A new assessment from the Urban League of Portland finds that Black Oregonians continue to face inequities in health, education, housing, economic opportunity and the justice system, despite gains in some areas since the organization’s last report in 2015. The Urban League released a 36-page executive summary Tuesday during a panel discussion at Portland State University’s Urban Center. The full “State of Black Oregon” report is expected next month. It is the third edition, following reports published in 2009 and 2015. The summary says Black Oregonians are “still fighting” for equal access to good health outcomes, quality education, stable housing, economic prosperity and justice. Its findings include improvements since 2015: fewer Black Oregonians are being diagnosed with diabetes and dying of cancer, while Black small-business ownership and the share of Black adults with college degrees have risen slightly. More Black Oregonians are registered to vote and voted in 2024 than in 2012. Other measures have worsened or stagnated. The share of Black babies born at low birth weight increased slightly, and fewer Black students are meeting grade-level expectations in math and English. The executive summary links the decline in student outcomes to inequitable discipline, a shortage of culturally responsive educators and pandemic-related learning disruptions. The share of Black people with extremely low household incomes has changed little since 2015. Housing remains a particular concern. Black homeownership in Oregon was about 35% in 2013 and 34% in 2022, according to state housing data cited by panelist Bright Alozie, who chairs Portland State University’s Black Studies department. “Almost a decade, no progress,” Alozie said. The panel also examined how Oregon’s history continues to shape those outcomes. Alozie said racist housing policies concentrated Portland’s Black community in the Albina neighborhood, where urban renewal projects from the 1950s through the 1970s displaced residents and destroyed homes and businesses. He also noted that Oregon’s original constitution excluded Black people from property ownership and other rights. Lakayana Drury, founder and executive director of Word is Bond, a nonprofit that develops leadership skills among young Black men, called for intentional investment to encourage Black Oregonians who leave for college or work to return and build their lives in the state. “Make a Black student feel like a Moda Center,” he said, drawing applause. Drury also argued that Portland has not created a welcoming environment for Black professionals. Aislyn Brown, a teen and youth services librarian for Multnomah County, said she hopes the next report will encourage young people to expect more and act on that hope. Alozie said he wants future generations to see increased Black homeownership, thriving schools, growing Black-owned businesses and clear career paths for graduates. Jazzmine Waugh, the Urban League’s associate director of data and strategy, led the research. She said increased civic participation offers reason for hope, including more Black residents voting and serving in government. But she warned that recent federal and local budget cuts, along with anti-diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, could affect health, education and economic opportunity. The report’s findings include policy recommendations for Oregon lawmakers. Harvest Trammell Jr., an Urban League administrative coordinator recently appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek to the Oregon Commission on Black Affairs, said reversing the effects of history requires deliberate action by state leaders. Oregon has 143,615 Black residents, or 3.35% of the state’s population, according to World Population Review.