Our Mission

Albina Music Trust is the only full service community archive in the United States, dedicated to the restoration of a Black community's musical culture. Our programs amplify the legacy of Albina's musician community through archival media preservation, events and exhibitions, a record label, a radio program, oral history publications, and a sound walk. In collaboration with community members, we are the stewards of a digital repository documenting Albina’s arts and culture legacy, the Albina Community Archive. Our fiscal sponsor is the Black United Fund Of Oregon.

Who We Are

Our work has been a grassroots effort, driven by the contributions of Albina’s historic musician community. To learn more about our story and plan for the future, click here.

Co-Founder

Calvin Walker is a music industry polymath. First as a drummer, bandleader, and producer, and then as a musician’s union representative, venue manager, and development director. Walker has lived and breathed music since the age of twelve years old, when he got his start performing in Paul Knauls’ Cotton Club. In addition to his work with the Albina Music Trust, Walker has sat on the board of directors for the Jazz Society Of Oregon, XRAY FM, and World Arts Foundation.

Lead Archivist

Bobby Smith has served in a variety of preservation-based roles in the Albina community. An archivist, event producer, radio host, journalist, vinyl album producer, and art director, Smith has built community among Albina’s musicians through facilitation of storytelling and media preservation. Leading a small archival staff, Smith’s work developing the Albina Community Archive is a unique contribution to Oregon's arts and culture legacy.

Co-Founder

Kenneth W. Berry is a retired teacher, administrator, arts advocate, entrepreneur, mentor, deacon, choir director, disc jockey, and musician. Throughout 48 years of service in Portland Public Schools, Berry has been an enduring presence and earned countless awards. In addition to co-founding the World Arts Foundation, Berry has served on the board of directors for Oregon Education Association, Portland Association of Teachers, Metropolitan Arts Commission, Portland Community Media, and Oregon Alliance of Black School Educators.

Archive Team

Archive staff has included:

Zee Leonard, Brian Mumford, Dane Overton, Kyle Raquipiso, Aaron Spriggs, Megan Hattie Stahl, and Jasmin Vazquez.

Supporting engineers, designers, and consultants:

Sam Bovarnick, Richard Brown, Dennis Carter, Gus Elg, Dave Fulton, Jason Hill, Eric Mast, Lee Ritter, Thomas Robinson, Sam Slater, Chase Spross, Bob Stoutenburg, and George Thorn.

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