FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 28, 2020

THE REIMAGINE OREGON PROJECT, BORN OUT OF 2020 PROTESTS AGAINST RACIAL INJUSTICE, RELEASES MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL PLAN TO BEGIN DISMANTLING SYSTEMIC RACISM IN OREGON

(Portland, Ore.) In response to recent protests, The Reimagine Oregon Project, a newly-formed group of Black-led organizations, community activists, and protest organizers, developed a two-year plan to begin dismantling systemic racism in Oregon. On Tuesday, Reimagine Oregon and elected leaders held a live-streamed press conference to release the results of their work and to share next steps.

“We were tired of elected officials getting stuck in a cycle of acknowledging Black people’s pain and apologizing for it,” says Katrina Holland, Executive Director of JOIN and convener of Reimagine Oregon. “With the entire world paying more attention to America’s historic and current structural racism, we knew that Oregon - at multiple levels of government - could step up to the plate and do what it's known for: coordinating, planning, and getting stuff done.” Several weeks ago, the group set up recurring meetings with over 100 attendees. Attendees included Black community members, Black-led organizations, protest organizers, local legislators, members and staff of the federal delegation, State legislators, Metro Regional Government, the three metro counties (Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington), Tri-met and elected leaders’ staff. They discussed new and previous policy proposals aimed at improving the lives of Black Oregonians. Policy proposals covered multiple subject areas ranging from education to healthcare to reducing police to housing and homelessness, among others. 

“Oregon has a racist history and data shows us that this legacy still lives with us. But I believe in our ability to cultivate a new present and a better future,” said Governor Kate Brown, who participated in the process, “It was important to me that my office participate so we can begin to forge that path forward, hand in hand, across the entire state.”

“This focused, intentional policy discussion had to happen. Period. Full stop,” said Senator Wyden who was on one of the calls with other legislators. “Acknowledging and apologizing for racial injustice is a necessary first step but far from a sufficient step toward a truly just society. Action such as this that matches our words ultimately is what makes the difference.”

“A systemic response from our local and state government entities is the only thing that’s acceptable right now. Black communities have been providing the blueprints for a better Oregon- a place where we all may thrive- through recommendation after recommendation for many years,” said Nkenge Harmon Johnson, CEO and President of the Urban League of Portland. Project organizers compiled past recommendations from comprehensive documents like the Urban League’s “State of Black Oregon,” the Portland African American Leadership Forum’s “People’s Plan,” Coalition of Communities of Color’s publications “Communities of Color in Multnomah County: An Unsettling Profile” and “Leading with Race: Research Justice in Washington County,” as well as new policy demands from nightly protest organizers and organizations like Unite Oregon and PAALF Action Fund’s “Defund. Reinvest. Protect” policy platform. The entire array of proposals can be found at www.ReimagineOregon.org. Some of the proposals presented included:

  • A $2.5 million fund for a Black-led community effort to rethink what public safety could look like in the State of Oregon

  • Defunding Multnomah County’s Homeless Outreach and Programs Engagement Team 

  • Decriminalizing fare evasion in public transportation

  • Defunding transit police

  • Mandating restorative justice practices in Oregon public schools

  • Providing adequate funding for culturally specific charter schools

  • Establishing pay equity for early learning childcare providers

  • Investing in Black maternal and mental health care programming at scale, among others.

“The blueprints have been right in front of us for a long time, but the political will to create catalytic change felt impossible,” Metro Council President Lynn Peterson reflected, “This moment feels different and I feel like we have an obligation to seize it.”

“Watching each level of government be challenged to be better and work together committing to substantive policy action by identifying dates, and responsible parties...is exactly the right thing right now.” said Kali Thorne Ladd, Executive Director of Kairos PDX. Danielle Barker, an organizer of Portland’s early nightly protests echoed that sentiment, “No more talk. No more excuses. Just action. Black lives deserve so much more than what we’ve gotten over the years.” Speaking at a Sunday night rally in downtown Portland about the effort, Elona Wilson, an organizer with Stand for Children and a participant in the process addressed a crowd of thousands, “We asked elected officials, ‘Now that you have the political will, drive, and some attention toward Black lives, on what timeline are you ready to get these things done?’ Because systemic racism has to be dismantled in our lifetimes.”

“We organized protests night after night in order to have real systems changes around public safety, it's clear reform isn't enough. It's time we rethink how we deliver services to our community,” said Lamar Wise, Co-founder of Washington County Ignite and one of the many organizers of Portland’s early nightly protests, “Thousands of people in the streets is what brings power and political will to bear and it was past time to see that political will in action.”

Reimagine Oregon organizers made sure to communicate with elected leaders that it’s important to recognize this moment of political will and seize it. Still, it’s also essential to engage differently with Black community members on an ongoing basis. “This moment demands more of us than business as usual. It demands moral leadership among our elected leaders and true cooperation with Black communities on solutions,” said guest facilitator Jesse Beason, President & CEO of Northwest Health Foundation. “We are long overdue to rewrite the rules that govern our lives. The conversations I facilitated suggests that not only is this rewriting possible, it is necessary to build the future we all deserve.”

“I’ve never seen an effort like this before but it was incredibly effective and will continue to be effective as long as the legislators continue to participate. Black folks have been doing this work,” said Marcus C. Mundy, Executive Director of the Coalition of Communities of Color, “We told them very plainly that while this is an historic moment for Black people and elected leaders working together, this is just the beginning. It took over 400 years to get to this point - or over 20,000 weeks - we have to seize this moment and be prepared to engage and create together over the long haul.”

Going forward, Reimagine Oregon Project members will be providing updates to the public about progress on the proposals, checking in with jurisdictional leaders to monitor their efforts, identify barriers and bring solutions. Each project member brought a range of expertise and experiences, committing to the issues most relevant to their advocacy efforts. Just as elected leaders were asked to identify an elected lead, organizations and activists committed to the role of organizational lead in their selected policy areas. Jurisdictional leaders were asked to detail a specific plan for how engagement with Black community would continue as well as who, in their office, would be working with organizational leads to accomplish policy goals. Community members, elected offices and agencies who want to engage and/or stay updated can sign up for email updates at www.reimagineoregon.org.