When Jeff Martens came to Portland Startup Weekend (PDXSW) two years ago, he had left his last employer and was looking for a fresh start. “I was going to look for a job but then I thought it would be great if I could start my own business instead of getting a job with someone …
54 Hours + Your New Business Plan = Portland Startup Weekend 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 »
The first thing that stands out about Jefferson High School guard Jailin Gage is his humility. “I don’t want to put everything on me,” he says, with his father Johnnie and brother Johnnie Jr. at his side. Gage, who is also an honor roll student, led the school’s freshman basketball team to an undefeated season …
New Article: Jailin Gage: How One Teen Puts School and Sports Together Read More »
In response to the Trayvon Martin shooting, around 80 men and 20 women gathered at Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI) this past week to discuss police brutality and strategic action in the Black community. “We wanted to meet and figure out what people can do individually to change their communities,” says Blake Dye, organizer of the …
New Article: Trayvon Martin: Portland Men, Women Gather for ‘The Conversation’ Read More »
Denise Sayles lost her son to leukemia ten years ago; today she is dedicating her life to making sure other moms – and their kids – have better options in the face of cancer. “Woody was a courageous, ambitious person,” she says. “He was full of life. Full of fun.” After years of grieving, she …
When law enforcement cleared Occupy Portland demonstrators out of their downtown camps last fall, many worried that the movement would falter. This spring in North and Northeast Portland, a handful of new activist movements against racism, homelessness and foreclosure have been joined by Decolonize PDX — which is placing the prison industrial complex front and …
New Article: Decolonize PDX Focuses on Prison System Read More »
Check out my interview on KBOO, discussing my essay “Lake Oswego: Racist Tweets are Only Tip of the Iceberg”.
Check out my new commentary on growing up in the Lake Oswego school system. My story is far from unique and in fact, compared to others I consider myself lucky. This is happening to students of color all throughout Lake Oswego schools and institutions everywhere; in the case of low-income schools, at a warehousing level. …
New Article: Lake Oswego High: Racist Tweets are Only Tip of the Iceberg Read More »
Check out my profile on Tyree Harris, Editor-in-Chief of the Oregon Daily Emerald, the daily newspaper of the University of Oregon. Harris and Brandon Southward of Oregon State represent a shift in the power dynamics of college newsrooms, considering it’s the first time that both major newspapers at Oregon’s flagship universities are run by Black men.
Check out my article on the Future Connect initiative, a partnership between the Mayor’s Office and Portland Parks and Recreation to help more young people be successful in their post secondary education.