AT 4 WATCHING OUT FOR YOU.
IT IS 4 O'CLOCK GOOD
AFTERNOON. EVERYONE, I'M JEF
GIANOLA AND I'M EMILY BURRIS
TONIGHT, THE STATUE OF THOMAS
JEFFERSON OUTSIDE OF JEFFERSON
HIGH SCHOOL IN NORTHEAST,
PORTLAND. IS NOW GONE
PROTESTERS TORE IT DOWN LAST
NIGHT. THE LATEST IN
DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST RACISM,
A SWITCH TO OUR LISA BAILEY
CLIVE IN NORTH PORTLAND
LOOKING INTO WHAT THIS ALL
MEANS LISA.
WELL THE STATUE OF THOMAS
JEFFERSON HAD BEEN OUT FRONT
OF JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL OVER
HERE FOR MORE THAN A 100
YEARS. BUT MANY STATUES LIKE
THE ONES AROUND THE COUNTRY AS
WELL AS HERE SEEN AS A SYMBOL
OF RACISM FORCIBLY REMOVED
TODAY, THE PHONE BRONZE STATUE
WAS TAKEN AWAY BY SCHOOL
WORKERS AFTER WAS PULLED DOWN
WITH ROPES LAST NIGHT. THE
PEDESTAL SPRAY PAINTED WITH
THE WORDS GEORGE FLOYD AND
SLAVE OWNER PRESIDENT THOMAS
JEFFERSON AUTHOR OF THE
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE ON
HUNDREDS OF BLACK SLAVES.
JEFFERSON HIGH WAS WHERE A
BLACK LIVES MATTER MARCH
STARTED LAST NIGHT. THE STATUE
WAS PULLED DOWN AFTER MOST
DEMONSTRATORS HAD LEFT THE
AREA HEADED TO ALBERTA PARK.
JEFFERSON HIGH HAS THE HIGHEST
PERCENTAGE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN
STUDENTS IN PORTLAND HIGH
SCHOOLS. WE TALKED WITH SOME
JEFFERSON ALUMNI WHO LIVE
NEARBY AND CAME BY TODAY TO
TAKE A LOOK. IT WAS KIND OF
BITTERSWEET BEING
AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND
KNOWING THE THE REASON THAT IT
CAME DOWN, BUT THEN ALSO BEING
A PRO. JEFFERSON GRADUATE. SO
IT KIND OF HAD THE KIND OF A
DOUBLE MEANING TO ME.
TAKE THE FIELD HIS
WE HEARD THAT FROM SEVERAL
PEOPLE NOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT
OF DEBATE OVER CHANGING THE
NAME OF JEFFERSON HIGH I REACH
OUT TO THE PORTLAND SCHOOL
LEADERSHIP TO SEE IT THAT
DISCUSSION WE BROUGHT BACK
AFTER THE STATUE WAS TORN
DOWN. I WAS TOLD NOTHING IS
DECIDED, BUT QUOTE THEY'RE
READY TO LISTEN TO THE
COMMUNITY ABOUT THE
APPROPRIATE WAY TO GO FORWARD
I ALSO SPOKE WITH SEVERAL
PROMINENT BLACK LEADERS IN
PORTLAND FOR THEIR TAKE ON THE
STATUE BEING FORCIBLY REMOVED
LAST NIGHT YOU'LL BE HEARING
FROM THEM COMING UP TONIGHT AT
5 O'CLOCK LIVE IN NORTH
