It Did Happen Here is an independently produced podcast that documents the fight against Portland Oregon based racist white skinheads in the 1980’s and 90’s af...
Fight The Power, Do No Harm: The Story of the Black Cross Healthcare Collective
There were lots of opportunities in the late 90s in Portland Oregon and the Pacific Northwest to get pepper sprayed by the police. Before the World Trade Organization protests took place in Seattle in 1999, there wasn’t an effective antidote to pepper spray that was well known, easy to use on the street, and affordable.
The Black Cross Healthcare Collective was a group of health care workers who lived in Portland, Oregon. They formed after the WTO protests of 1999, after seeing a need for medical care that specifically served people who were attending direct actions, demonstrations and political protests.
In the early 2000s they pioneered community-supported trials to find an antidote to pepper spray. These trials resulted in an antidote that has been used in street protests internationally. The collective disbanded as a medical group in 2005 or so, morphing into the Black Cross Social Club.
“Fight the Power, Do No Harm" is the story of the Black Cross Health Care Collective. This audio documentary was produced by Jodi Darby, Honna Veerkamp, and Erin Yanke. April 27, 2024
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1:14:23
Bonus Episode: no. NOT EVER
Kate Boyd and Cristien Storm of the Seattle-based collaborative group If You Don’t They Will discuss “no. NOT EVER”, an interactive, immersive presentation of cultural resistance to white nationalism practiced by rural and suburban groups in the Pacific Northwest throughout the 80s and 90s.
Transcript
Show Notes
Credits
Producers: Celina Flores, Erin Yanke, Mic Crenshaw
Editors: Erin Yanke and Icky A.
Story editors: Celina Flores, Erin Yanke, Icky A., Mic Crenshaw, Moe Bowstern
Visual archivist:Julie Perini
Mastering: Colin Casserd
Music: Neo Boys
Thanks: Kate, Cristien, Marat
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21:51
Bonus Episode: More Fighters
In this episode we hear from antiracist street fighters: Iran, Jackson, Pan and Tom. The four
veterans recount their experiences fighting Portland neo Nazis, how it affected them and where
we should direct our energy to continue the fight.
transcript
show notes
Credits
Producers: Celina Flores, Erin Yanke, Mic Crenshaw
Editors: Erin Yanke and Icky A.
Interviewer for this episode: Mic Crenshaw
Story editors: Celina Flores, Erin Yanke, Icky A., Mic Crenshaw, Moe Bowstern
Visual archivist: Julie Perini
Mastering: Colin Casserd
Music: Godspeed You Black Emperor
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34:23
Bonus Episode: The Holocaust Denier and the CHD
This episode features Coalition for Human Dignity activists Steve Wasserstrom, Jonathan Mozzochi and Abby Layton. In this bonus episode we look at how the meticulous collection of data mined for opposition research contributed to a world-famous trial to debunk fascist Holocaust denier David Irving.
Transcript
Show Notes
credits
Producers: Celina Flores, Erin Yanke, Mic Crenshaw
Editors: Erin Yanke and Icky A.
Interviewer for this episode: Claire Rischiotto and Celina Flores
Story editors: Celina Flores, Erin Yanke, Icky A., Mic Crenshaw, Moe Bowstern
Visual archivist: Julie Perini
Mastering: Colin Casserd
Music: Kai Engel, the fucked up beat, and silicone transmitter, all from the Free Music Archive
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15:47
Bonus Episode: Celina Flores, Mic Crenshaw, and Erin Yanke at the Multnomah County Library
Enrique Rivera of the Multnomah County Library, hosted this event with the IDHH podcast producers on March 11, 2021. They play clips of the podcast, talk about making the podcast, storytelling, their favorite moments, book recommendations, and much more.
Thanks to Lyndsey Runyan and Enrique Rivera of the Multnomah County Library.
It Did Happen Here is an independently produced podcast that documents the fight against Portland Oregon based racist white skinheads in the 1980’s and 90’s after the murder of Mulugeta Seraw. The 11 episodes feature interviews with many people who worked together in those days and reveal the unlikely collaboration between groups of immigrants, civil rights activists, militant youth and queer organizers who came together to successfully confront neo-nazi violence and right wing organizing in the Rose City.