Abigail Scott Duniway Speaker Series: A Conversation with Hon. Avel Gordly
Remembering the Power of Words:
A Conversation with Hon. Avel Gordly
Presented by:
Join
Hon. Avel Gordly with
Dr. Patricia Schechter
Monday, March 28th
4:00 - 5:30 pm
PSU Campus,
Multicultural Center
Smith Center 228
1825 SW Broadway
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Remembering the Power of Words: The Life of an Oregon Activist, Legislator, and Community Leader recounts the personal and professional journey of Avel Gordly, the first African American woman elected to the Oregon State Senate.
The book is a brave and honest telling of Gordly’s life. She shares the challenges and struggles she faced growing up Black in Portland in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as her determination to attend college, the dedication to activism that took her from Portland to Africa, and her eventual decision to run for a seat in the state legislature.
This memoir’s origins as an oral history is fitting since Gordly has used her voice, out loud, to teach and inspire others for many years.
The event celebrating the release of Hon. Avel Gordly’s book is the second annual Abigail Scott Duniway Speaker Series event held by the Center for Women, Politics & Policy.
Books can be purchased immediately following the event for signing or you can order online below:
About the Author
Avel Louise Gordly has received numerous awards for her work as a legislator and community organizer on behalf of many organizations, including the Black United Front, Portlanders Organized for Southern African Freedom, the American Friends Service Committee, the Urban League of Portland, and the House of Umoja. She is a Senior Fellow and Board Member of the American Leadership Forum and an Associate Professor in the Black Studies Department at Portland State University.
Patricia A. Schechter is Associate Professor of History at Portland State University. She is the author of Ida B. Wells-Barnett and American Reform, 1880-1930 and a series of public history projects on Oregon women’s history.
Melody Rose, Series Editor, is Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Instruction at Portland State University and the Founder and Director of The Center for Women, Politics, & Policy.
