Portland voters will be using Ranked-Choice Voting in the November election to elect its Mayor, Auditor and City Council. Learn how Ranked-Choice Voting works and remember to make your voice heard by Tuesday, November 5.
In honor of Earth Day this year, we’re taking a moment to share more about CCC’s commitment to environmental justice (EJ) and the role it plays in our daily lives.
Announcing the date for CCC’s annual fundraiser, the Summer Soirée! Join us on Friday, May 31st for a night of entertainment, community and gathering together for a purpose. Stay tuned for more details to come!
Double Consciousness is a term coined by the sociologist and historian W. E. B. Du Bois to describe an individual whose identity is divided into several facets.
In his 1903 book , “The Souls of Black Folk”, Du Bois describes “double consciousness” as follows: “It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his two-ness, an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder. The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife- this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost. He does not wish to Africanize America, for America has too much to teach the world and Africa. He wouldn’t bleach his Negro blood in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of opportunity closed roughly in his face”.
Though Du Bois wrote those words over 100 years ago, they resonate still.
If you replace the word “Negro” with “people of color” in his writings, you will have encapsulated what is faced by the communities of color in Oregon, underscored in our groundbreaking report, “Leading with Race: Research Justice in Washington County”, where many participants in our community groups noted that they were, because of their darker skin or immigrant status or language, simultaneously hyper-visible and invisible to the dominant culture in that county, and relegated for both reasons to marginalized roles. This “two-ness” is part of our daily routine, and part of our daily challenge.
I recently marked my 100thday at the Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC) as its third Executive Director (ED), following its founding ED, the estimable Julia Meier, and its interim ED, the indefatigable Dani Ledezma.
Following two such leaders has been both daunting and exciting, but the welcome, the work and the whirlwind of support I have received has been nothing short of invigorating, and I look forward to the next 100 days, and succeeding months, with great anticipation.
My most pleasant elucidation was the discovery of how brilliant and competent the staff of the CCC is. Although we are involved in virtually every issue surrounding Research Justice, Advocacy, Leadership Development or Environmental Justice in our region, particularly those issues viewed with an Equity Lens, we continue to be high impact with never more than 6 members on the team, which is a testament to the power of collaboration, the true spirit of Ujima.
We have but a handful of dogged staff, yet our accomplishments, even just since June, speak for themselves:
CCC held its annual soiree, and announced our incredible report, “Leading with Race: Research Justice in Washington County”;
CCC has convened no less than 20 follow-on participatory sessions sharing the findings of this report, and expanding knowledge within our region, to government bodies, nonprofits and for profits;
Have helped to guide and form the CCC’s and its members’ positions on the many and complex measures on the November 6 ballot (see our Voting Guide at our website, www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org, AND VOTE!)
Spearheaded the signature drive to qualify Measure 26-201 (the Portland Clean Energy Initiative) on the City of Portland Ballot for November 6, and got it on the ballot, which could mean upwards of $30M for low income communities, job training, weatherization, and clean energy initiatives going forward;
Explained the benefits and nuances of Measure 26-201, and dispassionately and clearly defended its wisdom, at the City Club of Portland’s most recent Friday Forum
Have co-sponsored the introduction of incredible, nationally renowned speakers to support our issues of Equity, Environmental Justice and Advocacy (Van Jones and DeRay McKesson);
Have kicked off trainings for our first “Research Justice Fellowship”, in Washington County, to develop community leadership in data and research;
Have met with innumerable city, county, state and federal leaders to continue to press the agendas important to communities of color in Oregon;
Have added three amazing new Board Members to our leadership: Tony DeFalco, Executive Director of Verde, Chi Nguyen, Executive Director of APANO, and Tony Hopson, President and CEO of Self Enhancement Inc.;
Have strengthened CCC team through the addition of our new Executive Assistant and Operations Manager, Joliana Scipio;
Completed the administrative paperwork so that we can officially constitute our 501 (c)(4) entity, and provide even more focused advocacy work for the issues that matter to communities of color;
Received the prestigious International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) Cascade Chapter Award for Best Practices, for our “Leading with Race: Research Justice in Washington County” report;
In conjunction with EcoTrust, Futurewise, and 1000 Friends of Oregon, have begun the re-launch of the Regional Equity Atlas, the third iteration of this seminal report identifying those areas of excellence, and those in need of improvement, for communities of color in our region, by using real, current data viewed through our ubiquitous research justice lens;
Have begun to expand the capabilities of our 6 distinct Leadership Development cohorts’ database to enhance access and opportunities to alumni and cohort members for placement on a sundry of committees, advisory boards and commissions to assist in their professional development; continue to place leaders on boards and commissions, including recent appointments at Metro and the Port of Portland; plans are also underway for assistance with professional job placements and quarterly convenings;
Organized, sponsored and led (with a large coalition of partners such as Verde, OPAL, APANO, Environmental Justice Oregon, Multnomah County and the City of Portland) the CCC’s 3 day Community Energy Justice Summitat PCC Southeast, where we convened almost 100 community, government, nonprofit and for profit individuals to build a collectivce understanding of energy development fundamentals and energy democracy;
Quite frankly, the list goes on and on. You should rest assured that the staff of the Coalition of Communities of Color is working hard for the interests of our 19 member organizations, and communities of color writ large, and for you.
