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Power of Place // Juneteenth Event
The following description was submitted by the event organizer.
Celebrate Juneteenth with an evening of film, conversation, and community. Kick things off with two compelling short films—Dear Young Black Portland and Where We Goin: The Power of Place—each capturing personal and collective stories rooted in Black identity, home, and belonging. After the screenings, stick around for a live, interactive conversation with the filmmakers and local voices who bring these stories to life. Dive into what it means to claim space, build community, and honor the power of place.
ON SCREEN: Dear Young Black Portland
Directed by Devin Boss. Written by Donovan Scribes. Runtime: 7 minutes. Not Rated.
Sharon Gary-Smith—a Portland native in her '70s who is the former president of the NAACP Portland—once lost her childhood home through eminent domain. She has loved, lost, and mentored. She used to want to burn it all down. Now, from this side of the mountain, she shares the wisdom that time, reflection and love have brought her to the next generation in a not-to-be-missed visual letter.
ON SCREEN: Where We Goin: The Power of Place
Directed by Devin Boss. Produced by Zoe Piliafas, Donovan Scribes, Devin Boss and Elizabeth Stock. Runtime: 29 minutes. Not Rated.
Devin Boss is on a quest. And he wants you to join him as he explores this simple question: Where We Goin? A millennial Black filmmaker and artist raised in the heart of the whitest city in America—Portland, Oregon—Boss ventures out to uncover the deeper truths that have shaped not just his city, but his very identity. Boss invites us all along for the ride as he explores the work of Black creatives, cultural stewards, and changemakers past and present. He aims to snatch back the narratives about community resilience and innovation as he examines his roots, dreaming of what’s next for him and all the future ancestors.