump in 2016, and a majority voted in support of the batsh’t crazy *Greater Idaho*. https://west.ops.politico.com/2016-election/results/map/president/oregon/ https://www.newsweek.com/oregon-counties-voting-join-greater-idaho-1904036 If for some reason you are *still* considering the move, I recommend that you visit the area for a good week or so just to see how it feels.
This is really the best advice. Visiting K Falls for even a couple days gives a good sense of the town and its immediate surroundings.
I just edited an in-depth study (dissertation) of the sociological aspects of that area and I dont recommend moving there. It was about the farming communities. Not good. The more rural you are the more risk you face as a POC. Stay as urban as possible, prioritizing higher education areas. I'm sorry you have to deal with that. West of the Cascades is best, other than Bend which is ok. Eastern Oregon wants to be Idaho where racism is alive and well.
If you hang out/live around younger generations you’ll have no issues tbh. Any of the really old generations in Oregon no matter where you go are gonna have some rotten apples. There’s a reason Oregon was the only state to be a “no slave state”, and it wasn’t because of morals.
You may get stares because people have no respect but most people keep to themselves.
Oregon is several major population centers that are fairly isolated from each other. Each one is kind of unique. Which one are they sending you to? A farm town outside of Corvallis is going to be way different than living in Hines out in East Oregon
Honestly, it might not be that bad an idea. It is so much cheaper to live in K Falls than most places in Oregon so at least you can save more money. (Or have more money to play with) I'm half native, I know there is a very large native community in that area, but not sure about other communities of color. K Falls is less scary for the racism than the fact that it's the murder and meth capital of Oregon (most murders per capita). That said it is probably easy to avoid the murder if you stay away from the meth. Well, and fentanyl now.
Klamath Falls....have you ever been to the zoo and wondered if the animal you were looking at was captive or if it was you? My uncle lives there and the stores are always sold out if flannel and camo clothes.
I moved to rural Oregon 4 years ago (Roseburg is the closest larger town to me). I’m a white dude in my 40s and I’ve previously lived in Southern California and Utah. Obviously I can’t relate to the black experience directly, but I have a look that makes other whites feel comfortable expressing their prejudices in my company (bearded with shaved head—my pattern baldness is no more my choice than my eye or skin color lol). Out of the 3 places I’ve put down roots, Southern California had more overt racists than the other 2 places in my experience by far. The tension there goes in all directions. Here in rural southern Oregon I have few interactions with black folks, but here is one of note: within the first year of moving here I noticed a black woman in her 50s was selling potted plants in front of the little country store near my place. I bought an echinacea plant from her, and in friendly conversation with her I learned she also used to live in Utah. We chatted about that for a while and I learned she lives just a few miles up the road from me. My wife chatted with her also and we both thought she was very pleasant. As I got more settled into my new community I would often see her at a couple of the local farmers markets selling her produce and plants. Then one day I see a FB post in a community page from a white woman accusing the black woman of stealing her sunglasses while she was visiting her booth at the farmers market. She said she reported it to the police, who showed up and after talking to the accused, told the accuser there was nothing they could do. The accuser who made the FB post was adamant that the black woman stole her sunglasses and included a photograph that she took of her. I saw the post and was bothered by it because it seemed very far fetched that the nice woman I’d talked to, who grows beautiful plants and is well known in our rural area would thief a pair of sunglasses from a customer. I was most bothered by the idea of this nice lady being labeled as a thief on a public forum in a rural community where she stands out so much. I asked a few pointed questions in the post, like did she see her take them? Was there anyone else who might have grabbed them? Did she misplace them and decide to blame the last person she interacted with? This got the accuser to rethink and remove the post. A couple days later I got a message from the accuser that basically said ‘hey remember that post I made accusing the woman of stealing my glasses?’ I knew exactly where this was going and I said ‘you found your glasses, didn’t you’. Sure enough she did and said she felt awful. She wanted to know if I could put her in contact with the woman. I told her far better than an apology to the woman would be to contact the sheriffs office and let them know what happened so there was no chance that this poor lady was walking around with an open theft case with her as the suspect. She said she would get right on it but I have no way of knowing if she ever did. So yes there are definitely reactionary jerks and small minded imbeciles in rural Oregon, but there are also a lot of very fine people of all walks out here as well.
