Stewardship Saturday with the Blueprint Foundation

February was Black History Month, and for the third year in a row, the Council partnered with The Blueprint Foundation to host a Stewardship Saturday event at Heron Lakes Golf Course in historic Vanport. This year, we were honored to be joined by James Stanley Harrison, professor emeritus of history at Portland Community College, who studies Vanport and is currently writing a book about the former housing community.

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Professor Harrison shared an expert account of Vanport, dispelling common myths and discussing the community’s racial segregation as well as some of its firsts. For example, while most of Vanport was segregated along lines of race, the housing community is known for having Oregon’s first Black teachers and its first Black librarian.

At the time of the 1948 flood, one-third of Vanport’s residents were Black. This was a result of the fact that Black people were often unable to find housing in Portland due to discriminatory policies. However, during and shortly after the flood, people showed willingness to help each other regardless of race, which is often referred to as the “Vanport spirit.”

After hearing Professor Harrison’s talk, 21 volunteers from The Blueprint Foundation, including youth, mentors, and family members, planted 600 native trees and shrubs to restore wetland habitat. We appreciate all of The Blueprint Foundation volunteers as well as Professor Harrison for helping us learn about Vanport history while caring for land in historic Vanport.