Investing in Black Lives: A Path Toward Healing

Join us to push for change in our community

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The last week has been tragically historic. The disturbing video of George Floyd’s murder by a police officer has provoked a national reckoning. It could not be clearer that the nation, and our local community, is ready for change. 

We know real change is possible; organizations like ours have been at the forefront of many social change movements in our decades of service. But as tens of thousands protest across the country, the path forward remains murky. To navigate this space, we will need the voice of Black leaders, the ears of our allies, and the guidance of our community.

To that end,  the Urban League of Portland and the Portland NAACP will be acting in this crucial moment to solicit guidance via a virtual panel discussion and listening session hosted by Black community leaders and top elected officials. Nkenge Harmon Johnson, Urban League President & CEO; Rev. E.D. Mondainé, NAACP president; Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty; Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler; and Oregon Governor Kate Brown will act as panelists, facilitating a dialogue that generates real answers for real progress.

One of the realities of Oregon’s racist history is a well-earned distrust in the Black community of dominant-culture institutions that have failed, betrayed, and targeted us since their inception. It is time for our elected leaders and the broader community to earn that missing trust.

This moment can be a catalyst for transformative progress, but only if we demand it. Our reform must be led by those impacted most, so we are using this virtual forum to elicit input, suggestions, and proposals from participants for concrete steps to move toward our shared goal of real justice, equity, freedom, and power for Black people.  

We will move forward together. 

Watch the full discussion HERE