Respond to Racism

A group called LO Change is calling on the Lake Oswego School District School Board to make immediate changes to be a more anti-racist organization. The group of educators is circulating a petition that includes suggested next steps, such as reconsidering the use of school resource officers, conducting a thorough equity audit of curriculum, and funding an equity department. You can read the text of the letter below and sign th...

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 th...

Documenting history is an integral part of organizing work. In addition to creating a record of events, it creates further opportunities for people to engage with the issues and learn lessons for building a better future.

Recent Lakeridge graduate Mya Gordon is no stranger to that work. As the founder of the Lakeridge Equity Council and a frequent RtR collaborator, she has been at the forefront of advocating on behalf of unders...

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...

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 Wo...

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 y...

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.

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.

Vindictive organizations and individuals attacking the safety and wellbeing of our children is an unfortunate reality. However, we do not have to allow them to promote bigotry unopposed or let them hide behind platitudes about First Amendment rights without exercising ours. With that in mind, Basic Rights Oregon is calling upon all concerned community members to stand up to anti-LGTBQ group Parents Rights in Education, who pla...

A 3 year undercover investigation of racial bias in the real estate business in Long Island, NY. By Ann Choi, Keith Herbert, Olivia Winslow and project editor Arthur Browne. Published in Newsday, Nov. 17, 2019. Read story here.