Community Spotlight – Respond To Racism https://respondtoracism.org coming together to address overt and systemic racism in Lake Oswego Mon, 16 Jun 2025 16:45:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 RtR featured in BlackOut edition of the Portland Mercury https://respondtoracism.org/2025/blackout-issue-of-the-mercury-features-bruce-poinsette-essay/ Mon, 26 May 2025 17:35:34 +0000 https://respondtoracism.org/?p=1458 Read more]]> RtR Executive Director Bruce Poinsette has penned a new essay for The Mercury’s special insert, BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement. In The Lesson he reflects on what changes he has seen (or not seen) in Lake Oswego as he navigated the ebb and flow of activism and commitment and and his own family’s loss over the last few years.

Article from the mercury titled The Lesson
BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement [is] a joint publication from Donovan Scribes and the Portland Mercury. Written exclusively by Black Portlanders, the purpose of BlackOut is to remember and reflect on the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, and the 100+ days of protests in Portland that same year. –Editors note about the new insert to the Mercury newspaper

Pick up a copy of the Mercury at one of 500 locations in the Portland metro area. The insert is featured in the food edition of the newspaper. Or, stop by and see us June 1 at Lake Oswego Pride. Respond to Racism will be present and we will have extra copies to hand out.

More coverage from KATU: Five years after George Floyd’s death, Black Portlanders call for continued awareness

]]> Recommended book display now in Lake Oswego Schools https://respondtoracism.org/2025/recommended-book-display-now-in-lake-oswego-schools/ Wed, 21 May 2025 01:59:05 +0000 https://respondtoracism.org/?p=1452 Read more]]>

Uplifting local histories and stories of communities of color is vital to our work.

In November, we began a push to get books from author talks we and/or our community partners have hosted in recent years into Lake Oswego School District schools. Thanks to a generous donation from our friends at LO for Love and collaboration with LOSD librarian Carrie Light, there are now displays of with the 6 recommended books available for checkout in both high schools and middle schools in LOSD.

We look forward to continuing to build on this community collaboration to inform and empower youth to be antiracist!

Book List

  • It Did Happen Here: An Antifascist People’s History by Moe Bowstern, Mic Crenshaw, Alec Dunn, Celina Flores, Julie Perini, and Erin Yanke
  • The Place We Make by Sarah L. Sanderson
  • Funeral for Flaca by Emilly Prado
  • Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley by David G. Lewis
  • The Portland Black Panthers by Lucas N. N. Burke and Judson L. Jeffries
  • A Peculiar Paradise: A History of Blacks in Oregon 1788-1940 by Elizabeth McLagan
]]> Major Black Scientists: Black History Month 2025 https://respondtoracism.org/2025/major-black-scientists-black-history-month-2025/ Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:56:49 +0000 https://respondtoracism.org/?p=1295 Read more]]> Black scientists have lead scientific breakthroughs and major inventions for centuries but most people don’t learn about them in school. Connie Romansky, of the African American Women of Lake Oswego and Surrounding Areas group, has sharing a list of Black inventors at Lake Oswego community events for years.

Connie shares that she does this because “I am trying to do something each year to show our important contributions to America that few people know about.”

Read the list and download and share!

Major Black Scientists 2025 Black History Month (1)Download
]]> Troy Douglass | Life After the Bubble https://respondtoracism.org/2024/troy-douglas-life-after-the-bubble/ Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:40:45 +0000 https://respondtoracism.org/?p=1029 Read more]]> About Life After the Bubble: This series seeks to spotlight the experiences of alumni and former students of color from Lake Oswego schools. “Life After the Bubble” will feature interviews from various students, each sharing distinct cultural experiences and reflections from their time in LO. The objective is not just to provoke thought, but to inspire our community to adjust our racial justice approach, making it more inclusive and centered around LO’s communities of color.

Find more editions of Life After the Bubble on YouTube.

]]> David Lee | Life After the Bubble https://respondtoracism.org/2024/david-lee-life-after-the-bubble/ Thu, 15 Aug 2024 00:13:50 +0000 https://respondtoracism.org/?p=1017 Read more]]> About Life After the Bubble: This series seeks to spotlight the experiences of alumni and former students of color from Lake Oswego schools. “Life After the Bubble” will feature interviews from various students, each sharing distinct cultural experiences and reflections from their time in LO. The objective is not just to provoke thought, but to inspire our community to adjust our racial justice approach, making it more inclusive and centered around LO’s communities of color.

Find more editions of Life After the Bubble on YouTube

]]> Community Spotlight: Tones of Change https://respondtoracism.org/2024/community-spotlight-tones-of-change/ Wed, 19 Jun 2024 00:45:31 +0000 https://respondtoracism.org/?p=968 Read more]]> Editor’s note: RtR is introducing a new Community Spotlight section where we’ll be regularly highlighting creative projects, especially by current and former LO students of color, that are helping advance the mission of educating and empowering our community with the tools to combat racism in all its forms and make Lake Oswego and Oregon a better place to live for people of all ethnicities. If you have tips for projects that you think should be featured in future posts, submit them to respondtoracisminlo@gmail.com with the subject line Re: Community Spotlight.

Tones of Change is a project by Lakeridge rising senior Siena Riquelme-Cheung that highlights women of color in Lake Oswego. In addition to interviews, it includes discussions and research on stereotypes, as well as historical analysis of fashion trends and hairstyles. Check out Tones of Change!

Riquelme-Cheung is also a leader with the Lakeridge Women of Color Alliance. Learn more about their group here.

]]> Community Spotlight: Children of the Sun, a Novel by Daniel Nsengimana https://respondtoracism.org/2024/community-spotlight-children-of-the-sun-a-novel-by-daniel-nsengimana/ Sat, 30 Mar 2024 15:46:55 +0000 https://respondtoracism.org/?p=874 Read more]]> Editor’s note: RtR is introducing a new Community Spotlight section where we’ll be regularly highlighting creative projects, especially by current and former LO students of color, that are helping advance the mission of educating and empowering our community with the tools to combat racism in all its forms and make Lake Oswego and Oregon a better place to live for people of all ethnicities. If you have tips for projects that you think should be featured in future posts, submit them to respondtoracisminlo@gmail.com with the subject line Re: Community Spotlight.

Check out Lake Oswego High School alum Daniel Nsengimana’s debut novel Children of the Sun. The former RtR columnist and founding member of the LOHS Black Student Union’s new book takes readers to precolonial Africa where a royal family prepares to stave off an incoming invasion while navigating open family wounds. Learn more about the book and buy a copy on his Amazon webpage.

Hear Daniel talk about his experience growing up in Lake Oswego on Life After the Bubble.

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