“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
That famous Faulkner line has always rung true in our city, but it’s especially true in Lower Albina, a historically black neighborhood in Northeast Portland where gentrification and urban renewal (aka “urban removal”) have displaced thousands of residents and transformed the community.
In honor of Black History Month, we decided to highlight the neighborhood’s past, look ahead to its future, and explore what’s cooking (literally) in Lower Albina today.