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    • Pearl District
    • St. Johns
    • Sellwood-Moreland
    • Williams
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Five men stand in front of a set of marble steps leading up to a brick building Five men stand in front of a set of marble steps leading up to a brick building
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From left to right: Brad, justblp, DJ Ambush, Mike and am.1r of The Numberz FM stand in front of the Portland Art Museum.
Credit: Jason Hill for better.
Culture / Cultural Communities / Black Community in Portland

Black Culture

Visit these destinations to connect with Portland's Black community.

Updated July 25, 2022 4 min read

This section was produced in collaboration with Flossin Media, a Black-owned media, marketing and event company that specializes in inspirational, motivational and educational messaging.

Portland is home to a small but thriving Black community. Here are some of the organizations, arts, history, media, sports and clubs, restaurants and nightlife that serve this vibrant group.

Know Before You Go

The statewide mask mandate has been lifted. However, masks are still required in health care settings and are recommended on public transportation, including buses, trains, airplanes and in airports.

Some businesses may continue to require masks and/or proof of vaccination or negative COVID test. Check with individual businesses before visiting and carry a mask with you just in case.

Visit the Oregon Health Authority website for more information.

The Soul District: The Heart of the Black Community

The historic heart of Portland’s Black community is the “Soul District” of inner North and Northeast Portland, deemed the “Soul of Portland” in the 1990s as much because of its courage to sustain as for its cultural vibrancy. In this creative center, Portland’s black residents have fostered business development, artistic expression, multicultural preservation and community advocacy.

This is where you will find civic institutions such as the Urban League of Portland, Self Enhancement Inc., the Black United Fund, Imagine Black, the Coalition of Black Men Portland and the Prince Hall Masons, as well as barbershops, salons, Black-owned food cart pods, African groceries, music, arts and culture. We invite you to get your soul on!

Heading Out

Take a stroll through Portland, guided by tales of freed Black slaves, on a Portland Pioneers of Color Walking Tour, and attend a lecture by Oregon Black Pioneers, a nonprofit group that gives interactive presentations on the state’s rich Black heritage at schools, libraries and historical sites throughout Oregon. Visitors and locals alike can also check out the Black Resource Collection at the North Portland Library to learn about some of the Black residents who have made a lasting impact on the city. For those who would like to purchase books or gifts to take home, Third Eye Books Accessories & Gifts is a Black-owned-and-operated shop that offers African-centered items for everyone to enjoy.

Take a tour of our “Albina Murals,” a collection of murals and public art in North and Northeast Portland created by local painters and sculptors, then view multicultural art exhibits, dance and performance at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center.

Visit the Alberta Arts District to explore local music, food and art. Alberta Street is home to a popular gallery walk and street fair called Last Thursday, which is held the last Thursday of every month (and is particularly popular during the summer months).

Update your do and visit Pearl Hall at Dean’s Beauty Salon. Check out Champions in the heart of the historic Black neighborhood, or visit former NBA star Terrell Brandon’s Barber Shop.

Questions about Black Culture in Portland

Where can I learn more about Portland’s Black community?

Portland’s vibrant Black community can be experienced through a diverse range of organizations and businesses and Black community events. Black culture in Portland provides visitors with resources and a friendly welcome.

Where can I learn more about Portland’s Black history?

Black pioneers were among the earliest non-Native people to settle in Oregon. Despite daunting barriers and discrimination, Black history in Portland is filled with examples of Black people who have made important contributions to Oregon in politics, medicine, the environment, sports and the arts.

How can I support Black-owned businesses in Portland?

From coffee shops to soul food and Jamaican homestyle cuisine, Portland has an abundance of Black-owned restaurants. This directory of Black-Owned Businesses also provides an up-to-date guide on everything from hair salons to bookstores where travelers can spend their money.

Sports & Adventure Clubs

Want to become a runner but aren’t sure how? Meet up with Black Girls Run, a local running group that connects women and girls of all levels of experience looking to be more active and lead healthier lifestyles.

Leisure Hour Golf, a multicultural organization with a focus on involving the Black community, hosts events for golfers of all backgrounds and skill levels at Portland’s many excellent golf courses.

