The Mixer reconvened in Portland, Oregon last month at The Evergreen, bringing Rose City residents together to examine the future of their community through the lens of the Black experience. The gathering centered on the theme of "intentional resilience" and featured eight speakers who provided personal narratives and professional insights aimed at fostering collective growth.

Serving as a hub for networking and resource exchange, the mixer facilitated intimate conversations on a broad spectrum of topics, including driving economic recovery and mobility, addressing infrastructure and safety through topics like clean energy, and sharing lived histories to repair the city's social fabric.

The discussions offered specific definitions of resilience relevant to modern Portland. Multnomah County commissioner Vince Jones described "transformative resilience" as utilizing a traumatic incident to enact change at scale. Sierra Ellis, Ceasefire Manager for the City of Portland, affirmed that the event is helping to drive the ongoing work of rebuilding and repairing the city.

Learn more about The Mixer at themixer.org