Oregon State Of Black Affairs Summit Coming To Portland Next Month

PORTLAND, OR — Oregon State University will host a daylong summit in Portland next month to examine the state of Black affairs in Oregon. The State of Black Affairs Summit will take place May 25 at OSU's Portland Center downtown.

The President’s Commission on the Status of Black Faculty and Staff Affairs at Oregon State University will host the event.

The summit will have eight separate sessions, including four focused on education and four centering on topics such as Black mental health and recruiting and retaining Black talent, according to the school. This is the first time the event will be held.

"Our hope is that this will become an annual event to reflect on where we have been and bring leaders together to strategize on how to better support Black lives," said Tenisha Tevis, co-organizer and an assistant professor in OSU's College of Education.

As Patch has reported, Oregon has long struggled with racism, including Klan rallies in Portland, hate crimes and a constitutional amendment telling Black people that they had two years to leave Oregon after it became a state.

The keynote speaker will be Lisa Willis, currently a Nike apparel test analyst and an Olympic gold medalist and retired WNBA player.

Tickets are $100 to attend in person and $75 to attend virtually. The school set up a website with more information.