Oregon Black Pioneers Explained

Oregon Black Pioneers is a non-profit historical society focused on Black Oregonians, based in Salem, Oregon, United States.

History

The organization was founded as “Northwest Black Pioneers” by Carole Davis, an educator from Seattle, and Oregon State Senator Jackie Winters in 1993. The group drew inspiration from the Northwest Black Pioneers in Seattle.^[1] The group later operated under the name “Oregon Northwest Black Pioneers” before officially settling on the name “Oregon Black Pioneers” in 2004.

The organization’s early projects mainly focused on Black history education and presentations to Salem-area schools. After a few years of work, the volunteer group became mostly inactive.^[2] In 2004, Willie Richardson, a Salem business owner, school board member, and community advocate, gained support from other members to revitalize the group. Richardson served as the group's board president since then. In 2020, Executive Director Zachary Stocks became the organization's first paid staff member.^[3]

Historical markers project

In 2007, Oregon Black Pioneers dedicated a granite marker to 43 Black people buried at the Salem Pioneer Cemetery.^[4]

Exhibitions

• Perseverance
• A Community on the Move
• All Aboard! Railroading and Portland’s Black Community^{[5] [6]}
• Racing to Change: Oregon’s Civil Rights Years
• Racing to Change: The Eugene Story

Publications

• Book: 2011. Oregon Northwest Black Pioneers. 978-1-4507-4878-0. Salem, Oregon. 747038125. ^[7]
• Book: Oregon Black Pioneers. African Americans of Portland. Moreland. Kimberly Stowers. 2013. Arcadia Publishing. 0-7385-9619-1. Charleston, South Carolina. 809028266.

Awards

• 2009: David Duniway Award for Historic Preservation, from the Marion County Historical Society^[8]
• 2010: Education Award from the Oregon Assembly for Black Affairs
• 2010: Heritage Award from American Legacy Magazine
• 2017: George McMath Historic Preservation Award

External links

• Official Website

See also

• History of African Americans in Oregon
• Willie Richardson

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2019-10-06. Oregon Black Pioneers show the deep roots of African-Americans in Salem. 2021-04-13. Salem Reporter. en.
2. Commemorating a northwest journey. Statesman Journal, Jun 24, 2005. Via Proquest.
3. Web site: Lynn. Capi. Oregon Black Pioneers hires first executive director. 2021-04-13. Statesman Journal. en-US.
4. News: Peterson. Danielle. February 14, 2010. Putting long-buried stories on the path to preservation. 1A, 11A. Statesman Journal. Newspapers.com.
5. Fontana, Francesca.Separate tracks: New exhibit highlights black employees of railroad companies. The Register - Guard, Sep 22, 2016. Via Proquest.
6. Curtin, Barbara. Illustrating Oregon's black history. Statesman Journal, Jan 13, 2013. Via Proquest.
7. Curtin, Barbara. Tracing area black history. Statesman Journal, Jul 24, 2011. Via Proquest.
8. Web site: Oregon Black Pioneers (organization). 2021-04-13. www.oregonencyclopedia.org. en.