The Black Rainbow Initiative
The Black Rainbow Initiative aims to establish a vibrant and inclusive community for Black and BIPOC individuals, fostering creativity, entrepreneurship, and shared experiences through art and business.
Black Rainbow Hall of Fame Inductees 2024
Black Rainbow Hall of fame recognizes BLACK artists, producers, creators and culture bearers, who have contributed to the history, development and progression of the Black LGBTQ2SIA+ COMMUNITY. This award gives artists their flowers and preserves their name in the memoir of Portland culture.
Pastor Renee Ward
Pastor Renee’ Ward who is considered among many an “OVERCOMER” for her authenticity, tenacity, and unapologetic stance to “SPEAK LIFE” into the lives of God’s people within the public and private sectors.
Her professional portfolio presents a plethora of accomplishments throughout her career as an actress, model, entertainer, producer, motivational speaker, pastor, journalist, fashion curator, philanthropist, coach, entrepreneur, activist as well as a ‘visionpreneur’ who most recently launched a National Women’s Initiative called ‘SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE YOU’ helping women go beyond their apex personally, professionally and spiritually in pursuit of their entrepreneurial endeavors’.
Currently, Ward serves as Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs and one of the owners for“Smart Oregon Solutions (SOS)’a minority enterprise based in Portland, Oregon, aspiring to be at the forefront of the smart city revolution, specializing in sourcing, aggregating, and distributing renewable energy products that are sustainable and cost-effective.”
In 1998, her genesis began with the passing of her husband from an AIDS-related illness which prompted her to launch CHRYSALIS MINISTRIES, a nonprofit to help PLANTING A S.E.E.D. (Service, Educate, Empower, Dedicate ) as it relates to HIV/AIDS impact on the Black Community and the lack of response by the Faith Community to support those impacted by the disease.
To her credit she implemented several initiatives for the Black Faith Community via The Balm in Gilead and is featured in the award-winning documentary entitled ‘Who Will Speak For Me?’ addressing HIV/AIDS impact on descendants of the African Diaspora living in the Pacific Northwest.
This ‘peaceful’ but ‘vocal’ multicultural and intergenerational march led by Ward and her group she founded in 2010 called “(I’m) Everyday People” helped shine a national spotlight on the City of Portland Police Bureau’s defective officer recruitment and training process as it relates to mental health and the racist culture that permeated throughout its history.
Subsequently, several initiatives produced legislation to implement new policies and ordinances to improve the training of police officers and how they interact with an individual experiencing a mental health crisis.
‘Activism is second-nature to me’, says Pastor Ward, ‘It doesn’t cost to care; it only costs you when you don't care’. This is just one of several mantras you’ll hear Pastor Ward say as it relates to showing empathy and a call to action towards things that negatively impact the world’s most vulnerable.
Geeta Lewis
As a writer and artist Geeta is devoted to creating affordable art that reflects LGBTQ people through storytelling, portraiture, comics, and children’s books. A current student, nearing graduation from the Independent Publishing Resource Center’s Comics/Graphic Novel Certificate Program, she’s currently finishing her first illustrated children’s book featuring an African American trans girl: “I want to share my enthusiasm for comics and my growing confidence in being a trans person of color, by drawing more of what I want to see.
Bobby Fouther-
I am Bobby Fouther, a Visual and Performing artist. I was born and raised in the NW as a second generation Oregon artist. I am inspired by everything from birth to death and my passions are painting, photography, dance theatre and graphics, for many years, as a Portland State University faculty member and Oregon Ballet outreach instructor I used my love for dance to spread the joy of cultural movement throughout the northwest. I love creating visions on the stage and on a canvas. My training came from some of the most gifted local and international mentors a young artist could ever have.
Over the past 50 years Portland, Oregon is where I have invested my talent and income because in my heart it felt necessary. My newest residency is at Helensview School an alternative space for students like me who search to find their voice. I feel the community learning processes being left out of a young persons nurturing should not require a special form of funding and my community invested in me.
Spirit of Portland, Independent Spirit Award and Lowenstein Trust Award recipient are only a few of my recognitions. I have served as an artist-in education for statewide artist residency programs and in many capacities on programs sponsored by the Oregon, Washington and Idaho Arts Commissions and the National Endowment for the Arts. I have also shared my expertise on curriculum development committees for the Children’s Museum, The World Affair’s Council of Oregon, Portland Public Schools and White Bird Dance.
Currently I am a member on the boards of Young Musicians and Artists and Echo Theatre Company along with serving on the Justice Within Reach Committee of MRG (an agency for social change) for my 11th year. I am a current member of the International Association of Blacks in Dance and I also have commissioned work hanging in the Multnomah County's Office of Diversity and Equity as a part of the Regional Arts and Culture Council's Portable Works Collection.
Through it all the most cherished and valuable power given to me by my mentors was the wisdom to pass it on.
Lawanda Jackson
Lawanda Jackson began performing in 1977, and she became an advocate for the gay community the same year. She has traveled the world and performed in places such as Tokyo, Brazil, Austria, and Aruba. Lawanda’s titles include former Miss Rosebud, Miss Oregon, Miss Texas, Miss Gay USofA, and Miss Gay USofA Classic. She has performed at the Apollo Theatre in New York City. Lawanda’s many appearances have also included television and movies with Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality II.
