(Scan QR code
to view online!)
What You Can Do to Help
June Justice: one action or learning activity daily- https://www.bit.ly/junejustice
You want to help end the problems Black Americans are facing, and support the Black Lives Matter movement. Great! Stating your support is important, but change takes action, acceptance of Black experiences, and the ability to address your own subconscious biases.
Try to listen to a wide variety of sources and opinions about the Black experience- no race is a single hivemind!
Even when making an effort to improve your awareness, center the narrative around the Black people sharing their experiences. Use your privilege to raise Black voices up, and listen.
When discussing the issues of racism and divisions in America, don’t start arguing about Black people. Remember that it’s not being Black that’s the problem- it’s the oppression by white people. (An explanation video)
Feel attacked?
It's hard to unlearn and relearn, and we all feel bad when criticized, especially when trying our best. But take a moment to sit with that feeling of discomfort and consider where it's coming from. Even if you don't understand, accept and believe what Black people are saying about their hardships and experiences, then continue to work on understanding.
Mistakes may be made in the mission to use privilege for good. When this happens, try to take in the feedback, and put it in use right away. Discomfort often means an opportunity to learn!
This is a great way to learn how to be actively anti-racist. Video on white fragility
From ogorchukwuu on Instagram
What You Can Do Now:
Defund the Police!
When people call for abolishing the police, it is not a call to suddenly get rid of all law enforcement in America. Instead, it's a call to change the system and the way money is spent to encourage de-escalation over violence, especially in communities of color.
Gun Violence Reduction Team: This re-named Gang Enforcement Team continues to target communities of color for over-policing. Portland should invest instead in programs like New York City’s Cure Violence which deploys outreach workers and violence interrupters who come from the communities they work in to mitigate conflict on the street before it turns violent.
School Resource Officers: According to the City Budget Office, in 2018 57% of arrests in and around schools were of Black youth who comprised 10% of the school population. Student organizers have made clear their opposition to armed police in their schools.
Transit Police: TriMet can eliminate fare inspection (which as Bus Riders Unite points out, essentially criminalizes poverty and targets youth) and fund alternatives to transit police, such as transit ambassadors trained in de-escalation techniques.
SERT: There is no justification for the further militarization of policing in Portland. A militarized police force is not only unnecessary but also counter-posed to democratic values of equity and justice.
Learn more at UniteOregon.org, and notify PDX Representatives of your support!
Defund Police: Here’s What it Means
‘Those dollars can be put back into social services for mental health, domestic violence and homelessness, among others. Police are often the first responders to all three, she said.
Those dollars can be used to fund schools, hospitals, housing and food in those communities, too -- "all of the things we know increase safety," McHarris said.’
Calls for Defund the Police: Budget Cuts, Changes...
Letters, Calls, and Emails
Check the last page of this document for an email/letter template!
BlackLivesMatter.crrd Is full of links for petitions to sign, and has simple, fill-and-send templates for letters and emails
Mayor Ted Wheeler
503-823-4120
mayorwheeler@portlandoregon.gov
Sign Petitions and Donate
Activist groups will often post petitions for worthy causes.
Change.org is full of legitimate petitions, but they are not the best place to donate (the money goes to Change.org)- donate directly to the cause instead!
-Petition to hold the police accountable for deaths of civilians- tinyurl.com/ybcsana2
-Click here or Text DEFEND to 90975
- Click here or Google for Justice for Breonna Taylor at change.org
Broke? Donate by playing ads on YouTube
Read top comment to learn how best to stream
Search 'Stream to Donate' or go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCgLa25fDHM
Educate!
Feel free to ask questions directly if your Black friends offer, but remember...
"Stop asking your Black friends what to do... they are tired. Take initiative..."
-Giselle Buchanan (@gisellebuchanan)
Google is your friend, and always willing to answer you!
You don't have to read a textbook to educate yourself. IGTV (Instagram TV), literature, social media, YouTube... They are all reliable ways to learn.
