Black August 2025
The month of August focuses our programming on uplifting lives lost to state violence and the activists and families who have worked to dismantle injustice. Please join us for a weekend of programming and events open to the public of all ages. Information to attend is below:
Graffiti As Resistance
First Thursday, August 7 with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m.
The BLACK Gallery powered by DSPDX | 916 NW Flanders Street Portland, OR
This photographic exhibition features the plywood mural panels from the Apple Store in downtown Portland. Previously shown at PCC in December 2024, the panels became a space for memorializing lives lost to police brutality, racial discrimination and state violence. This exhibit centers those most impacted while amplifying ongoing calls for racial justice from past and present.
Better Than A Shoebox: Preserving Your Family and Community History
Friday, August 8, 12 to 2 p.m.
The Black Memory and Preservation Lab powered by Don’t Shoot PDX | 510 SW Third Ave Portland, OR
RSVP
Don't Shoot Portland invites you to attend Better Than A Shoebox: Preserving Your Family and Community History. This self-guided, free archiving workshop offers hands-on instruction from experienced archivists, oral history experts, and community memory workers to ensure our community stories are accessible for generations to come. Each attendee will be provided with an archival supply kit to get them started on their preservation journey.
Justice For Hakiym Rally
Saturday, August 9, 10 a.m. to noon
The BLACK Gallery powered by Don’t Shoot PDX
Brian “Hakiym” Simpson has been wrongfully imprisoned at Snake River Correctional Institution for over a year, a facility known for its violence and racial segregation. Despite this, Hakiym works full-time in a coveted job as a prison telemarketer, continues to study and train, and remains committed to rejoining the fire service—ideally as a free man. Join us by bringing posters, statements of support, cards and artwork in support of Hakiym. Sign the petition via Change.org here.
Reflect + Remember: A Retreat
Sunday, August 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sunblossom Farm | 4907 NE Ainsworth St
RSVP
In liberation work, flowers are more than decoration. They are acts of memory, tools of resistance, and seeds of rebirth. Their quiet power disrupts erasure, asserts dignity, and helps communities grieve, dream, and organize. Join us at Sunblossom Farms for craft activities including flower pressing, flower picking, and a “book session” to learn more about flowers. All ages welcome!
About Black August
“Black August” is honored every year to commemorate the fallen freedom fighters of the Black Liberation Movement, to call for the release of political prisoners in the United States, to condemn the oppressive conditions of U.S. prisons, and to emphasize the continued importance of the Black Liberation struggle.
About Don’t Shoot Portland
Don’t Shoot Portland is an arts and education organization that promotes social justice and civic participation. Our year-round programming allows us to advocate for community members facing racism and discrimination by providing legal representation and direct advocacy. Since our inception in 2016, Don’t Shoot Portland has hosted its own dialogues, community forums and workshops focusing on history, archiving and social culture. The art proponent of our work acts as a communicative tool to facilitate discussions about race in America while providing educational assets to those most affected by discrimination in public policy.
