Blog - Nokes Books

CROSSCUT: Yes, there were black slaves in the Pacific Northwest.

Sep 30, 2019

Historians are making our region confront it An Oregon author is exploring little-known chapters of the region's ugly, racist roots. By Knute Berger, Crosscut In August, The New York Times Magazine published a special edition devoted to the centrality of African...

Selling well . . .

Aug 16, 2019

Seen today in Powell's City of Books in Portland, Ore.

Disabuse Podcast – Episode 15: Slavery in Oregon with Greg Nokes

Jul 27, 2019

Slavery and Oregon are not often talked about in the same sentence, nor even the same conversation. Yet, journalist and historian Greg Nokes uncovered this little known history of slaves in Oregon in his book, Breaking Chains. He discusses his work HERE.

Gavin Newsom calls out California’s racist first governor. Who was Peter Hardeman Burnett?

Jun 30, 2019

By R. Gregory Nokes, Special to CALmatters In his apology for California’s genocidal treatment of Native Americans, Gov. Gavin Newsom focused attention on the state’s nearly forgotten first elected governor, Peter Hardeman Burnett, and his declaration in 1851 that...

Slavery’s Descendants

May 4, 2019

R. Gregory Nokes contributed a chapter to the just-published Slavery's Descendants, a compilation of stories about slavery. He wrote about Reuben Shipley, a slave brought to Oregon from Missouri by one of his ancestors. Race remains a potent and divisive force in our...

Columbia County Reads 2019 focuses on historical account of Oregon slavery

Mar 22, 2019

THE CHIEF — The six libraries of Columbia County have selected two books by authors Phillip Margolin and Gregory Nokes for this year’s Columbia County Reads 2019. Both books, one a work of fiction and the other nonfiction, tell the historical account of an Oregon...

San Jose middle school ready to dump racist California governor’s name

Mar 6, 2019

Dropping Peter Burnett’s name should be a no-brainer By SAL PIZARRO | spizarro@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group THE MERCURY NEWS — An effort is underway to change the name of Peter Burnett Middle School near downtown San Jose, and it would be a very smart...