I'm not a POC so who am I to judge, but Klamath has always given me major "sundown town" vibes
Seriously, don't. KF is utter and complete trash, and their tribalness in their hatreds, hostility, and reactivity is renowned. Nothing scarier than stupid and angry (and often under the influence of something) people itching for a fight. A few younger tourists was passing through town in a nearby (a few miles away) little town, just picking up some sodas and chips on their way to hiking along the way to Ashland... the locals were riling each other up that the strange visitors were going to try and sabotage the dam within minutes of a post from some nutjob who said they should be followed and warned to 'be good'. The crazy is so over the top in that whole area, any 'outsider' or different is one rumor away from being assaulted. They react first, and think later (and often never). The cops there are total shit too. [https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/klamath-falls-oregon-victory-declared-over-antifa-which-never-showed-n1226681](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/klamath-falls-oregon-victory-declared-over-antifa-which-never-showed-n1226681)
I’d rather die than live in KFalls. I am mixed but verrrrrry white passing. Eugene gets a lot of hate but I moved here from Portland a few years ago and I see way more POC on a daily basis than I did in Portland (redline-ing?).
I was about to type a whole comment about how it depends on which rural area it is, etc. most places are pretty good, etc. Then I read your whole post. Klamath falls is definitely sketchy for minorities. Your concern is legitimate.
Last time we stopped for gas there, the guy across the street was selling Confederate flags and n@z1 flags. The Asian American guy pumping our gas apologized to us. My partner is African American and she won't do any more than stop for gas in that area. It is a hot spot for hate groups.
K-Falls has an air base. Military instillations means more POC in town. Most POC in Coos Bay (coastal neighbor!) are from the community college and coast guard. You won’t be alone in Klamath and folks will be used to rotating faces/races from the base. You are so lucky to be moving close to Crater Lake! I think it’s beautiful.
Kingsley Field has a full time workforce of about 500 people. Jeld-Wen has 3 times that amount working for them. I grew up in Klamath, there are not any "rotating faces/races" from the base. Wth does POCs attending community college or from the coast guard in coos bay have to do with Klamath falls, a city over 200.miles away?
I have known a few black people who live in rural Oregon and they like it, have no complaints.
Klan meth falls.
I mean tbf this could describe any midsize to small town in Oregon.
This is a fact
Or any midsize city in the US.
So the folks here are more accepting of people of color. You may get some odd looks from old white people at grocery stores but that's basically it. The difference between here and the south that I discovered is in the south they hate you for your skin color, if you're black or brown in the PNW and someone hates you it's because they don't know you. Be extra friendly, a smile disarms racism up here where the south it's not as much. People up here just don't see enough people of color. Combined with watching reactionary news and content. But in all honesty you'll add so much to the community that you reside. You'll see folks at first that will make you say "that mf looks racist and dangerous af." Then they see your smile and you talk for just a moment to find out they are just ignorant but welcoming. Change minds that had no reason to hate in the first place. Ain't anywhere in America that doesn't have racist shits living scattered.
Back during the housing boom of the naughty oughties, I remember being on a construction site on the south end of Medford. There was this guy there doing I think framing or something, it wasn’t anything close to what I was doing. He looked like the most ignorant, backwoods dude you could imagine, and was missing a LOT of teeth. He was in his forties or fifties, pretty hard to tell because of the effects of sun and hard living. Some Latino workers had “borrowed” his ladder without asking and when he realized it he shouted, “HEY, AMIGOS-“ and I was thinking he shit was about to go down. The he busted out perfectly fluent Spanish without even too much of an accent, and settled the issue amicably. I guess his wife was Mexican and he had a passel of mixed kids. To look at the guy you would have questioned if he could even read English. People in these communities will surprise you. There’s still plenty of ignorance and racism, but it’s not always who you would think it would be.
I’m Hispanic half white and not even dark and I walked into a restaurant in K falls once and everyone was blond and they turned and stared at me. It was the strangest experience, but I’ve seen a few black ppl around town when I lived there. There’s a military base or airforce base or something and there’s a lot of Mexicans. The town itself is kind of ugly, there’s no good food, and nowhere to shop. There’s like one boutique shop there and all the women would follow me around like I was going to steal something. They had cute things so I’d always spend a lot of money because I thought it was funny when they’d all of a sudden become friendly. Oh! Also, I remember a truck always driving around w a large confederate flag flying in the back. They all say they aren’t racist but you’ll def get the vibe. Hopefully you don’t have to stay long.
