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Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupDown And Out In New York City · James Brown · The J.B.'sBlack Caesar℗ 1973 Universal Records, a Division of UMG R...

The government just responded to my petition about Industrial Strategy Zones. What they said was a masterclass in gaslighting.

Black Is Golden in 180 Gram VinylWyn Starks makes his full-length debut with 2021'sBlack is Golden, an album rooted in versatilevocals, genre-spanning songwriting, and the courage to break new ground. A bold blend ofthrowback grooves and modern moves, these songs balance themselves equally betweenprogressive pop music, contemporary soul, and danceable R&B. Power ballads like "Sparrow"and "At the End of the River" even nod to gospel music—a sound that Starks discovered duringhis childhood years in Minneapolis, where he sang his first solos in church—but for all itsreverence of the past,Black is Goldenproudly roots itself in the present. Themes like socialpolitics and racial equality help strengthen the album's contemporary punch, and Starks tackleseach song with a rare mix of personal intimacy and universal appeal. These arehisstories, afterall, but they're meant for everyone."I decided to call the albumBlack Is Goldenbecause it is!" he says. "It's important that we knowwho we are, and celebrate the beauty we've contributed to this society. We should all celebrateeach other's differences, especially considering the history of injustice in this country when itcomes to black and brown people. I'm learning how to celebrate these accomplishments in myown life, too—to love myself, flaws and all. "Mixing viral hits like "Circles" and "Dancing My Way" with unreleased songs like "Let YouDown,"Black is Goldenshines as brightly as its title suggests. Call it a celebration of diversityand individuality, delivered by a musician who's proud to highlight the very things that makehim different

Send your lover one of these Portland-centric valentines, and stay off their shit-list forever! by Steven Wilber _What follows is one of the many articles in the_ Mercury _'sBlack Innovators & Changemakers issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you're feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us [here.—eds.]_ Steven Wilber

Portland’s Sunday Sauce Is an Homage to Old-School Italian Eateries by Ben Coleman _What follows is one of the many articles in the_ Mercury _'sBlack Innovators & Changemakers issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you're feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us [here.—eds.]_ “Judson and I met in Hoboken, New Jersey, working at this place called The Brass Rail,” Normandie co-founder Amanda Winquist tells me. “I was in grad school, he was in a band.” One thing led to another and 2,436 miles west of Hoboken we’re sitting in the couple’s second restaurant, Sunday Sauce, on North Killingsworth. Amanda’s attention is evenly split between telling me her life story, tracking her adorable toddler scurrying between the booths, and the concerning amount of rainwater that’s coming out of the HVAC system thanks to the torrential rainstorm outside. “I tell people, ‘if I could do anything else I would.’ This isn’t the easiest industry,” she observes wryly, “but we just fell in love with what we do.” On first glance Sunday Sauce is very much an old school East Coast Italian joint: Chianti-red vinyl booths, checkered placemats, and of course the omnipresent perfume of olives and garlic. But a closer inspection reveals some distinctly millennial touches: the neon sign in the window reads “Saucy AF,” the stained-glass chandeliers are giving vintage Pizza Hut, and the portrait of a beatific saint behind the bar is none other than Danny DeVito. “This kind of place, when I was a kid, would always be playing Frank Sinatra… there were murals of Italy, there were white columns,” Amanda says. Pop bangers of yore, tokens of the old country on the wall, eggplant parm. Transplanted to Portland, that means it’s the Strokes coming out of the speakers and the “old country” is Hoboken. The food is also a mix of Old School and Y2K. There are pasta joint classics like orecchiette and pesto, plus fun remixes like the giardiniera misto, kind of a deconstructed hero topped with fried pepperoni. The titular Sunday sauce is an East Coast Italian American staple, more commonly found burbling away on a nonna's stovetop all afternoon. There’s also a couple of Jersey-specific specialties like disco fries—a sort of Garden State poutine which Winquest describes as “quintessential Jersey.” And of course there’s a selection of parms (chicken or eggplant), if you need something deep fried under layers of sauce and cheese. “Covered and smothered,” is how Amanda describes the Jersey approach to plating. The bar program is also equal parts irreverent and indulgent. That’s Judson’s department, and he says his guiding star was an abiding love of dirty martinis (there’s four of them on the menu—from tomato and dill, to sour cream and onion) and a refusal to feel shame over the sugary Sex and the City-era concoctions that were all the rage back in the day. “The things that people wanted back then,” Judson says, “that’s what I want too.” The first iteration of Sunday Sauce began as a pop-up in the couple’s first restaurant, Normandie. Amanda says she was dealing with the recent passing of her own mother, Marianne, and wanted to share a sense of the home cooking she grew up on. “I didn't have much time to grieve,” she says, “I lost my mom, and then I had a baby right? I couldn't drink. I couldn't work out. And… I don't know, grief is hard to process.” What she settled on was adapting the home cooking she grew up with for a Portland audience. Head chef Issaah Brown, a Normandie line cook at at the time, took