Respond to Racism

With Senator Rob Wagner stepping down from the Lake Oswego School District Board of Directors, Position 2 is currently vacant. This is a crucial opportunity for champions of justice and equity to continue pushing LOSD forward. Senator Wagner has been a strong voice and we cannot afford to lose any of that momentum. In many ways, our school system is the epicenter for the racism that fuels LO's "Lake No Negro" reputation and those most affected have little representation in po

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

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

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

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

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

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

On April 17, 2019, Respond to Racism, the West Linn Alliance for Inclusive Community, and Mary's Woods retirement community hosted a discussion Oregon State Senator Rob Wagner on two bills that could have a significant impact on equity in schools, SB 664, the Holocaust and genocide education bill, and SB 52, which tackles suicide prevention. In this video, Sen. Wagner discusses the reason for the bills and responds to questions and concerns from the audience. #robwagner #west

Videos from the Respond to Racism and LO for LOve School Board Candidate Forum are now up. Check out the first batch below, courtesy of RtR steering committee member Ian Egan. #lakeoswegoschooldistrict #lakeoswegoschoolboard #education #youth #politics #respondtoracism #loforlove #equity #diversity #inclusion

On Monday, Apr. 29, Respond to Racism and LO for LOve hosted a candidate forum for the upcoming Lake Oswego School Board election. The forum, which was held at Lake Oswego United Church of Christ, focused on the role of school board members in fostering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in LO schools. The hosts for the evening were RtR co-founder Willie Poinsette and LO for LOve co-founder Amy Waterbury. Participating on the panel were LOSD board candidates Kelly Calabria