CCC Research Justice Announcement :: Call for Applications for CCC Research Justice in Washington County Fellowship

Call for Applications: CCC Research Justice IN WASHINGTON COUNTY Fellowship

The Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC) is an alliance of 19 culturally specific organizations that come together to work for racial justice transformation in the region. We are proud of the work we have accomplished through our research justice, advocacy and leadership development programs in the racial justice movement.

The CCC is proud to announce our first Research Justice Fellowship to develop community leadership in data and research in order to build power, organize and advocate for racial justice in the region.  If you are interested in learning how to use research and data to build power and advocate for racial justice, this is the right opportunity for you. Learn more about our Research Justice vision here.

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What is the Research Justice Fellowship?

This program is designed to help community members learn how to design and implement small-scale research projects around issues that derive from their experiences with institutional racism. In the process, the cohort will give feedback and inform the creation of an online data tool called the Regional Equity Atlas that will hold the research they generate.

We will provide training, stipends, research expenses and the opportunity to create and implement research projects that create knowledge and build power to organize and advocate for change.

Our goal is to build a cohort of strong community leaders with an understanding of the role of research in organizing and advocacy for racial justice. The project is guided by a vision of research justice, which seeks to amplify and emphasize the voices of those most directly impacted by institutional racism – in particular, people of color – in the work of making our communities equitable.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does the fellowship pay?

• Research Justice Fellows will receive a $,1000 stipend. CCC will cover costs for research-related expenses such as supplies (flipcharts, photocopies, printouts etc) and public transit/mileage reimbursement.

Are there geographical, age, education, or experience requirements?

• The fellowship is open to everyone 18 years or older who identifies as a person of color.
• There are no education, experience and immigration requirements.
• Research Justice Fellows need to live or work or have a strong relationship to Washington County.

What are expectations from the program and the hours worked?

• This is a 2 month program from Oct-Nov 2018 and it requires a 60 hour time commitment, which includes:
  • Participating in trainings on Oct 6-7, 2018
  • Implementing the research
  • Participating in the development of the online data tool
• In the trainings, community researchers will develop a timeline of research implementation including scheduling check-ins with CCC for guidance, assistance and accountability in implementation of research in October and November.

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How do I apply and ask other questions?

To apply or ask other questions, please fill out this simple application form to join the 2018 Community Researchers Program cohort. Applications are due by Monday, September 24, 2018. Up to 12 accepted applicants will receive email and phone notification and information no later than September 28, 2018. The trainings will take place on Saturday-Sunday October 6-7, 2018. Please send any questions to Shweta Moorthy, Researcher, at researchjustice@coalitioncommunitiescolor.org or call 217-621-2096.

Advocacy Update :: Just over a week to go! CCC legislative session update

The short legislative session is in the home stretch, and we are continuing to push forward on our 2018 legislative agenda!

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Education

Culturally specific early learning programs, including many offered by CCC’s members, have strong records of successful outcomes for children and families of color. Yet these programs are not currently eligible for state funding to invest in these effective programs. The Early Childhood Equity Fund (HB 4066), would establish a fund to invest in culturally specific early learning program.

Latino Network has led a coalition of early childhood advocates to advance this bill. A number of CCC members have also been hard at work on this bill. Lee Po Cha from IRCO, Sadie Feibel from Latino Network, and Ashley Oakley from NAYA all testified at the hearing before the House Early Childhood and Families Supports Committee, along with CCC. At the hearing, committee members were visibly moved by their stories of the impact of culturally specific early learning programs on children and families. The bill passed out of committee unanimously and has seen widespread support and is now before the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education.

Despite the urgent need for this resource, legislators missed an opportunity to provide children and families of color with these critical programs by failing to pass HB 4066. We will be back next session to ensure that we are meeting the early learning needs for all of Oregon's young children.

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Strengthening Families

Families are at the heart of our communities, and ensuring that children are not unnecessarily removed from their homes, and that families have a path to restoration is critical to keeping our families strong. Currently, children of color are removed from their homes by child welfare services at far higher rates.  Representative Tawna Sanchez has taken action by introducing a bill that would prevent unlawful removals and give families a path to reunite with rehabilitated parents.

In its initial form, HB 4009 would have required judicial authorization before a child would be removed, meaning that kids would remain in their homes so long as they were safe. The original bill’s provision to create a path for restoring families remains in the bill and has moved forward. Dani Ledezma, CCC’s Interim Executive Director, testified on the need for this bill. It was amended in the House Judiciary Committee so that it only includes an opportunity for families to be restored when parents who no longer have parental rights are prepared to successfully parent their children. While we are very disappointed that the removal provision was eliminated from the bill, CCC is dedicated to continuing this conversation to ensure families have the support and resources to thrive. The amended version of HB 4009 passed. We applaud Representative Tawna Sanchez’s leadership in sponsoring this critical bill.

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Environmental Justice

Maggie Tallmadge, CCC’s Environmental Justice Manager, testified about the need for environmental justice to be centered in Clean Energy Jobs legislation. We continue to advocate for action on climate through policies that meaningfully benefit most impacted communities. The final form of the bill remains under discussion. Representative Diego Hernandez has been a key champion for environmental justice and his leadership has been critical to incorporating climate justice into the policy. 

Clean Energy Jobs did not pass this session, although the Legislature took some important steps toward developing a program for legislation during the 2019 session. CCC and its members will continue to push for environmental justice to be even more central to climate policy.

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“The impact of legalized housing discrimination continues today, as families of color face barriers to home ownership and are the hardest hit by rising rental housing costs and displacement.”

