Don't Shoot Portland

Today, NASA held it’s official renaming ceremony in honor of its’ first Black aerospace engineer, Mary Winston Jackson. Mrs. Jackson successfully overcame the barriers of segregation and gender bias to become a leader in ensuring equal opportunity for future generations. Her greatest achievements were showcased in the 2016 film ‘Hidden Figures’, a movie starring Janelle Monae telling the stories of the numerous Black women who worked as ‘human computers’, making the scientific calculations for space travel possible. We hope you are inspired to learn more about Mary Jackson and her life changing discoveries by sharing them with your family and friends as well.

On February 24th, we were honored to be part of a Social Justice Webinar hosted by La Salle Catholic College Preparatory and their Black Student Union – we had an engaging and powerful discussion about Black Excellence, social justice awareness, personal and communal faith and more. The recording of the panel is now available on YouTube, which you can view here.

Saturday, February 27, 2021 we will be joining the virtual Winter Congress event with Junior State of America, starting at 1pm – to register for this weekend of political discussions, please view more here. Stacey Abrams, keynote speaker, will be among other political activists speaking on the current state of our nation.

As we near the end of Black History Month, we are focusing ahead on our Spring Break Out programming, an annual community outreach plan that will result in more free items for the youth! We have several educational and learning kits for all ages – please sign your families up for our youth programming in order to reserve your resources!

For those who are already signed up, we would love to connect with you all about your Reclaim MLK tote bags and the books that were given at the event. Please follow up with us if you have any questions about the curriculum or report.

We are encouraging youth to really research their materials by letting us know their thoughts, feelings and any lessons or wisdom gained from their collective experience. Quarantine is a perfect opportunity to grow and engage with the world around you, and that means using education as a tool to become the leaders our communities need.

Sign up for Don’t Shoot PDX’s youth activism programming here!

Don’t Shoot Portland is proud to announce that we will be providing youth with year long scholarships through local music education nonprofit, Ethos.

We have donated $10,000 from our Children’s Art and Social Justice Council to further access to the arts through our communities who need it the most. In addition to free music lessons, we will also be supporting initiatives for BIPOC led teaching environments for all students who sign up. Both Ethos and Don’t Shoot PDX are excited about this first step in a new era of relationship building as we evolve, expand and collaborate. Please sign up here, and Ethos will be in touch regarding scheduling lessons. This is open to youth of all ages, including young adults.

Don’t Shoot Portland was able to make this happen through the support of many artists and art organizations in our community. Please consider donating to our programming and encouraging a friend or family member to match the contribution! Thank you all for supporting us.

Black Futures Matter.

Everyone should be looking into Black art and literature, especially this month. A great way to research this is by supporting Black art. Some of the creatives we’ve come across include Portland based artists Aiyana Monae and Her Name is Kyra.

We also discovered two great Black owned businesses: Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee and Books – A Black Philadelphia bookstore and community space that donates portions from each sale to other local bookstores. We pre-ordered Amanda Gorman’s The Hill We Climb and purchased copies of Pharrell William’s Pharrell: Places and Spaces I’ve Been. Puzzle Huddle – A family run company that sells puzzles for children of all age levels featuring diverse characters in empowering career roles.

Now we will leave you with one of the most inspiring documentaries we have seen in a long time.

Black Art: In the Absence of Light is a 2021 documentary that dives into the long and formidable past and present of Black art and its collectors, while also exploring the importance of promoting and supporting living Black artists. This feature was so powerful and unveiled many truths about Black art.

We urge you to add this to your watch lists!

Today marks 14 years since the death of Coretta Scott-King, an icon of the Civil Rights Movement. Please take a moment to honor and research her work – in addition to founding The King Center, she dedicated her life to Black liberation through outreach and education. 

Black Lives Still Matter. 

This was our final ‘Not Black Friday’ week of free meal deliveries, we are grateful for the opportunities and relationships built through this mutual aid program! For the last 3 months we have been able to provide over 2,000 meals to those in need throughout Oregon and Washington. Thank you so much to Lisa Schroeder of Mother’s Bistro, our dependable and talented team of chefs and volunteers who have gone above and beyond planning, cooking, organizing and delivering these meals!

We couldn’t do this work without all of your support – we are endlessly grateful that we’re able to serve our communities through these unprecedented times.

Thank you so much to the construction team at IES Commercial Inc, Hoffman, the TransPak team and conservator Samantha Springer for being part of the dismantling at the Apple store this week and taking special care of these panels of art.

