Black community leaders in Portland say void left by The Skanner shutdown will be hard to fill

The Black newspaper The Skanner was founded more than 50 years ago by Bernie and Bobbie Foster. It became something of an institution and community organization for Black communities in Portland. The paper went entirely online in 2020 but continued to play a critical role in the lives of many Black Oregonians. Recently, the Fosters announced the paper had shut down as of Jan. 30. We sit down with former reporters for the paper, writers Donovan Scribes and Bruce Poinsette, along with Margaret Carter, the first Black woman elected to the Oregon Legislature in 1984. We hear about their personal connections to The Skanner and get more details about the paper’s importance to members of the community.

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