Please note:

The location of this event is at the Portland Middle School at 93 High St, Portland, CT 06480.

The Portland Historical Society, Town Committee on Solidarity and Public Library present:

Voices of Portland: A Black History Month Panel

February 22, 2025

Doors open at 12:30 PM

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM - Panel

2:30 PM – 4:00 PM - Reception

Portland Middle School

93 High St, Portland, CT 06480 

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Join us in recognizing the past and inspiring future generations to appreciate the legacy of Portland, CT.   We are thrilled to present Portland’s second Black History Month panel event, following 2024’s Gallery of Portland and podcast interview with Barbara Miller (view the recordings at portlandlibraryct.org/voices-of-portland). 

Join us at the Portland Middle School on February 22, 2025. The Black History Month panel discussion will start at 1:00 p.m. Doors will open at 12:30p.m. Plan to stay for a reception after the panel at 2:30 p.m. at which time a memory recording booth will be available for those who wish to share their memories of this time.

The featured panelists are Patricia Hall Jemison, David Roane, Barbara Shaw, and Rev. Laurence Woods (view their bios below).

With generous funding from CT Humanities, the Voices of Portland oral history project seeks to capture the stories and experiences of Portland’s Black residents who lived under the bridge and the result that Urban Renewal and Redevelopment had on this community.

In addition to Connecticut Humanities, the Portland Historical Society, the town Committee on Solidarity, and the Portland Public Library, this project was made possible through the support of the Town of Portland, the Portland Public Schools, Connecticut Valley School of Music and Dance, the Friends of the Portland Library, and the tireless work of our planning team community volunteers David Roane and Barbara Shaw.

The first fifty (50) people who arrive for the event will be offered a free ticket to the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, CT which houses the Amistad Center for Art and Culture.

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Connecticut Humanities (CTH) is an independent, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.

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Patricia Hall Jemison:

Ms. Jemison’s family has a deep connection to Portland and Middlesex county. Her mother, Lillian Jones, was born on Freestone Ave. and her father Charles L. Johnson owned Autobody Repair, on St. John Street in Middletown. Of their eight children, four served in the US military.  Ms. Jemison attended the American International College in Springfield, MA, and worked as a Prevention Specialist and was a Master Teaching Artist of Dance, Stepping, and Double Dutch for grades K – 12, developing and training teams for competitions and exhibitions including the Double Dutch Competitive Team at Gildersleeve Elementary School. In addition to working at the Wesleyan University College Prep, Ms. Jemison was employed by a number of Portland businesses; including Standard Knapp in personnel & payroll, by the Portland Dukes as a cheerleading coach and by Tommy's Pizza during her college breaks. Ms. Jemison has held many roles here in our town; developing Tykia Modern Dance for the Portland High School, as a Midget Football Cheerleader, playing on the Portland Women's Softball League (for the Portland Housing Authority team) as shortstop and center field, and serving as the Community Liaison for Chatham Court, where she is still helping to put together the Chatham Court Reunions (please save the date for July 27 2024, all are welcome)! 

 

Her dreams for the future of Portland include utilizing her talents and skills with Portland Youth Programs, to be a professional presence for black and white students, and to see more people of color in the Portland school system.

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David Roane:

Born in Harlem, New York City; on March 3, 1942, David moved to 3 High Street Portland, CT in 1945. In 1948 the family moved to Veterans Terrace (Long River Village) for two short years, but then returned to live at 3 High Street; Mr Roane attended Portland Central School; Valley View, Portland Jr. High School, leaving Portland High school while in 9^th grade to attend Vinal Regional Technical School (Electrical trade) class of ‘60.

In 1960 he joined the United States Marine Corps;serving until 1964. It was during his first month in the Corp, that he learned that his birth name was David Roane, after a brief discussion, and explanation of why he was raised with the last name of Shaw, his mother and him together agreed that he would keep his birth name David Roane. 

After serving the majority of his time in the Corp in Yokosuka, Atsugi Japan, and then briefly in Camp Pendleton (San Diego County) California. In 1966 he returned back home to Portland CT, and where he met and married his wife Barbara Jordon (who also was raised in the Bottom, as it was called by residents who lived there -under the bridge). 

As well said by his baby sister, Barbara Shaw, their mother, Eugenie passes on to us to always help and care for everyone in need. 

