Black Bag Speaker Series: Oregon Black Pioneers Historic Photograph Collection

Oregon Black Pioneers (OBP) and Portland State University’s (PSU) Black Studies Department & Center for Black Studies present the launch of the Oregon Black Pioneers Historic Photograph Collection on Wednesday, March 22 from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

OBP will present the history and context of a photo album, found in a house located in historically Black North Portland, that was donated to OBP by the house’s new owners. OBP approached Portland State University’s Black Studies Department and Special Collections & Archives to design a course around these rare photographs. The Oregon Historical Society is also a partner on this project. PSU students have researched and digitized each photograph, and their coursework has not only helped preserve the photographs, but it has also prepared them for public access through PSU’s digital learning platform, PDX Scholar. PSU students will share their research and hands-on experiences in digital preservation. Soon the public will be able to browse these images of Black Portlanders, from about the 1950s through the 1970s. 

The public is invited to attend the talk, which will be held in Room 160 of the PSU Library, with an online viewing option. Learn more about the event here.