ELIOT NEWS A Publication of Eliot Neighborhood Association Volume 28 · Number 1 Winter 2019 Carried Away on a Bird ARTchives Could Be a Game By Mike Warwick Changer for Documenting Portland’s Black Diaspora By Bruce Poinsette and a small house in the back which was rented out as well. Davis believes that his grandmother’s property was targeted because her purchase of the property in 1982 reset the date for which the City could demolish and ultimately take control of the land. Though the family worked to finish the renovations started by the previ- ous owners, the city required a $50,000 bond to continue work, which the family could not meet. The ortland’s history (and pre- renovation work turned to salvage, P sent) is riddled with stories of and when the demolition permit ran housing discrimination. However, out, the city showed up with bulldoz- when we discuss the history of clear- ers, a bill, and a lien against the prop- ing out predominantly Black neigh- erty. An appeal led only to keeping borhoods to make way for things like the small rental house in the back, the I5 Freeway, Memorial Coliseum, which the city tried to condemn based Mike Warwick’s scooter partner Montse Shepherd enjoying a fall day and Emanuel Hospital, or the system- on charges that drugs were allegedly on a Bird. Photo credit Mike Warwick ic practice of redlining, it’s often being sold there. While these charges through the prism of broader narra- were ultimately dismissed, the situa- eing a senior citizen leads My partner and I planned to grab two tives and statistics. As a result, many tion still matched a larger narrative me to avoid risky behavior. of the Bird scooters that seem to roost of the individual stories get lost. during the ‘80s and ‘90s where Black I was never a skateboarder near her house every night. Alas, on residents of NE Portland were har- B and my few attempts at rol- the day of our ride they had flown the Longtime resident and artist Cleo Da- assed by representatives of the City lerblading ended in scrapes and torn coop. The nearest flock was 12 vis hopes to not just put a face on one and other white-owned interests to trousers. The idea of balancing on a blocks away (15 for me). Walking a of those stories, but create a space sell their homes. This included charg- narrow, two-wheeled platform that mile to find a scooter doesn’t make where others can do the same with a es of not just drug and gang activity, moved seemed insane. However, the much sense, but that argues for more new project called the “ARTchives.” but also the targeting of Black-owned recent favorable report about Port- scooters, rather than their removal. In partnership with the City of Port- homes for supposedly having land’s scooter trial (URL here) forced Prior to our ride, we had to download land Archives and Portland State Uni- “blight.” According to a 1962 official me to accept a neighbor’s invitation to the Bird app, follow the instructions it versity, he is looking to convert a document from the Portland Bureau test drive one. Like many residents, I provides on both Portland scooter family property that was once wrong- of Buildings, blight could include begrudge riders on sidewalks, scoot- rules and how to operate the thing. fully targeted by the City of Portland roof leaks, loose steps, doors that ers blocking sidewalks, and worse, Operating wasn’t intuitive, even with for condemnation into an archive for “stick,” uncovered trash, and even blocking curb cuts for strollers and the tutorial. And, the app requires a the Black diaspora in Portland. vaguely worded charges such as wheelchairs. However, the report in- photo of your driver’s license, so you “needs paint” and “needs clean up.” dicated users surveyed believe these need to take that with you. A word of “It will be an extraction and extension could address the “last mile” problem advice, you may need to present that of the narrative story and artwork of keeping more city residents from us- to the police if you violate the traffic the oppressed, exploited, and innova- ing mass transit or their personal vehi- code or get into an accident. So, don’t tive history of Blacks in Portland,” cle. So, time to put myself at risk to leave home without it. says Davis. determine the truth for myself. (See BIRD, page 6) The idea for the ARTchives originat- ed from Davis’s research into Port- land’s forfeiture laws, which he is doing as part of an artist residency with the Portland Archives. Beyond simply telling stories and creating beautiful visuals, he emphasizes that 7 unit apartment building on the the goal of his art is to create