Talk — Oregon Black Pioneers: 450 Years in 45 Minutes

People of African descent have lived and worked in Oregon since before the founding of the earliest English-speaking settlements in the Americas. Despite this, the popular narrative of our state’s history excludes the experiences of African Americans before the mid-20th century. This erasure is the result of historic legal and social marginalization that contributes to the ignorance of Oregon’s Black heritage, as well as influences contemporary disparities in housing access, community investment, and policing. For this presentation, Oregon Black Pioneers will attempt to correct the record by highlighting key individuals and events that characterize Oregon’s unique and centuries-old Black history.

Speaker Bio: Mariah Rocker is the Public Programs and Exhibits Manager at Oregon Black Pioneers. With a bachelor’s in Public Relations and a bachelor’s in Sociology, Mariah?s passion for uncovering and sharing the stories of marginalized communities is evident in both her professional and personal pursuits. In her free time, Mariah channels the strength and resilience of historical icons by dressing up as them, and also enjoys crafting handmade miniatures.