African Americans have a long and storied history in Oregon, overcoming daunting challenges as a minority population in a state that started off by declaring itself 'Whites-Only.' Preserving and communicating that history is the topic of a conference to be held Feb. 14 at the Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand Ave., Portland.

"Sustaining Oregon's African American History and Legacy" has been sponsored by the Oregon African American Museum, Oregon Northwest Black Pioneers, William Hart of Carleton-Hart Architecture and the Bosco-Milligan Foundation/Architectural Heritage Center.

Conference participants will learn how preserving Oregon's African American history and legacy sustains our community, encourages diverse perspectives and reveals little-known African American contributions to the State of Oregon. And they'll find out more about the new Oregon African American Museum.
Local and national leaders dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and exhibiting material evidence of the African American experience will speak at the conference. Rodney J. Reynolds, is the founder, publisher and CEO of American Legacy Magazine, will give the keynote speech. American Legacy is a premier magazine of African-American history and culture, which brings to light new stories of great men and women whose struggles, triumphs, and accomplishments continue to empower us. The American Legacy magazine celebrates an exceptional group of pioneers and leaders, whose contributions have impacted not only the African-American community, but also society as a whole.
On the agenda is:
Preserving African American Historical Buildings and Places
Speaker: Cathy Galbraith, executive director of Bosco-Milligan Foundation/Architectural Heritage Center;
Luncheon address: Oregon African American Museum
Speaker: Willie B. Richardson, Chairperson, OAAM
Perseverance: Black Pioneers in Early Oregon
Speaker: Gwen Carr, Vice-Chair, Oregon Northwest Black Pioneers
Documenting Your Family History: Workshop
Speaker: Morgen Young, Consultant Historian, Alder, LLC, and chair of the Education Committee for the Architectural Heritage Center
"Sustaining Oregon's African American History and Legacy" will be held Feb. 14 at the Bosco-Milligan Foundation/Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand Avenue, Portland, Oregon. The conference begins at 10 a.m. and runs through the afternoon. Cost $30 which includes lunch and a 1-year subscription to American Legacy Magazine. Registration deadline is January 30, 2011. Register at www.oaamuseum.org. For more information you may contact Willie Richardson at 503-540-4063 and Kim Moreland at 503-380-1241.
PHOTO: Top: Rodney Reynolds, CEO of American Legacy magazine