When I wrote a personal essay about racist tweets among students at Lake Oswego High School (“Lake Oswego’s worst-kept secret,” published March 17 in The Oregonian), I never expected such an outpouring of responses. The nickname “Lake No Negro” is known in many circles, and yet many people were shocked and frustrated to learn institutional …
My turn: Essay on racism in Lake Oswego prompts wide-ranging response Read More »
When Jeff Martens came to Portland Startup Weekend (PDXSW) two years ago, he had left his last employer and was looking for a fresh start. “I was going to look for a job but then I thought it would be great if I could start my own business instead of getting a job with someone …
54 Hours + Your New Business Plan = Portland Startup Weekend Read More »
Instead of enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon, members of Occupy North East (ONE) – a.k.a. ‘The Black Working Group,’ We Are Oregon and Ainsworth United Church of Christ (UCC) came together to discuss foreclosure and how churches can get involved. “Our position is that the struggle has to emanate from the ground up,” says Ahjamu …
Occupy North East, We Are Oregon, Rep. Lew Frederick Host Ainsworth Foreclosure Forum Read More »
The first thing that stands out about Jefferson High School guard Jailin Gage is his humility. “I don’t want to put everything on me,” he says, with his father Johnnie and brother Johnnie Jr. at his side. Gage, who is also an honor roll student, led the school’s freshman basketball team to an undefeated season …
New Article: Jailin Gage: How One Teen Puts School and Sports Together Read More »
In response to the Trayvon Martin shooting, around 80 men and 20 women gathered at Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI) this past week to discuss police brutality and strategic action in the Black community. “We wanted to meet and figure out what people can do individually to change their communities,” says Blake Dye, organizer of the …
New Article: Trayvon Martin: Portland Men, Women Gather for ‘The Conversation’ Read More »
Denise Sayles lost her son to leukemia ten years ago; today she is dedicating her life to making sure other moms – and their kids – have better options in the face of cancer. “Woody was a courageous, ambitious person,” she says. “He was full of life. Full of fun.” After years of grieving, she …
When law enforcement cleared Occupy Portland demonstrators out of their downtown camps last fall, many worried that the movement would falter. This spring in North and Northeast Portland, a handful of new activist movements against racism, homelessness and foreclosure have been joined by Decolonize PDX — which is placing the prison industrial complex front and …
New Article: Decolonize PDX Focuses on Prison System Read More »
Check out my interview on KBOO, discussing my essay “Lake Oswego: Racist Tweets are Only Tip of the Iceberg”.
This is my new article that appears in The Skanner. Blacks are overrepresented in Portland’s sheltered population, according to a new report by the Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness (ICPH). “This is something that no one really wants to talk about,” says co-writer Matthew Adams. “Media attention is focused on the one percent and …
New Article: Study: Almost 30 Percent of Portland’s Homeless are Black Read More »
Check out my new piece on an interview I did with actor Russell Hornsby of “Grimm” and ” In Treatment”. It’s definitely a change of pace. FYI, Grimm is looking for more extras of color if it gets the green light for a second season.