Flooney Drawing, 1977

Isaac Shamsud-Din is an artist and activist from Portland. He was involved with many different projects, foremost in this collection being his work on the Albina Mural Project. Shamsud-Din was also heavily involved with the Black United Front, a pro-black movement that was evolving in Portland in the late 1970s and early 80s. He was a spokesperson for the movement and was recognized by local news outlets as one of Portland’s most influential black individuals of the time. Shamsud-Din was vocal on many issues regarding the black community in Portland, in one case calling for a boycott of the Lloyd center during their 20th anniversary celebration because of the board’s involvement in keeping school districts separate. Many of the documents in this subseries reflect an intersection between Shamsud-Din’s position as an artist and as a member of the black community. These documents show Shamsud-Din’s interest in the equal education of the children from his community, creating art that reflects an underrepresented identity, and the process of finding the resources to make these goals into reality.