Race is the first thing a lot of people think of when they picture inequality. It’s no secret that Black people in America face unique struggles compared to other races. If you;ve traveled around, you might be familiar with the peaks and valleys of racial inequality throughout the country. Today, Black Portlanders deal with an extra layer of difficulties, but there’s one man who decided to do something about that. Nike is known for their sporty shoes, but the co-founder is now known for his charitable contributions.
With donations totaling over $400M, Phil Knight made sure that Black Portlanders had some support. At an event on the Nike campus, he announced with his wife that they would be donating the money to Black Portlanders in the North and Northeast area neighborhoods. The fund they donated to is called the 1803 Fund. It has a purpose of funding education and art programs along with other beneficial services. The North and Northeast areas of the city were once known as Albina and Phil Knight wanted to bring back its glory.
Back in the early 1900s, Albina was known as a hub for industrialism for people of color. In the 60s, many businesses and homes were leveled out to make space for renewal projects backed by the city. A lot of community hubs and general locations were lost to this damage and further harmed through gentrification. Phil Knight knows all about the good days of Albina, Portland when it was a vibrant hub of Black culture, so he did something about it.
Having co-founded one of the most well-known shoe companies, Phil made it his duty to share some of his wealth. Within a short timeframe, we’ll start to see this huge charitable donation go to good use in the Albina, Portland area. This decimated part of the city has long been ready to start getting some real TLC. With $400M, the Black community can rebuild and reassess a lot more of the damage. We’re very excited to see what happens to Albina once restorative projects start up.
Phil and Penny Knight really made a big difference with such a generous contribution to the 1803 Fund. The two are Oregon’s wealthiest residents who have previously donated to other causes with significantly large contributions. For Phil, donating to the 1803 Fund is personally sentimental. He describes many fond memories in the North and Northeast areas of Portland. In fact, it was a handshake deal in the area that led to his co-founded, successful, company that almost everyone now knows of. This is a perfect example of what it really means to give back to the place that made you.