This week, Prosper Portland’s board voted to finalize a settlement of $8.5 million for over 20 individuals whose homes and businesses were destroyed during urban renewal efforts in the Albina neighborhood from the 1950s to the 1970s.
The group of Black Portlanders, whose plight has been recognized for years, filed a federal lawsuit arguing that the city, Emanuel Legacy Medical Center, and Prosper Portland conspired to dismantle a once-thriving Black neighborhood.
Initially, the Portland City Council proposed a financial settlement of $2 million. However, after hearing powerful testimonies from community members, all 12 city councilors unanimously decided to increase the settlement amount to $8.5 million. This settlement includes the dismissal of the lawsuit, as well as financial and land reparations for the descendants affected by the urban renewal initiatives, alongside other terms.
In an interview with OPB’s “Think Out Loud,” plaintiffs Donna Marshall and Byrd, who played a pivotal role in the research that led to this settlement, shared their experiences alongside their attorney, Ed Johnson.
## A Thriving Albina Neighborhood
Donna Marshall reminisced about her childhood in Albina, describing it as a flourishing neighborhood full of life.
“I was born at Emmanuel Hospital. Doctor Unthank was the one who delivered myself, as well as the rest of my siblings. My father and mother purchased a house on 247 North Fargo Street before I was born. My father was a Pullman porter. He took an extra shift to go to New York, so he could have the money to purchase a house on Fargo Street.
“We had a wonderful family, thriving Black neighborhood. Just alone on my block, there were seven businesses. I remember as a little girl walking the streets, going to Hostess, getting free donuts for the children. We had apple trees, walnut trees, grapevines, and peach trees—all in our neighborhood.
“I mean, it was just a wonderful environment to where some parents didn’t even have to go to the store for fruit because the fruit was right there. I remember riding my bike freely and safely, without worrying about stranger danger. I even had to be home before the organ at Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church played every day at 5 o’clock.
“We had friends across the street, and I still remember them: Deborah, Mary Catherine, the Locketts, the Woods. But I saw their homes being destroyed. As a little girl, I would ask my mom, ‘What’s going on with this?’ and she’d say it was too difficult to explain the ugliness that was going on.
## Resistance and the Fight Against Displacement
Marshall detailed the fight against displacement, remembering her mother’s relentless efforts.
“I remember my mother fighting. I remember losing my mother many nights because she was in the basement at Mount Olivet Baptist Church with Reverend Jackson, Thelma Glover, Miss Hattie Mae Brownie, and Miss Warren, fighting daily with Emanuel Hospital, the City of Portland, and the Portland Development Commission.
“My parents even hired an attorney when they tried to force us out of a house we wanted to buy on 107th and Pacific. Even after we placed a bid, it was taken off the market because we were Black. We ended up filing a discrimination suit.
“There was no place for us to go. We were the last home on the block, and I remember my mother watching me walk every day to school. The lots were barren with no buildings in sight, and I no longer had friends to play with. Instead, I had to befriend the stray dogs around.
“We won the discrimination suit, and they had to put the house back on the market. We bought it for $23,000, and my father even moved in with a Winchester 30-06 on one arm and a shotgun on the other to ensure our safety. But we lost our community, and everything else just fell apart.
## The Motivation Behind the Fight
Byrd spoke about her motivation for the research and eventual lawsuit.
“All of this started because I love to study. I collect documents and I was part of a group researching the history surrounding the Emanuel Hospital expansion. I came across my grandmother’s name, which compelled me to dig deeper. I met Miss Thelma Glover, who was 98 or 99 at the time, and she looked at me with intense force and said, ‘Fight.’
“This journey has felt very spiritual; what else would have sustained me for this long?
## The Lawsuit’s Unique Journey
Ed Johnson, the attorney for the plaintiffs, spoke about the uniqueness of their litigation journey.
He stated, “From a litigation standpoint, this was way outside of the box. There was really no roadmap for this, but Byrd had a vision. There were times I didn’t see that path, but I kept believing that Byrd knew there was a way forward.
“What happened with Emanuel Hospital in Central Albina is different than what other urban renewal projects faced. This history has become clearer recently. Back in 2021, Byrd and the Emanuel Displaced Persons Association connected with PSU graduate students, which helped create an interactive story map that showcased the chronology of events that many Portlanders are not aware of.
“Years before any public awareness surfaced regarding the urban renewal project, Emanuel Hospital was already purchasing properties throughout Central Albina, approximately over a hundred of them. As soon as the project was approved, the Portland Development Commission (PDC) reimbursed the hospital dollar for dollar for the purchase and demolition costs, while the city branded the empty or demolished homes as blight—even though the blight was created by the hospital itself.
“Ultimately, the expansion project never occurred, and as we stand here in 2025, much of that land remains vacant or is merely used for parking.
## Community Response to Settlement
Byrd expressed hope in the city council’s willingness to listen to community stories that were once overlooked.
“We have a city council now that is listening to stories that were previously ignored and relates to a wider range of citizens in Portland, which is promising.
“However, there’s no dollar amount that can fully make up for what we lost—politically, socially, and within our community.
Marshall voiced her sentiments regarding the settlement: “Even with the $8.5 million settlement, it is not enough to cover the pain endured by my family or Byrd’s family through this whole ordeal.
“The pain continues, and my family is still hurting. They’re left wondering what the future holds, and I don’t have an answer for them. All I can say is, like Aunt Thema said, we just have to keep fighting.”
image source from：opb
