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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby Nahlah Abdur-Rahman <\/b><\/a><\/p>\n April 27, 2026<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The Downbeat is reclaiming Portland’s Black artistic legacy.<\/p>\n The Downbeat is the latest Black-owned bar in Portland to do more than pour drinks.<\/p>\n Instead, the Black establishment has plans to foster community through music. Welcoming local artists to perform, visitors near and far walk down the stairs to a new hub for the culture. Alongside a kitchen serving a blend of Caribbean and Southern-inspired drinks and cuisine, a full stage is ready for music to fill the room.<\/p>\n OPB<\/em> reports that music is a major theme throughout<\/a> the pub, with appetizers and small plates called \u201copeners\u201d and entrees and desserts called \u201cheadliners\u201d and \u201cclosers,\u201d respectively. On its walls are framed photos of R&B, Jazz, and Soul legends from Sade to Billie Holiday. Even its drinks pay homage to hip-hop classics, as the Hennessy sidecar cocktail is reimagined as \u201cStunting Like My Caddy,\u201d referencing the 2006 hit by Birdman and Lil Wayne.<\/p>\n Portland\u2019s small-but-mighty Black community has voyaged to the establishment, which is considered a rarity for its focus on Black art.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t think Portland had something for Black people, and so to see this be done by Black people, I think, is so cool and dope,\u201d shared one patron, Jamon Jordan, to a news outlet.<\/p>\n The Downbeat\u2019s owners, Cyrus Coleman and Adewale Agboola, fought for years to get a space for their lofty idea. Their mission for the bar, which sits right in Old Town-Chinatown, is to connect the city\u2019s Black community through music. <\/p>\n \u201cThe first step is just having a space, right? So that\u2019s been the biggest hurdle for us. Over the past five years, we\u2019ve been trying to get this thing off the ground. Now, we\u2019ve got an amazing community,\u201d shared Coleman. \u201cWe\u2019re just music lovers, in general, trying to create something unique across generations and genres.\u201d<\/p>\n Since opening in February, they have maintained this momentum. The Black-owned bar offers Black Portlandians a chance to connect and feel empowered in a city that often leaves them feeling marginalized. According to Oregon ArtsWatch<\/em>, Portland\u2019s Albina neighborhood once housed many Black musicians, especially in<\/a> the middle of the 20th century. However, gentrification and systemic displacement led to the decline of this community.<\/p>\n Now, The Downbeat hopes to reclaim Portland\u2019s Black musical legacy and history. Folks can have a drink and catch a performance nightly from Thursday to Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cThe entire building itself is a gym for the creative mind,\u201d Agboola added. \u201cI\u2019ve always loved people and loved my community, so The Downbeat is a reflection of that: that togetherness.\u201d<\/p>\n However, this celebration of Portland\u2019s Black artistic scene doesn\u2019t end with music. Upstairs, the Contrast Gallery promotes local artists and their work. The next floor even has a photography studio, with plans for more programming that brings the community<\/a> even closer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful way to realize we\u2019re a part of something bigger than ourselves,\u201d Coleman said. \u201cImagine if, when we moved here, this existed. The city would have been a lot less daunting and culturally shocking. To have this space where we can be seen and felt and heard and safe, to be able to be a part of making the change that you want to see, as opposed to waiting around and hoping somebody else will make it, just felt like a no-brainer.\u201d<\/p>\n RELATED CONTENT: <\/strong>Black-Owned Lounge Cancels Kansas City Opening Amid Backlash Over Its Name\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div>\n
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