BLACK
HISTORY
MONTH
QR code for
Portland Observer
Online
‘City of Roses’
Volume XLV
Number 8
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday • February 24, 2016
Established in 1970
Committed to Cultural Diversity
photo by M ark W ashington /t he p ortland o bserver
Portland author and entrepreneur Devin S. James shares his story of trying to bridge the racial divide between oficials in Ferguson, Mo. and an enraged black community,
during a recent lecture and book signing at the Barnes and Noble in Lloyd Center. James is the author of “Inside Ferguson” A Voice for the Voiceless,” a walk-though of
what happened after the 2014 death of Michael Brown.
Author shares story
in personal account
M ichael l eighton
p ortland o bserver editor
A front row seat into the turmoil and
outrage that followed the police shoot-
ing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.
and an insider’s account of what was
done and what failed to bring peace to
the community, is being shared for Black
History Month by a local black author
and entrepreneur.
Devin S. James is the author of “Inside
Ferguson: A Voice for the Voiceless,”
a irst-hand account of the challenges
he faced attempting to bridge the racial
by
Inside
Ferguson
divide for a city that served a majority
black population but lacked diversity in
its administration and was resistant to
change.
James is a public relations specialist
and entrepreneur. His communications
and community outreach services in-
cludes work with Karanja Crews, the
esteemed Portland African-American
teacher and inventor who advances edu-
cation for students of color by addressing
issues of equity and policy.
James said he moved to northeast
Portland’s Alberta neighborhood in
2013. A year later he earned a scholar-
ship to attend the Minority Business
Executive Program at the University of
Washington’s Foster School of Business.
The experience helped him become a
representative of the St. Louis Leader-
ship Economic Development agency to
oficially work in Ferguson to improve
relations between the city’s black com-
munity and its all-white leadership.
“Inside Ferguson: A Voice for the
Voiceless” is a multi-pronged thesis
c ontinued on p age 2