In this episode of Beach Grass Roots, we hear from some of the staff at Oregon Black Pioneers: Oregon’s only historical society dedicated to preserving and presenting the experiences of African Americans statewide. Public Programs and Exhibits Manager Mariah Rocker and Executive Director Zachary Stocks talk about the work Oregon Black Pioneers has been doing…
Zachary Stocks
Thelma Johnson Streat – a painter and dancer, who used her art to promote racial equity and education.
J.A. Merriman – a physician, civic leader, newspaper publisher, and Portland’s first Black doctor.
Aaron Brown – a lawyer, mentor, and Oregon’s first Black judge.
Geraldine Hammond – a long time Salem educator and the first Black school principal in the Salem-Keizer school district.
A biography of Ahmad Rashad – a Portland native, a University of Oregon football star, an NFL-Pro Bowler, and a sports broadcasting icon.
A biography of Charles Jordan – Portland’s first Black city commissioner, and a longtime director of Portland City Parks.
A biography of Lyllye Reynolds-Parker – an educator and one of Eugene’s most important civil rights champions.
A biography of Grafton Tyler Brown – the first Black professional painter in the Pacific Northwest.
A biography of America Waldo – a former slave and the matriarch of a northwest Black pioneer family.
A biography of Carrie Halsell Ward – the first Black graduate of Oregon State University.
A biography of James Monroe Jones – an American expatriate who became one of the most celebrated gunsmiths in 19th century Canada.
A biography of Hiram “Hi” Gorman – a formerly enslaved Oregon settler who became a prominent figure in the Salem community.
A biography of Margaret Johnson Bailes – a legendary track athlete from Eugene.
A biography of Katherine Bogle – a journalist and a civil rights advocate for Black Oregonians.
A biography of Malvin L. Brown – a soldier and the first casualty of the US Forest Service’s smokejumper program.
A biography of Dr. Edwin Coleman Jr. – a University of Oregon professor, a musician, and prominent leader in Eugene’s African American community for decades.
A biography of Joe Lillard – an early Black athlete at the University of Oregon.
A biography of Daniel Drew – a Civil War soldier who became a minister and Chaplain of the Oregon chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic.
A biography of Alan and Louisa Flowers – the heads of a prominent Black family in early Portland, and the city’s first Black land developers.
A biography of Margaret Carter – an educator, activist, and the first Black person elected to the Oregon State House of Representatives.
A biography of Robert Deiz – a World War II fighter pilot and the likeness of one of America’s most famous wartime posters.
A biography of Elena Carter – a ballet dancer and choreographer who was one of the most recognizable figures in dance in the Pacific Northwest for a quarter century.
A biography of Adrienne Nelson – a justice of the Oregon State Supreme Court.
A biography of Abner Hunt Francis – an abolitionist, social activist, and business owner in early Portland.
A biography of McCants Stewart – an influential scholar and the first African American to practice law in Oregon.
A biography of George Washington Bush – an early black homesteader who challenged the racial exclusion laws of the Oregon Territory.
A biography of Jackie Winters – an Oregon State Senator, restaurateur, and cofounder of Oregon Black Pioneers.