Donovan Scribes (fka Donovan M. Smith) is an award-winning writer, producer, and communications consultant based in Portland, OR.

Scribes sits at the intersection of art, placemaking, policy — understanding that the stories we tell, shape the very air we breathe. A fourth generation Portlander, Scribes has contributed to a variety of publications, including The Oregonian, Street Roots, and The Skanner where he served as a staff writer during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. He co-wrote/hosted/produced the 10-part iHeartRadio podcast series Uprising: A Guide from Portland, which delves into the 100+ days of protest in Portland in 2020 and reached the top 100 on iTunes. Elected as the Vice President of the Portland NAACP in 2021, he was instrumental in revamping the image and direction of the storied branch. He directed a strategic community-led effort to re-develop George Park through his organization The Kidz Outside, securing a $4 million first-of-its kind private-public partnership between Portland Parks and Recreation and Portland Parks Foundation.

For 5 years, Scribes delivered his workshop “Music As A Tool for Justice” across the state of Oregon as part of Oregon Humanities’ celebrated Conversation Project.

In May 2025, Scribes released his special magazine in collaboration with the Portland Mercury to commemorate the 5 year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. The issue, BLACKOUT: a 5 Year Retrospective of Portland’s Racial Justice Protests features a dozen essays and interviews with Black Portlanders of diverse backgrounds in discussion about the impact of the protests and the gains and losses since then. His essay “Why Scribes: the long, ancestral journey that led me to change my name” was nominated for a Society of Professional Journalists award.

As a communications consultant, Scribes has placed more than 300 headlines internationally, secured landmark legislative victories, and produced content for leading brands, organizations and elected officials. He’s worked with the New York Times, BBC Vice, the Australian Broadcast Company on stories and garnered media across numerous multimedia platforms. Scribes secured a commitment for reparations from the city of Portland, lowered annual rent increases in Oregon and helped expand strike benefits for union workers.

Scribes has appeared in the Washington Post, USA Today, The FADER, Boston Globe, China Morning Post and more.