As part of COMING HOME: Week of Memory Activism in Portland’s Historic Old Town 9/28 - 10/5, 2024 (Full Program here)
A series of memory activism displays amplifying silenced histories and celebrating communities' strength.
Born from the collective creativity and resilience of the Vanport Mosaic Memory Activism Virtual Unconference, made possible by the Oregon Heritage Commission during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, History is Now first came to life in 2021 as part of the 6th Vanport Mosaic Festival. It transformed 65 vacant storefront windows along Portland’s North Park Blocks into powerful displays, inviting the community to engage with stories that have been systematically erased from Portland’s official history. These public spaces became sites of reflection and action, shining a light on untold narratives.
Since then, the Museum Without Walls has continued to travel and expand, bringing these silenced histories to new audiences across the city.
In honor of COMING HOME, we are thrilled to introduce two new installations:
All Aboard! by the Oregon Black Pioneers, based on the 2013 exhibit and book African Americans of Portland. This installation explores the vibrant Black community that grew up around Portland’s Union Station from the late 19th to mid-20th century, when Black churches, hotels, newspapers, and businesses were established, contributing to the city’s rich cultural fabric.
The Golden West Hotel, presented by Central City Concern, tells the story of Portland’s first hotel to accommodate African American patrons. Operating from 1906 to 1931, the Golden West was a vital social center for the Black community in a segregated and often hostile city. The lower floors housed several Black-owned businesses, including a barbershop, ice cream parlor, bar, and athletic club, making the hotel a hub for community life and entrepreneurship.
Curated and facilitated by Story Midwife Laura Lo Forti and Community Weaver Chisao Hata, and coordinated and designed by Design As Protest/Karim Hassanein, Sophia Austrin, and Emily Wakdinger, this evolving exhibit has been co-created with the collaboration of many esteemed partners, including the Maxville Heritage Center, Afro Village/Laquida Landford, Five Oaks Museum, Oregon Black Pioneers, Oregon Jewish Museum, Japanese American Museum of Oregon, Cornerstones of Community, Portland Chinatown Museum, Portland Black Panthers, Oregon Remembrance Project, The Immigrant Story, It Did Happen Here, the Fair Housing Council of Oregon, and the Oregon Historical Society.