Farewell & Congratulations to Elona Wilson

Last week, we shared our gratitude and best wishes to our Advocacy Director, Elona J Wilson, as she left the Coalition of Communities of Color to become the Executive Director of Next Up, an organization working to amplify the voice and leadership of diverse young people to achieve a more just and equitable Oregon.

Elona joined CCC in late 2020 and immediately brought her energy and vision, launching right into preparations for the 2021 legislative session. During her time at CCC, she led our lobbying efforts at the Oregon Capitol and played an integral role in deepening CCC’s engagement in a number of areas, particularly criminal legal reform and education.

Reflecting on her achievements at CCC, Elona shared, “Some of my proudest work is within the criminal justice sphere working to make Oregon the second state in the nation to eliminate fees for post-prison supervision, probation, and parole, helping tens of thousands of folks impacted by the criminal legal system achieve financial stability so they can care for their families. The steps made this legislative session were nowhere near enough for our communities, but I am going to continue to be in this fight until we finally achieve justice.”

“My time at the Coalition of Communities of Color has been incredible,” Elona continued. “The work that we did, uniting communities of color to fight for a more just and equitable Oregon, was impactful and intentional. I am excited to see what the future holds for this outstanding organization and folks served.”

Marcus Mundy, CCC’s Executive Director, said, “While Elona will be missed, as she brought a passion and enthusiasm to the powerful advocacy work CCC leads, and her own contributions to that work, we are pleased that she will continue to fight for the things that matter to all Oregonians at Next Up. We are doubly pleased that we will continue to be able to collaborate with her and tap into her expertise and innovative thinking. Her CCC colleagues will universally feel her absence, but are assured she will continue to lead.”

Next Up has been a strong partner of CCC, in particular on work around democracy reform and potential changes to the City of Portland’s charter. Read about Elona’s new role as Next Up’s Executive Director on their website here. Elona, thank you, congratulations, and we look forward to our continued work together!

Announcing Our 2021 Legislative Agenda

The 2021 legislative session has just begun, and the Coalition of Communities of Color is proud to release our priority legislative agenda. Every session, CCC engages throughout the legislative process to pass bills that increase opportunity and advance racial justice for communities of color.

As we continue respond to the pandemic, we also are looking to systemic change that will create a more equitable future for all. Our agenda is made up of legislation identified by our members, who work directly with communities to build solutions that will enable Black, Indigenous, and other Oregonians of color to thrive.

Our 2021 Priority Legislation

• Supporting Families

• Community Safety

• Economic Justice

• Strengthening Democracy

• Immigrant and Refugee Justice

• Environmental Justice

We'll also be building on our work around education justice, health equity, and more. Learn more about specific legislative items on our website here, and you can also download a PDF of our agenda. We'll be adding updates and more information as the legislative session advances, as well as opportunities for community members to get involved.

Learn more about CCC’s endorsement process and what it means here. The positions on our agenda represent only the position of CCC as a coalition and not individual members. Please contact CCC's Advocacy Director, Elona Wilson, at elona@coalitioncommunitiescolor.org with questions.

CCC Statements :: Juneteenth & DACA

Juneteenth, for African Americans, is known as Independence Day or Freedom Day and is a holiday commemorating the June 19, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of African American slaves. While President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation effectively ending slavery on January 1, 1863, that Proclamation had little effect in Texas until two and a half years later.

The Staff and Board of the Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC) would like to lift up the Black community in Oregon and the United States, honor the sacrifice of all those who endured such unjust and immoral bondage and echo and reaffirm the rising crescendo of those declaring that, in fact, and always, Black Lives Matter.

We at CCC have chosen to use Juneteenth as a day of reflection, inquiry, and gratitude for the gifts that those who have passed before us have bestowed upon us: the opportunity to breathe free. Although we work daily for culturally specific organizations and the underserved, we believe we still have much to learn about anti-black racism and other inequities. Juneteenth is our pause to continue the journey. We hope all can take a moment or two for reflection, as well.

This day also reminds us that we have an obligation to continue to fight for justice, whether it is the civil rights movement of the ’50s and ’60s, the right to vote, the right to be counted in the Census, the right to fair housing and strong education, or the battle for the DREAMers today.

We especially want to acknowledge and lift up on Juneteenth all of the hard working African American and Black Led organizations that are part of our Coalition, and that labor for this community every day: Africa House, KairosPDX, Portland African American Leadership Forum (PAALF), Portland Community Reinvestment Initiative (PCRI), Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI), Unite Oregon, and the Urban League of Portland.

Juneteenth in Oregon can be a day to remember that, even in a state where slavery was illegal, other actions can be almost as unfair and debilitating to the advancement of a people’s progress. Whether it is exclusion laws, lack of access to land, an annual tax for just being of color, being excluded from the vote, a ban on interracial marriage, or insurance surcharges for drivers of color, and we must remain steadfast to our values and continue to battle for all of our communities. As long as we keep fighting, we are truly emancipated.

Happy Juneteenth, Oregon.

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DREAMers and families were finally given some relief yesterday, June 18th, with the U.S. Supreme Court decision to block the Trump administration’s attempt of ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The ruling impacts approximately 650,000 DACA recipients nationwide, and 11,000 of those recipients are here in Oregon. This decision is the result of the hard work of our Latinx, immigrant & refugee, and BIPOC communities who organized, mobilized, and with hope as a North Star, believed that even our most radical dreams for a better life could come true.

La lucha sigue, (our fight continues), though. The Supreme Court has not banned the Trump administration from ending DACA.  Communities across the country continue to mobilize and demand systemic changes to policing and community & public safety. The CCC and our members will continue to advocate for student safety in the classroom, on the way to school. We will continue to advocate against police & ICE presence in schools. We will continue to advocate for the accessibility of quality education & economic opportunities for DACA, undocumented, immigrant and refugee, and BIPOC students.

We appreciate the work of all of our member organizations, through their commitment to elevating community voices & addressing their needs. We want to especially acknowledge and recognize the dedicated efforts of Latino Network, IRCO, APANO, Voz Workers’ Rights Education Project, Hacienda CDC, Milagro Theater, and Verde.

We call on our federal delegation to pressure the Trump Administration to respect the decision of the Supreme Court, end its futile attempts to terminate the program, and ensure that USCIS does not share information with ICE about DACA recipients and their families. We call on our federal delegation to listen to the voices of the DREAMers and accelerate efforts to manifest their visions for their long-term status.

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