When a four-foot bust of York appeared in Mount Tabor Park in early 2021, an anonymous artist had at last created a local monument to the only Black member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Though the statue was vandalized and removed within months, York’s mark on the Pacific Northwest is clear.
“We remember York’s story because he’s a landmark historical figure at this key moment in American history, and because he did that work with great ability and proved what Black people were capable of, even enslaved Black people,” Zachary Stocks, Oregon Black Pioneers executive director, told The Skanner.
In October, the artist behind the York monument, now known to be Todd McGrain, will speak with performer Vin Shambry after Shambry’s performance of his one-man show, “The Unraveling of York,” on the first night of York Fest.
The five-day event hosts an impressive line-up of theater, documentary, outdoor celebration and even opera…