CCC Member Announcement: A Night of Poetry & Conversation

CCC Member, the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO), invites you to join us for an evening of powerful poetry by Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, a Marshallese poet and climate justice activist, followed by a conversation with Jo Ann Hardesty, President of the NAACP Portland Chapter. 

Light refreshments will be provided. Childcare is available upon request, at least one week in advance of the event. For more information, please email Khanh Pham at khanh@apano.org. 

Co-sponsored by: COFA Alliance National Network, Coalition of Communities of Color, Oregon Environmental Council, Oregon League of Conservation Voters, and Renew Oregon

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Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner is a Marshallese writer. Her writing highlights the traumas of colonialism, racism, forced migration, the legacy of American nuclear testing, and the impending threats of climate change. Bearing witness at the front lines of various activist movements inspires her work and has propelled her poetry onto international stages. She has performed her poetry in front of audiences ranging from elementary school students to most recently over a hundred world leaders at the United Nations Climate Summit, where she performed a poem to her daughter, "Dear Matafele Peinam". Currently she lives and works in the Marshall Islands, where she teaches Pacific Studies courses at the College of the Marshall Islands. She is also Co-Director of the youth environmentalist non-profit Jo-Jikum, which empowers youth to work towards solutions on environmental issues threatening their home island.  For more information, visit her website: https://kathyjetnilkijiner.com/

July 2015 Equity Lens: Education Justice Update

HB3499 Signed Into Law!

Governor Kate Brown signing into law HB3499 with students and members from communities of color. (Photo: Gordon Friedman / STATESMAN JOURNAL)

This legislative session, Governor Kate Brown signed into law HB 3499, a comprehensive approach to improve outcomes for Oregon’s English Language Learners (ELL) by increasing transparency, accountability, and systemic supports for schools, educators, and students. Currently, only 49% of ELL students graduate from high school and for many years, communities of color throughout the state have struggled with these detrimental educational outcomes. Leaders from communities of color knew we could do better, and with HB3499, our communities have the ability to turn this crisis into an opportunity for students throughout Oregon. HB3499 will ensure that ELL resources are focused on delivering quality ELL programming to our most vulnerable students and resetting the status quo of using these critical resources to fill shortfalls in school budgets.

The CCC, our members, and our community partners were instrumental in all leading facets of this groundbreaking legislation – from research on best practices for ELL students, to compiling statewide data on ELL outcomes, to drafting the bill, and to building a broad base of support with communities of color throughout the state. The CCC appreciates the leadership of Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO); Center for Inter-Cultural Organizing (CIO); as well as our advocacy our partners at Stand for Children and Northwest Health Foundation.

“With out the advocacy and united voice of leaders from a the Coalition of Communities of Color and Stand for Children this groundbreaking law would never have been passed.” - Nichole Maher, President and CEO of Northwest Health Foundation

In addition to community leadership on HB3499, the Department of Education and the Governor’s Office provided leadership in convening all stakeholders to have facilitated dialogue about the impact of this legislation leading up to the session.

HB3499, which was sponsored and championed by Representative Joe Gallegos, passed with unanimous support from both the house and the senate. If you have any questions or need any more information, please feel free to contact the CCC.

July 2015 Equity Lens: Community and Economic Development Update

Bullitt Foundation Site Visit to Cully Park

We’ve ended the 2015 legislative session, we’re midway into the summer, and CCC’s Community Economic Development Program (CED) is heating up!

Already, CCC completed a CED environmental education series, which provides an opportunity to set a CCC wide vision of the environment, displacement and gentrification.

In addition to ongoing organizational and coalition work, we are continuing efforts on a collective agenda to address displacement and gentrification, uplifting the voices of those most impacted by gentrification and displacement and respecting our culturally-specific histories, experiences and approaches.

Members are scaling existing community engagement processes, environmental initiatives, and climate justice work to a regional and statewide level. 

We have joined Renew Oregon, a statewide campaign to pass climate policy, advocating for legislation that will (1) drive significant carbon and pollution emissions reductions, (2) mitigate the negative impact of climate change and climate policies on communities of color, and (3) provide opportunities and reinvestment for communities of color.

Finally, CCC members, NAYA and OPAL are completing robust climate resiliency planning to ensure our communities are prepared for the impact of climate change on intersecting priorities such as meaningful participatory planning, transportation, housing, public health, and economic opportunity.  Look at CCC and collaborative work on climate action here.

A WRAP UP ON SOME RELEVANT LEGISLATION:

• HB 3470 The Climate and Justice Stability Act moved much further than expected—through public hearings, out of Rules and into Ways and Means.
• With incredible support HB 2564 Inclusionary Zoning passed through the House and into the Senate, but Senate leadership opted against a final vote on the bill.

CCC PRIORITY BILLS:

• SB 214: Age 3 to Grade 3 - In Senate Committee on Ways and Means upon adjournment
• SB 553 A / SB 554 A: Disproportionate Discipline - Signed into law
• HB 3499 B: English Language Learners - Signed into Law
• HB 3025 B: Ban the Box - Signed into Law
• HB 2002:  End Racial Profiling - Signed into Law

Please contact Maggie Tallmadge, Environmental Justice Manager, at maggie@coalitioncommunitiescolor.org with any with related initiatives, efforts and events!

CCC Equity Lens :: April 2015 :: Vol. I