Oregon Black Pioneers

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

## History[edit]

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.[1]

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.[1] 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[edit]

In 2007, Oregon Black Pioneers dedicated a granite marker to 43 Black people buried at the Salem Pioneer Cemetery.[3][4]

## Exhibitions[edit]

* 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[edit]

* Perseverance: a history of African Americans in Oregon's Marion and Polk Counties. Salem, Oregon: Oregon Northwest Black Pioneers. 2011. ISBN 978-1-4507-4878-0. OCLC 747038125.[7]
* Oregon Black Pioneers; Moreland, Kimberly Stowers (2013). African Americans of Portland. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-9619-1. OCLC 809028266.

## Awards[edit]

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

## External links[edit]

* Official Website

## See also[edit]

* History of African Americans in Oregon
* Willie Richardson

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Oregon Black Pioneers show the deep roots of African-Americans in Salem". Salem Reporter. 2019-10-06. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
2. ^ Commemorating a northwest journey. Statesman Journal, Jun 24, 2005. Via Proquest.
3. ^ a b Lynn, Capi. "Oregon Black Pioneers hires first executive director". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
4. ^ Peterson, Danielle (February 14, 2010). "Putting long-buried stories on the path to preservation". Statesman Journal. pp. 1A, 11A - via 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. ^ a b c d "Oregon Black Pioneers (organization)". www.oregonencyclopedia.org. Retrieved 2021-04-13.