I moved to Oregon from DC and experienced extreme culture shock. I struggle with the racism and drug culture but I've found great purpose.

Tue, 09/05/2023 - 13:15

Chandlor Henderson sitting on a unique wooden bench at the 2023 Oregon Country Fair. — Chandlor Henderson at the 2023 Oregon Country Fair.
Alison Helzer

Chandlor Henderson moved from Washington, DC, to Eugene, Oregon, in 2015.
Henderson says Oregon lacks diversity and that's a challenge for him.
He appreciates the city's simplicity but says its drug culture is a problem.

I lost my mother in September 2007, and my relationship with my family became strained. After eight years without her, I left Northeast Washington, DC, in 2015 and took a Greyhound bus to Eugene, Oregon.