GRACEY ZHANG
A red sweatshirt. Baggy shorts. A ball cap. Blue sneakers. Nikes. A Trail Blazers jersey.
These are articles of clothing that Black men who have been denied entry to some Portland clubs have been wearing—while white patrons wearing the same items have been happily ushered in. If questioned, bouncers often shrug, saying, “It’s not my call, man,” or, “Give me 20 bucks and I’ll let you in.”
For decades, Portland club owners and bouncers have relied on “public safety” concerns to enforce dress codes that disproportionately target Black guests. But while these arbitrary rules are old news for Portland’s Black community, Samuel Thompson is the first to take the issue to court.