Thank you to Fifth Column Films, Mika Martinez and Portland Drone for taking the time to be on site and capture these moments! Thank you to all of the artists for being part of the call to action and proving that you can’t control art. 

If you are an artist that participated in this mural, please reach out to us – we’d love to hear from you and keep you connected to these pieces.

We will be hosting an event at Dawson Park on February 9th, 2021 from 3:30 until 6pm to arrange art swag bag pickups for those who did not receive them at the MLK March. 

Please reach out to receive the youth curriculum in order to receive a tote bag at the event! 

We will be pre-packing bags to make this a contactless pick-up and will be abiding by social distancing guidelines – please wear a mask when you arrive to receive your items! The facebook event page is here.

Thank you all for supporting us!

We are overwhelmed by the coordinated efforts of our community that made Reclaim MLK a beautiful and safe celebration for Rev. Dr. King! Thank you to those who made the day possible from the artist who designed our handouts to the printers who hand printed each of our bags and the youth who designed our zines, thank you to the bikers and photographers for showing up! We are grateful to Portland Drone for following and capturing our March from above as well.

So many youth received books, families received PPE supplies and neighbors spent time reflecting over the 3 Letters. The youth leading the March gave directives from Dr. King to reclaim the dream. This year was incredibly special – it was powerful to have the energy of last summer’s youth activists using their voices.

Our community is stronger because of these efforts and we thank you!

The Children’s Art and Social Justice Council shared their favorite freedom songs with older organizers while gaining new chants as well. If children would like to receive or exchange a book, we have plenty.

Please sign up for the Don’t Shoot Portland newsletter and the youth activism link on our website for more details!

Some of you may remember the art residency we held at the Portland Art Museum during the Hank Willis Thomas’ exhibition in 2019/20. During this residency we helped produce an album, Spirit of Freedom by LaRhonda Steele and Karen Haberman Trusty. These are the same songs that were taught to our Children’s Art and Social Justice Council and listening to these songs ring loud in the streets during such a divided time gave them even deeper meaning.

On January 21, 2021, America witnessed the inauguration of the first Black woman after a tumultuous year filled with white supremacy, racial violence and a global pandemic. As we continue to navigate our way through these changing times, it is with honor that we accept the responsibility of preserving the Apple @ Pioneer Place panels that reflect the responses of so many that were witnesses to this summers’ uprisings and the joint call to action against institutionalized violence and white nationalism.

As we honor those who have been murdered, we feel closest to those who were murdered here in the city of Portland. Please continue to carry their names: Deonte Keller, Kendra James, Jason Washington, Terrell Johnson, Patrick Kimmons, Quanice Hayes, Aaron Campbell and too many names.

Black Lives Still Matter.

If you are an artist that participated in this mural, please reach out to us – we’d love to hear from you and keep you connected to these pieces.
Please reach out to us at contact@dontshootpdx.org!

As you prepare to join us in remembrance and celebration of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s 92nd birthday, please be advised and abide by these COVID 19 guidelines.

• Wear your mask unless eating/drinking
• Do not share megaphones
• Maintain 6 feet apart when possible
• If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or anything similar, please refrain from attending.

We cannot help but reflect on last years’ biggest accomplishment – with our community, we’ve made history with the Don’t Shoot Portland v. City of Portland lawsuit. None of what has been achieved would’ve been possible without the support of those who believe in our work. 

“In bringing this case, DSP has brought and amplified the voice of anti-racist protestors into a legal space which has historically excluded such voices. Through this litigation, DSP has brought additional scrutiny to police use of excessive force against protestors, and held the police accountable. DSP’s legal team continues to fight in court, inspired and supported by on the ground activists, in furtherance of a vision of community that is safe and welcoming to all who believe in love and justice.” – Ashlee Albies, Don’t Shoot Portland Attorney

Our next hearing is February 9, 2021. We also want to give special thanks to SITU NYC who published a detailed video reconstruction of the excessive force carried out by police in response to Black Lives Matter protestors – this footage became essential evidence in our court litigation. 

Due to COVID-19, the programming provided to families and youth have been halted, but it didn’t stop us from curating a collection of notable books that will be gifted to our comrades whov’e signed up to participate in activities with the Children’s Art and Social Justice Council. Social change matters and we believe that learning to become a good reader will lead you to research ways to dismantle unjust systems. Maybe you will even be inspired to write your own stories. Just like youth voices, Black Books Matter. 

