Oregon Federation of Colored Women's Clubs
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Oregon women achieved the vote in 1912 and throughout the state women in organizations organized around racial groups and ethnicities. Portland had a significant number of African American women’s clubs and organizations, including the Oregon Federation of Colored Women's Clubs.[1]
Black women organized voter registration drives, public lectures, and events featuring well-known activist leaders to educate communities on important political issues.[1] These clubs played important roles both locally and nationally in improving interracial relations and promoting civic engagement and uplift within African American communities. There were three pillars of community building in early Black Portland: women’s social clubs, newspapers and civic organizations. The Oregon Association of Colored Women's Clubs was formed in 1912 as the Colored Women’s Council and was a conglomeration of several smaller civic and literary clubs. Their motto was "Lift As We Climb."[2] Katherine Gray was the first president when the club became the Oregon Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs.[3]