As Gabriel Garcia Marquez once said, the dominant culture “insist on measuring us with the yardstick that they use for themselves, forgetting that the ravages of life are not the same for all, and that the quest for our own identity is just as arduous and bloody for us as it was for them."
The Coalition of Communities of Color's mission is to address the socioeconomic disparities, institutional racism, and inequity of services experienced by our families, children and communities; and to organize our communities for collective action resulting in social change to obtain self-determination, wellness, justice and prosperity.
I am proud and honored to be part of that ongoing, unwavering mission, and hope that all who read our Equity Newsletter join us in these efforts.
Tony DeFalco
I have been excited about the Coalition since 2008 when I first heard about and was immediately supportive of the vision of our communities coming together in common cause. It’s an honor and privilege to be able to serve all the communities the Coalition represents in this capacity. I am very excited about the good work that has gone into the development of the REDEFINE program, as we truly are at a critical juncture in addressing climate change and other environmental challenges that disproportionately impact our communities. We are now poised to be able to not only take the lead in addressing these challenges but address them in ways that have disproportionate benefit to our communities.
Chi Nyugen
I’m excited to be joining leaders across the area that have historically and continue to do great work defending equity for marginalized communities. I very much believe in communities organizing to have voices be heard and advocate for their fairness and prosperity. I feel deeply connected to this work. An anecdotal example I like to highlight on this work is: on my seventh day of becoming APANO's Interim Executive Director, I was dealt a humanitarian crisis when the federal administration separated families and transferred detained persons to FCI Sheridan. I could have been on the other side of that fence. Like those detained folks, I came to the United States from Vietnam as a political refugee seeking asylum. Oregon offered my family and me the beacon of hope. I want to join others in the fight to keep Oregon a special place that is welcoming for all of us.
Tony Hopson
As one of the original founders of the Coalition of Communities of Color, I look forward to re-engaging with the Board and the work of the CCC. The CCC has been the most consistent organization in advancing the issues that have impact people of color. We are presently in a real fight locally and nationally around equality and what we consider to be, fair and just opportunities for all citizens. The CCC provides a voice that can safely speak too many of these issues.
Ballots are out and now is the most critical time to get informed about measures and step up to volunteer! The ballot initiative process creates some of the most significant opportunities to help or harm our communities, and we urge anyone who cares about racial equity to get engaged and talk to voters about these critical measures.. Learn more with our voters’ guide here.
Ballots are due November 6 by 8:00 PM. Locate your nearest drop box here.
CCC 2018 Ballot Measure Positions
Yes on Measure 102: This measure would allow local governments to partner with nongovernmental entities to build affordable housing with local bond dollars. This would increase the opportunities for nonprofit developers—including culturally-specific community development corporations—to build affordable homes. Learn more and sign up to volunteer.
No on Measure 103: This unnecessary and overly vague constitutional amendment bans all taxes on food and limits local governments’ hands to find local revenue solutions. This poorly written measure is overly broad, and does not belong in Oregon’s constitution. Learn more.
No on Measure 104: This measure puts our state at risk of legislative gridlock and will make it difficult to close corporate tax loopholes or make even minor adjustments to tax credits and fees. Raising sufficient revenue is a perpetual problem for our state, and this measure will only make it worse. Learn more.