Here is our 2021 short list:

“Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” by Maya Angelou, with illustrations from Jean-Michel Basquiat

“Good Night Martin Luther King Jr” by Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper

“Long Way Down” by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff

“The Black Kids” by Christina Hammonds Reed

“This is My America” by Kim Johnson

“We Came to America” by Faith Ringgold

“Story Painter: The life of Jacob Lawrence” by John Duggleby

“Becoming Muhammad Ali” by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander

“Black Futures” curated & edited by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham

“Trespass: History of Uncommissioned Urban Art” by Carlo McCormick

“Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson

“Faces and Phases” by Zanele Muholi

“I, Too, Am America” by Langston Hughes, illustrated by Bryan Collier

“Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates 

“The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead

“I Am Rosa Parks” by Rosa Parks and Jim Haskins, illustrated by Wil Clay

“Smash It!” by Francina Simone

“The Black Flamingo” by Dean Atta

“Beloved” by Toni Morrison

“Child of the Dream” by Sharon Robinson

“These Hands” by Hope Lynn Price, illustrated by Bryan Collier

“Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment” by Jessica Curry and Parker Curry

“One of the Good Ones” by Maritza Moulite

“Sulwe” by Lupita Nyong’o

“Thurgood” by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Bryan Collier

“Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History” by Vashti Harrison, 

“Who Was Martin Luther King Jr?” by Lisbeth Kaiser, illustrated by Stanley Chow

“The Undefeated” by Kwame Alexander, Kadir Nelson

“Bunheads” by Misty Copeland

“Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut” by Derrick Barnes

“Rosa” by Nikki Giovanni

“Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad” by Ellen Levine, Kadir Nelson 

“Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson

“The Water Dancer” by Ta-Nehisi Coates

“All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto” by George M. Johnson

“Concrete Rose” by Angie Thomas 

“I Am Every Good Thing” by Derrick Barnes, Gordon C. James

“Mae Among The Stars” by Roda Ahmed

“Antiracist Baby” by Ibram X.Kendi, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky

“Martin Rising: Requiem For A King” by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney

“Let the Children March” by Monica Clark-Robinson, illustrated by Frank Morrison

“Don’t Touch My Hair” by Sharee Miller

“M Is For Melanin: A Celebration of The Black Child” by Tiffany Rose

We’d like to acknowledge that while our registration for the Children’s Art and Social Justice Council is closed, we are allowing youth activists who signed up with DSP to get first priority on our Reclaim MLK tote bags. We will have hundreds of shirts, brand new art supplies,  educational tools and more to give out, free! We appreciate the hard work put in by youth leaders to create social change by making impacts in their community. Thank you all for being part of our programming and making everything we do possible.

Our free meal distribution will continue through the end of January – we are so grateful to the many volunteers who have made this possible – preppers, cleaners, chefs, drivers, etc.

We have been able to provide over 1,600 meals since #NotBlackFriday and it couldn’t happen without the support of our community. 

We are eternally grateful! If you have not yet received a meal but would like to sign up, please make sure to send an email to contact@dontshootpdx.org!

 

 

Another huge thank you to the team that was able to screen print hundreds of tote bags for our youth on Monday! Each bag features Black activists, scholars and writers. As youth activists arrive for our march, they will be able to choose their own bags filled with art, books and more.

Please sign up to volunteer with us if you haven’t already and view the event on Facebook for more information.

Audio is now available from the Art of Collective Care and Responsibility Teach-In!

For those who missed our executive director and founder Teressa Raiford’s participation, please watch the full video above! Thank you to LaTanya Autry and Black Liberation Center for providing this powerful platform. Teressa will be hosting her own webinar, Liberated Archives for Black Lives, with the Society of California Archivists on January 21 from 1:30 to 2:30pm. Please register here!

There is rarely a day that goes by when we aren’t affected or triggered by the ongoing trauma surrounding us. The uptick in racial violence in our nation means we must acknowledge our hurt in order to process and continue the work of creating social change. Please read these guides by Safer Space BLM and share to those who may need them as well. Never stop taking care of yourselves and those around you. This is what community looks like – forever.

No one in America should be surprised by the actions that have taken place in the last twenty four hours. It’s indicative of what activists, organizers and Black leaders have said for generations. America is solidly founded on the principals of white supremacy and the processes that allow it have brought us to this time.

Now it is time to demand accountability and listen to those who have been systematically marginalized and most affected by the violence of American policy.

Donald J. Trump has been afforded a platform that we should all recognize provides anyone, not just him, the leverage and proximity to fuel the type of insurrection and violence we continue to witness in America. This summer when we filed several lawsuits against the city of Portland and the Trump administration it was our intention to show the irreparable harm that many witnesses of police violence have already known.

