African-American Women and the Portland YWCA |
African-American Women: BiographiesBased on Interviews in the Portland YWCA Archives
Rose Ann Dean is a
successful business woman in northeast Portland, the founder and owner
of Doris's Café. A native of California, Dean moved to Portland in the
1970s and raised a family of three sons and a daughter. The YWCA was one
of several Christian institutions that supported her work and her family
over the years. Her children attended Holy Deacon Catholic School and
participated in programs at the Salvation Army. At the YWCA, Dean took
classes and found support that guided her on her life's journey. "I met
a group of people who were really nice, from all
walks of life...and really struggling to
Audrey
Sanders came to Portland, Oregon, in 1974. She moved with her husband,
who served in the Air Force, from Tacoma, Washington. Raised in a strong
church in her home state of Mississippi, Sanders credits her upbringing
with her gift for public service. "Most of my life I've been doing volunteer
work and working with people. It's very special to me. Growing up I used
to do things with my grandmother, and the church, and the community,"
she explained, "So this is something I grew up with." Once in Portland,
Sanders connected with the Mallory Avenue Christian Church and quickly
moved into key leadership and service positions. In concert with a number
of other dynamic women in the congregation, church programming reached
out into the community with a highly successful program directed by Sanders
called "People are Beautiful" and a satellite YWCA to serve the neighborhood.
Activities included after
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