No on Measure 105: Supported by state and national hate groups, this anti-immigrant measure directly targets communities of color, putting them at increased risk of racial profiling. At a time when anti-immigrant sentiment is increasing, Oregonians must take a stand for basic fairness and racial justice by defeating this measure. Learn more and sign up to volunteer.
No on Measure 106: All people who can become pregnant should have meaningful access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion. By banning public funds for virtually all abortions, this constitutional amendment would deeply harm communities of color. Learn more. CCC will be co-hosting a joint No on 105 and 106 canvass centered on communities of color with Forward Together, APANO, and Latino Network on Saturday, October 27. RSVP here. You can sign up for other volunteer opportunities here.
Yes on Measure 26-201, the Portland Clean Energy Initiative: Over two years in the making, this is the first environmental initiative in Oregon to be developed and led by organizations of color. It will create $30 million in new revenue to create good jobs, healthier homes, and renewable energy for Portlanders, with an emphasis on communities of color. Learn more and sign up to volunteer.
Yes on Measure 26-199, the Metro housing bond: This regional bond will create homes for thousands of families, with a focus on serving those who are at greatest risk of housing stability. In particular, one of the of the greatest needs for families of color are multi-bedroom units, and this measure will substantially increase the number of family-sized units in the region. Learn more and volunteer.
CCC Partners with Senior Advocates for Generational Equity to Host a Public Address by Change Agent Van Jones
On September 12, the Coalition was honored to co-title sponsor a public lecture by Van Jones, a world-renowned author, CNN host, and thought leader for social and environmental justice. Jones, who recently published Beyond the Messy Truth: How we came apart, how we come together, spoke to a crowd of over 600 people on the political divisions that are tearing us apart and destroying our families, our communities, and ourselves. His lecture was an impassioned and personal invitation for all of us to recognize that “breakdowns can become breakthroughs if you use them right”.
Jones wasted no time prioritizing the work of the Coalition, our members and partners on the Portland Clean Energy Initiative (PCEI), ballot measure 26-105 and immediately pronounced that “this ballot measure to get 30 Million dollars for green jobs is the most important ballot measure in the country right now”!
Van Jones poses with CCC and SAGE after his public address and lecture, “How We Came Apart: How We Come Together” From left to right, Marcus Mundy, CCC; Paul Lumley, NAYA Family Center; Djimet Dogo, Africa House; Carol Chan, Verde; Nakisha Nathan CCC; Lisa Rome, SAGE; Ward Greene, SAGE; Van Jones, Steve Higgs, SAGE; Jeremy Hayes, Social Enterprises, Linda Woodley, Prisma Point; Kristen Grauer, SAGE; Jenny Lee, CCC; and, Joy Alise Davis, Portland African American Leadership Forum. Not pictured but also present on stage, Jai Singh, APANO.
He followed by opening up with his personal story about how he found his way through a moment of suffering in his life, suffering brought about due to vitriolic dishonest crusade to get him out of the White House, and came to find self-love and respect to find common ground with the very people who sought to oust him from Obama’s administration. Jones called upon us to examine our actions and experiences when he stated that “the lack of honesty about what we’re going through is allowing a lot of suffering to continue; a lot of dysfunction in our movements.”
He further advised that “we cannot afford to become what we are fighting...fight with love” and suggested moving through fear, anger, and hate to further transformational social change is paramount to the resistance of our opposition. Jones also invited us to practice empathy, imagine what motivates those who disagree with and fight us and find points of connection. Van Jones concluded his lecture by paraphrasing a quote from U.S. President Robert F. Kennedy, who said that standing up to your enemies is not what determines one’s moral courage, it is standing up to your friends when they are wrong.
This thrilling opportunity to co-host this public address also gave us a chance to work with new partners, Seniors for Generational Equity (SAGE), and event organizers Social Enterprise and Prisma Point. It also meant we and our members who work on the Portland Clean Energy Initiative campaign were able to connect with Van Jones and work with him to amplify the importance of this ballot measure. If you missed the address, you can listen to it in its entirety on KBOO. For more thoughtful conversation and collaborative solutionsinspired by Van’s public address and recent book, join CCC & SAGE on October 30th, from 7 PM to 9 PM at the Joinery (922 SW Yamhill St, Portland). You don’t need to have attended the talk or read the whole book to have a meaningful discussion about the current divides facing our communities and political institutions. Desserts and beverages will be served, and this event is free!
