(Lead image via @NickDePaula)
Nike co-founder Phil Knight donates $400 Million to the “1803 Fund,” a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the betterment of Portland’s Black community, per Nick DePaula. The new community initiative will “aim to transform current & future generations of Black Portland through investments in education, place, culture & belonging in the Albina community.”
According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, Albina was once an enterprising hub for Portland’s Black community and business in the early 1900s, but by the 1960s Albina’s blossoming neighborhood was taken over by urban renewal projects and later stripped by gentrification that pushed out generations of Black families. The 1803 Fund aims to rebuild the area and invest in programs that will give Black Portlanders new opportunities and resources.
Portland, of course, is extra special to Phil Knight as the Oregon city was the springboard for Nike, which he founded with Bill Bowerman back in the 60s. Beaverton and the greater area of Portland has served as home to the Swoosh since its early beginnings and over the years, Nike has given back to Oregon in a number of ways — whether that be its annual OHSU x Doernbecher Collection or hooking up University of Oregon with the best student athlete PEs.
The board of directors for the 1803 Fund includes longtime Black leaders in Portland, including Tony Hopson, CEO of Black youth advocacy nonprofit Self-Enhancement Inc, Ron Herndon, CEO of Albina Head Start, and Larry Miller, former Trail Blazers executive and chair of Nike’s Michael Jordan brand.
For more information and ways to get involved, visit 1803fund.com. Follow @NiceKicks on Instagram more sneaker news and release dates.