on the role of culinary consiglieri: “I would bring in food and we would collaborate on how to make it ‘restaurant,’” Amanda recalls, “It [was] my first holiday without my mom, which is a big deal, and I wanted to do a tribute.” Because the menu was based on unfussy home cooking, the first pop-up felt like a dicey proposition. “With family cooking, you don’t always see the value in it,” she notes, “it’s not duck confit. It’s not high end French food.” Restaurant pop-ups can be a risky endeavor, largely dependent on word of mouth and industry buzz. “I thought just my friends were gonna show up,” Amanda admits, but the recipes translated well and Portland’s love affair with mid-price Italian restaurants was in bloom. When a corner restaurant space opened up on N Killingsworth, the couple decided to take it brick and mortar. What’s most rewarding, Amanda says, is getting the nod from fellow east coast expats. They swap the velour tracksuits for puffy Columbia vests she says, but the enthusiasm is undimmed: “One night this hippie-era lady with frizzy hair grabs me, real hard, and says ‘I’m a Jersey girl too, and I’m going to leave you the best fucking Yelp review of my life.” That’s the kind of direct feedback you don’t always get from reserved Northwesterners. “We knew the food would be good. We knew it would be fun,” Amanda says, “But holy shit… Jersey shows up for Jersey.” _Sunday Sauce, 902 N Killingsworth,sundaysaucepdx.com_

by Donovan Scribes (fka Donovan Smith) _What follows is one of the many articles in the_ Mercury _'sBlack Innovators & Changemakers issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you're feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us [here.—eds.]_ _Domino. Domino._ _Only spot a few Blacks the higher I go.”_ _—Jay-Z, “Murder to Excellence,” 2011_ The Inauguration I almost went to Kamala Harris’ inauguration. “ _Almost_ ,” of course, is doing a lot of work in that sentence. The former vice president came up short against Donald Trump’s Third Reich… I mean, third run at the Oval Office. Harris, who would have been the first woman to ascend to the country’s top office, is admittedly many stone throws away from my politics. But in a land of constant dreams deferred, I was struck that, maybe this time, the top-of-the-top may be finally cracked by a Black woman. _Could she be the First Black woman to be president?_ Kamala, or rather her platform, was hardly inventive. When engaged on its fundamentals, it was largely conservative. Not conservative like Charlie Kirk… conservative meaning, it preserved many pieces of America as is—just as a conservationist preserves the trees of a forest. It was a platform that largely fit hand-in-glove with Bidenomics: protect corporate global interests, overfund all military and law enforcement, and yes—promote electric cars, along with a dash of maternal health reform, abortion protections, and a short-lived national rent cap promise. So while racists and right-wing extremists predictably (and laughably) labeled her a “communist” and “Comrade Kamala,” it’s noteworthy that the former San Francisco district attorney—while certainly more left than any Dixiecrat—was hardly the face of The Revolution™. I mean, she campaigned with Liz Cheney, guys. Like, Dick’s daughter. _Dick’s daughter, guys._ I was a senior in high school when Barack Obama first blazed the presidential campaign trail. When he made his stop in Portland to shore up liberal votes, my mom forced me to attend, talking about “history” or something. I did not want to go. By the time I left the coliseum, that had changed. When Election Day ‘08 came around, I was as swept up in Obama-mania as anyone. And in many ways, I’m unsure if I would’ve become the man I am today—with abolitionist critiques of Obama, while also maintaining a level of admiration—without the eight years he gave me a mirror as the First Black President. So too, I considered Kamala for my two girls. Identity Politics Charlie Kirk was not a Klansman. He was a podcaster. And as his millions of fans said after he was killed last year, “he just talked to people.” Except he didn’t _just_ talk. He was a prevailing force of erecting and fortifying permission and policy structures around the country. In addition to claiming Black people were “better under Jim Crow,” he also had an amazing habit of attacking people who just _happened_ to be Black. His greatest hits include stating that Ketanji Brown, Michelle Obama, Joy Reid, and the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee “didn’t have the brain processing power to otherwise be taken really seriously. You had to go steal a White person’s slot to be taken somewhat seriously.” And of course, when he called MLK “awful” and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 a “great mistake.” RIP Charlie—he loved a good “talk.” “Identity Politics” certainly do not replace my need for good policy. However, race and gender continue to be handed down as heavy heirlooms bestowed down to each generation of Americans. This means, for many Black citizens, the prospect of shared experience in a candidate, often carries a hope that representation will also result in some level of transformation. Last fall, Harris did what all presidential hopefuls do when their dreams are deferred—she published a book. During her nationwide book tour she made a stop in Portland. On stage, she was engaged by one of the quintessential changemakers of our time, Rukaiyah Adams, of the 1803 Fund. Their hourlong dialogue found the pair exchanging fewer theories on policy, and more on what it means to be a Black woman carrying the weight of the country’s expectations right now. Just hours after Harris announced her candidacy, Win With Black Women sent an invitation to its 4,000 members to support her ticket and organize through a Zoom