As a member of Portland United Against Hate, we are piloting a system to document hate/bias incidents in the city. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed or heard about a hate/bias incident you can report it to Portland United Against Hate by contacting our Researcher, Shweta Moorthy at researchjustice@coalitioncommunitiescolor.org.
Portland United Against Hate (PUAH) is a community initiated partnership of community based organizations, neighborhood associations, concerned communities and the City of Portland.
Together, we are building a rapid response system that combines reporting and tracking of hateful acts and providing the support and protection our communities.
The very communities most likely to be targets of hate violence are also the least likely to report their experiences to law enforcement. Undercounting of hate crimes can therefore create the impression that all is well.
Concerned communities define and experience hate as any incident that targets an individual/group based on their age, color, religion, disability (physical or mental), race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation and so on. That can be intolerance, discrimination, hostility, harassment, hate, mistreatment, prejudice, bigotry, injustice, favoritism, homophobia, xenophobia, racism, tendency, ageism, privilege, marginalization, retaliation, bullying, incivility, stereotyping, and microaggressions. The perpetrator of the incident can be an individual, organization, government agency etc.
Examples of incidents include:
A person is verbally harassed for being presumed to be from another country.
A poster is displayed that singles out a racial or ethnic group to intimidate.
A teacher intentionally ridicules a person for the pronouns that person uses.
A wall is defaced with anti-Semitic messaging.
The respondent’s personal information will be kept confidential and will not be shared with law enforcement or anyone other than the data analysts from the non-profit running the website. Only the owner of the website, Coalition of Communities of Color, will have access to this information.
The CCC will work with Portland United Against Hate to offer an analysis of hate incidents in Portland and use this data to raise awareness; advocate for legislation around hate violence, for policies that dismantle racism and white supremacy the targets the roots of hate, gang prevention, mental health, policing alternatives, to change practices such as schools, mental health services, law enforcement.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
SAVE THE DATE: 2018 CCC SUMMER SOIRÉE
Together we’re building the power of our communities for racial justice across cultures. Summer Soirée is our chance to come together as one community for an evening of conversation, idea sharing and inspiration. Join us June 12 at Revolution Hall for a dynamic program, live auction and happy hour, and let us toast to the future of our collective action.
The Legislature adjourned for 2018 on March 3, and while we saw significant progress for racial equity, there is much work to be done in 2019 and beyond. There were multiple victories in housing, along with important new legislation impacting the health and wellbeing of families.
See our earlier legislative recap for more background on these bills here, and our entire 2018 legislative agenda here.
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. This session, Rep. Tawna Sanchez took action to support families as the chief sponsor of HB 4009. As introduced, HB 4009 would have required judicial authorization before a child could be removed by the state, meaning that kids would remain in their homes so long as they were safe. Currently, children of color are removed from their homes by child welfare services at far higher rates. The bill also created an opportunity for children who are waiting to be adopted to be reunified with their families by reinstating parental rights under certain circumstances when it is in the best interest of the child. The final version of the bill only included the second provision.
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 bill passed out of the Legislature, meaning that children will have the chance to be reunified with their families, and we applaud Representative Sanchez’s leadership in passing this critical bill.
All of our priorities in housing and health passed this session!
We are disappointed that a number of priority items were left unfinished this session, and need to be at the top of the Legislature’s agenda for 2019.
With the adjournment of the 2018 session, it’s time to begin planning for next year and building power to advance racial equity. Legislators of color took action on urgent issues impacting communities of color and helped center conversations around racial justice. 2018 saw the most diverse group of legislators yet, and we look forward to next year’s long session with legislators of color leading the way to find solutions that will lead to a better Oregon for all of our communities.
The PAALF People's Plan lays out a vision of a thriving, empowered Black community and asserts the right of Black people to be in and shape community no matter our neighborhood -- from the North to the Numbers. The plan frames a Black community policy agenda and advances community-initiated projects as a powerful tool for organizing, advocacy, and implementation. The Plan is a result of twenty-six community events, which engaged over 400 Black community members using varied engagement approaches. PAALF People's Plan is strengths-focused, moving from simply naming issues to collectively building solutions for our community. This represents an empowering transformation in the community engagement process. Learn more at https://www.paalf.org/paalf-peoples-plan/.