On January 20th, a new president will be inaugurated. But on January 18th, we should all be taking a moment to honor and look at the work done by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

This year Don’t Shoot Portland is on the fence about having our annual march.  We don’t want to re-introduce trauma to our community.  The actions witnessed on January 6th 2021 triggered many of us and is causing severe PTSD for thousands of Portlanders directly affected by police violence. 

There is no evidence in Portland that would lead us to believe we will not be targeted and those peacefully protesting won’t be harmed.  It is life that is essential as we fight for non violence.  It is not a whisper, it has been a roar resounding for generations.  We honor those voices and the ones that will guide us in the future.  Regardless of what we decide we will continue to promote and engage in mutual aid and our ongoing work to build sustainable community action.

We encourage everyone reflecting on the leadership  and words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr to do as he has so many times, write a letter to your state leaders, not just signing it to a petition but a letter from your heart.  Help elected leaders and representatives in Washington D.C. know how you feel about America and what you believe we need to do together to make social change possible. 

We host rallies and events because we believe in People power and we know that the power of your voice is important and that the best action that we can take on that day would be to Honor King by making your heart known.  Use art, use words, movement or sounds to reflect, express and do something that helps to bring you peace.

Calls to action: 

Provide a testimony of what you have witnessed at protests against injustice in Portland and how this differs from the domestic terrorism that was witnessed at the Capitol. Explain how you feel and what you believe should be done.

We must also call our Senators and Representatives (202-224-3121) to demand the following: 

-Call for the immediate impeachment of Donald J. Trump;

-Hold the Senate accountable to convict and remove him; and 

-Censure every member of Congress who participated in the unconstitutional effort to stop the certification of the electoral college presidential results. 

We Are The Change! 
Thank you for continuing to support our ongoing work.

Please consider supporting our work through the GiveGuide, which ends at midnight! We are nearly to our goal and we need your help in reaching it! 

Thank you all for making 2020 a monumental year for social change. We’ve witnessed community support and engagement on a level not witnessed in generations. Bold youth organizing has influenced the social landscape of our nation.

You all did this!

Portland was on the map for uplifting the movement for Black Lives and we know this is a direct result of an ongoing commitment to education and the intentional centering of Black voices.

Continue to say #BlackLivesMatter, continue to show up and most importantly, please continue to Do The Work!

This is only the beginning.

A message to all of our Reclaim MLK volunteers – if you have signed up to volunteer with us during the march, we have your shirts ready for distribution! Please sign up here if you haven’t already, bring your masks and a friend and family member – we can’t wait to see you.

Please read on for our end of year recap/statement! We are so grateful for all of your support over the years and especially through what has been an unparalleled year for all of us. Thank you for showing up in solidarity, whether it was on the ground or from afar. This work can’t happen without all of you. 

See you in 2021.

End of Year Recap:

On the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday, January 15th, 2019, we opened our own location at 18 NE Killingsworth, Center for Advocacy and Community Involvement. Housed within the former Albina Arts Center in Portland’s historic Albina neighborhood, we looked at this occupation as reclaiming space in a now heavily gentrified area. We are grateful to have hosted a community expungement clinic as well as our liberated archives workshops before the coronavirus pandemic turned our programming virtual in February. Over the three month course of isolation, we were able to connect families with essential items such as PPE, groceries, hygiene items and more. With resources becoming increasingly scarce as uncertainty with the coronavirus lockdown continued, we were thankful to be in a position to provide aid and services to those without access. 

On May 25th, the wrongful murder of George Floyd at the hands of police went viral – protests became organized around the world within 24 hours. As Black America sprung into action stirred by the collective trauma caused by George Floyd’s killing, an emphasis on sharing information and resources needed to happen. Our weekly online rallies were implemented in order to build mutual aid nationwide. Our way of making this accessible was through our Mutual Aid for Black Lives Matter spreadsheet, a stockpile of family-run fundraisers, community bail funds, street medic support, legal representation, phone scripts and more.

We are thankful to our team of community health professionals and researchers Arya Morman, Dr. Anita Randolph, ZaDora Williams and Donovan Smith. The collaborative research they produced for DSP served as proof of the detrimental effects caused by riot control agents on our physical, mental and environmental health. It also supported the educational and awareness of activists, court systems and health administrators in building frameworks for social equity. This scientific evidence is what propelled our lawsuit against the city of Portland forward – this hearing is a historical win as it marks the first time protestors have testified in court against police while providing in-depth accounts of the assault. This was not a pro-bono lawsuit – this happened due to the direct backing of our donors and community members, which is an extreme victory in itself! We could not do our advocacy without each and every one of you; through this network of support we have been able to continue serving the communities that need it through this tumultuous year together.