call. By the end of the call, more than 44,000 people had joined in—raising $1.5 million for the campaign in three hours. “I was one of those women,” Adams submitted to the vice president from the stage. Pain. Pride. Sisterhood. All nuzzled in those few words. First Blacks In America, much emphasis is put on “First Blacks.” First Blacks are important to the American story. They show, at the very least, possibility—in this so-called promised land of opportunity. This possibility is often maximized in the country’s mythmaking as a beacon—proof of pathways to collective prosperity. For if _they_ could do it, so could _you_ (even if untrue). So too, First Blacks often bear the weight of history as they maneuver their present. First Blacks are rarely the first qualified—they are just the first to crack the ceiling. And so, low and high, First Blacks often provide us unique insight on the State of the Union. Case in point: Few names in Portland politics ring as many bells and sirens as Jo Ann Hardesty, the First Black woman elected to Portland City Council. During her four years in office, Hardesty, a Baltimore-bred Marine veteran, often found herself in the crosshairs of the city’s centrist and business class. Elected in 2016, Commissioner Hardesty led the transformation of the city’s 911 infrastructure with the launch of Portland Street Response, an unarmed, trauma-informed, first-response program that provided a real-life alternative to police. She championed the Portland Clean Energy Fund, a tax which buoyed environmental efforts across the city and has been looked to as a national model. Despite such accomplishments, Hardesty, like Harris, discovered the claws of racism firmly entrenched in her almost every move. Former Portland Police union president Brian Hunzeker leaked a false claim to the media that Hardesty was involved in a hit-and-run during the heat of her re-election bid. While the claim was debunked, it likely played a role in ushering her law-and-order, Republican-lite successor, Rene Gonzalez, into the seat. In the end, Hardesty sued the city, was paid a $650,000 settlement, and has since stepped away from the spotlight. Today, however, sprouting from the family tree of Hardesty is a solid bloc of progressives on the newly expanded and reformed 12-person Portland City Council. The so-called Progressive Caucus (the multicultural group of folks colloquially known as “Peacock”), was elected during the same cycle Harris lost her bid for president. Much like Hardesty, Peacock has been crawling up the asses of centrists and extremists aplenty. The _Mercury_ ’s recent report, “Racist, Dehumanizing”: Chat Images Show Portland Power Players Disparaging Councilors of Color,” outlined this dynamic in depth, detailing text exchanges including powerful developer Brian Owendoff and some colleagues who notably, during the vote for council president, referred to Peacock members using racist and homophobic language. Owendoff and his colleagues’ messages provide insight to an uncomfortable truth—not all systemic barriers are erected (or fortified) by card-carrying Segregationists. Sometimes they are—as Owendoff said while defending himself against the _Mercury_ ’s article—“volunteering 4 hours of their time, helping African and middle eastern refugees with affordable housing.” Reconstruction Era In the decade following the Emancipation Proclamation, this era welcomed the largest wave in American history of Black officials serving at local, state, and federal levels. From 1865 to 1877, about 2,000 Black people held elected office—marking the first time America’s democracy became anything beyond White powered. Black women, of course could not vote (nor run) then, because they were women, and America was and is ruled by the patriarchy. But this time—the Reconstruction Era—represented the potential of transformation beyond the surface. As formerly enslaved people rose to the ranks of power, their lives improved. This came to a halt as Republicans and Democrats soured on the prospect of shared representation, power, and democracy as the country took on a series of economic hits. White supremacist groups then saw an uptick in activity, particularly in the Ku Klux Klan. And with this rise, everymen and electeds (hooded or not) effectively Deconstructed a prospect of shared democracy, through a series of racist physical and legislative attacks on Black officials and voters. Famed scholar, W.E.B. Du Bois, who was the First Black man to graduate from Harvard, penned a book titled _Black Reconstruction_. In it he recounts the end of this era saying, “The slave went free, stood a brief moment in the sun, then moved back again toward slavery.” This Deconstruction lingers today, in our multicultural democracy where most Americans are now eligible to vote. Harris, elected in 2016, was just the tenth Black person to ever serve in the U.S. Senate. She was only the second Black woman to hold a federal Senate seat. She was the first woman to become Vice President. She was then, in her attempt at the Oval, the First Black woman to fall from so high. The Inauguration (Reprise) I was going to go to Kamala’s inauguration. I would have gone guarded, knowing I would have been witnessing—as she put it during her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention—her becoming the head of the “strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world.” Not a Revolution. Not even a Reconstruction. Simply a reframing of the forest. However the fact of the matter remains—the majority of the voting public will still take the unwieldy hand of a maniacal White male conquistador over the steady hand of a Black female conservationist. Because for them, Symbols Matter. How much would have actually transformed for the 99 percent of us under President Harris? I guess we’ll never know.

