Feb. 17, 2026 — With the release of a new film about a racially motivated hate crime in Portland in the late 1980s, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) reveals both the enduring power of the white supremacist movement and the resilient anti-racist countermovement that arose to fight it.

“Remember Mulugeta: Confronting Hate in Portland,” an “Oregon Experience” production premiering tonight at the Hollywood Theatre, adds new layers to the story of Mulugeta Seraw, a 28-year-old Ethiopian immigrant who was brutally murdered by three neo-Nazi skinheads in 1988. His killers were members of East Side White Pride, a white supremacist group influenced by Tom Metzger’s White Aryan Resistance (WAR).

By featuring personal accounts – some shared publicly for the first time – OPB producers Dan Evans and Nora Colie show how Seraw’s murder shook the city, especially the Ethiopian community. They examine whether the hate that provoked the attack was home-grown, imported to Oregon by Metzger and WAR, or a mix of both.

“We take the audience back in time, painting a vivid picture of Portland in the late 1980s, when the city was a hotbed of racist, skinhead violence,” said co-producer Evans. “Some of the archival footage we include shatters the liberal image many people have of Portland.”

Viewers hear from Seraw’s uncle, who brought his nephew to Oregon to escape violence in his home country, and from those who were part of the anti-racist skinhead movement, who saw their culture hijacked by white supremacists and tried to stamp out the hate. Investigative journalist Jim Redden, author Elinor Langer (“A Hundred Little Hitlers”), and others provide context that connects what unfolded in Portland 35 years ago with where American society finds itself now.

“Hate runs through the veins of America, and every decade or so we are forced to confront it and decide whether we will keep striving toward goodness or allow forces of hate to cripple our society,” said co-producer Colie, who was a teenager in Portland at the time of Seraw’s murder. “In the 1980s, hate arrived wrapped in the skinhead-counterculture-style, backed by a hardcore soundtrack and sold as cool rebellion.”

A landmark trial for racial justice

Seraw’s uncle, Engedaw Berhanu, felt compelled to avenge his nephew’s murder by standing up to the racial hate that WAR and similar groups were spreading. He teamed up with legendary civil rights attorney Morris Dees and the Southern Poverty Law Center to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against not only those who murdered Seraw, but also against Metzger, his son John Metzger and the WAR organization.

The second half of the film covers the trial through archival footage and personal reflections from Berhanu and Elden Rosenthal, Dees’ co-counsel in the landmark case. The film captures the tension that gripped the city before, during and after the trial.

“We show how quickly white supremacist movements can take hold and spiral out of control,” Evans said.

Added Colie: “By the end, it’s clear that Portland is a city that keeps trying to stand up against these groups – but they keep finding ways to return.”

Creative team

“Remember Mulugeta: Confronting Hate in Portland” was produced by OPB and made possible by the generosity of OPB members. The creative team includes:

Producers: Nora Colie and Dan Evans

Editor and cinematographer: Dan Evans

Executive producer: Arya Surowidjojo

How to watch

The film will be available to stream on OPB’s website, YouTube, the PBS app, and other video-streaming platforms starting Wednesday, Feb. 18. It will premiere on OPB TV Monday, March 30.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/pressroom/new-opb-film-remember-mulugeta-confronting-hate-in-portland/