Where Should We Go

The Albina neighborhood was the center of Black life in Portland, Oregon. In the 1950s and 1960s, the urban renewal rooted in racist policies destroyed houses, churches, and schools in favor of freeways and sports venues. Thousands of residents were displaced and never returned to live in their community. The painful displacement tore apart their cultural home, squashed their sense of place and connection, and Black families were prevented from building generational wealth. The impact of those actions is felt today, and the hurt is deep. Understanding the past and finding healing is the only way forward.