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Barbara E. Shaw

Born and raised in Portland, CT, Mrs Shaw attended Portland Central School, Valley View, Portland Jr. High School, Portland High School; class of 69. She grew up and lived at 3 High Street (Anderson Farm Supply), and moved to Middletown in 1975.

Her mother, Eugenie “passed on to me to always help and care for everyone in need. Portland will always be home to me.”

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Rev. Laurence Woods

Laurence Woods is the Senior Pastor of Church of God’s Grace in Middletown CT. Married to his friend Marie Woods of Bronx, NY for 15 years, they have together 4 Daughters, 1 Son, 6 grandsons and 2 great grandsons. Laurence is the son of the late Pastor Lorenzo L. Woods and Lady Janese Wood, Laurence has 3 brothers and 1 sister. He lived in Portland for the first 12 years of his life before moving to Middletown and graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School (class of 69) where he played football as running back and received many awards for his outstanding performances on the playing field. He also ran track for 3 of his high school years but football was his passion, and he was nominated as one of the top football players in New England, and was a perennial selection for the New Haven Register Allstate Team. Upon graduating he received a football scholarship to the University of Nebraska where he played football as a running back. After college Laurence tried out for several professional teams such as the Detroit Lions of the NFL and the Detroit Wheels of the USFL. Very Determined he went on to play as an undrafted free agent for the NFL Kansas City Chiefs Farm Team, and also played for several other Farm Teams affiliated with the NFL, such as the Detroit Giants and the Michigan Indians.

Laurence retired from the workforce in 2021 and shortly after began to adhere to the call of God, walking in his father’s footsteps to preach the word of God. Laurence and Marie started Church of God’s Grace in October 2021 in Middletown CT. Laurence is the founder of Mancave Ministries of CT where he mentors as well as ministers to men of all walks of life.

In addition to loving to fish and attending live Jazz Concerts, Laurence is himself a Jazz Musician with a group he created called Smoov, and he performs as a Bass Player when they are in concert. Laurence is additionally known for his delicious famous barbeque spareribs which people come from surrounding areas to enjoy, he loves cooking at his place called The Bone Yard. 

Laurence is proud to be part of the History of the Black Bottom Community. 

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 Eugenie Shaw Obituary (2013) - Middletown, CT - Middletown Press (legacy.com) Biography provided courtesy of Barbara Shaw and David Roane:

Eugenie R Shaw

Genie, as she was known in her time with CAGM: Community Action for Greater Middletown by her friends, co-workers, and acquaintances, lived in Portland, CT for most of her life. In her younger days she worked for a number of well-known families here in Portland, and as well in Middletown, as a cook. She later worked at Connecticut Valley Hospital before going to work for CAGM. Eugenie was still living in Portland when she was hired by CAGM as the first Neighborhood Worker for Portland where she opened and ran the first and only office on Lower Main Street, as a Senior Neighborhood Worker. Genie’s son David became the first Neighborhood Worker, and Lucille Ray who lived as a resident under the bridge (also known as the bottom). During Genie’s time as Senior Neighborhood Worker she started a number of programs for families and youth. Most notably working with the Town of Portland, (1^st. Selectman John Anderson) and purchasing the Hale lumber Company, (office and showroom) building and raising it off the original foundation; and moving it one thousand feet away from the river, where the building became CAGM office and Community Center.

While working for CAGM, Genie was approached by Richard Admi and Ann Hibino, to join an organization called The Portland Foundation. Together the Foundation purchased land on Main Street and built the first and only low-income senior housing complex in Portland, Quarry Heights. The foundation and Genie didn’t stop there, they then purchased land from the Ruitto Family off of Riverside Street and Airline Ave. and built housing for low-Income residents, Chatham Court. Eugenie Shaw was the first executive Director of both complexes, retiring as Executive director of Chatham Court, she also served on the Portland Board of Education - Republican Party.

Eugenie lived to the age of 100 years old, and over her lifetime, Genie received numerous awards and citations:

• Portland Housing Authority was hired as first Executive Director
• Portland United Fund; Distinguished Citizen Award - 1972
• NAACP (Portland Branch) - Certificate of Life Membership, New England Regional Conference, April 24, 1962
• NAACP Award - In  Appreciation and her dedicated Service to the War on Poverty 1966-1974
• Award from CAGM staff, for dedicated service to the war on Poverty 1966-1974
• NAACP - Middlesex County Branch : John Freeland Community Leadership Award - 1988
• NAACP Award May 27, 1968
• UnSung Hero Award Deliverance Award - Haven Church - 2008