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BlackOut

A five-year reflection on the murder of George Floyd, and the racial justice protests of 2020—curated and written by Black Portlanders.
Edited by Donovan Scribes.
Published by the Portland Mercury.
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Don’t Miss BlackOut—the Special City Club Event!

A panel of Black Portlanders discussing the state of racial justice.
Mercury Staff

Were you moved by the powerful voices found in BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement—the glossy magazine from creator Donovan Scribes with the Portland Mercury, curated and written by Black Portlanders?  Now you can go even deeper with a special City Club event featuring Scribes and three BlackOut writers in a panel […]

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Don’t Miss BlackOut: The Gallery Show

An exhibition of art, words, and remembrance, dedicated to the memory of George Floyd.
Mercury Staff

BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement is a joint production from Donovan Scribes and the Portland Mercury, written exclusively by Black Portlanders, to remember and reflect on the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, and the 100+ days of protests in Portland that same year. You […]

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BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement

Five years ago, Portland took a stand for racial justice—but since that time, what has changed?
Avatar photo Donovan Scribes (fka Donovan Smith)

[Editor’s Note: BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement is a joint production from Donovan Scribes and the Portland Mercury, written exclusively by Black Portlanders, to remember and reflect on the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, and the 100+ days of protests in Portland that same […]

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Ghost Town: Fronting the Revolution

Refusing to be erased in the movement of a generation.
Devin Boss

[Editor’s Note: The following article is part of BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement, a joint publication from Donovan Scribes and the Portland Mercury. Written exclusively by Black Portlanders, the purpose of BlackOut is to remember and reflect on the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, […]

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Dreams in a Vase With No Water

Bound by hope, with dreams in sight, they fight for justice, and seek the light. 
Lakayana Drury

[Editor’s Note: The following article is part of BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement, a joint publication from Donovan Scribes and the Portland Mercury. Written exclusively by Black Portlanders, the purpose of BlackOut is to remember and reflect on the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, […]

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Do You Understand Me?

Returning to a system that was never built for us to win.
Christopher Lambert

[Editor’s Note: The following article is part of BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement, a joint publication from Donovan Scribes and the Portland Mercury. Written exclusively by Black Portlanders, the purpose of BlackOut is to remember and reflect on the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, […]

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The Lesson

After months of showing up, did the suburbs actually learn anything?
Bruce Poinsette

[Editor’s Note: The following article is part of BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement, a joint publication from Donovan Scribes and the Portland Mercury. Written exclusively by Black Portlanders, the purpose of BlackOut is to remember and reflect on the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, […]

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Being a Good Villager Is an Act of Resistance

The case for giving birth in a chaotic world.
Avatar photo Jenni Moore

[Editor’s Note: The following article is part of BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement, a joint publication from Donovan Scribes and the Portland Mercury. Written exclusively by Black Portlanders, the purpose of BlackOut is to remember and reflect on the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, […]

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Who Will Stay Standing?

When the time comes, who will keep their promises?
Nkenge Harmon Johnson

[Editor’s Note: The following article is part of BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement, a joint publication from Donovan Scribes and the Portland Mercury. Written exclusively by Black Portlanders, the purpose of BlackOut is to remember and reflect on the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, […]

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George Floyd: Some Thoughts, Some Hope

What Portland gained and lost in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.
Sharon Gary-Smith

[Editor’s Note: The following article is part of BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement, a joint publication from Donovan Scribes and the Portland Mercury. Written exclusively by Black Portlanders, the purpose of BlackOut is to remember and reflect on the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, […]

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Q&A: From Mike Brown to George Floyd

Don’t Shoot Portland’s Teressa Raiford & Glenn Waco on Activism and Art.
Avatar photo Donovan Scribes (fka Donovan Smith)

[Editor’s Note: The following article is part of BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement, a joint publication from Donovan Scribes and the Portland Mercury. Written exclusively by Black Portlanders, the purpose of BlackOut is to remember and reflect on the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, […]

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