RtR Community,
In case you’re wondering, no I will not be releasing statements every day. The Trump Administration is notorious for fire hosing us with oppressive policies and outrageous statements so we’re in a constant state of reaction and disillusionment. Trump freezing all civil rights cases, passing the Laken Riley Act and emboldening ICE to terrorize people at schools, churches and hospitals, are just a few of the horrific things that have come out of the first days of the administration, with many more to come.
Playing whack-a-mole with (ultimately) virtue signaling statements is not the answer. There are organizations and individuals doing real work to not just resist these measures, but build spaces and systems that protect and empower communities under attack.
RtR will continue to point our audience to places where the work is happening and encourage you to join us in the work we’re doing in Lake Oswego and with our partners throughout Clackamas County. If you’re interested in getting your hands dirty with us, join our direct engagement and/or research and data collection teams. If you’re a student interested in connecting with other students doing this work, join the Youth Empowerment Coalition. You can sign up for any of the three committees here. The Clackamas County Equity Coalition is always looking for more organizers ready to roll up their sleeves. Beyond our day to day activities, we are sharing and encouraging community members to tap in with groups doing necessary justice work throughout the PDX Metro Area and Oregon on the @respond_to_racism IG page just about every day.
There’s no shortage of opportunities to get involved. There’s also no shortcut to getting involved. If you’ve been able to tune out the alarm bells until today, that’s okay. But understand, we’re in the thick of it now (and frankly, have been for some time). If you’re looking for some places to get started, see the calls to action from the Coalition of Communities of Color “Cultivating Belonging in Clackamas County” report and join us at next week’s CCEC quarterly meeting at Mary’s Woods at 5:30pm.
We look forward to building with you!
In solidarity,
Bruce Poinsette
