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STORIES OF THE PAST AND HOPES FOR THE FUTURE

DeAngelo Moaning explaining a thought during his interview.
DeAngelo Moaning is the chief of staff at Raimore Construction.

“Albina has always been a beacon for Black people,” says DeAngelo Moaning. In his sit-down interview with the video creators and project partners, PDX Black Excellence, DeAngelo talks about the Black community and those with ties to historic Albina being on the edge of a renaissance. In his view, there’s an opportunity and obligation to, “stand on the shoulders of giants” of the past, “and do what’s never been done before.” 

His sentiments are echoed in eight additional videos with Albina community members. Each video captures different stories and themes, such as leveraging collective voices and action on the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project, capitalizing on the economic benefits the project presents, recognizing that a strong Black community is still here in Portland and positioning the next generation for better outcomes by doing things differently.

Watch DeAngelo Moaning's video. 

Watch or listen

Watch or listen to a short collection of the nine unique stories highlighted on this page, or go directly to the Voices of Albina page. Here's a sample of what the voices of Albina are saying:

*Order below is alphabetical by last name.

Kimberly Brown smiling during her interview in a studio.
Kimberly Brown is the owner of Dean’s Beauty Salon & Barber Shop, Oregon’s oldest African American salon.
“My hope for the next generation is that we continue being, because we’re still there.”

Watch Kimberly Brown's video.

Sprinavasa Brown explaining a thought during her interview.
Sprinavasa Brown sits on the Historic Albina Advisory Board and is the co-founder and executive director of ELSO.
“Neighborhoods change over time, things change, but I want to make sure that our place is there.”

Watch Sprinavasa Brown's video.

Chris Guinn smiling during his interview in a studio.
Chris Guinn III is the co-owner of Dwell Realty.
“In my heart, my community is still here. There’s probably never been a better time for people not to just see the opportunity, but to take it.”

Watch Chris Guinn III's video.

Dr. Holt explaining a thought during his interview.
Dr. Steven Holt is a strategic advisor to the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project and the founding principal of Try Excellence.
“The one word that comes to mind when I think about our community, and I think about this time, and I think about this moment – I would say hope.”

Watch Dr. Steven Holt's video. 

Paul Knauls introducing himself in his studio interview.
Paul Knauls Sr. is known as the “mayor of Northeast Portland” and former owner of the Cotton Club.
“Get involved in your community and make sure you know what’s going on.”

Watch Paul Knauls Sr.'s video.

Kevin Modica explaining a thought during his interview.
Kevin Modica sits on the Historic Albina Advisory Board and is a former assistant chief of the Portland Police Bureau.
“We’re on the cusp of being able to make a huge difference.”

Watch Kevin Modica's video.

James Posey explaining a thought during his interview.
James Posey sits on the Community Oversight Advisory Committee and is a small business owner.
“The economic benefits from this project will give Black people more choices. That’s what we want.”

Watch James Posey's video.

Ericka Warren explaining a thought during her interview.
Ericka Warren is a strategic advisor to the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project and the facilitator for the Historic Albina Advisory Board.
“This city has the opportunity for something really beautiful.”

Watch Ericka Warren's video.

A SHOUT-OUT TO PDX BLACK EXCELLENCE!

We want to send a big thank you to our community partner PDX Black Excellence for their work on producing these video stories. We look forward to sharing more stories like these over the course of the project as one way to center the Black community and those with historic ties to Albina. Visit the History of Albina webpage for more stories about Albina.

OUT IN THE COMMUNITY

We’ll be attending several festivals this month and throughout the summer. Come find us at the following events in June:

Juneteenth Oregon
June 17–18, 2023
Noon–7 p.m.
Lillis-Albina Park
 
Three people in discussion, standing under the project-branded tent outside.
Staff talking with attendees at the 2022 Juneteenth Oregon.
Good in the Hood
June 24–25, 2023
Noon–8 p.m.
King School Park
 
Two staff members sitting behind a table, pointing to materials on the table while in a discussion with a festival attendee.
Youth attendee asking questions at the 2022 Good in the Hood festival.