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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 2020)
Page 4 December 9, 2020 Black Innovators Celebrated C ontinued froM f ront The organization is in its last round of fundraising to complete the dramatic new scene at the cor- ner of Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Shaver Street. The artwork showcases and honors diverse innovators and the role Black-owned small businesses play in Portland. The artwork was created under the direction of Black artist and muralist Rodolfo Serna. Joining him in completing the mural are five other artists of color: Latoya Lovely, Alex Chiu, Kyra Watkins, Adia Gibbs, and protégée Em- manuel (Manny) Dempsey. Black community historian Kimberly Moreland is also a consultant and volunteer working on the project. Earlier this year, MESO set a goal to raise $15,000 to create the mural. A Go Fund Me campaign was a little more than $5,000 away from that goal last week, organiz- ers reported. The donations pro- vide stipends for the artists’ time and talent as well as pay for paint, scaffolds, and other supplies, or- ganizers said. The new mural also pays tribute to a previous mural that honored African American heritage on the south side of the MESO building, the former administrative officers for Irvington Covenant Church. That mural, which had to be re- placed in 2009 to repair cracks in the building, was a much loved part of the community. The new artwork, focusing on Black businesses, past, present and future, already is proving to be as popular as the original, with MESO receiving positive com- ments from Portlanders who have viewed the colorful addition to the neighborhood. “It has been a surreal experi- ence to pay tribute to the Black en- trepreneurs in Oregon through this mural. Entrepreneurship is in our blood and I hope that the mural inspires the younger generation to follow the footsteps of their el- ders,” said Felicia Wells-Thomas, MESO community liaison manag- er. People interested in making a donation to support the MESO mural and the artists creating it can do so by visiting the MESO Mural Go Fund Me site (gofund- me.com/f/meso-mural) or by con- tacting Felicia Wells-Thomas at fwells@mesopdx.org. All dona- tions are tax-deductible. MESO began as a grassroots initiative in 2005 under the Black United Fund of Oregon. Since then, it has expanded its services and coverage area to more than 3,000 small businesses, with a focus on entrepreneurs of color, women and low-income individ- uals. Approximately 600 entre- preneurs MESO works with each year access services from the non- profit’s main office at 4008 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and its satellite offices in Beaverton, Gresham’s Rockwood neighbor- hood, Happy Valley, and in sev- eral counties in Oregon and Clark County in Washington state. COVID-19 Danger Rises to Extreme certainty. Unfortunately, we are go- ing to be in this crisis for the fore- “I know that Multnomah County seeable future. We are constantly residents are looking for clarity and weighing our options as we focus C ontinued froM f ront on what is best for the overall health and welfare of our community.’’ said Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury.