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Black History Month
February 10, 2016
After Olan and Frederick Williams tied the knot, they shared their story for the #BlackLoveMatters
campaign. “The moment we said “I Do” our lives were changed for the best,” they said. “Our love is an
example of pure black love.”
Tell Me Who You Love
A famous Creole proverb reads, “Tell me who
you love and I’ll tell you who you are.” The people
we love say a lot about us, and we say a lot about the
people we love. That’s why this month, the PFLAG
Portland Black Chapter, a local LBGTQ group, is
hosting a new #BlackLoveMatters campaign.
The community is invited to submit shots of your
loved ones to represent black love in all its shapes,
forms and sizes. Pictures of couples, children, sib-
lings, parents, friends and mentors will be shared
to show the world that loving ourselves comes in a
variety of meaningful relationships. To share your
story, visit plagpdx.org/wordpress/2016/02/01/
blacklovematters.
Also in time for Valentine’s Day, Black Lives
Matter Portland is hosting a free “Blackentine’s
Day” celebration at In Other Words Bookstore, 14
N.E. Killingsworth St. It will begin at 6 p.m. on
Sunday, Feb. 14. There will be music, dancing, and
light refreshments.
Focus on Black Women
Feminist reading
group celebrates
Advertise with diversity in
The Portland Observer
Call 503-288-0033
or email ads@portlandobserver.com
This Black History Month, the
community will have the chance
to enjoy a multigenerational read-
ing of local black women writers
thanks to a local feminist literary
collective, Unchaste Readers Se-
ries.
The free and open-to-the-public
celebration takes place Wednes-
day, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Ceri-
mon House, 5131 N.E. 23rd Ave. Ebony Oldham
For black women, nights like this are “a vital necessity of our
existence,” said poet Audre Lorde.
“The farthest horizons of our
hopes and fears are cobbled by
our poems, carved from the rock
experiences of our daily lives.”
The readers scheduled to ap-
pear include Portland Youth Poet
Laureate Sekai Edwards, celeb
rated playwright and poet S. Re-
nee Mitchell, Black Lives Matters
activist Ebony Oldham, Black
Portlanders’ founder and photog-
rapher Intisar Abioto, along with
Kiki Nicole, Jewels Harrison, Ka-
limah Abioto, Wanda Abioto, Ro-
chelle Hart, Darlene Solon-Rog-
ers and Turiya Autry.
Oldham is a womanist, writer
poet and singer. She is an organiz-
er with Black Lives Matter Port-
land, an advocate at New Avenues
for Youth, and a graduate student
at Portland State University ex-
ploring how colorism impacts
leadership for black women and
other women of color.
Black History Gospel Fest
First A.M.E Zion Church, 4304
N. Vancouver Ave., will host
its irst ever irst Black History
Month Gospel Celebration, on
Saturday, Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. This is
a free event open to all.
First A.M.E Zion Church is
rich with history and traditions,
and as the oldest African Amer-
ican Church in Oregon, the con-
gregation decided it was vital to
establish one event in our commu-
nity that celebrates the culture and
roots of the church and the African
American community.
Music through the ages will be
featured, from the Negro spirituals
to today’s contemporary gospel,
featuring choirs and praise teams
from local area churches.
For more information, email
Maria Council at
Mariaxxxvi@aol.com or call
503-516-5765.