Oregon's Avel Gordly on shaping the state's future Black leaders

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- When it comes to political pioneers in Oregon, Avel Gordly is one of the top names on the list.

A Portland native, Gordly became the first African-American woman elected to the Oregon State Senate in 1996, serving until 2009. Before that, she spent five years in the Oregon House of Representatives.

Now retired, Sen. Gordly has worked as a State of Oregon corrections counselor and an adjunct professor at Portland State University. In 2008, Oregon Health and Science University opened the Avel Gordly Center for Healing, providing mental health and psychiatric services.

Now, there's another institution that bears her name, based in her childhood family home in North Portland. The Gordly-Burch Center for Black Leadership and Civic Engagement will work to get more African Americans involved in politics in Oregon, including training people to run for office or to be active on civic organizations including boards and commissions.

The center also bears the name of Sen. Gordly's sister, Faye Burch, who grew up in the same home. Burch's political chops include being an aide to former state senator Margaret Carter-the first African-American elected to the Oregon House, working with the very first African-American in the legislature, Bill McCoy, and serving as a senior policy analyst for Governor Barbara Roberts in the early 1990s.

Sen. Gordly stopped by Eye on Northwest Politics to discuss why Black political representation is important in Oregon, her proudest accomplishments while in the Senate and what she hopes the Gordly-Burch Center will accomplish once it is up and running.

Check out the full video in the player above.