‘For educational purposes only:’ C.O. Black Leaders Assembly informs Bend property owners of racially biased covenants

(Update: adding comment Central Oregon Black Leaders Assembly, Deschutes Historical Museum)

 BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Central Oregon Black Leaders Assembly recently announced the disturbing discovery of racially biased language in nearly 200 property deeds within a single Deschutes County subdivision, Wiestoria.

COBLA mailed out over 180 letters on July 24th to homeowners informing them of racially biased covenants in their deeds.

"What a covenant actually does is basically it's kind of like a rule," Riccardo Waites, the group's executive director, said Tuesday. "It gives you rules you can do with the property. One of those rules were not allowing people of color or people of a certain religions to own the property at all."

The letters are part of the nonprofit's Good Deeds Program.

"We're not out here trying to be mean to anyone or scold anyone with these letters," Waites said. "These letters are for informational purposes, and educational purposes only, for people who didn't know that these things existed and were lied to."

Two state laws passed in 2018 empower county clerks to officially remove the discriminatory language.  

Waites said 10 property owners have started the process to remove the covenants after receiving the letter.

"What we do is we refer them to our website, where there's a link that they can go to and download all the paperwork they need to have the racially biased language removed from the deed and find out more about what they are," Waites said.

Racially biased covenants are not exclusive to residential properties. Bend-La Pine Schools has three lots on a property with racially biased covenants.

"One of the schools that used to be Marshal -, it's now Bend Tech Academy, I believe, but it used to be called Marshall - so that's why we're here today, because I delivered their letters to them by hand," Waites said.

The Central Oregon Black Leaders Assembly is teaming with the Deschutes Historical Museum to pinpoint where in Deschutes County there are properties with racially biased covenants.

Museum Executive Director Kelly Cannon-Miller said, "As the city of Bend is established and and developments occurred, these restrictions shape the community that we are today."

They museum is developing an interactive map to show how these covenants impacted the city as a whole.

"Our public education can help illuminate that for folks, and understand their community better," Cannon-Miller said.

Waites tells NewsChannel 21 they've received a lot of responses from property owners --most are usually shocked to know the new information. Once the nonprofit is finished with the project in Deschutes County, they're going to look at Jefferson and Crook counties. 

He said they've researched about 40% of Deschutes County properties and so far have found 200 racially biased covenants.

"This shocking revelation is part of the organization’s Good Deeds Program, an initiative dedicated to identifying and addressing historical injustices rooted in systemic racism," the organization said in a July 30th news release, which continues in full below.

The Good Deeds Program has been diligently investigating property deeds across Deschutes County to uncover discriminatory clauses that restrict property ownership based on race. These clauses, often referred to as restrictive covenants, were once common practice and have left a lasting legacy of inequality.

A new Oregon law has empowered county clerks to officially remove this discriminatory language from property deeds. In accordance with this legislation, COBLA mailed notifications to affected property owners on July 24, informing them of the racially biased language in their deeds.

“The discovery of this widespread racial bias in our community is deeply troubling,” said Riccardo Waites, Executive Director of COBLA. “We are committed to working with county officials and property owners to eradicate these discriminatory covenants and create a more equitable future for all.”

About the Central Oregon Black Leaders Assembly (COBLA)

The Central Oregon Black Leaders Assembly is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the Black community and advocating for racial equity in Central Oregon. The Good Deeds Program is one of several initiatives aimed at addressing the lasting impacts of systemic racism.