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.

OPB Article :: Coalition Report Reveals Inequality In Washington County

Coalition Report Reveals Inequality In Washington County

by Erica Morrison Follow OPB June 18, 2018 5:24 p.m. | Beaverton, Oregon

The Coalition of Communities of Color released their comprehensive report on racial inequities in Washington County on Monday.

“Leading With Race: Research Justice in Washington County” comes after two years of research, and explores the lived experiences of eight communities in Oregon’s most diverse county.

The report focuses on Native American, African-American, African, Asian and Asian-American, Latino, Middle Eastern and North African, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders and Slavic communities in Washington County.

CCC presented the report to officials and community members at Beaverton Library. Attendees received a 31-page booklet of the study’s executive summary. The summary details the population sizes of the identified communities and addresses key issues that affect them.

The mayors of Hillsboro, Tigard and Beaverton community leaders spoke at the meeting. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, also delivered remarks.

Bonanmici said Washington County is the “economic engine” of the state and the struggle for equity has been long and is far from over.

The findings of the report prove that to be true.

Researcher Shweta Moorthy found Latino applicants are 125 percent more likely to have their home loan application denied compared to high income whites.

When asked what surprised her the most about her research, Moorthy replied, “How willing people were to get uncomfortable.”

The study confirms many things members of communities of color already know; there are greater disparities when it comes to homeownership, education and interactions with law enforcement.

The report includes an eight-step call to action to improve racial equity in the county.

Moorthy said she hopes the report gets people to realize the expertise of people of color and the need to respect that expertise.

June 2018 Equity Lens Newsletter

Welcome to the June 2018 edition of the Equity Lens! In this edition, we are excited to announce our new executive director, provide updates on our work, and highlight the work of our members, partners, and community leaders.

HERE'S A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THIS EDITION OF THE EQUITY LENS:

• MEET THE CCC'S NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

• SUMMER SOIRÉE A SUCCESS

• resarch justice update

• ADVOCACY UPDATE

• ENERGY JUSTICE UPDATE

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Meet the CCC's New Executive Director

The Board of Directors of the Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC) are thrilled to announce the new Executive Director, Marcus C. Mundy.  Marcus will start on June 25th, 2018.

Marcus Mundy knows the CCC well, as a former Executive Director of a member organization and Executive Committee member, he was instrumental in the CCC’s publication of the Unsettling Profile series, and its ongoing advocacy for increased funding for housing and services for our culturally specific member organizations.

Marcus has a prolific career in leadership and is passionate about advancing racial justice in Oregon.  He has strong relationships and roots in our communities and will lead CCC into its next chapter with a deep understanding of and commitment to communities of color. 

About Marcus C. Mundy

Mr. Mundy is a Principal at Mundy Consulting LLC, an Oregon state certified minority small business. His practice assists clients in various disciplines including but not limited to: achieving equity, diversity and inclusion in personnel, contracting, supplier diversity, development and administrative areas; and achieving compliance with respect to applicable laws, regulations and accreditation standards for healthcare businesses and others. 

Prior to his role at Mundy Consulting, Mr. Mundy served as the President and CEO of the Urban League of Portland, was the Vice President and Regional Compliance Officer for Kaiser Permanente Northwest, and has held a host of other leadership positions. 

Mr. Mundy attended Howard University in Washington, DC, receiving his Bachelor (BBA) in Business Administration, and attended Howard University's Graduate School of Business. He received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Oregon’s Executive MBA program. 

Mr. Mundy has served the community through his participation on numerous boards and community advisory positions, including the OHSU Foundation Board, the State Labor Commissioner’s Oregon Council on Civil Rights, the Oregon Community Foundation’s Regional Advisory Initiative, the Coalition for a Livable Future,  EcoDistricts (formerly Portland Sustainability Institute) and, currently, Upstream Public Health. 

He is also a Senior Fellow in Oregon’s chapter of the American Leadership Forum, our state’s premier leadership training group for over two decades. His proudest achievement, however, and forever, is as a father to his four children.

Equity Lens Interview:

1) You’ve had a long career in leadership roles, what is one accomplishment of which you are most proud? 

As a proponent of servant leadership, I am proud of the fact that I focus on the humanity of the people for whom I work, despite the setting. If a leader can maintain empathy, and remember that there is a responsibility to serve and not just direct, there will always be much for which to be proud.  Consistent empathy is the accomplishment I cherish the most, as it allows me to remember why I work.

