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A decade ago, a group of friends sought to create parties that prioritized being welcoming spaces for Black and Brown people. Over time, what began as one-off celebrations morphed into greater community activations that then turned into a full-fledged nonprofit, Young Gifted Black & Brown (ygbpdx.com). This year, the organization celebrates its 10th anniversary of events, resource sharing and creativity.
“It’s been a pleasure to be able to do this work that long,” says YGB’s owner and cultural curator, RaShaunda Brooks. “There’s so [many] resources I’ve been able to share with other people.”
YGB has several ways it connects communities, including offering event production, artist management and talent acquisition. Sometimes it takes the form of showcases highlighting underrepresented film, or game nights and informational events. During the isolation of the pandemic, YGB connected its supporters by hosting virtual concerts featuring an artist from each region of the country and hosted sound healings shared through YouTube.
Recently, in collaboration with Hey Doc Clinic and Dr. Montserrat Andreys, YGB hosted a series of workshops that provided health classes around sound, yoga and sexual health. And you can find YGB artists at My People’s Markets (YGB assists with booking).
At its core, YGB pushes back against the narrative that Black and Brown communities aren’t in Portland, Brooks says. “We just are trying to get our reach out as far as we can.”
See the rest of Willamette Week’s Best of Portland 2025 here!