The prolific digital painter, and soon-to-be gallery owner, explains his approach to spotlighting icons through art. by Juma Sei _What follows is one of the many articles in the_ Mercury _'sBlack Innovators & Changemakers issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you're feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us [here.—eds.]_ Sometimes celebrating Black History Month feels fraught. It’s a blessing to carve out 28 days of remembrance in February, but why isn’t it 30 or 31? Why does March 1 feel like a return to business as usual? Why–for most–isn’t celebrating Black history more usual? These are the questions that underpin More Than February (MTF), an emerging art gallery near the heart of Old Town/Chinatown. Ronin Roc is the gallery’s chief curator. He’s also an artist whose experience navigating Portland’s creative landscape has made accessibility a primary mission. Ronin is most widely known for his vibrant digital portraits, featuring a host of Black icons with global, national, and local significance. Much like the MTF brick and mortar itself, his charge is to create a sustained, shared platform to elevate Black creativity in full dimension. At present, these portraits adorn the walls of MTF in Old Town. They’re a fitting background to imagine what the space will become. **_MERCURY_ : What was the initial idea behind More Than February?** RONIN ROC: I had the idea while watching _Black Panther_ with my son. I drew Chadwick Boseman while watching, and people were excited by the piece. So, I challenged myself to draw a different Black figure every day in February. I also saw an episode of _Black-ish_ and heard this line: “We’re more than just February.” It stuck with me. Even if I drew a new figure every day of the year, I’m not gonna get even close to all of our civil rights leaders, let alone the other influential Black people. It’s really hard to choose who I do next. **How do you choose?** Usually I get inspired by something. Now, I do take commissions and stuff–like the one of Nina Simone. I got commissioned by, actually–not Black people. Nina Simone ronin roc **Does that happen often?** Yeah, it’s surprising how many people from other nationalities are into my art. There’s way less people who own one piece of my art, rather than multiple pieces. And I didn’t realize how well it all looks together. Each one, by the time I get done with it, I’m like, “This is the best piece I’ve ever done.” **What's your favorite right now?** I'm doing all of the Wu-Tang Clan. So far, I have RZA, ODB, and I just finished Method Man. I stayed up until six in the morning trying to finish Method Man, and then I cracked my screen. **Do you use your computer? iPad?** I have Photoshop open on my computer and draw with my iPad. I like the physical labor of painting on the screen. The shortest amount of time any piece has taken me—wow, recently with ODB—was six hours. Usually it takes me a minimum of eight hours. The longest was 30 hours. **Who was that?** Kobe Bryant. The Cowboys—Bill Pickett and Bass Reeves—took an insanely long time too; my reference was this destroyed black and white photo. **How do you learn about the people in your portraits?** While making the piece, I’ll watch or listen to any media that correspond to the person. I learned a lot from doing Angela Davis. I knew who she was, but I didn’t truly know her story. I knew “Power to the People,” but I didn’t know what it really meant. **What does it mean to you?** That the system puts us against each other, when the enemy is something much larger than us. Like, white people who are poor and disenfranchised are being taught that all their plights in life are due to Black people. But if we work together, these multi-millionaires can’t use us to fight each other. Paul Knauls Ronin roc **I see a portrait of Mr. Paul Knauls,a local hero. How did you decide on him?** There are so many local civil rights leaders in Portland, but I couldn’t name 10 of them. Not only that, my kids can tell you parts of the “I Have a Dream” speech and the history of Malcolm X, but they can’t tell who stopped segregation in our own city. They can’t tell you that the original home for the Black community in Portland was Chinatown. It made me want to paint the influential Black people of our community. Also, our new guard. Like Ian Williams who owns Deadstock Coffee. He’s been a very supportive friend; between the art, the morning show, and other things. **Morning show?