#diversity

Sep 6, 2019
1 min

Save the Date: LO City Council to Discuss DEI Task Force Updates at Sep. 17 Meeting

Since the Lake Oswego City Council announced it would be forming a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, RtR has expressed excitement about the opportunity while also warning that this effort needs to be more than just a box-checking exercise (You can read our open letter to the City here). While creating a DEI Task Force is an important step for a city with the well-earned nickname of Lake No Negro, we can’t overlook the importance of the process. Specifically, if don

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Aug 7, 2019
1 min

Latest LO Review Column Addresses Thoughtful Allyship

In case you missed it, the latest column in our monthly series with the Lake Oswego Review tackles the subject of thoughtful and effective allyship. While many people say they want to be allies to people of color, the fact is, a significant number don't truly understand what that work entails. Being an ally isn't an excuse not to examine and constantly challenge your own privilege. It's not something you can jump in and out of and expect to maintain your credibility. Furtherm

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Aug 7, 2019
1 min

VIDEO: What Might an LO Cultural Center Look Like?

A year or so ago, LO resident Melissa Fireside came to me with an idea about creating an LO Cultural Center. While ambitious, it struck me as the perfect project to help unite the various communities in LO and provide a space for marginalized people in particular to truly feel empowered. Although neither of us has the millions of dollars necessary to bring this idea into fruition immediately, what we can do is bring this conversation to the larger community and show the rest

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Jul 1, 2019
1 min

Latest LO Review Column Sheds Light on Tokenism

Since Lake Oswego, in most respects, is operating from a major deficit when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, there is a tendency for us to celebrate every instance of progress as if we just won the championship. For example, when a talented, ambitious person of color assumes a position of influence in LO, there is no shortage of people patting themselves on the back. However, if we're not taking the next step to explore how we can better support these individuals

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Jun 28, 2019
2 min

VIDEO: Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts Comics Activism Panel

Author's Note: Since posting this video, one of the panelists, Pharoah Bolding, reached out to us to let us know that the fairly rosy picture I painted of the event only told a small part of the story. In reality, the panelists dealt with a deluge of micro-aggressions and general unwelcoming, anti-POC behavior during their time in LO. Bolding details some of these incidents in a blog post that is a MUST READ. For my part, I would like to apologize to Bolding and the other pan

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Jun 10, 2019
5 min

An Open Letter to the LO Community About the City’s Upcoming DEI Task Force

Community members of Lake Oswego, As we approach the two-year anniversary of Respond to Racism, it’s important to recognize progress. In regards to the City of Lake Oswego, we were happy to see the adoption of a resolution affirming LO as a welcoming and inclusive city. Likewise, we are excited about the possibilities surrounding the City’s upcoming diversity task force. That said, based on how the process has gone so far, we have concerns and want to do all we can to make su

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Jun 3, 2019
2 min

Applications for City of LO's DEI Task Force Due June 21

The City of Lake Oswego is putting together a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ad Hoc Task Force and applications are due Jun. 21, 2019. The task force will meet once a month for six months and, according to the City, will focus on identifying "barriers to participation on the City’s Boards & Commissions" and "methods by which to increase the applicant pool for City job openings." Furthermore, the City has identified a number of different categories which they consider underr

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Jun 1, 2019
1 min

VIDEO: "A Chat with the LHS Equity Council" to Air on Open Signal PDX

Last fall, I sat down with some of the original members of the Lakeridge High School Equity Council to discuss their origins, the state of racism in LO schools, and their vision for helping move the community forward. The full video below, in addition to being available on YouTube, will also be airing on Open Signal, the local public access network. To find out when it will be airing, go to opensignalpdx.org. Check out shortened clips from the interview below: #lhsequitycounc

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May 26, 2019
1 min

VIDEO: Bruce Poinsette Talks LO Schools, Culturally Specific Student Groups, and Advice for Students

In late 2018, I interviewed Anna Nakano-Baker, a fellow Lake Oswego High School Class of 2007 graduate about her experiences with race and racism in LO. She returned the favor and put me in front of the camera in early 2019. #storytellingproject #schools #education #losd #foresthillselementary #history #equity #diversity #inclusion #brucepoinsette

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May 25, 2019
1 min

SLIDESHOW: Art and Inclusion in LO

On Friday May 24, 2019, Lake Oswego Junior High hosted Better Together Day, a daylong celebration of the diversity in the community that included a panel featuring Lake Oswego High School students, as well as workshops on a variety of subjects, including everything from gender identity and expression to the connection between culture and music theory. During Better Together Day, LOJ student Sarah Al Quirem and I led a discussion on using public art and spaces to promote inclu

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