February 3, 2010 The Portland Observer Black History Month Page 9 Vancouver’s First Families Remembered Black community reaches back generations African Am erican families who settled in Vancouver during World W ar II will tell - a n d hear -th e ir life stories in the voices o f today’s young people at 7 p.m. on Thursday,. Feb. 4 at the Clark County Historical Museum, 1511 Main St in Vancouver. Four local high school stu dents will read a script created from original family interviews by Jane Elder Wulff, who helped organize a historical project called “First Families o f V ancouver’s African American Community: From World War II to the 21st Century.” The event is free and open to the public. W ulff and project director Cometta Smith will introduce the program, and family members will be available to answer ques tions after the reading. Project volunteers have been busy identifying and contacting black families who sought jobs in V ancouver’s war-related indus tries and stayed to make their î homes here. W ulff is writing a book based on her interviews with family members. The project’s main sponsor, N A A C P V ancouver B ranch #1139, expects to release the book for sale early in 2011. Digi tal recordings o f family inter views will be archived at the museum after the book’s publi cation. “What w e’re finding is that after the war, in spite o f efforts to make them leave, these young area, rather than all in one place.” Because o f that decision, she said, “Most people today don’t realize we have this strong black community here that goes back decades. The courage and per sistence o f these families helped Vancouver to be ahead o f its tim e.” H u m a n itie s W a sh in g to n , Black United Fund o f Oregon, Cometta Smith Clark C ounty’s historical pro families stayed in Vancouversim- motion grant program, and nu ply because they liked it here,” merous individual donors have W ulff said. “What’s more, they c o n trib u te d fun d s to w ard deliberately settled throughout the completion o f this work. • We stand together, richer for our differences We celebrate the wisdom of collaboration and the strength in diversity. 0 PORT OF PORTLAND Possibility. In every direction.