Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?
A first edition and autographed copy of "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?" written by Martin Luther King Jr from Don't Shoot Portlands' archive collection. This rare title is part of our Black Memory Lab and Cultural Library.
It has been over a decade since we first began showing up for social justice on the streets of Portland.
In the summer of 2014, communities reconvened in response to Ferguson. What followed was a powerful grassroots movement—one that carried forward decades of civil rights organizing and demanded accountability for Black lives taken by state-sanctioned violence. Across the country and here at home, people answered a collective call to action.
From the beginning, the organizing and actions led by Don’t Shoot PDX were intentional. This work brought families and neighborhoods to the frontlines, centering community voices through civic engagement, public testimony, and direct participation. We also worked to bridge mutual aid resources—food sharing, neighborhood support, and collective care—into communities that had long been excluded from traditional initiatives.
Together, we witnessed real and measurable social impact.
As the years progressed, our work evolved. We expanded our advocacy and developed programs rooted in sustainability, access, and care for families and future generations. Today, that work lives on through initiatives such as the Food Forest at Hughes, The Black Gallery, and the Black Memory Lab—where we steward Liberated Archives that include books, art, oral histories, and educational research materials. And through it all, our community has continued to show up.
Portland is well known for its social consciousness, but it is also known for consistency. For us, that consistency—your consistency—has meant everything.
In 2025, we were honored to be voted Best Of by more than 40,000 Willamette Week readers who participated in the annual poll. We are deeply grateful to everyone who cast a vote and continues to believe in this work. We are also excited to have been selected to participate in the Oregon Contemporary Biennial in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
For us, this moment reflects a simple truth: you can’t control art. What began as community members and activists using art as a tool to communicate lived experience has grown into something expansive and enduring. Today, we share access and resources while continuing to advocate for our most vulnerable neighbors—using art, memory, and collective action as instruments of change.
This movement was made in Oregon.
And as we look ahead, we want to say thank you.
Thank you for walking with us, building with us, and believing in the power of community. We carry hope for another decade—and beyond—of resistance, solidarity, and collective care.