PAALF also launched a successful project to purchase and preserve the 113-year-old Gordly-Burch family home located at 4511 N. Williams Ave in Portland, Oregon, and establish a cultural center honoring the historic heart of Oregon’s largest African American/Black community.
The property has remained in the Gordly-Burch family since its purchase in 1949. At that time uncensored racial prejudice and antisemitism were pervasive, including racist property laws that prevented African Americans from purchasing homes and redlining that prevented lending to purchase homes. The Gordly family, however, was able to purchase the home from the Jewish residents willing to help root the family in the neighborhood. The home remains an important piece of the family’s history and an important artifact of the racial justice movement from the 1950s to present day. The family members included Mrs. Beatrice and Mr. Fay Gordly, their children-- Avel Gordly, Faye (Gordly) Burch and Tyrone Gordly.
The Gordly-Burch family continues to be a symbol of self-determination in the Black community. The family has a long history of helping to advance community empowerment. Mr. Fay was a railroad worker with the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids labor group a Mason and active with the A Phillip Randolph movement, and Mrs. Beatrice was a long-time member of Mt. Olivet Baptist church and a Grand Worthy Matron of the Eastern Star.
Faye Burch, previously Governor Barbara Roberts’ Senior Policy Advisor and later serving as the Advocate for Minority and Women- Businesses, She was a co-owner of five gift shops and a small food service restaurant at the Portland International Airport for twelve years while building her business as a Project Development consultant, business leader, public policy advisor, community activist. In that role, Ms. Burch has coordinated over a Billions of Dollars of opportunities for Minority and Women Businesses and job training programs. Ms. Burch received a Congressional appointment and served on a National Small Business Commission holding hearings in Alaska, Washington, California, and Virginia. Her business has received several U.S. Small Business Administration awards and recognition in the field of construction as a Woman of Vision and a Newsmaker.
The Honorable Avel Gordly was the first African American woman elected to the Oregon State Senate, representing a geographic area that included the predominantly Black area of North and Northeast Portland from 1991 until her retirement in 2009. Her legislative record included initiatives that focus on cultural competency in education, physical and mental health, and the administration of justice and the development of legislation that continues to benefit low-income communities of color, young children, the elderly, and other vulnerable Oregonians. She served on state committees including Joint Ways and Means, Education Policy, Trade and Economic Development, and Environmental Quality. She advocated for and then co-chaired former Governor John Kitzhaber’s Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Health and established the nationally recognized Governor’s Environmental Justice Task Force.
Climate justice and energy democracy has been lifted up as a key priority for our members. For this reason, the Coalition of Communities of Color has endorsed the Portland Clean Energy Fund after serving a key leadership role in its design.
The Portland Clean Energy Fund will provide job training, apprenticeships, and minority contractor support to weatherize and solarize Portland homes and businesses, make energy efficiency upgrades for affordable housing, build clean energy infrastructure, and increase local food production. Funding and initiatives are targeted to ensure opportunities for communities historically left out of the economic engine.
Funding for this work will come from a 1% Business License Surcharge on billion-dollar retail corporations operating in Portland. We are asking for just 1% from the top 1% to address the pressing issues of racial inequities, growing economic inequality and climate change.
At a time when so many of us have to say NO far too often, this initiative is an opportunity for Portlanders to say YES in a big way. We can serve as a national model in responding to climate change and economic inequities by creating a Just Energy Transition.
Please sign up here to learn more about the Portland Clean Energy Fund!
What is the role of non-Black communities of color as in the movement to dismantle anti-Black racism? How do we organize ourselves and how do we build a new model as comrades and co-strugglers that is different from white model of allyship? Hyejin Shim poses a series of questions for the Asian and Asian American communities that pushes us to think beyond the ‘model minority myth’ to how we understand ourselves and the stories we tell in the context of the movement for Black liberation.
“As discourse on Asian American collusion in anti-blackness & American racism has grown in visibility, I’ve felt glad that more people are talking about Asian American antiblackness & racism, thankful that it’s pushing some more holistic organizing, and also, confused by how it seems that many Asian Americans are shaping their racial justice work through the model of white allyship (which I think many of us agree is ineffective and often more about white people’s feelings than about any substantive challenge to racism).”
