On April 8, author Emilly Prado will share the evolving nature of finding her path as a writer, drawing upon her experiences as a first-generation Chicana, a college student, and a self-proclaimed troublemaker who struggled with school and mental health. We’ll hear a reading
from Funeral for Flaca and view archival childhood photographs to better understand how 13 year-old Emilly found strength through music and writing.
As we continue to do this difficult work of understanding, imagining, and eventually abolishing all oppression, it’s necessary to connect with our inner childs, as well as children we may know or are connected to. I’m personally very excited to learn more about Emilly’s story and I encourage others to come
prepared with finding (re)connection to our own 13 year-old selves and perhaps the strength we found, or the strength we always needed.
Emilly Prado is an award-winning author and journalist, educator, and DJ based in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of the essay collection Funeral for Flaca, a winner of a 2022 Pacific Northwest Book Award, a 2021 bronze winner of the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in Essays, and several other honors.
Her writing and photographs have appeared in more than 30 publications including NPR, Bitch Media, and Marie Claire. An alum of the Randolph College MFA, she teaches creative writing at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and moonlights as DJ Mami Miami with Noche Libre, the Latinx DJ collective she co-founded in 2017. Learn more at www.emillyprado.com or on
social media @emillygprado.
Respond to Racism
envisions a Lake Oswego and Oregon where racial equity is achieved, and all residents feel valued, respected, and empowered regardless of their race or ethnicity.
Problem Statement
Despite progress in many areas, racism persists in Lake Oswego and Oregon, manifesting in various forms such as systemic discrimination, implicit bias, and racial disparities in opportunities and outcomes. This perpetuates a cycle of inequality, marginalization, and injustice that
undermines the well-being and cohesion of the community.
Theory of Change
Respond to Racism believes that addressing racism requires a multi-faceted approach that encompasses education, advocacy, community engagement, and institutional change. Our theory of change is based on the following principles:
Education and Awareness:
By providing educational programs, workshops, and resources, individuals in Lake Oswego will gain a deeper
understanding of the historical context of racism, its impact on communities of color, and their role in combating it.
Increased awareness and knowledge will empower residents to recognize and challenge racist attitudes, behaviors, and systems in their personal lives, workplaces, and institutions.
Community Empowerment:
Through community organizing, dialogue sessions, and partnerships with local organizations and stakeholders, Respond to Racism
fosters a sense of collective responsibility and solidarity in addressing racism.
By amplifying the voices of marginalized communities and creating inclusive spaces for dialogue and collaboration, we empower residents to actively participate in anti-racist efforts and advocate for equitable policies and practices.
Institutional Change:
Respond to Racism advocates for systemic changes within institutions such as schools, businesses, government
agencies, and law enforcement to dismantle racist policies, practices, and structures.
By engaging in policy advocacy, conducting equity audits, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, we strive to create environments where all individuals have equal opportunities and are treated fairly regardless of their race or ethnicity.
Evaluation and Adaptation:
Respond to Racism continuously evaluates the effectiveness of its programs,
initiatives, and advocacy efforts through data collection, feedback mechanisms, and community assessments.
Based on evaluation findings, we adapt and refine our strategies to ensure they are responsive to the evolving needs and challenges of the community in the fight against racism.
Outcomes
Through our theory of change, Respond to Racism aims to achieve the following outcomes:
Increased racial equity and inclusivity in Lake
Oswego and Oregon.
Reduction in racist attitudes, behaviors, and disparities.
Strengthened community resilience and social cohesion.
Empowered individuals and institutions committed to anti-racism.
Creation of a more just and equitable society for residents of all races and ethnicities.
Passage of public policies that specifically address racial disparities and serve the specific needs of communities of color.
Increased presence of leaders of color
and groups led by communities of color with a commitment to anti-racism.
Ultimately, Respond to Racism believes that by educating, empowering, and mobilizing residents and institutions, we can collectively create tangible and sustainable change to combat racism and build a more inclusive and equitable community for all.
New episode of Life After the Bubble with Anthony Parrish
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.
Reminder to apply to Gloria Brown Scholarship by April 15th
Students! Are you a graduating high school senior in the Lake Oswego School District worried about taking on financial debt from college and being burdened by existing in a recursive social hierarchy that fails you at
every turn? Fear not, RtR can help. With the first part at least. Apply now to the Gloria Brown Scholarship.
Applications are now open here, so please continue to spread the word! Be sure to submit your application by the deadline, so that means starting it before then too lol. Use this form to apply and/or scan the QR code on the poster. Check the application for more details on qualifications!
April 18: Clackamas County Equity Coalition quarterly meeting
Information copied from this link: Guest speakers from the Oregon Department
of Justice (DOJ) will give a virtual presentation about the DOJ Bias Hotline program, Clackamas County-specific statistics, how the public can stay informed, and the DOJ's toolkit for law enforcement engagement.
Activist Spotlight: Ismatu Gwendolyn
Ismatu Gwendolyn above
In lieu of an essay to share with you all this week, I thought to share resources through to someone who’s been my guiding compass these past few months.
I’ve been following Ismatu (all pronouns, with
respect) for the greater part of two years on Tiktok, but only recently with the events of October 7th and the ongoing 170+ days of genocide at the hands of Zionist-led settler colonialism have I managed to recognize the immense hope, grief, knowledge, and love they share constantly. And more importantly, how radical it is that they share it, knowingly, for free.
I initially came across Ismatu’s videos in regard to Capital B Beauty, where, over the course of
several dozen videos, they expertly unpacked and simplified a complex academic text, Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness by fat, black queer theorist Da'Shaun L. Harrison. At the time, Ismatu was pursuing his masters degree at the University of Chicago and I had never seen someone take the time to explain Theory in regular plain-english and with awareness of the inaccessibility of most academic texts, especially for the communities they’re
describing and attempting to reach. Such is the seed of all of Ismatu’s work, generating further points of access and preaching to the possibility of one’s reach. It was only until recently, in fact in one of Ismatu’s videos, where I learned 54 percent of Americans read below a 6th grade
level, so that illiteracy becomes not only a problem of the American populus, but a deliberate maneuver to maintain control over people of the Global Majority.
Informed by black feminist radical tradition, Ismatu is a black, queer, muslim activist, writer, healer, poet, sex worker, and life-long learner with roots in Sierra Leone. Currently based in New York, their essays range from summaries and analyses of selected readings on theory and praxis to abstract
poetry and somatic, grounded discussions of oppression in all forms. Because of their commitment to learning with love, trust, awareness, and care (which innately requires a distancing from policing and other carceral strategies), Ismatu is a trained counselor and mental health professional refusing to be licensed by the state and essentially working for free. All of her writing, including essays, podcasts, quizzes, videos, and even therapy sessions are made available for no charge, allowing
Ismatu to divorce from individualistic monetary pursuits and fully align with their pledge for transformative community care. It’s only through the support of mutual aid—that is venmo, cashapp, patreon, substack, and other direct action in the form of just a few dollars from online supporters invested in Ismatu’s quality of life and mission—that any of this is possible.
Ismatu’s discussions of mutual aid, policing via medicalization, demystifying “self-care” therapy, and
cultivating intergenerational community has been particularly essential for my recent learning in regard to decentering white supremacy culture from my life and any-and-all capitalist aspirations as an abolitionist, writer, and activist. In particular, he’s helped me recognize the interrelatedness of all oppression
via patterns within disability justice, housing justice, prison abolition, and more. It’s an honor to be able to share more about Ismatu and their life!
