Two longtime Black-owned newspapers that have served North and Northeast Portland have been honored by Portland Parks & Recreation.
The Skanner News and The Portland Observer are the two survivors among 19 Black-owned journals memorialized by an addition to the Dawson Park Historic Story Boulders installed in the park in August. The oval media-themed boulder joins 12 others set on top of commemorative etched metal plates. The city did the original installation in 2014 to mark key moments and movements in Portland history. The original dozen markers were refurbished as part of the update.
“This project is about the legacy of Black-owned media, and how it’s been a part of Portland since we became a real city. I’m humbled knowing that the story of Black storytelling will be told for generations, and through art,” said Bernie Foster, co-founder and publisher of The Skanner News, who championed the idea.
Portland has had 19 Black-owned newspapers. They began with The New Age in 1869. All played a significant role in the city’s history, providing a platform for Black voices and advocating for civil rights and social justice.
Like the previous boulders, the new one features a photo-etched stainless steel plate with images from the Black-owned newspapers designed to match the artistic style of the previous installations. The original project team returned to bring it to life, including Knot Studio, which describes itself as “a team of Environmental Graphic Designers, Landscape Architects, and Landscape Ecologists seeking opportunities to promote social justice and environmental stewardship.” They were joined by local Black historian Kimberly Moreland, who contributed historical research.
Dawson Park is located at the intersection of North Stanton Street and Williams Avenue. It is named after local reformer Rev. John Dawson, who advocated for child welfare and civic improvement in the 1920s. The park has been a place where neighbors gather, and children play for more than 100 years. It is especially important to Portland’s Black community, as it provided a key meeting space during the civil rights movement.
At the center of the park is a large open lawn. A gazebo with an onion-shaped dome, salvaged from the former historic Hill Block Building at North Russell and Williams, stands as a symbol of the neighborhood’s past. A playground provides recreation for children, while a splashpad offers cooling in summers.
“Dawson Park is a place where history and community come together. We’re honored to support projects that celebrate and preserve the enduring contributions of Portland’s Black community and connect residents and visitors to the stories that have shaped our city,” said Priya Dhanapal, deputy city administrator for public works.
Dawson Park, with its significant history, has in the past three decades also been the location of a busy drug trade and occasional violent fights. Immaculate Heart Church, across the street, bears the pock marks of gunfire. Neighborhood leaders and police have made taken steps to curtail those problems. The open-air drug market seems to be gone. The memorials are solid reminders of that effort and the neighborhood’s hopes.
The original 12 oval-shaped boulders were installed around the splashpad during a major renovation in 2014. They include words and metal plates honoring such key events as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1961 visit to Portland, the local 1963 Medgar Evers Memorial Freedom March that started at Dawson Park, the legacy of local civil rights activism, and community contributions to arts, commerce and civic life.
The words etched around the top of the new oval boulder explain the important of the Black-owned newspapers:
“Since 1827, the Black Press has proclaimed African Americans’ national conscience and identity. In 1896, sixty-nine years later, A.D. Griffin, publisher of The New Age, provided a voice for Oregon’s small Black community. A total of nineteen Black newspapers, including The Portland Observer and The Skanner News, dedicated themselves to the collective responsibility of uplifting and challenging Portland’s Black community to Shape a Better Future Now.”
The Skanner News was co-founded by Bernie Foster and his wife Bobbie in 1975. Among its major achievements is the renaming of Union Avenue as Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. A Seattle edition was launched in 1990. Both have won many journalism awards and continue online today. One quote on the boulder says, “The Skanner News bears the legacy of challenging People to Shape a Better Future, Now.”
The Portland Observer was founded by Rev. Alfred L. Henderson in 1970, following the tradition of the People’s Observer, a 1940s publication that had ceased publication in 1950. It has since had several owners and is still published on Wednesdays and posted online. Current publisher Mark Washington is quoted on the boulder as saying,” The Portland Observer’s mission is not self-focused but about uplifting and helping the Black Community.”
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