** We did a morning show called “Your Morning Drip” and it was the hugest labor of love in my life. But Ian and I were like, “We’re going through this Black renaissance in Portland, and we have very few outlets that are sharing our point of view.” I guess that wraps into Mr. Knauls perfectly. I used to go to Geneva’s as a kid–I got my prom haircut there. I learned so much when making his portrait. He helped fundraise for the Martin Luther King Jr. statue in front of the Oregon Convention Center. He also helped fundraise for the military housing we have in the city. I knew he owned the Cotton Club, but didn’t know that it was a home base for all these different genres of music. Eventually, I want to make a coloring book to educate kids about our local heroes. **Are you familiar with the Hometown Heroes series? In 1993, a local teacher–Lolita Darby–had her elementary school students create a similar series of community profiles.** I’m working with Stephen Green on something like that now, and it’s so important. Like the history of Beatrice Morrow Canady’s house—the fact that we have to fight to recognize our own history. These stories should be more easily accessible for our children. **You said that Portland is in a Black renaissance. Say more.** I think it is. Even with us opening this art gallery. We can house Black joy, we can show Black art, we can nurture new Black creators. I don’t want to be a gatekeeper, so one of the walls is dedicated to first-time Black artists. **It excites me that more spaces are concretizing Black culture in Portland’s built environment.** And it’s more than just us. Cyrus and Wale are making their own Black gallery down the street. Just up the block, there’s The BLACK Gallery from Don’t Shoot PDX. I want all Black people to win. **Who has inspired you over the years?** The greatest teacher that I’ve had is adversity. Like the people who have stood in the way of this gallery–this is our third evolution. We’ve been promised gallery space before, then gotten it taken away and given to a white group–told that they know more about art and culture. There’s a certain type of Black person that Portland is good with. I don’t have a Nike badge. I don’t work at Wieden + Kennedy. I don’t have a day job at Intel. I’ve done art my entire life. That’s not to speak bad about any of those people–again, I want all Black people to win–but when you’re not the cool kid in the city, you doing something dope doesn’t matter as much as someone else trying to create it. There’s a lot of imposter syndrome that comes into being an artist. But I do have people who push me–like my mother, my children’s mother. My biggest inspiration of all is my son. Without him, the series would have never started. Other inspiring co-conspirators are Donovan Scribes and Mac Smiff. They were utterly supportive through the protests. We didn’t always have to agree on things, but we always had space to listen. **Who got you into art?** When I was a kid, my big cousin Hassan was drawing and was way better than I was. I wanted to be just like him. Since then, I’ve always drawn and done pictures. I also had an amazing art teacher in college–Dave Anderson. He taught me so much about style. Being technically great at art is fine, but the most important thing in art is your style. **How did you develop yours?** The reason why I do digital art and not physical painting–even though I’m classically trained as a painter–is that I would have to make unaffordable art. But the way I do my work now, there’s no original. **I appreciate how core accessibility is to your philosophy. Especially if we think about your most sold piece, Angela Davis.** That’s one of the most sold. Two of the most sold pieces are in front of you [in the gallery] right now. I’d love to hear your guesses. **Malcolm X and Tupac?** Nah. **Damn. Nipsey Hussle and Sade?** Yeah, Damian Lillard is also up there. I did that after he left Portland. It was my effort at some good juju to make him come back. And it worked! I made an eight-foot print of him, and there’s one hanging up in the Moda Center. I like to say that I willed Dame back to the city. Damian Lillard ronin roc **It must be meaningful to have your work visible to so many. Are there any other series you want to explore next?** There’s a few that we have coming out. I just did Jackie Robinson. But doing the Portland civil rights leaders is something that I really want to do. I’m also working on Richard Pryor. I want to do a whole series of Black comedians, because they’re our modern-day storytellers. Dave Chappelle talked about that: there are these Black storytellers in African culture and every time one of them died, it was like burning down a library. Another one that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time–aside from Ali–is a series solely featuring Black women and mothers. There’s a lot of amazing civil rights leaders who were mothers, not only to our culture, but in general. **I look forward to that work. What’s up next for the gallery?** We’re gonna have our grand opening in February. It’s so funny how everything comes back to February. _More Than February (322 NW 6th) is set for its grand opening on February 13 from 6 pm to 9 pm. Visitmorethanfebruary.net and @morethanfebruary on Instagram to learn more._