2) What are you most excited about in your new role at the CCC? 

I am excited to work once again with a high quality, dedicated, professional staff, and an organization that is fiercely clear in its mission.  When a team is focused in its direction, great things can be accomplished.  I am absolutely eager to connect with past colleagues and meet new leaders in the enlarged membership of the Coalition and our many partners. There is much work to be done to advocate for and collaborate with member organizations, and I hope to be able to help our collective goals to be achieved.

I once opined at a fundraising dinner, over a decade ago, that if you were a salmon or a tree or a bicycle lane in Oregon you had a better chance of being protected and having resources thrown your way than if you were a person of color trying to find a job or housing or healthcare or redress to civil injustice. 

(Please understand that I am pro-salmon, pro-tree, and pro-cycling.  It is just that I am even more a proponent of racial equity and justice, basic civil rights and economic opportunity.  While the paradigm is not zero-sum, and we can accomplish many of these things simultaneously, I do believe that fairness for people must come first before we concentrate on addressing everything else.)

Much has changed for the good since my comments, in large part because of the relentless work of the Coalition and its members.

But an exciting facet of my new role is that I can remind the powers that be in this region that these issues remain current, must be addressed with urgency even now, and that the “new normal” we have become accustomed to (anesthetized by?) over the last two years is not normal at all, and must be met with resolute focus on change that benefits all.  I look forward to the challenge.

3) What do you like to do to maintain work/life balance? 

I love to read, I revel in writing, I relish wonderful food and discovering new places (both of which can be done abundantly in Oregon), and I embrace the opportunity to spend time with family and friends discussing issues of the day, and laughing out loud.  Watching my athletic children compete in their various sports endeavors has also helped keep me grounded over the years, and eased the stresses of the day-to-day.

4) Trailblazers or Timbers?

Is that a trick question?  I support each of those Portland treasures equally, although I do hope the Trailblazers prevail in signing LeBron James in the offseason (longshot), and the Timbers acquire the promising Tayo Edun (possible) in theirs.  That would make for an exciting next year.

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Summer Soirée a success!

On behalf of the Coalition of Communities of Color, our members, our board of directors, and our staff, we would like to thank everyone that attended the 2018 Summer Soirée! This is the fourth year of our annual fundraiser and it was our most successful one yet! Pictures from the event will be posted soon, but here's a glimpse of the pictures from the program and a video about CCC's work that we featured at the event.

Paul Lumley, Executive Director of NAYA Family Center & CCC Board Chair

Stefan Saing, Civic Engagement Coordinator, IRCO Asian Family Center

Nichole June Maher, President of Northwest Health Foundation & Co-founder of the CCC, was the emcee for the evening.

Shweta Moorthy, CCC Researcher, introducing Leading with Race: Research Justice in Washington County

If you were not able to attend, but would like to support the work of the CCC, you can still make a donation and help us advance racial justice through cross-cultural collective action. 

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Research Justice Update

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS IN WASHINGTON COUNTY

On June 12th, the Coalition’s Research Justice Center will publish and release Leading with Race: Research Justice in Washington County. This report is based on the Center’s community-based participatory research project, which reflects the lives and aspirations of communities of color in Washington County. Leading with Race includes findings that our leaders can rely upon to build capacity,  mobilize and advocate for better outcomes for culturally-specific communities in Washington County.     

The next phase of the project entails providing an opportunity for community members living/working in Washington county to learn how to present research findings, facilitate dialogue and articulate their experiences to city councils, school districts, community-based organizations and so on. This is an important leadership development opportunity, particularly for those who live, work, and or have spent a significant part of their life in Washington County.

The CCC’s Research Justice Center and Advocacy Program will host a training for interested individuals sometime between the end of June and mid-July. Childcare and food will be provided during the workshop. Please contact Shweta Moorthy by June 19 if you wish to participate in this leadership development opportunity. Learn more about CCC’s Research Justice vision here.

