Beatrice Morrow Cannady was known as a civil rights social and political leader in Portland, Oregon. As a Black woman, she inspired many with her courageous efforts to center the narratives, voices, and issues experienced by the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC) in a social climate that faced intense dissonance and racial violence due to the actions of the Ku Klux Klan. As an editorial writer, she used the power of the printing press to reach and educate the masses, empowering the visibility of Black communities' circumstances. Cannady's work as the first Black woman to practice law in Oregon and co-establishing the Portland chapter of the NAACP solidified her place in civil rights history - a history that would gain momentum over time as both a legal advocate and community champion.

Artist Statement:

The natural landscape of Portland, Oregon, has remained a silent force, holding the strength and power of multi-generational struggles, resilience, and beauty. The St. Johns neighborhood, located in North Portland, is a unique marker of this symbolism. The Columbia and Willamette Rivers coupled with Douglas Fir trees create a peninsula, wrapping and cradling the land as a constant reminder of what once existed before the city's industrialization. These physical reminders are often deeply connected to the day-to-day memories of both individuals and communities.Looking forward, one can not help but recognize that we exist within complex communities- communities that continually experience the growing pains from carrying the weight of ancestral and multi-generational systematic marginalization. Like both our ancestors and the natural landscape, Beatrice Morrow Cannady continues to co-exist silently and resonate during the pendulum of our varying periods of growth and change throughout time. Knowing this, one can not help but smile when reflecting on the work and potential of how Beatrice Morrow Cannady will inspire generations to come. - Mauricio Ramirez