An abridged look at some of the most transformative events that have shaped the state in the past decade. by Mercury Staff _What follows is one of the many articles in the_ Mercury _'sBlack Innovators & Changemakers issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you're feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us [here.—eds.]_ History isn’t just in the black and white photos. It’s living and breathing, forever informed by the decisions we each make every sunrise. In the last ten years, there has been an incredible amount of activity to transform Oregon by its Black residents. Here are 28 moments, one for each day of Black History Month, that have shaped the state in the past decade. **1. Sneaker-Themed Coffee Shop Opens (2016)** Former Nike shoe developer Ian Williams grows from a mobile coffee cart to a full-fledged sneaker-themed coffee shop—Deadstock Coffee—in Old Town. **2. SummerWorks Program Sees Historic Growth (2016)** SummerWorks is a program that pairs local youth with paid intern opportunities at local businesses during the summer. Launched by Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith, the program, which began with 11 young people, grows to 1,000+ participants. **3. Teaching With Purpose Conference Hosts Nipsey Hussle (2017)** NE Portland native Karanja Crews hosts his 8th annual Teaching with Purpose Conference. Rapper Nipsey Hussle keynotes, less than two years before he was murdered. **4. Co-Operator of Portland’s First Black Owned Cab Company Dies (2017)** Willie Mae Young, who helped operate Beacon Cab, the first Black-owned cab company in Portland, dies. She was also the first Black nurse at a prominent hospital on the city’s westside. **5. Williams and Russell Property Returned to Community Control (2017)** Two acres, seized in the heart of Portland’s Black community for an expansion of Legacy Emmanuel Hospital that never happened, laid bare for decades. The City of Portland, in cooperation with the hospital, return the land at N. Williams and Russell to Black community members to determine the future of the site’s development. **6. “Yes, There Are Black People in Portland” Billboards (2018)** Benson High graduate Aminé releases his first studio album _Good for You_ on the heels of his platinum-selling single “Caroline.” To promote the album, he launches viral billboards poking fun at the perception of his hometown. **7. Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center Begins Work to Transform Black Arts Facility (2018)** Commissioned by Charles Jordan, the first Black city councilor in Portland, this firehouse-turned-performing arts facility becomes a treasured hub of Black arts in the ‘80s. After a series of financial hits leaves the building vacant, Commissioner Amanda Fritz stands up an advisory committee to restore it to its rightful legacy. **8. Green Hop Opens as Nation’s First Hip-Hop Dispensary (2018)** Karanja Crews and Nicole Kennedy launch this green and yellow business which becomes Portland’s first hip-hop themed dispensary, later renamed Green Muse. **9. First Juneteenth Celebrated in Gresham (2019)** Beyond Black hosts the first Juneteenth celebration in Gresham, Oregon. The celebration brings thousands of people to Vance Park with music, art, food, and an official proclamation. **10. Jo Ann Hardesty Becomes First Black Woman Elected to Portland City Council (2019)** Dedicated police reform advocate Jo Ann Hardesty elected as the first Black woman on Portland’s city council. The historic race sees her face off against Loretta Smith, who is also Black. **11. Portland Street Response Launches (2019)** This unarmed, trauma-informed first response program changed the 911 infrastructure. Championed by Commissioner Hardesty, this program offers a real alternative to calling police for disturbances and emergencies. **12. “1619 Project” Debuts (2019)** This multimedia project crash-lands into the world’s consciousness, transforming how we talk about the legacy of slavery in America. Released by the _New York Times_ , locals can be proud knowing its creator Nikole Hannah-Jones spent many years writing here for _The Oregonian_ on its education beat. **13. George Floyd Protests Ignite Portland (2020)** George Floyd’s murder ignites the largest global protests for Black lives in history. Portland’s protests continue for more than 100 days, becoming a focal point in the movement amongst various calls to defund the police. **14. Geneva’s Shear Perfection Closes (2020)** This was the premier spot for Black Portlanders (and visiting celebrities) to get a shape up. During COVID, after more than 30 years in business, it was announced that “The Mayor of NE Portland” Paul Knauls was closing the shop’s doors. **15. Gresham Elects First Black Mayor (2021)** The decision came down to 13 votes: Travis Stovall goes on to defeat Eddie Morales in a highly competitive race—becoming the first Black mayor of Gresham. **16. Albina Descendants Secure $8.5M in Restitution (2021)** Following Albina residents seeing their family homes and businesses destroyed through eminent domain, and after a multi-year legal battle, the City of Portland allocates $8.5 million to a group of 26 descendants. **17. City of Portland Endorses Reparations (2021)** As part of the city’s federal legislative strategy, they endorse lobbying for reparations for Black and Indigenous communities. Every year since the late ‘80s, HR 40, a bill to commission a federal reparations study, is introduced in Congress but never advances to the full House for a vote. **18. 8 Seconds Rodeo Debuts (2023)** Thousands pack out this Black rodeo donning cowboy boots, hats, and other festive getups. This sold-out event becomes the first Black rodeo, which is birthed in part, during the first Juneteenth in Gresham. **19. 1803 Fund Launches (2023)** Rukaiyah Adams unveils the 1803 Fund, along with a $400 million investment from Phil Knight. Supporting the economic vitality of Black Portlanders, the fund stands as the largest Black-woman owned investment fund in the United States. **20. Intisar Abioto Curates Largest Black Takeover of PAM (2023)** Born out of her deep research, Intisar Abioto launches the largest curation of Black artists from the Pacific Northwest at Portland Art Museum. The mega-curation features 69 Black artists, dead and alive, in a prolific multimedia experience. **21. Ten Year Anniversary of Natural Hair Care Act (2023)** After learning that anyone who wanted to do someone’s natural hair had to do the same amount of training as a licensed barber or beautician, Amber Starks worked to change this law in Oregon. Her work leads to a series of natural hair care businesses being stood up throughout the state. **22. Janelle Bynum Becomes First Black Person Elected to US Congress in Oregon (2024)** During 2020 she was the only Black woman in the Oregon Legislature. In 2024, the centrist business owner mounts a winning campaign for a U.S. Senate seat, flipping the district from red to blue. **23. Racist Geography Names Replaced to Honor Black Pioneers (2024)** The US Board on Geographic Names renames Negro Jack Creek in Tillamook to Jack Creek, and Negro Creek in Douglas County to Triple Nickles Creek. The effort, led by Oregon Black Pioneers, respectively honors the life of a man named Jack (likely Black) who lived in the area during the late 1800s, and an all-Black army unit from WWII stationed in Oregon. **24. Albina One Opens (2025)** Albina Vision Trust, the largest restorative redevelopment effort in the nation, opens its first affordable housing development, Albina One. The 94-unit, family-centered housing is the first building erected to restore Lower Albina’s legacy as a hub of social and artistic innovation. **25. Portland Hip-Hop Week Turns 10 (2025)** Founded by Portland hip-hop pioneer Starchile and Portland Trail Blazers’ DJ O.G. One, this event, which kicks off with hip-hop performers in front of City Hall, was created to bridge tensions between local government and rappers. While Starchile passed in 2017 from cancer, the event grows from a single day to an entire week of events, including rap, dance, professional development, and an award ceremony. **26. “BlackOut: A 5-Year Retrospective of Portland’s Racial Justice Protests” Publishes (2025)** Featuring 12 essays and interviews, this special magazine created by Donovan Scribes and published by the _Portland Mercury_ recounts the five-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder through the lens of Black Portlanders. 40,000 copies are circulated, inspiring art, a public forum, book clubs, and school curriculum. **27._The Skanner_ Shutters (2026)** After a celebrating a half-century of publishing, Oregon’s largest Black news outlet announces its closure. The paper, which went fully digital in 2020, released a special print edition with essays, archival photos, and celebratory notes to commemorate their 50th anniversary last summer. Owned by Bernie and Bobbie Foster, the paper’s closure leaves a void in the media ecosystem and the soul of Black Portlanders. **28._Portland Mercury_ Publishes its First Black History Month Issue (2026)** Traditionally, February has been the month we at the _Mercury_ focus on sex and love. This year marks the first year we dedicate these pages to Black History Month.

