Tag: Racism

Memorial to Keaton Otis to be Unveiled

Story by Pete Shaw The faded spray paint on the corner of Northeast 6th and Halsey reads, “We will always remember you.” The “you” most directly refers to Keaton Otis, the young Black man was murdered there by the Portland police on May 12, 2010. Since his death, that corner has on the 12th of…

Let A Thousand Lilies Bloom

Story by Pete Shaw It is a little early in the Summer for such things, but the lilies are blooming. In the front of my house, there are about 30 of them, some reaching over 12 feet tall. The trumpet varieties reach toward the sky, their flowers blaring unheard but not unnoticed. I am not…

A Sacred Space

Story by Pete Shaw The corner of Northeast 6th and Halsey is hallowed ground. It is not the site of a mosque or a temple or a church or any other house of worship. There have been no reports of visits by the Blessed Virgin Mary or other religiously affiliated revelations, whether out of thin…

Efforts to Repeal Oregon Sanctuary State Status at Ballot Box Meeting Active Resistance by Supports of Immigrant Justice

Story by Pete Shaw Photos by K. Kendall This Summer, Portland kicked off a nationwide series of protests against Republican Donald Trump’s orders that tore apart families at the Mexico-US border. Responding to the horrific sight of children being separated from their relatives and incarcerated, large numbers of people around the country followed Portland’s lead…

Burgerville Workers Union and Allies Stage Unfair Labor Practice Strike as Management Skirts Federal Labor Law

Story and photos by Pete Shaw National Cheeseburger Day, while not an official holiday, is doubtless an important one to the restaurant industry.  Anything to get customers to spend their money on your product, and it is fair to assume that most restaurants serving burgers had Tuesday September 19 circled on their calendars.  But as…

Bring Them Along

  Story by Pete Shaw When considering how to spend a Friday night, particularly a sultry one in late July, likely not high on most folks’ list is attending a talk on Pan-African organizing. But even if my Friend Ahjamu Umi of the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (A-APRP) was not the featured speaker, the title…

Effective Strategies Necessary to Defuse Right Wing Hate

Story and photos by Bette Lee Patriot Prayer can’t seem to get enough of Portland.  Even though the Vancouver, Washington white supremacist group led by Joey Gibson claims it hates Portland because it is a “liberal” city which coddles “pinkos, anarchists, leftists, liberals, homosexuals,” and other unsavory “anti-American” groups, its members seem hell-bent on holding…

“I think decolonizing is what needs to happen because we’ve internalized all these layers of oppression and are reproducing oppressive behaviors ourselves. I think we need to start to dismantle the systems inside of us, and simultaneously do that with our surroundings.” An Interview with Kelly Baur, Part 2

Interview conducted by Pete Shaw PS: I remember when Teressa Raiford was on trial, and the day before the actual jury trial happened and one of the arresting police officers was caught flat-out lying, and of course it was Teressa’s lawyer’s fault for doing that to her, for exposing her, for tricking her into lying.…

“I guess when I say fascists, I am referring to people who think oppression and oppressive systems are positive and worthwhile endeavors, or somehow a necessary part of society.” An Interview with Kelly Baur, Part 1

Interview conducted by Pete Shaw Kelly Baur was one of many people arrested by the Portland police while confronting the white supremacists who held a rally in downtown Portland on June 4, 2017. She had recently returned to Portland after spending time in Chile, arriving here only a few days after white supremacist Jeremy Christian…