PRAx and the College of Forestry Present: Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble: From Maxville to Vanport - A Celebration of Oregon’s Black History
This profound collection of songs and short films focuses on two towns that were vital places of opportunity and refuge for Black Oregonians in the first half of the 20th century: Maxville, a logging town built by the Bowman-Hicks Lumber Company in 1923, and Vanport, built to house shipyard workers in 1942. From Maxville to Vanport, by composer Ezra Weiss, lyricist S. Renee Mitchell and filmmaker Kalimah Abioto, reveals and celebrates that heritage with honesty about racism and other challenges while also offering a hopeful picture of Oregon’s future. Performed by vocalist Marilyn Keller with the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble.