Research and Education Focused on Black History and Preservation in Oregon
Making Preservation Work Better for BIPOC Communities
As part of our effort to tell an inclusive story of Oregon's past, Restore Oregon partnered with the University of Oregon (UO) Just Futures Institute, Oregon Black Pioneers, Moreland Resource Consulting, Clatsop Community College Historic Preservation Program, and the Architectural Heritage Center, to launch the Albina Preservation Initiative–a step forward to make preservation work better for Black communities and a transformative shift for Oregon.
Unknown numbers of places have been demolished or lost due to poor public policy, misallocation of resources, and intentional discrimination.
Decades of exclusion have led to an egregious lack of recognition and preservation of Oregon’s physical and cultural heritage. Both are vital ingredients to building a successful, dynamic society, particularly among Oregon's Black residents.
Bridging the Gap Between Traditional Preservation
and BIPOC-Lived Experiences in Oregon
Working collaboratively with Oregon Black Pioneers, Moreland Resource Consulting,
Clatsop Community College's Historic Preservation Program, and the Architectural Heritage Center,
The Albina Preservation Initiative Goals are:
Historic Preservation that Works for All
To bridge the gap between traditional historic preservation practices and the lived experiences of BIPOC communities by publishing data, creating access, developing tools, and amplifying voices.
Statewide Inclusive Preservation
To create a safe space for difficult discussions, documenting and sharing Black preservation methods and stories with the public, and establishing a path forward for inclusive preservation statewide.
A Hands-On Preservation Program
Participate in one or all components:
Urban Racial Justice Field School
Hosted by Clatsop Community College’s (CCC) Historic Preservation & Restoration Program, the demonstration site is at the historic Billy Webb Elks Lodge in Northeast Portland. Albina community members and CCC students will learn hands-on preservation techniques focused on wood window repair, energy efficiency upgrades for existing windows, and general wood repair for historic materials. The workshop will be held on June 1-2, 2024, and will be free for Albina residents.
Registration information coming soon!
Albina House History Research Workshop
As part of our Albina Preservation Initiative, in hopes of documenting previously unrecorded Black history in Portland’s Albina neighborhoods, Restore Oregon, the Architectural Heritage Center, and Moreland Resource Consulting teamed up to offer a one-day house history research workshop in the summer of 2023.
This research will be used in an upcoming digital exhitibit helping to document and preserve Albina’s historic resources!
Hidden Landmarks of Albina's Black Community: A Digital Exhibit Mapping Historic African American Properties in Albina
an effort to tell an inclusive story of Oregon's past and raise awareness of Albina’s rich cultural heritage, Oregon Black Pioneers and Moreland Resource Consulting, in collaboration with Restore Oregon’s Albina Preservation Initiative, released an all-new digital exhibit that documents historic Black properties and the untold stories and achievements of the African American leaders who lived and made history in Portland’s historically-Black Albina neighborhood.
Preservation Research of Places in Albina
Includes deep-dive research into historically and culturally significant resources in Albina by consultant Kimberly Moreland of Moreland Resource Consulting. This research will be presented at the Future of Oregon’s Black Preservation Movement Symposium.
Future of Oregon’s Black Preservation Movement Symposium
Restore Oregon and the Just Future’s Institute will co-host Dismantling Stereotypes: Black Preservation in Oregon Symposium focused on the future of Black preservation in Oregon. Scheduled for early 2024, attendees will hear about the work of the Albina Preservation Initiative, celebrate Oregon's Black history, recognize culturally-defined preservation efforts, and much more. Tickets and dates are TBD.
The Albina Preservation Initiative
is made possible by a grant from
The PNW Just Futures Institute for Racial and Climate Justice is an interdisciplinary collaboration between leaders from the UO’s College of Arts and Sciences and College of Design, and other institutions in the region, including the University of Idaho, Whitman College, and Heritage University on the Yakama Nation. With capacity made possible by the Mellon Foundation through a $4.52 million grant awarded in January 2021, the institute is tackling the intertwined issues of racial and climate justice and working toward a more just future for the region.
in collaboration with
