Renée Watson walks us through her favorite Black Portland places and reflects on how the city’s historically Black neighborhoods influence her work.
Donovan Scribes (fka Donovan M. Smith)
Donovan Scribes (fka Donovan M. Smith) is an award-winning writer, artist and speaker in Portland. He enjoys good music, good stories, and making an impact. Read More
Much has changed about Northeast Portland in the past few decades, but for Renée Watson, this special enclave is still home. Referred to by many Portlanders as “the NEP,” the Albina district, once a bustling nucleus of Portland’s Black community and commerce, now harbors gentrification hallmarks like expensive high-rises and tiny dogs.
Back in the day, neighbors may not have all known each other, but they probably knew someone you knew. This was a place where barbershops and beauty salons served as de facto community forums. Before it attracted the attention of marketers like Travel Portland and became the “arts district” it’s known as today, Northeast Alberta Street was the center of crucial memories for Black Portlanders. Watson’s writing, which landed on the New York Times Best Seller list and earned a host of awards and accolades to boot, serves not only as a callback to these memories but as an ongoing reminder of the beauty and complexity of Black life in the Rose City.
Credit: NASHCO Photo
Works like Piecing Me Together and Ways to Make Sunshine, both young adult novels that take on stories of Black girls coming of age, are lined with references to street names, schools and inside jokes that will be familiar to anyone who called the tightly knitted fabric of NEP home.
Watson, who currently splits her time between New York City and Portland, says it’s that tight-knit feel that defines the community here, unlike any other she has experienced as she treks the world sharing her Northwest-centered prose.
Beyond the neighborhood, Watson shares an affinity for the wonders of the Pacific Northwest. As someone who would escape to the Oregon Coast nearly every weekend with her family as a child and still hits our bountiful trails regularly with her sisters, Watson says the natural beauty of the city and its region offered both a sense of nostalgia and healing for her.
As Black people too, we often see ourselves as city-dwellers, but in Portland there is so much natural beauty, that you really don’t get in other parts of the country, so we should be taking advantage of that.
Renée Watson
Her experiences help shape moments with her characters, like when little Ryan Hart narrates a family trip to the beach in Ways to Make Sunshine. Watson’s own childhood must have served as inspiration when Ryan recounts her siblings piling into the car as mom plays radio DJ for a Sunday drive while dad navigates the Columbia River towards the Oregon Coast.
“Being able to look at Mt. Hood in my rear view is always something special when I’m home,” says Watson. “As Black people too, we often see ourselves as city-dwellers, but in Portland there is so much natural beauty, that you really don’t get in other parts of the country, so we should be taking advantage of that,” she says pointing to organizations like People of Color Outdoors that help non-white folks of all ages connect with natural spaces throughout the region.
These days, she says, the NEP is not the same but she still finds pride in Portland’s Black diaspora, which has rooted and nurtured her. When people ask her “Where you from?”, she has no problem answering.
Watson, who has penned more than a dozen books and shared stages and pages with the likes of renowned poet Nikki Giovanni and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones, is intent on bringing the stories of home with her wherever she goes. We caught up with the acclaimed wordsmith to discover some of her favorite Portland places.
Third Eye Books
Watson says this shop throws her back to the days of Reflections Coffee and Books, an NEP staple from 1995–2012 that was key in her development as a young artist. Founded in 2019, Third Eye Books Accessories & Gifts is a hub of Black-centric literature and goods. It’s also Portland’s only Black-owned bookstore. In the spirit of Reflections, Third Eye is a hub for poetry readings, author visits and, of course, book discussions. Thumb through the shelves today, and they’re sure to have one or two (or three or four!) Renée Watson books on deck.
World Stage Theatre
World Stage Theatre exposes young people to the arts through events, performances and education. Watson says arts programming in the NEP has slowed, but World Stage Theatre helps fill an important gap. A Black arts powerhouse, World Stage Theatre hosts a number of programs, including their annual, monthlong Black History Festival NW every February with showcases of young visual artists, family skate nights and Black drag shows. Pairing youth and adults to explore history through the arts, their Who I Am Celebrating Me events include statewide stage shows and highly anticipated author readings.
Joe Brown’s Carmel Corn
This one is a Portland staple. Lloyd Center is home to a number of small local businesses today, but Joe Brown’s Carmel Corn is its oldest and perhaps most aromatic tenant. The smell of its buttery good assortment of popcorn is almost synonymous with the mall itself. There’s plenty to choose from, but if you want to know Renée Watson’s pick: cheddar and cheese. And for longtime Portlanders, the expansion of Joe Brown’s into the former storefront of the “Mayor of Northeast Portland” Paul Knauls’ Geneva’s Shear Perfection barbershop is about enough to make your heart, well, “pop”!
Caribbean Spice
There’s no way to miss this one, with its bold red, yellow, green and black storefront. Caribbean Spice, located in one of Portland’s most racially diverse neighborhoods, Cully, this grocery store is also sure to perk up your tastebuds. Watson, who is Jamaican, says this store has been a breath of fresh diasporic air to see and cook with.
This Afro-Caribbean grocery store is one of few places in Oregon where you can find culturally traditional ingredients, cosmetics and medicines. Inspired by the local markets in Kingston, Jamaica, this hot spot of flavor and community is BIPOC-owned, family-operated and led by women.
Gourmet Brothers’ Grill
“Disclaimer,” Watson says, “the owner is my cousin!” But beyond the family ties, Watson says this nomadic food cart specializing in barbecue is worth your palate’s time. Featuring a comforting menu that includes stand-out ribs, homestyle mac and cheese (and it is cheesy!), glazed ham and other Southern-style staples, Gourmet Brothers’ Grill’s affordable and generous plates are a guaranteed hit.
The Grill’s owner, Marquise Cross, expanded the business to brick-and-mortar, so if you’re looking to fill up on mouth-watering soul food, Norma Jean’s Soul Cuisine delivers. Serving up classics like smoked turkey legs and smothered oxtails, this spot offers even more decadent offerings like a 28-day aged, Cajun-seasoned rib-eye.
Revelations Hair Design
If you aren’t already “in the know,” natural hair care can be hard to find in Portland. Look no further than Revelations, Watson’s swear-by and go-to. And here’s an extra incentive to go: Revelations is on the same street as Caribbean Spice — so after you’ve gotten your hair laid, twisted or braided, go show it off with a slow stroll up to the market.
Watson isn’t the only celebrity in Revelations’ client list: Portland Trailblazer Damian Lillard and wife Kayla Hanson, along with media personality Tra’Renee Chambers, are loyal customers. Owner Chanesa Hart also endeavors to empower a new generation of hairstylists through Revelations Hair Design Academy, a nine-month mentorship program for new and seasoned hairstylists.
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