It is now our bittersweet announcement that we will no longer have a home at the DCBC nor the space next door which we opened on Dr. King’s Birthday earlier this year. When we initially moved in, we had high hopes of acquiring and rehabilating the building to provide resources for our Black community as it’s intended use, but were not granted that opportunity. With so many communities currently being displaced or facing displacement, we are simply grateful to have occupied the space for as long as we did. The educational outreach and civic engagement we cultivated at the former Albina Arts Center will serve as a cornerstone in the last ten years of Don’t Shoot Portland’s journey. We will continue to search for our permanent home in the city of Roses.

Thank you so much to PDX Black Excellence for showing our organization support through their recent fundraiser! It is an honor to be recognized for our programming.

As the biggest giving season of the year comes to an end, we only have two weeks left on the Give!Guide platform and need all of the backing we can get. Your contribution helps make the work we do happen and going into 2021, we are going to be needed by our communities more than ever. You can also make your donation monthly!

On Dec 25th we will be continuing our Black Friday’s feed-in service by delivering free meals to families across Oregon and Washington. Please send an email to contact@dontshootpdx.org if you are in need of meals every Friday through the end of January.

All we need is a drop off location and your dietary restrictions. We are so thankful to Mother’s Bistro owner Lisa Schroeder and our dedicated team of volunteers for making this crucial outreach possible, especially those of you who are choosing to join us on Christmas day!

The end of the year can be difficult to process as we reflect on the past twelve months that have passed, especially during this unprecedented time. Please read on for holiday wellness tips from Safer Space for BLM.

Holiday Wellness Tips:
Extra support for navigating this holiday season. 

• Holidays look different this year. Give yourself permission to get creative with traditions and try something new. 

• Knowing you are part of a larger journey, honor and learn more about your ancestors, community, history and story. 
• It’s common to feel overwhelmed right now. Respect your limits with boundaries and restorative rest. 
• Rather than shutting down, make room for your feelings and process with others who are safe for you. 
• Own your unique experience of joy, connection, disappointment, grief and gratitude.

Please join us on January 18th for our Reclaim MLK March! We are in need of volunteers and youth leaders; reach out here and sign up to be a part in 2021.

On December 11, 2020, Don’t Shoot Portland founder Teressa Raiford will be presenting as part of an online discussion, “Art of Collective Care & Responsibility: Handling Images of Black Suffering & Death” with Black Liberation Center and Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland.
 

Streaming from December 3rd to December 13th, this free 5-part virtual teach-in highlights our collective power to oppose exploitation and anti-Black racism in the visual arts fields. The event will be education-focused and open for communal reflection for those who experience anti-Black violence. In addition to featuring a keynote lecture and two roundtable panels, this interactive gathering includes guided meditation, music, and an educational resource guide.
 

 Register for Teressa’s presentation on December 11, 2020 here. 

Other presenters include Ms. Samaria Rice, founder of the Tamir Rice Foundation, D. Christina Sharpe, Alexandra Bell, William C. Anderson, Dr. Kirsten P. Buick, Sheila Pree Bright, Dr. Kelli Morgan, Dr. Izetta Mobley, Teressa Raiford, Amanda D. King, Case Bargé, Fay Victor, Dr. Aimee Meredith Cox, Key Jo Lee, and La Tanya S. Autry.

Our Liberated Archives programming is back!
 

Teressa Raiford has been invited to host a webinar as part of the Society of California Archivists event for January 21, 2021. Please save the date and register here.
 

Our Liberated Archives for Black Lives programming centers education and documentation for preservation, art and history. Through our partnership with the City of Portland Archives, Don’t Shoot Portland has been able to gain access to informational archives and relate them to our current systems – these educational assets are vital to sustaining social change. Participants of this webinar will learn how to connect with communities to build dialogue regarding the importance of local preservation of Black Civil Rights. The intended audience for this webinar would be archivists, historians, librarians, artists, activists, community educators and organizers.

As we move through December we are turning our attention towards the coming years’ Reclaim MLK march. This is one of our biggest annual events and we are grateful to re-connect with our cities’ youth as they lead this March on Dr. King Day. Please make sure you are signed up for volunteering with us as well as signing your youth up for Childrens Art and Social Justice Council.
 

We will be sending out emails in the coming weeks and will be counting on your support and participation!