The Black Rainbow Initiative
The Black Rainbow Initiative aims to establish a vibrant and inclusive community for Black and BIPOC individuals, fostering creativity, entrepreneurship, and shared experiences through art and business.
Black Rainbow Hall of Fame Inductees 2024
Pastor Renee Ward
Pastor Renee’ Ward who is considered among many an “OVERCOMER” for her authenticity, tenacity, and unapologetic stance to “SPEAK LIFE” into the lives of God’s people within the public and private sectors.
Her professional portfolio presents a plethora of accomplishments throughout her career as an actress, model, entertainer, producer, motivational speaker, pastor, journalist, fashion curator, philanthropist, coach, entrepreneur, activist as well as a ‘visionpreneur’ who most recently launched a National Women’s Initiative called ‘SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE YOU’ helping women go beyond their apex personally, professionally and spiritually in pursuit of their entrepreneurial endeavors’.
Currently, Ward serves as Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs and one of the owners for“Smart Oregon Solutions (SOS)’a minority enterprise based in Portland, Oregon, aspiring to be at the forefront of the smart city revolution, specializing in sourcing, aggregating, and distributing renewable energy products that are sustainable and cost-effective.”
In 1998, her genesis began with the passing of her husband from an AIDS-related illness which prompted her to launch CHRYSALIS MINISTRIES, a nonprofit to help PLANTING A S.E.E.D. (Service, Educate, Empower, Dedicate ) as it relates to HIV/AIDS impact on the Black Community and the lack of response by the Faith Community to support those impacted by the disease.
To her credit she implemented several initiatives for the Black Faith Community via The Balm in Gilead and is featured in the award-winning documentary entitled ‘Who Will Speak For Me?’ addressing HIV/AIDS impact on descendants of the African Diaspora living in the Pacific Northwest.
This ‘peaceful’ but ‘vocal’ multicultural and intergenerational march led by Ward and her group she founded in 2010 called “(I’m) Everyday People” helped shine a national spotlight on the City of Portland Police Bureau’s defective officer recruitment and training process as it relates to mental health and the racist culture that permeated throughout its history.
Subsequently, several initiatives produced legislation to implement new policies and ordinances to improve the training of police officers and how they interact with an individual experiencing a mental health crisis.
‘Activism is second-nature to me’, says Pastor Ward, ‘It doesn’t cost to care; it only costs you when you don't care’. This is just one of several mantras you’ll hear Pastor Ward say as it relates to showing empathy and a call to action towards things that negatively impact the world’s most vulnerable.
Bobby Fouther-
I am Bobby Fouther, a Visual and Performing artist. I was born and raised in the NW as a second generation Oregon artist. I am inspired by everything from birth too death and my passions are painting, photography, dance theatre and graphics, For many years, as a Portland State University faculty member and Oregon Ballet outreach instructor I used my love for dance to spread the joy of cultural movement throughout the northwest. I love creating visions on the stage and on a canvas. My training came from some of the most gifted local and international mentors a young artist could ever have.
Over the past 50 years Portland, Oregon is where I have invested my talent and income because in my heart it felt necessary. My newest residency is at Helensview School an alternative space for students like me who search to find their voice. I feel the community learning processes being left out of a young persons nurturing should not require a special form of funding and my community invested in me.
Spirit of Portland, Independent Spirit Award and Lowenstein Trust Award recipient are only a few of my recognitions. I have served as an artist-in education for statewide artist residency programs and in many capacities on programs sponsored by the Oregon, Washington and Idaho Arts Commissions and the National Endowment for the Arts. I have also shared my expertise on curriculum development committees for the Children’s Museum, The World Affair’s Council of Oregon, Portland Public Schools and White Bird Dance.
Currently I am a member on the boards of Young Musicians and Artists and Echo Theatre Company along with serving on the Justice Within Reach Committee of MRG (an agency for social change) for my 11th year. I am a current member of the International Association of Blacks in Dance and I also have commissioned work hanging in the Multnomah County's Office of Diversity and Equity as a part of the Regional Arts and Culture Council's Portable Works Collection.
Through it all the most cherished and valuable power given to me by my mentors was the wisdom to pass it on.
Chris McMurry
A multidisciplinary artist, Chris McMurry is a painter, illustrator, photographer, musician, and writer, with each aspect of his art informing the other. Chris was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1970 and has remained a lifelong resident. Since the age of two, he has been drawing, developing his skills as a self-taught artist. He started creative writing at the age of six, and photography and music in his teenage years. His self-guided journey is a testament to the mantra “be your own hero”.
Chris’s aesthetic is characterized by spontaneity and exploration. His pieces often evolve organically, sometimes transforming initial sketches into final artworks. While he might start with preconceived ideas about colors and styles, the final result is usually a surprise, emerging through a process filled with adventures, accidents, and unexpected outcomes. This approach allows his expressions to reveal themselves naturally, capturing the essence of his creative journey.
Working with mixed media, Chris combines dry and wet mediums, including pencils, pastels, charcoal, and wax crayon, on substrates such as paper and canvas. His art process involves creating dense, colorful pieces with extensive mark-making, scribbles, and layers that balance abstract and realistic elements. These pieces often feature text and abstract writing. In contrast, his minimalist black and white works highlight intricate line work created with ink, markers, or paint, intersecting lines, and abstract shapes.
Each creation by Chris is a self-celebration, a powerful statement that honors his ancestors, and an inspiration to others. Through his art, he acknowledges and pays homage to those who came before him, infusing his work with a deep sense of history and personal significance. This blend of personal triumph and ancestral reverence imbues his pieces with a unique and profound narrative.
Chris draws inspiration from a wide range of sources, from the mega-diversity of the African diaspora, to the unfiltered creativity of children, to abstract expressionism, pop, and street art. His art has been exhibited at notable venues such as The Portland Art Museum, 45th Parallel Wines, Milieu Collective, PDX Suite Spot, and several others.
Chris has always taken the DIY approach to creativity. He simply creates work for himself and shares it with the world. Through resilience and innovation, Chris has carved out a space in the art world where he thrives, embodying the spirit of “be your own hero.” By continually trying new things and pushing beyond conventional boundaries, he enjoys inspiring others to create their own paths and embrace the unexpected in their creative endeavors.
Geeta Lewis
As a writer and artist Geeta is devoted to creating affordable art that reflects LGBTQ people through storytelling, portraiture, comics, and children’s books. A current student, nearing graduation from the Independent Publishing Resource Center’s Comics/Graphic Novel Certificate Program, she’s currently finishing her first illustrated children’s book featuring an African American trans girl: “I want to share my enthusiasm for comics and my growing confidence in being a trans person of color, by drawing more of what I want to see.
Vision Statement
To culminate in a grand celebration, the Black Pride Festival, showcasing the talent, resilience, and achievements of the Black and BIPOC community.