real im- pact and change. In many ways, the Davis family’s property (236 NE ARTchives is just the latest evolution Sacramento) red tagged for dem- of his years of public art projects, olition back in the 1980s. Photo which includes the recent, highly ac- credit Portland City archives claimed Historic Black Williams Pro- ject, a collaboration with wife Kayin Talton-Davis, that details the history Through a public art display, Davis of Williams Avenue. hopes to illustrate the process in which predominantly Black-owned Creating the ARTchives at his grand- homes were targeted using the levers mother’s property on NE Sacramento of local government and seemingly St. that was purchased in the 1980s colorblind campaigns against during the height of the city’s use of “blight.” By converting the space into property forfeiture is personal for Da- an archive that doesn’t just capture vis. She had purchased the property the history of Blacks who lived in the as a source of income: there was a area, but of all the Black people who seven-unit apartment building under- have also stopped through and/or going renovation in the front of the lot (See ARTCHIVES, page 10) Eliot Neighborhood Association Neighborhood Eliot Portland, OR 97212 OR Portland, Eliot Neighborhood Association Letter from the Editor The Eliot Neighborhood Association is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose members are the residents and business owners of the Eliot Neighborhood. Its purpose is to inform By Sue Stringer Eliot residents about issues affecting the neighborhood through meetings, newsletters and other activities. Members of the neighborhood association must be over 14 years old hings are happening in Eliot. It anyone on the board with your and live, own property, have a business, or represent a nonprofit within the seems that there’s no shortage thoughts. Or, better yet, write a letter neighborhood. The Eliot Neighborhood Association was founded in 1969. It is recognized of change in our neighborhood to the Editor and email it to by the City of Portland, is a member of the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, Inc., T and its members represent Eliot on other committees. and a lot of it is revolving around eq- [email protected] or mail uity. Equity in housing options, prop- it to Eliot Neighborhood Association, Eliot Board erty tax assessment, and the ability to 4815 NE 7th Ave, Portland, OR Chair - Jere Fitterman – [email protected] 503-504-9308 communicate with our City Council 97211. about important issues. These are just Recorder - Maggie Gardner - [email protected] 503-913-4404 a few of the topics discussed in this So, Happy New Year and may your Treasurer - Jim Hlava – [email protected] 503-998-3406 issue. 2019 hold up to your expectations. News Editor - Sue Stringer – [email protected] 971-255-0697 We hope to see you at an event or Community Outreach-Jimmy Wilson – [email protected] 503-740-5923 Plus, there’s exciting news for the neighborhood association meeting relocation of the Martin Mayo House soon. We’d love to meet you! Shireen Hasan - [email protected] that we featured back in our summer TABLE OF CONTENTS Patricia Montgomery - [email protected] 503-758-1263 issue. That move along with some hard work put in by one artist, who is Carried Away on a Bird 1 Brad Baker - [email protected] 415-385-0875 also an Eliot resident, will allow us to ARTchives 1 Johnny Engleheart Noel - [email protected] research the history of some of the lost stories of Black families who Letter from the Editor 2 Darren Holcomb - [email protected] 503-926-1458 lived in our neighborhood. (Check Letter from the Chair 3 Julio Mendoza - [email protected] 503-710-2334 out the article on page one) Adopt a Block Update 3 Jonathan Konkol - [email protected] 503-315-7795 I am always amazed at how each of Area Parking Permit Update 3 Land Use and Transportation Committee the issues of the Eliot News come Al Forthan Scholarship 3 together. It seems like we are all LUTC Chair - Brad Baker – [email protected] 415-385-0875 thinking about the same themes, espe- Game Knight Lounge 4 LUTC Vice Chair - Jonathan Konkol – [email protected] 503-315-7795 cially change and community build- Sewer and Stormwater Update 5 Allan Rudwick – [email protected] 503-703-3910 ing. We curate a fair number of arti- Within and Beyond: Eliot Board 5 cles, but then some articles come to Phil Conti – [email protected] 503-281-1378 us by way of organizations and indi- Taxed to Death 6 Clint Lundmark – [email protected] 503-552-8678 viduals that just have some topic they Letter from LUTC Chair 7 want to share.