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50 TH A NNIVERSARY E DITION
November 18, 2020
Portland Observer’s 50 Years
Anniversary renews focus on Black, diverse communities
b everly C orbell
T he P orTland o bserver
For 50 years, the Portland Observer has
endeavored to inform and uplift the Afri-
can American and other communities of
color. With informed local reporting, pho-
tography, columns and articles dedicated
to diversity and the Black experience, the
by
publication is celebrating the past with a
pledge to continue delivering solid news to
our readers and viewers in the future. As
the state’s oldest Black-owned newspaper,
the Portland Observer plans to carry on that
proud tradition for many years to come.
Like other Black-owned businesses, 2020
has been a rough year. Because of the restric-
The Portland Observer, born in 1970, traces its beginnings to a need to cover issues
from the African American community’s perspective when previous Black publica-
tions ceased to exist. The photo above is an example of the turmoil the community
was facing at the time, as two young African American men get arrested by white
police officers while surrounded by a crowd. (Oregon Historical Society photo)
tions imposed by the coronavirus, a
stay-at-home order, and managing
a fall from revenues, Portland Ob-
server Publisher Mark Washington
needed to take steps to reduce costs.
He moved the publication to every
other week and cut staff hours, but
now says support is picking up and
he expects to survive this crisis.
The Portland Observer as a
current, on-going publication was
started in 1970 by Rev. Alfred L.
Henderson of Portland’s Bethel
AME Church, and was taken over
by Washington’s mother, the late
Joyce Washington in the 1980s.
Joyce worked for Henderson in
those early years as a successful
saleswoman, but when he couldn’t
afford to pay her commission, she
came up with a novel scheme to
take over the paper herself and Portland had its own civil rights movement when
keep it going.
the Portland Observer came into publication 50
“She was a salesperson but he years ago. Portland’s Black Panther Party, for
couldn’t afford to pay her and fell example, started as a group of young African
behind on his taxes,” Washington Americans who read Malcolm X and Mao Tse-
said. “So she made a deal to pay off tung. A photo from Feb. 14, 1970 shows Sandra
the taxes and take over ownership.” Ford picketing in support of repressed peoples
Before coming to the Portland at the U.S. Courthouse, downtown. (Oregon
Observer, Joyce had been deeply Historical Society photo)
involved in social services, hold-
ing a high level position with Adult Fam- the community since she had been doing
ily Services, Washington said, and she so much with social services and welfare,”
brought that philosophy of helping others he said.
to her leadership of the paper.
C onTinued on P age 19
“She had a vision of wanting to help