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WALIDAH IMARISHA, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

In his catalogue essay, historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. wonders what it was like for Portland born Carrie Mae Weems “to grow up black in a largely white environment and to grow up black in an environment unlike that experienced by most African Americans” in other parts of the country. Have you ever considered why the black population in Oregon is so small? While Oregon has a long history of black exclusion and discrimination, it also has a vibrant history of black culture—a history that has often remained hidden. Imarisha leads participants through an interactive timeline of the black experience in Oregon and will discuss how history, politics, and culture have shaped—and continue to shape—the landscape for black Oregonians.

This program is co-presented with Portland Center Stage in conjunction with their production of Clybourne Park and the Oregon History Museum’s exhibition All Aboard: Railroading and Portland’s Black Community. Conversation Projects are funded by the generous support of Oregon Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Oregon Cultural Trust.

Open to the public without charge. Space may be limited.