This week marks the start of Black History Month, prompting us to pause, reflect and gather to commemorate and advance the many contributions that the Black community has made to this country, to our region and to Portland State.
It’s worth noting that, while the current presidential administration appears determined to beat back the progress toward racial justice made by investments in diversity, equity and inclusion programs, that an early move by the U.S. Air Force to remove mention of the Tuskegee Airmen from training materials was reversed after bipartisan calls for their tributes to remain.
That kind of unity in celebrating Black Americans is the appropriate spirit for us to begin this month.
In Portland, I am continually inspired by the work of the Albina Vision Trust and their work to rebuild a Black neighborhood in the heart of Portland. This effort is focused on Black futures in our city and addressing past harms inflicted on Black Portlanders who were first redlined into the Albina neighborhood and then forced from it when development opportunities arose. I’m proud that PSU faculty and students have contributed research on this topic for many decades.
I’m also proud that PSU is contributing to the effort by Black-led POIC (Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center) to address violence in downtown. Through a new certification program, Portland outreach workers attend courses at PSU while continuing their work in the community, serving neighborhoods with higher-than-average violent crime rates.
Here on campus we’ll have several opportunities to mark Black History Month in February including the following:
- On February 13, we will honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a Presentation of the Letter from Birmingham Jail. The reading and opportunity for community connection will take place in the Lincoln Hall Studio Theater from noon to 2 p.m.
- On February 21, PSU will host an evening screening of Inward, a documentary about Atlanta-based artist Michi Meko, who reflects on urban and rural spaces alongside humanity, culture, injustice and waste. The artist and filmmaker Chad Brown will be on hand for a discussion following the screening, 7 to 9 p.m. in Lincoln Hall 75.
- On February 27, we have the chance to reflect on the completion of PSU’s Time to Act plan that was forged in 2020 as a response to injustice. Global Diversity and Inclusion will host an event in the Smith Ballroom from 9:30 to 2 p.m. so that we can reflect on our journey and look ahead to what's next.
In closing, I’ll highlight the work of PSU’s Black Studies Department, which has been working with incarcerated students at the Oregon State Penitentiary to teach courses for a Black Studies certificate. Last year, 16 of those students completed their coursework, and last month PSU’s Center for Black Studies celebrated a photo exhibit and book release for “Memory and Place in Black Portland: A Book of Photos, Essays, and Poetry.” You can hear Walidah Imarisha, associate professor and Director of the Center for Black Studies, talk about the project in this Instagram post promoting a photography exhibit event that took place Jan. 26. You can also order your copy of the book online.
Thank you for joining me in honoring Black History Month at Portland State.