Click on the image to download the report

Re-launching Regional Equity Atlas

The CCC’s Research Justice Center has taken the lead in re-launching Regional Equity Atlas in partnership with Ecotrust, Futurewise and 1000 Friends of Oregon. Currently in development, the Regional Equity Atlas 3.0 will include an online mapping tool and interpretive website, which will enable us to understand how well different neighborhoods, communities, and populations across our region are able to access the resources and opportunities they need to meet their basic needs and advance their health and well-being. We will not collect, analyze, and present data for its own sake – instead, the Regional Equity Atlas is designed to be a tool to catalyze lasting social change, and to support grassroots community organizing toward that end.

The Coalition will resource and train a cohort of 12-15 community members living in Washington County to design and implement small-scale research projects and co-develop the Regional Equity Atlas. The cohort will begin meeting in July 2018. Please contact Shweta Moorthy by June 19 if you wish to participate in this leadership development and community-based research opportunity.

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Advocacy Update

The Portland and Multnomah County budget cycle and May elections made for a busy spring in CCC’s advocacy efforts. City and county budget advocacy has been a core element of CCC's work since the coalition’s inception. This year, we are exploring a new approach aimed at deepening relationships with local elected leaders and creating a broader vision for racial equity in our community. Since January, CCC has begun a series of quarterly meetings with the Portland mayor and Multnomah County chair to share our members’ policy and budget priorities in a cross-cultural context.

Tony Defalco (Verde), Dañel Malan (Milagro Theater), and CCC members providing testimony.

In addition to this new strategy, we partnered again this year with CCC member IRCO to host a Multnomah County Budget Forum focused on the priorities of communities of color. All five county commissioners heard from service providers, advocates, and community members about priority issues and the importance of culturally specific resources, with a number of CCC members testifying in person.

In the run-up to the May 15 election, we worked to increase engagement on racial equity in local races. On April 30, CCC teamed up with 1000 Friends of Oregon to host the only forum for all Metro Council candidates. Allan Lazo of the Fair Housing Council of Oregon was an outstanding moderator as candidates discussed their visions for Metro's work in racial equity, housing, transportation, and land use. The event was held at the Muslim Educational Trust's Community and Educational Center in Tigard; MET is CCC's newest member and we were delighted to hold this event in their beautiful space.

In line with our increased engagement in Washington County, CCC co-hosted a Washington County District Attorney Candidate Forum with the ACLU of Oregon and CCC member organization Unite Oregon. District attorneys are one of the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system, and this forum was an opportunity to center racial justice in these conversations. Shujat Qalbani of Unite Oregon drew on his own experience as a criminal justice policy advocate, prosecutor, and municipal judge to serve as moderator.

Now that election season and the budget cycle are over, we’ll be busy planning for advocacy on November ballot initiatives and the 2019 legislative session and look forward to creating a robust policy agenda and engaging in collective action for racial equity.

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Energy Justice Update

June 1st marked one year since the City of Portland and Multnomah County passed a 100% Renewable Energy Resolution. Portland City Council and the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners adopted companion 100% renewables resolutions, establishing goals to meet 100% of community-wide energy needs with renewable energy by 2050 and to meet 100% of community-wide electric energy needs through renewable energy by 2035.

The Coalition of Communities of Color, Verde, OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon and partners successfully advanced equity commitments to protect low-income ratepayers, support workforce diversity and target businesses, and incent community-based development of renewable energy infrastructure. Specifically, each resolution prioritizes “community-based development of renewable energy infrastructure,” and sets a target of supplying 2% of community-wide energy needs via such infrastructure by 2035.

While Oregon has been recognized as an environmental leader, communities like ours-- communities of color and low-income communities-- are often left out of the development, implementation, and enforcement of such initiatives and bypassed by the environmental, social and economic wealth created through the environmental and sustainability movement. We are on a path to reverse that on the local and state level.  

In July, organizations and communities of color will build a collective understanding of energy development fundamentals and energy democracy, including how the fossil-fuel economy is an integrated climate and economic crisis which has disproportionately impacted low-income communities and communities of color. Using the capacity building of the “Community Energy Justice Summit” as a foundation, we explore what a long-term community-driven effort could look like that develops and implements community-based renewable energy resources and policies, thereby empowering our communities to realize environmental, economic, racial, and social justice benefits.