These people are helping change the very fabric of the Rose City. by Donovan Scribes (fka Donovan Smith) _What follows is one of the many articles in the_ Mercury _'sBlack Innovators & Changemakers issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you're feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us [here.—eds.]_ Black History Month is equally about reaching into the stories of our past, as well as carving our futures with possibilities. It’s not simply a time to post nice quotes from the same historical figures. It presents us with an opportunity to recognize that history is, in fact, being made in the present day. That history finds a strong heartbeat in the Northwest jewel that is Portland, Oregon. Across the board—from arts, sports, comedy, and activism—Black Portlanders continue to reshape the very fabric of the Rose City. Here are 10 Black innovators and changemakers in Portland (in no particular order) that you should know. LaQuisha Minnieweather One of the best organizers to ever hit the scene. A co-conspirator in my initiative The Kidz Outside (TKO), she single-handedly sourced nearly 1,000 backpacks, thousands of pounds of food, more than 200 bikes, and more resources than I can count over the last four years of our annual festival. Pre-TKO, Minnieweather helped source tens-of-thousands of dollars in mutual-aid resources for houseless folks during the apocalyptic Alameda Fires that ripped through Oregon in 2020. Jared Leaf For two seasons, this Portlander has been in the director’s seat of BET’s number one digital series, _Churchy,_ starring comedian KevOnStage. And now, he’s released a short film executive produced by Jordan Peele himself, titled _Spilled Milk_ and starring Kid Cudi (who also scores the film) under Peele’s imprint MonkeyPaw Productions. Also stay tuned for Leaf’s new series, _Taste Black Portland_, exploring the depth of the city’s culinary scene. Damian Lillard He’s back! I don’t even watch sports anymore and I felt some type of way following his 2025 return to the Blazers. Dame, who of course traded his Blazer jersey for the Milwaukee Bucks, had become a town fixture beyond the court, and has been an overflowing fountain poured into the youth, lending his star power to the local hip-hop scene, all while putting points on the board. To leave the city, and then return to put the “0” back in the 503, is exactly the type of light we need in these very dark times. Again, I don’t watch sports, but he got a standing ovation from the Milwaukee Bucks after his first game back to his former team’s court in a Blazer jersey, so it’s obvious we’re not the only ones who appreciate his impact. But back in Rip City—we’ve got a lot more to cheer for: Once again—it’s Dame Time! esperanza spalding Not all Grammy-winners are cut the same (looking at you Drake). Hometown jazz extraordinaire esperanza spalding is staying rooted in the Rose City, and quite literally inviting others to do so as well with the launch of her artist community, Prismid Sanctuary. Located in St. Johns, the building sits on nearly an acre with a farmhouse, intended to center “cultural, ecological and wellness programs.” This includes using the space for artist residencies, workshops, and other creative practices that help you become one with yourself. Michael “Chappie” Grice (posthumous) Truly a lifelong teacher, Chappie, who co-founded the illustrious arts organization, World Arts Foundation, never stopped serving our youth. Between San Francisco and Portland public schools, Chappie was always thinking about the next generation. Inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen, he also launched an entrepreneurial program to foster interest in aviation for middle- and high schoolers (even bringing one of the last living Tuskegee Airmen to Portland during the 2010s). His passing in September at age 77 leaves a void in the city, currently being filled by a trail of mentees and the large network of lives he touched and improved during his lifetime. Javonnie Shearn As founder and executive director of Up and Over and Glenda’s Garden, for years Shearn has been quietly getting dozens of people off the streets and into housing. A dedicated advocate for those on the margins of the margins, her servant heart was born from life experience: Her son, who lived with schizophrenia, was released from the Oregon State Hospital onto the streets more than a decade ago. After relentlessly searching for him, the two finally reconnected and shared life together until his passing in 2023. Late last year she published a book about their journey, _Someone’s Someone_. Keon Loyuk He’s the tour guide Portland never knew it needed. His Instagram page is like _Portlandia_ for those who know the difference between Portland and P-town. He knows the hotspots. He knows the notspots. And his Instagram and TikTok posts that commonly conflate the two are single-handedly changing the way we look at and laugh about our city. From what he calls the “midnight ballerinas” of 82nd Avenue, the people-watching at Dawson Park, to the unique sights and sounds of Union Station, Keon’s got the inside scoop on all things Rose City underground. Shannon Olive (posthumous) She loved and supported the women who are often discarded by our society. The founder of WomenFirst Transitional and Resource Center, Olive helped people transitioning out of prison find housing and jobs, all while providing a network of peer support. A fierce justice advocate, she was a champion of Measure 110, and was able to expand WomenFirst’s impact through its funding. Olive served on Home Forward’s board of commissioners, and was dedicated to keeping people housed. She left us with these words: “I was a trailblazer. I left my footprint. And most of all, I kept the faith.” Alexis Ames A staunch advocate for tenant rights, Ames helped stop an illegal rent increase for an entire apartment complex in Molalla, Oregon. The occupants were a mix of working class Oregonians, some without English as their first language, and if she hadn’t reached out to those needing help, they would have been stuck in that nightmare. During her career, she has stood up multiple tenant unions while supporting dozens of renters to have their voices heard in the Oregon Legislature. While technically living in Vancouver, Washington, she’s put it down for the soil with so many Oregon accomplishments that we’ll ignore the little river that divides us. Candace Avalos She helped lead the reformation of the Portland city council she now sits on. Representing East County, Avalos takes an unabashedly millennial approach to governing in the 21st century, and continues to be a consistent voice for keeping people housed, not allowing police to pounce on every corner of poverty to inflate their budgets, and helping Portland live up to its green values.

O cenário do rap nacional se movimenta com o lançamento de "Do Rap à Gratidão", o novo EP do artista S Black (Jefferson Santos). Composto por cinco faixas