Fishing, hunting, skiing, hiking — no trip to Portland is complete unless you experience some of the outdoor adventures the city has to offer. Connect with these great Black-run organizations for guided opportunities to bask in the beautiful outdoors. Hike a peak with the African American Outdoor Association or bag a buck with the African American Hunting Association. Then hit the slopes with the Ebony Rose Ski Club, founded in 1984.

Making the Outdoors Accessible to All

These fantastic local organizations are helping people of every culture, race and ethnicity experience the Pacific Northwest's natural beauty.

Read more

Food and Drink

Located atop a hill in northeast Portland’s Hollywood district, Clyde’s Prime Rib Restaurant & Bar features an elegant dining room –think red velvet booths and a roaring fireplace – and live jazz, R&B and blues in the bar. Date night dining is perfect at Olive or Twist, a martini lounge in Portland’s trendy Pearl District.

Established in the 1990s by Ethiopian immigrant Alem Gebrehiwot, Queen of Sheba is one of the oldest African restaurants in the city. Check out their amazing platters of food that delight vegan and non-vegan diners alike, including homemade ginger juice, thyme tea or spicy chai.

Amalfi’s Restaurant and Mercato, headed by its third-generation owner, serves up Italian trattoria cuisine including pizza, cocktails, beers and wine.

Learn More about Amalfi’s

Experience the taste of the Soul District by visiting food cart pods featuring a variety of authentic ethnic food. Find the famously huge and spicy Southern-style wings and salty jojos at Alberta Street Market.

Meet the first known Black winemaker in Oregon at Abbey Creek Vineyards, where Bertony Faustin brings “the soil to the glass” at his North Plains winery.

meet bertony faustin

Diversity in Dining

Discover what makes Portland one of the country's top culinary destination at these eateries.

Go To Food
a Black man in a red shirt, yellow beanie and apron presents an overstuffed burrito on a plate

Support Black-Owned Restaurants in Portland

Eateries owned by Black Portlanders are featured during August's Support Black-Owned Restaurant Week, but they shine all year long.

a large plate of colorful food, a pitcher and two teacups on a wooden table at Enat Kitchen in Portland

Five Great African Restaurants in Portland

Enjoy flavorful dishes from Ethiopia, Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire and beyond at these African restaurants in Portland.

Po\'shines

Po’Shines Café De La Soul Specializes in Catfish and Community

At Po’Shines Café de la Soul in North Portland’s Kenton neighborhood, community and comfort food go hand in hand.

Nightlife

Since 1921, Billy Webb Elks Lodge has served the Black community as a YWCA, a USO club and a safe haven for those fleeing the Vanport floods in the 1940s.

Hip-hop, reggae and African dance hall: Portland’s young-adult dance scene is a kaleidoscope of trendy modern venues such as Trio Club and small “juke-joints” scattered throughout the city. Check out Sengatera (every Friday) for the hottest in African Dancehall, reggae, zouk and hip-hop tunes spun by DJs from Africa.

Hip-Hop and R&B in Portland

Explore the city's thriving hip-hop, R&B and dance scenes.

a woman in a dress sits on stage with colorful lighting

The Portland Hip-Hop Scene

Take a deep dive into the past, present and future of Portland's hip-hop scene with our expert guide to the best performers, showcases, stores and more.

Retro-futurist R&B group Chanti Darling

The New Class of the Portland R&B Scene

A new generation of artists is attracting more light to the Portland R&B scene than ever before.

a dj wearing headphones in front of sound equipment plays in a bar

Young, Gifted and Brown Fosters Community Through Dance in Portland

Y.G.B. aims to create healing spaces for Black and Brown Portlanders through music, dance and collaborative experiences.

Radio Stations

  • KBOO 90.7 – An eclectic mix of hip-hop, politics, Afrobeat and more
  • JAM’N 107.5 – Party hits and throwback jams
  • KMHD 89.1 – Jazz
  • KOPB 91.5 – Oregon Public Broadcasting
  • LIVE 95.5 – Hip-hop and top 40
  • NMBZ 96.7 – Featuring music representing the full Black experience
Black Community, Cultural Communities

Black Radio Station at Home in Portland Art Museum

DJ Ambush created Portland’s only Black-led radio station. Now housed in the Portland Art Museum, The Numberz FM provides artistic space and creates media for Portland’s Black communities.

Listen Up

Elsewhere Online

Black Owned Business Network

Find a Local Black Owned Business

Support Black Owned

More Black Owned Businesses

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