THE STATESMAN AND THE FREEDMAN: ASAHEL BUSH, HIRAM GORMAN, AND BLACK EXCLUSION IN OREGON.

The Statesman and The Freedman: Asahel Bush, Hiram Gorman, and Black exclusion in Oregon.

Sunday, May 15, 2022 from 1:00-2:00 p.m.

In 2019, members of the Oregon Black Pioneers challenged the Bush House Museum to look closely at the words and actions of Asahel Bush and his impact on early Black Oregonians and other people of color. What we found started us on a journey to re-examine Bush and his legacy, and to find ways to celebrate and elevate the stories of those he oppressed. This is one of those stories.

Please join us for a special lecture about the extraordinary life and times of Hiram Gorman. Sunday, May 15, 2022 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. for The Statesman and The Freedman: Asahel Bush, Hiram Gorman, and Black exclusion in Oregon.

In the 1850s, Ashael Bush used his paper, the Oregon Statesman, to promote anti-Black views and build massive public support for the Oregon Constitution’s Black exclusion clause. Years later though, these views would be proven wrong by the emergence of a successful Black community in Salem. Among its members was a Civil War veteran named Hiram Gorman, who spent 12 years working for the newspaper Bush founded.

Zachary Stocks is a public historian, interpreter, and the Executive Director of Oregon Black Pioneers. Zachary previously served as Program Director of Historical Seaport and Visitor Services Manager of Northwest African American Museum. He is a former intern of Colonial Williamsburg and Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, and is a current seasonal Park Ranger at Lewis & Clark National Historical Park. He holds a BA in History from the College of William & Mary with a certificate in Public History from the National Institute for American History and Democracy, and an MA in Museology from the University of Washington. Zachary lives in Astoria.

Register today!

Location: Bush Barn Art Center 

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