Lawanda is currently a National Pageant Coach. She shares her knowledge and wisdom to keep pageantry and the art of female impersonation moving forward. Lawanda is an HIV, stroke, brain aneurysm, and COVID-19 survivor, and continues to travel and perform. She has received four Lifetime Achievement Awards, four Humanitarian Awards, and five Distinguished Service Awards in previous years. Lawanda recently appeared in the Best Selling Book “Legends of Drag”, and she was featured in The New York Times. She received the People’s Choice Award with recognition for Best Pageant Coach three years running.
Lawanda is an inspiration to others who have encountered struggles around the world. She is an ICON, a TRAIL BLAZER, and a LIVING LEGEND in the art of female impersonation.
Lawanda Jackson is truly a survivor.
Chris McMurry
A multidisciplinary artist, Chris McMurry is a painter, illustrator, photographer, musician, and writer, with each aspect of his art informing the other. Chris was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1970 and has remained a lifelong resident. Since the age of two, he has been drawing, developing his skills as a self-taught artist. He started creative writing at the age of six, and photography and music in his teenage years. His self-guided journey is a testament to the mantra “be your own hero”.
Chris’s aesthetic is characterized by spontaneity and exploration. His pieces often evolve organically, sometimes transforming initial sketches into final artworks. While he might start with preconceived ideas about colors and styles, the final result is usually a surprise, emerging through a process filled with adventures, accidents, and unexpected outcomes. This approach allows his expressions to reveal themselves naturally, capturing the essence of his creative journey.
Working with mixed media, Chris combines dry and wet mediums, including pencils, pastels, charcoal, and wax crayon, on substrates such as paper and canvas. His art process involves creating dense, colorful pieces with extensive mark-making, scribbles, and layers that balance abstract and realistic elements. These pieces often feature text and abstract writing. In contrast, his minimalist black and white works highlight intricate line work created with ink, markers, or paint, intersecting lines, and abstract shapes.
Each creation by Chris is a self-celebration, a powerful statement that honors his ancestors, and an inspiration to others. Through his art, he acknowledges and pays homage to those who came before him, infusing his work with a deep sense of history and personal significance. This blend of personal triumph and ancestral reverence imbues his pieces with a unique and profound narrative.
Chris draws inspiration from a wide range of sources, from the mega-diversity of the African diaspora, to the unfiltered creativity of children, to abstract expressionism, pop, and street art. His art has been exhibited at notable venues such as The Portland Art Museum, 45th Parallel Wines, Milieu Collective, PDX Suite Spot, and several others.
Chris has always taken the DIY approach to creativity. He simply creates work for himself and shares it with the world. Through resilience and innovation, Chris has carved out a space in the art world where he thrives, embodying the spirit of “be your own hero.” By continually trying new things and pushing beyond conventional boundaries, he enjoys inspiring others to create their own paths and embrace the unexpected in their creative endeavors.
Vision Statement
To culminate in a grand celebration, the Black Pride Festival, showcasing the talent, resilience, and achievements of the Black and BIPOC community.
History of Black Rainbow Initiative
Conceptualized by Henry Felton of Pride Northwest, in 2023, the Black Rainbow Initiative (B.R.I.) is a collaborative effort based on lived experiences of the Black LGBTQ2SIA+ community in Oregon. A critical challenge arises at the intersection of identities faced by this diverse group, which encounters a scarcity of spaces and resources tailored to their specific needs. The historical dispersion of the Black community in Oregon has fragmented support for Black LGBTQ2SIA+ individuals.
Recent data from the Oregon Health Authority indicates a 20% increase in the LGBTQ2SIA+ population in the state over the past decade, underscoring the growing demand for inclusive spaces and programming. However, the dispersion of the Black community within Oregon has resulted in a lack of resources specifically designed to cater to the unique needs of Black and BIPOC LGBTQ2SIA+ individuals in Portland.
In alignment with Pride Northwest’s Community Resilience program, the Black Rainbow Initiative serves as a conduit for the Black LGBTQ2SIA+ community in Oregon to be seen, to be celebrated, and to preserve its history.
The Black Rainbow Initiative held its inaugural event, “One for the Road,” in September 2024. Under the direction of Kourtni Capree Duv and Henry Felton, this event marked a significant milestone in the initiative’s creation. It featured the induction of the first honorees of the Black Rainbow Hall of Fame. Honored at this event; Pastor Renee Ward, Bobby Fouther, Chris McMurry, Lawanda Jackson, and Geeta Lewis. Oregon State Representative Travis Nelson attended this event and was inspired to introduce what became Oregon House Resolution 3, which celebrated the contribution of Black drag history in Oregon (2025).
During the 2025 Pride season, Black Rainbow deepened its connection with the community in many ways. We stood behind the HR 3 resolution, helping to write amendments that shared more of our history. Together with local shows and producers like Black Magic, Hot Chocolate, Dixie Tavern, Purple Lemonade and BeautyBoiz, we raised funds to support the work. We gathered for both planning and healing, creating space to support one another. We were honored to host Trinity K. Bonet and Miss Sophia McIntosh, and we began building new relationships to plan Black Pride with AfroVillage. Throughout it all, we showed up to advocate for fairness and equity, making sure our voices were heard in spaces where change can happen.