This Week Back Then

This Week Back Then

By Portland State University History DepartmentEducation
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This Week Back Then episodes

  • The Harriet Tubman Middle School Protests | Black United Front vs. the Portland School Board
    In the early 1980s, the Portland school board voted to dismantle the last elementary school within a black neighborhood without any attempt to discuss the change with the community. Yet the community made sure their voices were heard. In this episode, Evan Smiley discusses the history of Portland’s integration and busing programs, and how community organizers fought institutional racism within the school districts.
    More at: http://www.publichistorypdx.org/2017/03/26/harriet-tubman-middle-school-protests-black-united-front-vs-portland-school-board/
    6 min
  • St. Johns Riot
    On March 21, 1910, rioters attacked the East-Indian population in the heart of St. Johns near Portland. Two hundred local residents, including prominent members of the community took part in the riot. Listen as Alecia Giombolini outlines this violent event and discusses its causes and implications.
    More at: http://www.publichistorypdx.org/2017/03/19/1910-st-johns-riot/
    5 min
  • Big Jim Elkins | Gangsters, Unions and Pinball
    This episode wishes Happy Birthday to James Butler Elkins, better known as “Big Jim.” Listen as Jeffrey Stone exposes the vice scene of Portland and the man who controlled the industry from 1940 to 1956.
    More at: http://www.publichistorypdx.org/2017/03/12/big-jim-elkins-gangsters-unions-pinball/
    5 min
  • Returning The California Condor To The Pacific Northwest
    The California Condor was added to the endangered species list on March 11, 1967. Now, there are more than 400 of these large birds alive today. Taylor Bailey takes a look at the California Condor’s success story and the programs that have helped save the species.
    More at: http://www.publichistorypdx.org/2017/03/05/returning-california-condor-pacific-northwest/
    5 min
  • And The Academy Award Goes To . . . Hattie McDaniel
    Hattie McDaniel is best remembered for her role as “Mammy” in the film Gone with the Wind. In this episode, Jazmine Kelly follows McDaniel’s career from a struggling actor trying to find meaningful work to the first African American woman to win an Academy Award.
    More at: http://www.publichistorypdx.org/2017/02/26/academy-award-goes-hattie-mcdaniel/
    5 min
  • The Birth Of Packy The Elephant
    The holding of Oregon Zoo’s famous elephant “Packy” in a secluded cell brings continuous critiques of the Zoo from animal rights activists. Packy has been at the Oregon Zoo since his birth in 1962. Follow along as Taylor Bailey chronicles Packy’s life since his birth and the subsequent battles fought on his behalf.
    More at: http://www.publichistorypdx.org/2017/02/09/birth-packy-elephant/
    5 min
  • “An object of public interest” | Women, Labor, and Muller v. Oregon
    In the early- to mid-twentieth century, labor lawyers fought for hard-working Americans who felt taken advantage of by employers. However, the Supreme Court repeatedly struck down protective labor legislation. The one exception was with 1908’s Muller v. Oregon. This week, Tanya Monthey traces the gendered ideas of twentieth-century labor to reveal how the Supreme Court came to their decision.
    More at: http://www.publichistorypdx.org/2017/02/19/object-public-interest-women-labor-muller-v-oregon/
    5 min
  • James C. Hawthorne | An Asylum and a Boulevard
    Dr. James C. Hawthorne died on February 15, 1881. Portlandians recognize Hawthorne’s name because of the street named for him, but what is less well known is his work in mental health facilities. In this week’s episode, Mike Mata traces the history of Dr. Hawthorne and his impact on Portland, OR.
    More at: http://www.publichistorypdx.org/2017/02/12/james-c-hawthorne-asylum-boulevard/
    4 min
  • Portland Incorporated as a City
    The city of Portland, Oregon was incorporated on February 8th, 1851, but people had been living and thriving in the region for millennia. In this episode, follow along with Will Schneider as he delves into the contingencies behind Stumptown’s founding.
    More at: http://www.publichistorypdx.org/2017/02/05/portland-incorporated-city/
    4 min
  • Portland's Newspaper Wars
    Violence stunned Portland January 31, 1960 when 10 trucks owned by The Oregonian had been rigged with dynamite. This unexpected tragedy followed the third longest strike in history. Follow Jeanette Butts as she explores the tenuous labor history behind Oregon’s famous newspaper.
    More at:
    http://www.publichistorypdx.org/2017/01/22/firebrand-portland-iconoclast/
    5 min

About This Week Back Then

From the publisher's feed

“This Week Back Then” is a podcast and blog series born out of Professor Catherine McNeur’s HST411/511 Public History Lab: Podcasts and History course. Students did research, wrote scripts and blog posts, produced and edited podcasts, and collaborated with classmates to bring history to a broad audience. The class worked with producers at KBOO (90.7) to learn recording and editing skills. The students’ podcasts, posted here, will be broadcast during KBOO’s news hour each Monday starting in January 2017.