Respond to Racism

It has been less than a week and a half since our initial Zoom meeting to discuss and strategize how we could respond as a community to the COVID-19 pandemic and the systemic inequities that are resulting from it. Infections have grown exponentially and the government recently passed a controversial (to say the least) bailout package. That said, in our last discussion, we came up with a number of ideas and connected each other with a variety of resources we could support in r

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is as good a time as ever to discuss the prospect of the Shock Doctrine, which author Naomi Klein describes as "the political strategy of using large-scale crises to push through policies that systematically deepen inequality, enrich elites, and undercut everyone else." Klein, the author of "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism," recently spoke with Vice News about how COVID-19 is the "perfect disaster" for this type of b

Dear Respond to Racism LO community, In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be suspending all public RtR events until further notice. This includes our upcoming Apr. 6 community meeting and the remaining dates for the BIPOC Speaker Series we were set to co-host with the West Linn Alliance for Inclusive Community and Mary's Woods. While we will not be hosting public events, we will be continuing the conversation online, both on our website and on our respective social medi

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

LO doesn't always do the greatest job of celebrating the history makers in our midst. With that in mind, we would like to congratulate RtR steering committee member Gloria Brown on publishing her new book "Black Woman in Green: Gloria Brown and the Unmarked Trail of Forest Service Leadership." You can read more about the book here. #gloriabrown #usforestservice #history #respondtoracism #racism #oregon #california #government

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

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

At our last monthly community meeting, RtR steering committee member Christine Moses led a discussion titled "A Design Thinking Approach to Belonging." During her presentation, Moses explained how creating a more welcoming and inclusive community for everyone requires us to be intentional in our efforts. Specifically, we have to think about the needs of marginalized people and design activities and approaches that meet those needs, as opposed to demanding that they simply fit

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

Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably aware that the Ava DuVernay-produced series "When They See Us" is making major waves throughout the country. The mini-series based on the infamous Central Park 5 case has been setting Netflix records while illustrating in gut-wrenching detail just how oppressive the justice system can be to people of color, and Black and Brown children in particular. For our next installment of Reframe: Exploring Pop Culture Through an I