Metro, with assistance from community advisory committees, is developing a potential framework for a housing bond to increase housing stability and affordability throughout the region. After a community engagement process, Metro Council will decide in June whether to refer the bond for the November ballot. The Coalition of Communities of Color has been sitting at the community stakeholder advisory committee, along with a number of CCC members. We are working with our member organizations to ensure that racial equity is at the center of Metro's bond framework.
“For us it is also an issue of equity, we want our community to be on board, we should not be left behind when it comes to talking about climate change and climate justice. We have to be at the table.”
A few months back, The Washington Post ran an article entitled, “The effects of climate change will force millions to migrate. Here’s what this means for human security,” in brief, the article highlights the effects of environmental consequences from climate change on human migration and life. To many, climate change and its effects are a very biological phenomena, affecting plants and animals, ice caps, extinction rates and carbon-storing, to name a few, but for Djimet Dogo, Director of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) Africa House, climate change has always been about people, and it is personal. Djimet himself is a refugee, having arrived in the United States from Chad nearly 20 years ago, but he also works with African immigrants and refugees every day at Africa House and sees similarities in their experiences. He explains the role of climate change in driving human migration as such:
“In my country [Chad], for instance, there is a progression of desert that is destroying all the farm-land. As nomads move their herds away from the advancing desert they move into the little farmland that is left. This creates conflict between tribes, between groups, and that's how people take sides, become divided; it leads to civil war and people end up as refugees. Climate change has caused drought and desertification and then the economic instability, conflict, and displacement that follows.”
Climate change can be a strong migration force. It drives conflicts around water scarcity due to desertification, disputes over control of (scarce) natural resources, and causes famine and disease. Though climate change can be the driver of larger conflict, it is often invisible, as much to us as to the refugees themselves. Djimet continues, “These conflicts [climate change driven] generate a lot of refugees who end up here [Oregon], but most of them don’t see themselves as being here due to climate change or due to the scarcity of natural resources driven by climate change.”
Djimet explains that there is often minimal discussion around climate change, let alone climate justice, at national levels in many African countries, and that many African immigrants and refugees arrive unfamiliar with U.S climate change rhetoric. This leads to an important solution for Djimet, education.
In 2017, Africa House and the Portland African American Leadership (PAALF) were awarded a grant through Meyer Memorial trust to conduct environmental justice strategic planning, community education and engagement, and advocacy agenda development through their “Afro-Ecology Series.” This process (to be completed in Spring 2018) will result in a strategic environmental justice plan prioritizing actions that reduce and eliminate environmental disparities and ensure the equitable distribution of benefits, including increased economic opportunity and investments. This collaborative effort will result in building and supporting leadership to identify and implement climate solutions. This is the first step to increasing opportunities for Africans and African Americans to build a base and have access to decision-making processes. Africa House, through a Gray Family Foundation grant, has also developed a multigenerational curriculum about climate change to share with African immigrants and refugees and to incorporate into the African Leadership Development Institute, one of CCC’s culturally specific leadership development programs. Africa House hopes to break down perceptions of environment and climate, which are often framed as political rather than spiritual and social. The environmental movement, Africa House found, should be rooted in self-determination, justice and spiritual connection to mother earth.
Climate (in)justices not only drive displacement from home countries but also affect African immigrants and refugees in Portland and around the State of Oregon. Frontline communities—communities of color, low-income communities, tribes, rural communities, immigrants, and refugees—are hit first and hardest by climate change and the pollutants that cause it. Climate change effects like drought, famine, heat waves, storms, polluted air, and water, expanding deserts, flash floods, etc, dictate so much of what African immigrants and refugees experience. Because climate change impacts immigrants and refugees first and hardest, their voices must be amplified and included in climate change efforts that have long excluded communities of color.
**Africa House, founded in 2006, serves about 5,600 community members from 22 ethnic and cultural backgrounds each year and is staffed by a multicultural team representing 17 ethnicities and speaking 10 languages. Africa House is the only culturally and linguistically specific one-stop center targeting the increasingly diverse and rapidly growing number of African immigrants and refugees living in Oregon. Africa House has received national attention for moving beyond intercultural strife to be the only center serving Africans from every country in the continent.
Nakisha, pictured with members of Portland African American Leadership Forum (PAALF) and Africa House
“Portland is frequently hailed as progressive, environmentally friendly, and socially just. The historical impacts of institutionalized racism and oppression are, however, still felt and supported even now. As a result, we live a city and state that mostly serves white interests and continues to marginalize the diversity of the people living here and ignore the leadership within our communities of color. I’m thrilled to be working with the Coalition and its members who are doing the important work to build power of leaders within their communities. I look forward to supporting our leaders as they become be key participants in the decision-making process.”
