Williams & Russell CDC

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Williams & Russell CDC Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Williams & Russell CDC, Nonprofit Organization, 5019 NE 21st Avenue, Portland, OR.

Williams & Russell CDC's mission is to create an energetic community that supports the economic and community growth of Black Portlanders, through the development of high-quality townhomes and apartments, and an energetic business and community hub.

10/09/2026

Step into the Cotton Club. ✨

On February 27, 2027, Harlem on the Hill takes over the Portland Art Museum for one evening in three acts. Live jazz at the door. Ch*****ne in your hand. A drumline processional that carries the whole room up the stairs into a 1920s Harlem ballroom, with dinner, a live band, and dancing until the night is done.

But this night is bigger than the party. Harlem on the Hill celebrates the Williams & Russell legacy and the work of reparative development in historic Albina. Every seat helps build what comes next: new homes, a business and community hub, and a future shaped by the people who call Albina home.

Seats are limited. 🎟️ Reserve yours now at the link in our bio.

📍 Portland Art Museum
🗓️ Saturday, February 27, 2027

10/07/2026

We were proud to sponsor the 15th Annual MLK Dream Run! Thank you to everyone who came out to run, walk and cheer for North & Northeast Portland. Together We Win! 🏁

09/25/2026

We were proud to sponsor The House Party, Taking Ownership PDX community concert at Redd on Salmon Street, in support of housing justice for Black and Indigenous communities in Portland.

Music, neighbors, and a shared belief that Portland families deserve to own, stay, and build here. That is the work we come back to every day, and it is better when we do it alongside organizations like this one.
Thank you for having us.

Great conversations this week with the owners of HeyLove and Laverne's. We talked about what's possible when local busin...
09/24/2026

Great conversations this week with the owners of HeyLove and Laverne's. We talked about what's possible when local businesses and organizations work together, and we left inspired.

We’re excited to be part of the 2026 Housing Oregon Conference Housing Oregon. & will be speaking on Monday, September...
09/14/2026

We’re excited to be part of the 2026 Housing Oregon Conference Housing Oregon. & will be speaking on Monday, September 28 & Tuesday, September 29.

We are looking forward to seeing you all! Learn more & register by September 15: housingoregon.org/conference

09/09/2026

Showing up for Black businesses in Portland.

We spent the evening at the Black Business Association of Oregon's Black Business Month Mixer, in a room full of the founders, builders, and neighbors who make this city what it is.
Community development is not just about the buildings. It's about who gets to own, grow, and stay. Every connection made in a room like this is part of that work.

Thank you BBAO for creating the space.

09/01/2026

Da Gathering had The Low End full!

Black Portlanders connecting, dancing, and spending with the Black-owned businesses building that block. This is what community looks like when it shows up for itself.

Nights like this remind us why we do the work.

One evening. Three acts. Harlem on the Hill is more than a gala. It is a celebration of the Williams & Russell legacy an...
08/26/2026

One evening. Three acts. Harlem on the Hill is more than a gala. It is a celebration of the Williams & Russell legacy and the work of reparative development in historic Albina. This evening brings community back into shared space to honor what was taken, uplift what was endured, and invest in what comes next. For us, that includes new homes, a business/community hub, and a future for Albina shaped by the people who call it home. 🥂

Golden hour in the park, good music, and a whole lot of neighbors.We tabled at 1803’s movie in the park sharing what’s c...
08/25/2026

Golden hour in the park, good music, and a whole lot of neighbors.

We tabled at 1803’s movie in the park sharing what’s coming to the Williams & Russell site: 20 affordable townhomes for ownership, a business hub, a cultural garden, and a community plaza built for gathering exactly like this.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by, asked questions, and danced with us. This is who the project is for.

08/21/2026

Congratulations to CEO Azalea Renfield and Deputy Executive Director Ta'Neshia Renae, recipients of the Innovative Program Award from the Community Development Society, presented on July 21 at the 2026 CDS Annual Conference in Savannah, Georgia.

The Community Development Society is a national association of community development practitioners, researchers, and educators. The Innovative Program Award recognizes programs that are new, creative, and meaningfully advancing the practice of community development. Recent recipients have included university extension programs and national equity coalitions.

Azalea and Ta'Neshia were recognized for the reparative development model they have built and advanced, a framework that addresses the harms of redlining, urban renewal, and displacement. In the 1970s, 171 families, 74 percent of them Black, were displaced from the Williams & Russell block for a hospital expansion that never happened. The land sat vacant for more than 50 years. Today it is returning to community stewardship through affordable homeownership, affordable apartments, a business and community hub, and a cultural plaza honoring the history of Albina.

This recognition belongs to the descendants of displaced North Portlanders, our board, our partners, and everyone who refused to let this block stay empty. Reparative development is not a concept here.

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5019 NE 21st Avenue
Portland, OR
97211

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