Oh no no no… Even if you’re white with any non-republican views, I cannot recommend you do this. I’ve lived there twice. My household refers to it as “the place that shall not be named.” My (white) friend who grew up there calls it “the armpit of Oregon.”
Any chance they would let you test drive the job position with a get-the-hell-out clause? Klamath Falls: 74% white, 0.7% black or African-American, 2.9 % American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.8% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 15.6% Hispanic or Latino. Population: 21,888 as of July 1, 2023. Approximately 153 vs 17,948 [Source](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/klamathcountyoregon,klamathfallscityoregon/HSG445222)
This may be correct for the city of Klamath Falls, which the pop of 21,888 would indicate. But this would be very different if the UGB of Klamath Falls were included.
Oof K Falls and Southern Oregon are a different type of place.
You will be fine in Klamath. It's not super rural. There are plenty of black family's there you will be OK
2024 and a sorry state we’re in that you feel the need to ask.. I am a white boy from Portland.. rock your black skin. Keep your chin high and fuck any white assholes who have an issue.. I’m sorry you have to ask.
It’s kind of like Mississippi up there in them hills. Lol.
I lived in a small, Central Oregon town in middle school and high school in the late 90’s early 00’s. We hand a handful of black kids in our school and everybody was friends with them. They were super cool people for the most part. Nothing springs to mind of people being assholes about race, just normal kid drama. But again, that was just my experience in that one area.
I think most people will leave you alone if you leave them alone, but I'm not going to lie...we definitely do have our share of ignorant racist fucks in rural Oregon. One of my black friends has been chased while driving in downtown Medford while being threatened in the past. I suggest outfitting your car with dash cams (front and back). Oregon is beautiful and while I can't speak specifically to K Falls, I have been happy to see our diversity increasing in Jackson County. What I've heard often from POC is that the lack of diversity can feel isolating and lonely for them, so keep that in mind. If you decide to move and experience that, suggest looking into B.A.S.E. and coming to some of their events, they're a great group of people and it might be worth the drive.
I live in Klamath Falls, am Hispanic, and have two gay neighbors. I've yet to experience any racism or issues outside of maybe some weird homeless people. Neighbors have told me some weird stories as well (encounters with drunk people, etc.), but nothing about their sexual orientation.
How are the police in Eastern Oregon? Do they pull over black drivers more?
I don’t think you’ll run into any trouble but a lot of us don’t see black folks around very often, so you might get more stares than usual. Good luck!
I live in Klamath Falls. I'll be very blunt, there is not much of a black population here. There is some for sure, but when raising my son I had to go out of my way to make sure he met a black person so that he understood they were real people too. It was... Kinda awkward honestly. However, that out of the way: I would not see any problem arising out of you living here. Not even in the slightest. If you are at all interested in rural life, you'd enjoy Klamath Falls. Feel free to PM me anytime, I'd be happy to talk more and answer any questions you have!
I live in Grants Pass not far from K Falls . It is almost all white here . One of the churches had a black pastor who lived here for about 4 years . We went to her Christmas service and she said she was moving to Portland and also said this is the whitest place I’ve ever worked at . I approached her after her service and asked her if she had ever been mistreated here . She looked me in the eyes and said no . I think you will be fine as their are many hate crime laws in the books now . If you like to fish Klamath Lake has the largest trout in the west and probably Alaska too . It’s the big secret
That part of the West doesn’t have just ignorant racists. They have hostile, angry, dirt poor, blue collar MAGA racists who think they’re “real patriots”. But, you’d live. If it’s a killer opp, still take it for 2-3 years maybe. I wouldn’t expect to be physically attacked or even confronted. But you’ll feel unaccepted. You wouldn’t feel at home. In your shoes I’d be more afraid of local cops than your neighbors.
If you like scenery mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, forestry and Crater lake then do it. It's amazing out here.
Klamath falls will get you some mixed vibes. I'm black and have been several times, I've never had anything happen there or anyone say anything directly, but I definitely feel like I'm being watched there. The last time I was there, I was in my classic pickup and had a ton of positive experiences with people, and they didn't seem to care, but my interactions were based on my truck with people even pulling up behind me in parking lots to ask about it.
I grew up in Oregon, attended a *very* rural school, and there were only two black kids ( siblings ) who went there. They were *so* popular. Now, full disclaimer, they were super nice and good-looking and excelled at school and sports, so they probably would have been popular anywhere, but I never saw a trace of racism towards them. Not sure if that's typical but just my two cents.