Social media has a reputation for being an unreliable news source, but it's an amazing way to listen, ask questions to those who offer answers, and share new information!
For kids- NY Times ‘Talking to Kids About Racism’
Video Recommendations:
-White Women who Truly Want to Help: Here's How- Ivirlei Brookes @ivirel (IGTV)
-Dear White People: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man: Emmanuel Acho @themanacho (Twitter)
-Racism has a Cost for Everyone- Heather McGee (YouTube)
- George Floyd, Minneapolis Protests, Ahmaud Arbery & Amy Cooper: The Daily Show (YouTube)
- A response to performative solidarity- Simone Yasmin @_etherealtruth (IGTV)
“It is exhausting, I know, but keep going. Keep the momentum up. Keep that same energy.”
Instagram Activist Groups:
@naacp @blklivesmatter @reclaimtheblock @civilrightsorg
@colorofchange @unitedwedream @ethelsclub
Follow to stay on top of new calls to action!
Podcasts:
-NPR Code Switch
-FANTI
-Still Processing
- On Being with Krista Tibett- Episodes from the Race & Healing Library
Movies:
-13th (2016)
-If Beale Street Could Talk (2019)
-Queen and Slim (2020)
-The Hate U Give (2018)
-Boyz in the Hood (1991)
-Fruitvale Station (2013)
Source: Empire.com-14 Films by Black Filmmakers that Everyone Should Watch in 2020
Shows:
-Dear White People
-When They See Us
-Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
-Seven Seconds
Source: Standard.co 19 Netflix Movies, Shows, and Documentaries about Race and Racism
Shops:
How you spend your money is political- click here to find long lists of the city's amazing Black-owned shops.
-Nana's Ice Cream Shop
-Kiss Coffee
-Catfish Lane
-Epif
Letter or Email Template to Mayor:
Dear Mr. Wheeler,
My name is (NAME), and I am a registered voter in Portland, Oregon. I am writing to you today to ask what you are doing, as the mayor, to ensure that your officers are not abusing their power and are held accountable for their actions. I noticed that use of tear gas was supposed to be restricted, but the use continued at later protests.
As a Portlander, I want to make sure that my local police department is taking the necessary preventative measures to ensure that incidents like this will not occur in the future. I want to make sure that violence is de-escalated. So I ask:
- -Are the police officers in Portland being trained to de-escalate altercations by using peaceful conflict resolution strategies?
- -Are the police officers in Portland required to intervene if they witness another officer using excessive force? Will officers be punished if they fail to intervene?
- -Is there a clear and enforced use-of-force continuum that details what weapons and force are acceptable in a wide variety of civilian-police interactions?
- -How are Portland police officers held accountable when using unnecessary force?
- -Are the officers in PPB required to report each time they threaten to or use force on civilians?
- -Are the officers in Portland thoroughly vetted to ensure that they do not have a history with abuse, racism, xenophobia, homophobia / transphobia, or discrimination?
- -Are the officers in the PPB trained to perform and seek necessary medical action after using excessive force?
- -Is there an early intervention system enforced to correct officers who use excessive force? Additionally, how many complaints does an officer have to receive before they are reprimanded? Before they are terminated? More than three complaints are unacceptable.
Statistics have indicated that by enforcing these policies, there is a significant decrease in civilian complaints and injury due to excessive force. If any of the policies are not currently in place, then what is being done to ensure that they are going to be enforced in the near future? What can I do, as a concerned citizen, to set these policies in motion?
I also want to increase the level of trust between the police department and the community. To establish trust, there has to be transparency. I would like to see the PPB collect and report data on civilian deaths that occurred in custody and as a result of an officer’s use of excessive force. The data should be broken down by demographics and should showcase the race, gender, sexuality, and religion of the civilians. Allowing the public access to this information will show us where we, as a community, fall short.
I hope you will also consider with an open mind defunding the police force. This way, more money can go to communities in need, and violence can be stopped through supportive systems and people specialized in de-escalating specific situations, instead of through force.
Thank you for your time,
Sincerely,
_________