— Jenny Lee, Advocacy Director, Quoted in the Mail Tribune

Housing and Health

Other CCC priority items include HB 4134, which would streamline the process for removing racially restrictive covenants. This bill has passed out of both the House and the Senate and will go to the Governor’s desk. A bill to increase the document recording fee to fund affordable housing, emergency rent assistance, and homeownership (HB 4007) passed. A bill establishing a task force to address racial disparities in homeownership (HB 4010, with Representative Mark Meek as a co-chief sponsor) passed unanimously out of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Maxine Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of PCRI, testified about the urgency of addressing the homeownership gap and PCRI’s work on Pathway 1000. CCC also testified about the need for a maternal mortality and morbidity review committee (HB 4133). Representative Janelle Bynum, a co-chief sponsor of the bill, gave powerful testimony about the dramatic racial disparities in maternal mortality rates, and CCC testified emphasizing that implicit bias in health care and the impact of chronic stress. HB 4133 passed.

We are heartened to see the leadership of legislators of color addressing the most pressing issues in our communities. The current Legislature is the most diverse ever, and this representation is resulting in bills that address some of the most pressing issues faced by communities of color. We look forward to a more equitable Oregon thanks to their leadership, and the dedicated advocates working for racial equity in our state legislature as we move toward the end of the 2018 legislative session. All of our priorities for housing and health passed this session!

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Coalition of Communities of Color Legislative Action Day Recap

The collective power of communities of color was out in full force on February 8 for the Coalition of Communities of Color's 2018 Legislative Action Day! For our 6th annual lobby day, more than 60 attendees met with 40 legislators to talk about CCC's 2018 legislative agenda and solutions for the most pressing issues impacting our communities. The session may be short, but our attendees covered a lot of ground, sharing their stories and advocating for issues from the creation of an Early Childhood Equity Fund to affordable housing to climate justice. We were honored to have Representative Teresa Alonso Leon, Representative Diego Hernandez, and the Governor's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion join us in the morning to share their vision for racial equity in government and inspire future political leaders.

If you haven't seen photos of CCC advocates in action yet, check them out here. And many of our CCC members also held legislative action days this session—check out photos from the Urban League, NAYA Family Center, and APANO. IRCO will be holding their legislative action day this Friday.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, and if you missed CCC's Legislative Action Day this year, we hope that you'll be able to attend next year. The legislative session ends on March 9, so stay tuned for our recap of the session in our March Equity Lens newsletter.

4th Annual Bridges Convening

The Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC) invites you to join us for the 4th Annual Bridges Convening for a day of networking, relationship-building, and discussions on cross-community issues and meaningful leadership!

All current cohort and alumni members from the African American Leadership Academy, African Leadership Development Institute, Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Institute, LEAD, Slavic Leadership Development Project and Unid@s are invited and encouraged to attend.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided. A hosted reception will follow from 4:30-6 PM.

Stipends for childcare and travel will be provided with advanced notice.

Attention Bridges alumni and current cohort members: Please register in advance and update your Bridges Profile in the Directory. Alumni and current cohort who have updated their profiles and are present during the reception, which immediately follows the convening, have a chance to win an iPad (one of two we have to give away!) or a $50 Visa gift card!

For more information, contact Nakisha Nathan, Leadership Development Director, at nakisha@coalitioncommunitiescolor.org

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Mary Moller
Director, Executive Appointments & Constituent Services
Office of Governor Kate Brown

Mary is currently the Director of Executive Appointments and Constituent Services in the Office of Governor Kate Brown.  The Director engages with a variety of stakeholder groups across the state to identify qualified volunteers to serve on Oregon's over 300 boards and commissions.  The Director recommends candidates for the Governor's selection and guides appointments through the Senate confirmation process.  In addition to Executive Appointments, she manages Governor Brown’s Constituent Services operations and supervises team members who execute constituent responses.

Mary moved to Washington, D.C. after graduating from college to be the Legislative Director for the United States Student Association (USSA) where she worked on national policy to increase access to quality higher education including the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. After her time at USSA, Mary went to the Hill and joined the Office of Congressman David Wu as a Legislative Assistant where she worked on many policy areas including energy, transportation, natural resources, and education.  Before joining the Governor's office Mary was the Director of Local and Federal Government Relations in Portland State University’s Office of Government Relations where she supported President Wim Wiewel’s vision and transforming work at PSU that resulted in a stronger urban serving four-year university in the heart of Portland.

Mary is an Oregonian and a graduate of Portland State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Community Development. During her time at PSU, she was proud to serve as student body President and was often involved with advocating for higher education in Oregon’s state capital and in Washington, D.C.

Contact information: Mary.Moller@oregon.gov

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For more information, contact Nakisha Nathan, Leadership Development Director, at nakisha@coalitioncommunitiescolor.org

SAVE THE DATE: 2018 CCC Legislative Action Day

Coalition of Communities of Color Legislative Action Day, February 8

Join advocates for racial justice from around the state at the Coalition of Communities of Color Legislative Action Day on Thursday, February 8, in Salem, Oregon. Advocates will be coming together to meet with legislators to talk about a racial equity agenda for the 2018 legislative session.

During the Legislative Action Day, you will:

• Hear from legislators leading on advocacy for communities of color
• Meet with legislators to share your story and talk about issues that are important to you
• Learn more about bills with an impact on communities of color

If you're new to legislative advocacy, this is a great way to get experience meeting with legislators. We will provide you with all the training and information you need. For experienced advocates, this is an opportunity to come together and show that policymakers must prioritize racial equity during this legislative session. The event is free and lunch will be provided.

Register here. Please contact Jenny Lee, CCC Advocacy Director, at jenny@coalitioncommunitiescolor.org with questions.