Donna Maxey '70 Featured on Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien

Donna Maxey ’70, a former member of the Pacific University Alumni Association Board of Representatives and founding member of the Black Alumni Chapter was recently featured on Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien.

Maxey, whose family once owned property in the Albina neighborhood of Portland, shared her family story of loss and grief connected to the construction of Interstate 5.

Matter of Fact produced a story about this part of Oregon history as well as plans for the future of the area:

"Albina was once a thriving predominantly Black community near Portland, Oregon. That’s until the 1960s when the city claimed the neighborhood for so-called “urban renewal” – forcing residents to sell their homes and businesses, which were eventually demolished. Now, a non-profit wants to restore the area to its former glory by building a new community where the neighborhood once stood."

As a student at Pacific, Maxey majored in elementary education and was a member of the Black Student Union. She went on to earn a master’s in education and spent her career as a teacher.

She later founded RACE Talks, a Portland-based non-profit working to break the chains of racism through compassion, conversation, and education. Donna is now executive director emeritus for RACE Talks which is currently led by her daughter Dr. Shaina Pomerantz.