PORTLAND, Ore. — KGW news partner the Portland Business Journal is commemorating Black History Month by celebrating 100 Black leaders in the region. The list includes leaders in business, politics, advocacy, the arts and entertainment. In addition to introducing readers to Black professionals, the PBJ also asked those profiled to share their favorite Black-owned restaurants and businesses and Black authors.
Here are three of the featured leaders. Visit the PBJ website for the complete list.
Millicent Williams
OTAK
What OTAK does: Provides a range of architecture, design and engineering services
Title: Regional Dir. Oregon and SW Washington
Favorite Black-owned restaurant: Po'Shines. “It was one of the first restaurants that I went to for breakfast upon relocating to the area. The food tastes like 'home.' I’m an East Coast girl with southern roots and my meal was the warm hug that I needed.”
Favorite Black author: “There are so many Black authors that I can choose from … My favorite however, is Sojourner Truth. Her story of gaining her freedom from the clutches of slavery to becoming one of the nation’s most prolific abolitionists and suffragists is inspiring. … She chose bravery when doing so was hard and when the consequences could have been dire.”
Black-owned business you should know: “Given that much of my work here in Portland has been focused on construction, I’d like to acknowledge and celebrate Raimore Construction and Faison Construction. Jeff Moreland and the Raimore Construction team have demonstrated that doing things both ‘right’ and ‘well’ make a difference and that investing in the future of the trade by investing in people and the local community makes a tangible difference. James Faison’s origin story and the growth and development of Faison Construction over the past 20+ years reminds us that anything is possible if you’re willing to work hard, to develop strategic alliances and to take calculated risks.”
Dr. Bukhosi Dube
Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare
What Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare does: Mental and behavioral health
Title: Chief Medical Officer
Favorite Black-owned restaurant: Spice of Africa
Favorite Black author: Isabel Wilkerson and Langston Hughes
Black-owned business you should know: Champions Barbershop and Barbering Institute
Corey Frazier
Intel
What it does: Semiconductor manufacturer
Title: Strategic Programs Manager – Community-Focused Technology Applications, Client Computing Group
Favorite Black-owned restaurant: Olive or Twist
Favorite Black author: "As a comic book aficionado, someone whose writing and editorial work had a lot of influence on my younger life was Dwayne McDuffie. His work in forming and writing for Milestone Media, countless DC and Marvel titles, and ultimately writing for animated series like Justice League gave me a lot of joy and inspiration as a creator!"
Black-owned business you should know: "Cardcraft! Reaching out to people to let them know you care, or that you are thinking of them, is vitally important. I appreciate Cardcraft’s positioning as a technology company providing an authentic connection and building a sense of community through its greeting cards."
