Respond to Racism

Update: The Spring BIPOC Speaker Series has been cancelled in light of the COVID-19 pandemic until further notice. Respond to Racism LO is thrilled to once again partner with Mary's Woods Diversity Task Force and the West Linn Alliance for Inclusive Community to host our Spring BIPOC Speaker Series. The series will feature discussions with Walidah Imarisha, Dr. Markisha Smith, and Jacqueline Keeler and will be held at Mary's Woods Dunn Community Center in Cascadia Hall. For m

On Nov. 25, 2019, Respond to Racism hosted a student panel for the Lake Oswego School District's Professional Development Day featuring a diverse group of students from Lakeridge and Lake Oswego High School. During the event, the students discussed the pervasiveness of racism in the school district, how teachers and staff tend to respond, daily microaggressions, and more. It should be noted, that while these panels can be enlightening, the ultimate goal is for community membe

If we want to change the culture of racism in LO, we need to attack it at all levels. That includes applying pressure to local government to make sure they prioritize funding, resources, and space for anti-racism work. The LO City Council is accepting public comment for their 2020 goals until Jan. 10. You can help contribute to making sure anti-racism stays on their radar by submitting comments that highlight these needs. If you're looking for an example of what that might lo

Mary's Woods has been providing great Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration programming for years now and 2020 will be no different. For their 6th Annual MLK Celebration, Mary's Woods will be featuring Portland Black Panthers founder Kent Ford and music from the Northwest Freedom Singers. For more info, check out the flier below. #maryswoods #kentford #blackpanthers #history #mlk #mlkday #portland #lakeoswego #northwestfreedomsingers #peacemovement

Author's Note: This Week's 5 is a weekly collection of stories designed to provide insight into how racism works and serve as an easily accessible resource for people trying to have nuanced discussions about these issues. For more explanation on how This Week's 5 works and descriptions of each of the categories, click here. Overt I’ve never been great with acronyms. Right now, I’m workshopping a variation of KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Version 1.0 is BIRS, or Blackface Is R

Author's Note: This Week's 5 is a weekly collection of stories designed to provide insight into how racism works and serve as an easily accessible resource for people trying to have nuanced discussions about these issues. For more explanation on how This Week's 5 works and descriptions of each of the categories, click here. Overt School districts get sued for racism often for a reason. There’s only so much shoulder shrugging parents can take when racist teachers keep getting

Author's Note: This Week's 5 is a weekly collection of stories designed to provide insight into how racism works and serve as an easily accessible resource for people trying to have nuanced discussions about these issues. For more explanation on how This Week's 5 works and descriptions of each of the categories, click here. Overt Some white supremacists make a point of covering their tracks. By making their bigotry appear subtle (or even questionable to the untrained eye), th

Author's Note: This Week's 5 is a weekly collection of stories designed to provide insight into how racism works and serve as an easily accessible resource for people trying to have nuanced discussions about these issues. For more explanation on how This Week's 5 works and descriptions of each of the categories, click here. Overt When I started This Week’s 5, I imagined the overt racism section would be the weekly racial slur report. However, white supremacist terrorists have

Author's Note: This Week's 5 is a weekly collection of stories designed to provide insight into how racism works and serve as an easily accessible resource for people trying to have nuanced discussions about these issues. For more explanation on how This Week's 5 works and descriptions of each of the categories, click here. Overt If you want to know how committed white supremacists are, look no further than the Emmett Till Memorial. Vandalized, destroyed, and rebuilt over and

Mark your calendars. We are thrilled to share that the Lake Oswego Public Library is partnering with Respond to Racism for the Library’s December First Friday Film Discussion Group. The Library's Film Discussion Group meets monthly at the Lake Theater & Café, and the Library plans to partner with Respond to Racism for these events on a semi-regular basis. This partnership is an opportunity to bring community members together to view and discuss movies and documentaries that