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Kayin and Cleo Davis of SoapboxTheory and Screw Loose Studios runone of the few remaining Black-ownedbusinesses on Williams Avenue.GENTRIFICATION’S IMPACT ON PORTLAND’S BLACK BUSINESSParticipants in our Black Older Adults FocusGroup (see Appendix D for description)were pessimistic about the future for Blackbusinesses in Portland. They agreed thatgentrification affected Black business insuch a profound way that the Portland Blackcommunity may not reach previous levelsof entrepreneurship for a very long time,or ever. Black business in N/NE Portlandspecifically, and in greater Portland generally,was described as “a thing of the past.” It wasgenerally perceived that racial discriminationoccurred around liquor licensing and businessloans, resulting in the widespread dismantlingof Black businesses in N/NE Portland.*Note: Portland saw a vibrant Black businesscommunity in N/NE Portland, with its hub onN. Williams Avenue, before the large-scaleurban renewal project near Legacy EmanuelHospital.“Gentrificationand displacementaren’t inevitable.Black Oregonianshave voiced avision for thrivingneighborhoods. Thatvision for communitydevelopment can bemade real with a clearfocus on racial justiceand empowerment.”— Dr. Lisa K. Bates123