I’m hosting a discussion on Reconstruction politics, weaponized compromise and what we can do about it on Jan. 31 at 2pm PST on Zoom. You can register here (required). For more info, check out the flyers below.
What was my biggest takeaway from “American Promise?” You can hate the player but you can’t hate the game. The movie follows two Black boys, Idris and Seun, for 13 years as they navigate a social experiment, which placed them in Dalton, a prestigious, predominantly white school. It was shown to a packed Hollywood Theater …
If I were publisher, After school programs would fight job training For front page spreads. I’d treat youth mentors like pro athletes. Give every elder a politician’s prestige. Teach history every day Not just as a footnote to holidays. Profiles would pinpoint lessons, Not intoxicate you with charm. More old money education. Less …
I may have helped commit a crime yesterday. As soon as the news that the FBI had identified suspects in the Boston bombing came out, I was given the word to throw the CNN Wire story up immediately. After we got it up and beat out some other local publications, we cheered; not because we …
Am I the Only One That Missed the Actual Evidence? Read More »
Trisa Kelly is surprised she is making history. “I’m amazed that in 2012 you can still be a first Black anything,” she says. Last month, Kelly was named to Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ (ODVA) governor-appointed Veterans’ Affairs Advisory Committee — the first Black woman to be appointed, and the youngest to serve. She was …
Chaplain Maj. Trisa Kelly: Making History in Oregon — Again Read More »
The Black vote took the forefront last Tuesday at the “Countdown to Election Day: Candidates Forum on Equity and Accountability.” Lack of representation, funding for programs that have an impact on communities of color and accountability were the defining issues of the evening. The Urban League of Portland (ULPDX), the African American Alliance and the …
Portland Urban League Forum Brings Black Vote to Forefront Read More »
When I wrote a personal essay about racist tweets among students at Lake Oswego High School (“Lake Oswego’s worst-kept secret,” published March 17 in The Oregonian), I never expected such an outpouring of responses. The nickname “Lake No Negro” is known in many circles, and yet many people were shocked and frustrated to learn institutional …
My turn: Essay on racism in Lake Oswego prompts wide-ranging response Read More »
Instead of enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon, members of Occupy North East (ONE) – a.k.a. ‘The Black Working Group,’ We Are Oregon and Ainsworth United Church of Christ (UCC) came together to discuss foreclosure and how churches can get involved. “Our position is that the struggle has to emanate from the ground up,” says Ahjamu …
Occupy North East, We Are Oregon, Rep. Lew Frederick Host Ainsworth Foreclosure Forum Read More »
As a concerned citizen, I’m calling for a moratorium on people of color snitching on ourselves. If social media has done anything, it has revolutionized the art of snitching. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc., people have found new and creative ways to save police and employers hours of detective work. Perhaps the most concentrated …
While the world, or at least the social media universe, was fixated on Coachella and the Tupac hologram, I spent the early hours glued to the Anders Breivik trial. If there is anything that represents the “Face of evil”, it’s Breivik. Last year he went on a shooting spree in Norway, killing 77 people and …