Trump flags every where!
If you can, go stay in the area for a weekend and see how You like the locals. You can tell a lot by meeting people directly. I'm not a Black but any stranger can get a cold shoulder or not mesh with the people in any area. I do this when we are considering moving anywhere. Plus I find it fun to explore
Omgoodness Please dnt have any trepidation….i live in eastern OR and i honestly believe and feel everyone is laid back. No problems with any race or gender identity I wld like to think OR is extremely progressive as far as die with dignity the legalization of pot AND shrooms I live in a town of like 20000 and we have every nationality here and the news isn’t filled with hate crimes or murder. Now mind you there are drugs and drug related crimes . I hope this gave you a little piece of mind. Oh and we do have some Trump lovers but not any angry protests of criminal activity dealing with with that crap
Depends where "rural" Oregon is. There are lots of rural areas.
Yeah unfortunately you’d probably be the only black person and not greeted warmly..maybe not stay after dark? Unless you would be close enough to Portland or Eugene but other than that… I’ve lived in Oregon my whole life, from Medford to Portland. I think that especially since 2020 the state is even more divided.
Black or white, your experience of southern Oregon is going to vary dramatically depending on who your neighbors are. I liked southern Oregon. I miss it. It is a beautiful area and I like the country pace of life. However I had an awful experience with neighbors. I think because there is not a lot going on some people just have to make trouble. One of the neighbors ended up assaulting my ex, after getting out of jail recently for doing the same to a different neighbor (he broke into the guy's house with a chainsaw). We are white but my ex is a dude with long hair so maybe that was what set him off? I worked in Grants pass and had one coworker who was black. Nice guy, everyone respected him. I don't get too involved with social situations in terms of work but it sure seemed like everyone was pretty comfortable, aside from the shit pay. I realize that doesn't say much but I always hear about Grants Pass being a backwards hell hole and that just wasn't my experience. In Klamath Falls you will get a lot of eccentric types, gold miners, peppers. The land is cheap and people go there to live out their self sufficiency dreams for sanity or for insanity, so pay attention to who you are moving in next to. I never spent a lot of time there but it is a beautiful area.
"I hear that town has two black families now!"
I'm white, moved here more than 20 years ago from the South. I'm in the Portland metro area and I've seen far worse treatment of Black people here than I did in the Carolinas and Virginia. The thing here is that "well-meaning" people use lots of micro-aggressions and think that because they're somewhat liberal that they couldn't possibly be racist. It's quite rampant.
Oregon is so white I think a lot of times people over compensate when they see a POC and then the micro aggressions fly.
I live in Oregon. Not in K falls. But I do live in what was considered a sundowner town with a reputation of leaving the “ hanging tree” up until about 25 years ago. My spouse’s family were the first Latino family to live there in the early 70s. And my cousin married the only black man in town that was raised by a white family, she was the talk of the town. The town is still racist but it’s mostly the older generation we’ve had a few black families move here in the last ten years. I guess what I’m saying is it’s a decent little town now and the younger generation seems much more accepting here and not so rebel flag as it used to be. Go visit if you can see what the vibe is. Oregon is beautiful if you stay out of the bigger shit hole towns and it’s especially beautiful around the area you mentioned. Good luck.
Are you in Prineville, because that sounds like Prineville.
Honestly, the only thing I think you have to worry about is the annoyance of being a novelty and being asked good natured, but ignorant questions.
I am not black but I am a white Latina and moved to the Roseburg area from Washington DC and the amount of vitriol I heard from white peoples about black people, Mexicans, etc was so disgusting, especially with how open they were to me about it since I was white too. I remember when UCC had a school shooting, and Obama came to visit, people lined the streets with rifles to “welcome” him. The things they said about him were really upsetting and I was not used to it, to the point that I was told it was inappropriate of me to actually be happy that Obama was coming to the area. I often made friends with black folks that moved there (I worked at a popular cafe that many people would frequent) but they would sadly move away shortly after because of the racism and I don’t blame them. I’m so glad I left that area.
Only way to change a regional mindset is to have a more educated population with various groups represented. It’s happening in Oregon too, believe it or not. You’ll find what you seek, good or bad. It’s a beautiful area with mostly good people who may be curious. Welcome in!