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This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the state.
Former state Sen. Avel Gordly (D-Portland) died this week at the age of 79.
A graduate of what is now Benson Polytechnic and Portland State University, Gordly established a reputation for leadership and integrity in the 1980s in roles with the Black United Front and the Urban League. In 1991, she won appointment to the Oregon House, representing North and Northeast Portland. In 1996, Gordly became the first Black woman elected to the Oregon Senate.
As a lawmaker, Gordly pushed for greater focus on mental illness, civil rights, and transparency in both policing and legislating. She demanded grand jury transcripts be made public after police shootings, a change lawmakers finally made after her retirement. Gordly also called for greater openness in Salem, quitting the Senate Democratic caucus in 2005 after her colleagues refused to allow reporters into caucus meetings.
Oregon Health & Science University renamed its behavioral health unit for Gordly in 2008, and the city of Portland commemorated her achievements with Avel Gordly Day on March 30, 2022.
Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr (R-Dundee) said he and his father, former Sen. Charles Starr (R-Hillsboro), were both honored to have served with Gordly. “She had a moral clarity that was rare, and a warmth that made it hard to stay at a distance,” Starr said. “Even when the debate was sharp, she never lost her grace.”
Urban League CEO Nkenge Harmon remembered Gordly as a giant. “The Honorable Avel Gordly’s lifetime of principled leadership is a light that will always guide the Urban League,” Harmon said.
Gordly is survived by her son, Tyrone Waters, and her sister, Faye Burch.
