Events & Opportunities
August 29, 2026
The Telling of Stories
Survivor centered storytelling in a safe and compassionate environment. A gathering to raise awareness, honor lived experiences and share community resources. Speakers include Rhonda Berry and Carolina Rios.
This event is supported by a Public Program Grant from Oregon Humanities.
1:00 p.m., Chetco Community Public Library, Brookings
September 3, 2026
Declaration 250: Reading with Lois
Read together with former Oregon History Teacher of the Year Lois MacMillan as our community explores The American Revolution and the Fate of the World by Richard Bell in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Book copies are available for checkout at the library. A community book discussion will take place on September 3.
This program is supported by a Mini Grant for Libraries from Oregon Humanities.
5:30 p.m., Grants Pass Library, Grants Pass
September 8, 2026
Echoes from the Past, Part 1: Inside Tule Lake
In this historically grounded and deeply moving presentation, siblings Dave and Peggy Doi explore the history surrounding the 1942 forced incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans. Combining objective historical facts with intimate family history, the presenters will share their parents’ personal experiences of being ordered into the Tule Lake camp in northern California and what daily life was like for them behind barbed wire. This session offers a powerful, humanizing look into a critical chapter of American history and raises important questions for today.
This presentation is funded in part by a Public Programs Grant from Oregon Humanities.
4:00 p.m., Jacksonville Community Center, Jacksonville
September 11, 2026
Echoes from the Past, Part 2: Leaving Tule Lake
Siblings Dave and Peggy Doi share how their parents ultimately left the Tule Lake incarceration camp. Learn how their father and three dozen other men from Tule Lake became the first to enlist in the US Army from their camp, attending a highly classified Military Intelligence Language School (MILS) near Minneapolis to prepare for vital service in the South Pacific. This presentation weaves together their father’s secret wartime contributions and their mother’s path to freedom through a marriage proposal, offering a unique perspective on courage and survival and inspiration for questions facing people of conscience today. No need to have attended the first presentation.
This presentation is funded in part by a Public Programs Grant from Oregon Humanities.
4:00 p.m., Jacksonville Community Center, Jacksonville
September 17, 2026
Letitia Carson: Life and Legacy of Oregon’s Earliest Known Black Homesteader
This presentation highlights the challenges and contributions of Letitia Carson, a nineteenth-century pioneer, rancher, and midwife. We’ll share her remarkable journey to homesteading in Oregon and the ongoing efforts of the Letitia Carson Legacy Project (LCLP) to carry Letitia’s enduring spirit into our collective future. The LCLP is a collaborative effort between OSU’s Center for Resilient Agriculture, Oregon Black Pioneers, Mudbone Grown, Black Oregon Land Trust, and the Linn-Benton chapter of the NAACP. This event is part of the year-long JCC Community-In-Action Program.
This presentation is funded in part by a Public Programs Grant from Oregon Humanities.
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Jacksonville Community Center, Jacksonville
September 17, 2026
Past and Future Cultural Lifeways of Western Oregon Tribes
The Willamette Valley is rich with history that has been largely unrecorded—its riverbanks, forests, and mountains have been home to the tribes of Kalapuya, Chinook, Molalla, and more for thousands of years. Please join us for a presentation by OSU Professor and Indigenous scholar David Lewis, who will highlight Native perspectives on the history of the region and take us through a journey from then to now. Dr. Lewis is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and author of the book Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley.
7:00 p.m., Beaverton City Library, Beaverton
September 29, 2026
Wilderness Treasures with William L. Sullivan
William Sullivan is the author of many books and articles about Oregon. In this talk, moderated by John Witte, he will discuss the many wilderness treasures of the Upper McKenzie region in Oregon.
This event is supported by a Mini Grant for Libraries from Oregon Humanities.
2:00 p.m., O'Brien Memorial Library, Blue River
September 29, 2026
Voices of Gresham Season 2 Launch Party
Gresham Historical Society presents a launch party for season 2 of its original podcast, Voices of Gresham. This party will include a short talk by host Stephanie Vallance followed by a presentation of the first episode and a Q&A. Enjoy snacks and drinks while you listen.
Voices of Gresham is a lively, one-of-a-kind podcast based on oral history recollections of Gresham residents past and present. Using interviews conducted from the 1980s to the present day, hosts Stephanie Vallance and Melissa Bevency explore themes from local history including the main arc, "Coming to Gresham," and shorter arcs exploring the history of libraries and live music.
This podcast will be available for free on all major platforms starting September 30. Season 2 will consist of ten episodes, with new episodes released weekly.
This event and the podcast are supported by a Public Programs Grant from Oregon Humanities.
5:00 p.m., Gresham Historical Society, Gresham