Since late 2017, the CCC has participated in the SB 978 [link: http://www.puc.state.or.us/Pages/Energy%20Initiatives/SB-978.aspx] process, including ongoing capacity building and advocacy to ensure the Public Utilities Commission integrates Environmental Justice, public participation, and climate change mitigation into its decision-making framework. We are simultaneously working to establish long-term intervenor funding for Environmental Justice groups. We believe this is an enormous opportunity to develop our communities as stakeholders in energy policy and shift the utility business model to center the needs of communities of color and low-income communities.

How will we build this new, regenerative, and cooperative future? Organizations like the CCC, APANO, NAYA, Verde, and NAACP Portland Chapter are moving forward models to transition from the old, extractive economy and fund a clean, equitable and racially just economy. The Portland Clean Energy Fund is Portland's chance to become a national model for transitioning our city to renewable energy in a manner that directly supports racial justice and equity. From funding new rooftop solar and energy efficiency projects to a robust job-training program for underserved communities, PCEF is how we can turn our values into tangible benefits for Portlanders and our climate. The initiative would levy a small surcharge on huge multinational corporations to capitalize a fund that will be directed to clean energy and climate investments that benefits low-income people and people of color (among other traditionally underserved communities). Find out more here about the ballot initiative campaign [link: https://www.portlandcleanenergyfund.com/] and check out the crowdfunding campaign [https://www.crowdpac.com/campaigns/385855/help-portland-clean-energy-fund-initiative-qualify-for-the-nov-2018-ballot], which will fund efforts to get the Portland Clean Energy Fund on the ballot in November!

Check out similar efforts and gain inspiration nationally through the Energy Democracy National Tour 2018 [link: https://energydemocracy.us/]. The Tour leverages the recently published book, Energy Democracy: Advancing Equity in Clean Energy Solutions, to strengthen, bring together, and expand the various strands and networks of the emerging energy democracy movement in the United States.

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.

CCC Announcement :: Join Us In Welcoming Our New Advocacy Director

Dear Friends, Colleagues, Partners, and Supporters:

Please join the Coalition of Communities of Color in welcoming our new Advocacy Director, Jenny Lee. Jenny brings extensive advocacy, convening, and facilitation skills along with a passion for racial justice. Jenny comes to CCC from Neighborhood Partnerships, where she helped convene the Oregon Housing Alliance, engaging coalition members and partners throughout the state and to help develop state legislative priorities to ensure all Oregonians have access to safe and decent housing. With her leadership and coalition building skills, the Housing Alliance secured several key legislative and funding victories. We are very excited to have her join the team. For more information about Jenny's background read her bio here.

Jenny Lee will begin on October 2nd, and can be reached at:  jenny@coalitioncommunitiescolor.org.

DACA Community Forums

Latino Network is hosting Community Forums to provide resources and information to individuals and families affected by the Trump administration’s decision to repeal DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). Legal experts will be available to answer general questions.

ES. Latino Network esta preparando una serie de foros comunitarios para proveer recursos e informacion para individu@s y sus familiares afectados por la decision de la administracion de Trump para revocar al programa de DACA. Expertos legales estaran disponibles para contestar preguntas generales 

DACA

Community Forum

Latino Network is hosting Community Forums

Download Event Details

CCC Announcement :: Amanda Manjarrez Transitions from CCC

Dear Friends, Colleagues, Partners, and Supporters:

It is with much joy and a tinge of regret that I am announcing that Amanda is leaving the Coalition effective July 31st. Amanda has accepted the position as Director of Advocacy at Latino Network. Please join me in congratulating her on this important position where she will no doubt excel.

During her time at the Coalition of Communities of Color, Amanda effectively set up a strong foundation for the Coalition's advocacy work. Amanda worked collaboratively with our members to achieve several legislative accomplishments in this legislative session and increased legislative accountability through the to be published Racial Equity Report Card. This year, the CCC Lobby Day had over 150 participants. In the fall of 2016, under her leadership, CCC helped pass 4 out of the five ballot initiatives CCC endorsed, including more resources for affordable housing and resources to improve high school graduation rates. At the City, CCC helped pass the Small Donor Elections reform that will increase political power for communities of color in Portland.

Even though I only got the opportunity to work with her for a short time, I will miss her commitment to and skills in collaboration, coalition building, and social justice organizing. Amanda is inspiring to work with, and I am sure she will continue to accomplish great things for our community.

In the next few weeks, CCC will hire a new advocacy director. Click the button below to view the full job announcement, and please forward to your networks.