City Club of Portland

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Oregon Attorney General Rayfield on Lawsuits Against the Trump Administration Jul 25, 2025

Show notes

Presented by City Club of Portland, with support from AARP Oregon, Fight Against Sex Trafficking, Miller Nash and Tonkon Torp.
City Club is a member-led and member-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Join or donate at pdxcityclub.org to support the spaces where community and leadership meet.

On July 25, 2025, City Club of Portland hosted Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield for a conversation with retired Chief Justice Thomas Balmer, reflecting on his first months in office and his role leading Oregon’s lawsuits against federal actions. The discussion covered cases involving tariffs, birthright citizenship, and cuts to federally funded programs, as well as how the state decides when to act and what tools are in place to hold the federal government accountable. They addressed some technical legal questions, but also covered fundamentals like the role of each branch of government and how democracy is supposed to work.

2025 State of Racial Justice: A Five Year Retrospective of Portland’s Black Lives Matter Movement Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

May 25, 2025 marked the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, a tragedy that sparked a nationwide movement for racial justice and police accountability. City Club hosted a conversation with contributors to BlackOut, a special Portland Mercury magazine that featured a dozen essays by Black Portlanders on the 2020 protests, how the city has (or hasn't) made progress since then, and what can be done to bring about a more just future.

The program included a panel discussion facilitated by Donovan Scribes, curator of BlackOut, and a screening of Dear Young Black Portland, a short film written by Scribes, narrated by Gary-Smith, and directed by award-winning filmmaker Devin Boss.

About the Speakers
Sharon Gary-Smith
Former president of the Portland NAACP, long-time racial and social justice freedom fighter, and women’s rights activist.
Justice Rajee
Director of Reimagine Oregon, Beaverton School Board member, and longtime organizer and activist.
Mac Smiff
Journalist, community-builder, and activist around Black culture and housing.
Donovan Scribes (Moderator)
Award-winning writer and producer, former vice president of the Portland NAACP, and the creative visionary behind BlackOut.

2025 State of the City with Keith Wilson and JT Flowers May 02, 2025

Show notes

Presented by City Club of Portland, with support from AARP Oregon and Fight Against Sex Trafficking.

City Club is a member-led and member-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Join or donate to City Club and support the spaces where community and leadership meet.
Mayor Keith Wilson delivered his first State of the City address on May 2, 2025 to an audience of several hundred Portlanders at Franklin High School. He struck an optimistic tone while outlining his administration’s approach to major challenges, including a $93 million budget shortfall, the city’s housing and homelessness crises, and federal policies at odds with local values. Wilson previewed decisions on public safety, climate investment, and city staffing, and emphasized collaboration across government and community. After his remarks, he joined JT Flowers of Albina Vision Trust for a one-on-one conversation.
Program speakers included:

Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong, Portland Public Schools Superintendent
Mayor Keith Wilson
JT Flowers, Albina Vision Trust
JJ Kunsevi, PPS Student Board Representative

Rx for Central City Livability: Applying Past Successes with Earl Blumenauer May 02, 2025

Show notes

Presented by City Club of Portland, with support from AARP Oregon, Fight Against Sex Trafficking, Neil Kelly, and City Cast Portland.
City Club is a member-led and member-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Join or donate to City Club and support the spaces where community and leadership meet.

On May 2, 2025, City Club of Portland’s Built Environment Issue Committee hosted Rx for Central City Livability: Applying Past Successes at the University Place Hotel and Conference Center. The program explored how Portland’s history of visionary public infrastructure—from the Transit Mall to the Pearl District—can inform the city’s next chapter of growth and revitalization.

The conversation brought together leaders who have helped shape some of Portland’s most transformative projects. Together, they reflected on the role of catalytic investments, cross-sector collaboration, and community vision in creating a more livable Central City.

Program speakers included:

Earl Blumenauer, former U.S. Congressman and Presidential Fellow at the Institute for Portland Metropolitan Studies at Portland State University
Michael Alexander, Board Chair for Albina Vision Trust
Tiffany Sweitzer, President of Hoyt Street Properties
Art Pearce, Deputy Director of Planning, Projects and Program for Portland Bureau of Transportation