City Club of Portland slates trio of community events
Published 2:14 pm Wednesday, June 18, 2025
The City Club of Portland is offering a trio of community events designed to spark conversation, beginning tonight.
First up is “The State of Racial Justice: A 5 Year Retrospective of Portland’s Black Lives Matter Movement.” It’s set for 6:30 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, June 18, at The Old Church Concert Hall, 1422 S.W. 11th Ave. in downtown Portland.
May 25 was the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, which sparked a nationwide movement for police accountability and racial justice.
Taking part in the event will be contributors to BlackOut, a special Portland Mercury magazine that features essays by Black Portlanders on the 2020 protests, how the city has or hasn’t made progress, and what can be done to bring about a more just future.
Donovan Scribes, curator of BlackOut, will moderate a panel discussion. The event also includes a live hip-hop performance from Glenn Waco, as well as a screening of “Dear Young Black Portland,” a short film written by Scribes and directed by award-winning filmmaker Devin Boss.
State of the region
The president of Metro, Lynn Peterson, will offer a discussion on “The State of the Region 2025” from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Wednesday, June 25, at the Oregon Zoo, 4001 S.W. Canyon Road.
Metro is the regionally elected government that serves the urban portions of Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties.
Peterson will address the future of Metro’s Supportive Housing Services bond measure, as well as the future of the Portland Expo Center, economic development and more. A moderated discussion with Portland Tribune editor Dana Haynes will follow.
Central City vision
Finally, the City Club hosts a series of gatherings on a “Vision for Central City,” 4 to 5 p.m., both Friday and Saturday, June 27 and 28, at the Architectural Heritage Center, 4701 S.E. Grand Ave.
Participants will be able to see, and comment on, a presentation of ideas for the future of Portland.
That will be followed by a “Dots & Drinks” reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 28, at which concepts and recommendations will be presented and discussed, and people will get to adhere “dots” next to ideas they like.
The events are hosted by the Architectural Heritage Center and the City Club’s Built Environment Issue Committee. To join the committee and to participate in the events, fill out this form.
