Lew Frederick is a Democratic

Democratic Party of Oregon

The Democratic Party of Oregon, based in Portland, is the official Oregon affiliate of the United States Democratic Party. It is recognized by the state of Oregon as a major political party, along with the Oregon Republican Party...

 politician from the US state of Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, currently representing District 43 in the Oregon House of Representatives

Oregon House of Representatives

The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....

. Born in Pullman, Washington, Frederick was raised in Baton Rouge and Atlanta, and moved to Portland in 1974. According to the Portland Tribune

Portland Tribune

The Portland Tribune is a free weekly newspaper published each Thursday in Portland, Oregon, United States.The Tribune is part of the Pamplin Media Group, which publishes a number of community newspapers in the Portland metropolitan area, and also owns and operates the talk radio station KPAM, and...

, he is Oregon's "highest-ranking black leader and the only black man serving in the Oregon Legislature" as of 2010. Commissioner Amanda Fritz

Amanda Fritz

Amanda Fritz is a retired registered psychiatric nurse and politician from the U.S. state of Oregon. Before being elected to Portland's City Council in 2008, Fritz was known as a neighborhood activist, a critic of City Hall, and a seven-year member of the Portland Planning Commission...

 and The Skanner endorsed Frederick during his campaign for District 43.

Career

Born in Pullman

Pullman, Washington

Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...

, Washington, Frederick grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...

 and Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

. Lew (Lewis Reed Frederick) is the son of world famous African American botanist, Dr. Lafayette Frederick, Professor Emeritus Howard University

Howard University

Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...

. Lew Frederick has lived in northeast Portland since 1974. Throughout his career, he was a teacher at the Metropolitan Learning Center

Metropolitan Learning Center (Portland, Oregon)

Metropolitan Learning Center is a public K-12 school in Portland, Oregon, United States.-Academics:In 2008, 86% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 35 students, 30 graduated, 4 dropped out, and 1 received a modified diploma....

 for two years, a radio and television reporter with KGW

KGW

KGW is an NBC affiliate television station serving the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. The station broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 8, from its transmitter in Portland. It also produces segments and serves as the Portland bureau for Northwest Cable News , which is also owned by...

 for seventeen years, Director of Public Information at Portland Public Schools for thirteen years, Assistant to the President at Portland Community College

Portland Community College

Portland Community College is Oregon's largest community college, located in Portland, United States. It serves over one million residents in the five county area of Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia...

, and held a position on the State Board of Education. Frederick, who grew up in the South and was mentored by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...

, has worked to improve race relations. He was sworn in to the Oregon House of Representatives in October 2009 and began serving on the House Interim Human Services Committee and House Interim Sustainability & Economic Development Committee.