The murder of Ethiopian immigrant Mulugeta Seraw by neo-Nazi skinheads shocked Portland, but white supremacist violence had been roiling the city’s counterculture for years before the killing.
Sharon Albor / OPB
In the early hours of Nov. 13, 1988, Mulugeta Seraw was coming home from a going-away party. He had work early the next morning.
Two of his friends, who were also Ethiopian, drove him home. When they arrived at Mulugeta’s apartment complex, they stayed in the car, talking for a bit.
But then a group of racist skinheads pulled up, reportedly chanting racial slurs. It quickly got physical.
One of the skinheads, Ken Mieske, hit Seraw in the head from behind with a bat at least twice.
Mulugeta Seraw was pronounced dead at the hospital a few hours later. He was 28 years old.
OPB producers Nora Colie and Dan Evans join us to tell the story of Mulugeta Seraw: a young Ethiopian immigrant who changed Portland. His murder inspired a wave of anti-racist activism and led to a requirement for police to report hate crimes.
In the first episode of a two-part series, we learn more about Mulugeta’s life from the person who knew him best: his uncle, Engedaw Berhanu.
Listen to all episodes of The Evergreen podcast here.
