Celebrating
‘City
of
Roses’
BLACK
HISTORY
MONTH
Volume XLVIII • Number 5
Established in 1970
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday • January 30, 2019
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Photo by
D anny P eterson /t he P ortlanD o bserver
Community artist Claudia Carter, a volunteer assistant
treasurer for the Vancouver NAACP, has curated historical
documents, artwork and speakers for an exhibit in
celebration of the civil rights group and Black History
Month, called ‘NAACP Generations: Yesterday, Today,
and Tomorrow” in collaboration with the Clark County
Historical Society.
D anny P eterson
t he P ortlanD o bserver
The oft-overlooked histories of
black communities in Vancouver
and the Pacific Northwest, as well
as the re-telling of racial justice
victories made possible because
of the advocacy of the Vancouver
Branch of the NAACP, are cele-
brated during February as Black
History Month is observed with
special speakers, historical docu-
ments, artwork and exhibitions.
From working with the Vancou-
ver Housing Authority to ensuring
black people were not segregated
in wartime housing, to addressing
large scale unemployment of Af-
rican Americans post-World War
II and beyond, the local branch of
the National Association of Col-
ored Persons has been a dedicated
Photo courtesy of the c lark c ounty h istorical M useuM
custodian of civil rights since its
A historical photo shows a 1949 meeting in Vancouver, Wash. of NAACP branch representatives of
formation as a local chapter over
the Washington State Conference.
by
NAACP Generations
Custodians of civil rights protections celebrate
70 years ago, and shows no sign
of slowing down.
“The mission of the NAACP is
to eliminate race-based discrim-
ination and fight for the equality
of all persons. We are constantly
working, and as you can imag-
ine, we are very busy,” said cur-
rent Vancouver NAACP President
Bridgette Fanhbulleh.
Fanhbulleh, past president Earl
Ford, and assistant president Jas-
mine Rucker Tolbert, will lead the
discussion when “NAACP Gener-
ations: Vancouver NAACP Yes-
terday, Today, and Tomorrow,” is
held Thursday, Feb. 7 at the Clark
County Historical Museum.
The event is collaboration from
Clark County Historical Muse-
um Executive Director Bradley
Richardson and Claudia Carter,
c ontinueD on P age 16