Nakisha’s commitment to advancing social justice stem from spending her formative years living in Panama, Canada, Texas and throughout the United States. Her exposure to a variety of cultures, injustices, and ecological degradation contributed to her desire to facilitate transformational leadership that honors and celebrates individuals, communities and our natural and built environment.
A few years after graduating from Texas A&M University with a degree in bioenvironmental science, Nakisha began her leadership development journey as a community organizer with Texas Campaign for the Environment, where she and her colleagues generated statewide pressure that helped convince Dell and Apple Computers to establish a free Computer TakeBack program. Later, as a legal assistant for an environmental law firm, she continued to support community leaders who seek to protect their neighborhoods from polluting industries.
In the Summer of 2012, Nakisha moved to Portland and began her studies toward earning a Master of Science degree in Education, with a specialization in Leadership for Sustainability Education from Portland State University. During her time at PSU, she worked as a STEAM Garden Educator, cultivating students’ curiosity and facilitating experiential learning opportunities.
Nakisha joins us after working as a Climate Justice Organizer at Oregon Sierra Club Chapter, as a Community and Environmental Justice Organizer with Neighbors for Clean Air, and as the Program Coordinator for the Organizer-in-Training program at OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon. Nakisha serves as the co-chair of the Portland African American Leadership Forum’s Environmental Justice Committee, and continues to work with OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon and Neighbors for Clean Air as a member of each organizations’ Board of Directors.
When she’s not at work, Nakisha can be found playing a variety of games with her friends and family; camping with her partner and two dogs; photographing Oregon’s natural landscapes, flora and fauna; or, gleefully pursuing her quest to find every member of the Araucaria Araucana species (Monkey Puzzle Tree) in Portland.
Gender Pronouns: She/Her/Hers and They/Them/Their
On Saturday, March 10th, leaders from six culturally specific leadership development programs came together and learned about each other’s values, perspectives, and experiences at CCC’s 4th Annual Bridges Convening. Our keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, Robin Johnson, with the Center for Equity and Inclusion was the highlight of the event. Robin’s presentation balanced insightful information with personal storytelling to illustrate how people recognize the impacts of racism and privilege on their values and become empowered to begin collaborating in coalition with one another. Hopefully, those who were in attendance at the end of the program have had a chance to reflect further on the questions Robin posed at the close of the convening: How has the cycle of empowerment shaped your cross-cultural values? How do you intend to advance social justice or dismantle oppression through your personal work and your collective work?
African Leadership Development Institute (ALDI)
LEAD for Oregon's Native Communities
Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Institute (API-CLI)
African American Leadership Academy (AALF)
Slavic Leadership Development Project (SLA-LDP)
Unid@s for Oregon Latin@ Leadership
Participants were thrilled to hear from guest panelists Becca Uherbelau, Laura Vinson, and Mary Moller who joined us from Metro, Lane County, and the Governor Kate Brown’s Office. Panelists spoke and answered questions about how our leaders can take advantage of opportunities and partnerships to increase their influence and access to more decision-making spaces for greater impact.
Over fifty Bridges Directory profiles were updated, and we received valued input from folks about how the directory can further support our leaders. This year’s convening also provided space for people to hear about and provide thoughts on how we lead the way in the creation of a clean energy future for our communities. The discussion included details about the ballot initiative for a Portland Clean Energy Fund that would raise $30 million per year to create solutions for climate justice.
Alumni and current leaders were invited to share their stories and values all throughout the event and the energy felt during these moments of cross-cultural learning and understanding was tangible! We’ve since heard from numerous participants how meaningful it was to hear from leaders in other programs and look forward to creating space for more cross-cultural collaboration. We were all further energized by a brief but joyful performance by Leonid Nosov who played the bayan (accordion) between the two-afternoon sessions. And a dozen of our leaders became spontaneous dancers and musicians during Chata Addy’s comedic, instructional and interactive performance!
Stay tuned to find out more about how this convening will continue to inform our work, and the work of our new Leadership Development Director, Nakisha Nathan. In the meantime, we encourage folks who haven’t done so to update their Bridges Directory Profile!
