RtR community,

Happy(?) 7th Anniversary RtR!  

Respond to Racism in Lake Oswego first began meeting in July 2017. After Willie Poinsette and Liberty Weaver met and decided to invite the community for further conversations, the organization has been going strong ever since. That said, this is not a time to be complacent or pat ourselves on the backs, because many things in our city are trending in the wrong direction. For example, the Lake Oswego School District recently decided to cut Ethnic Studies due to "not enough interest." Events we've come to see as staples like Asian Cultural Celebration and Juneteenth (which had a whopping 3 sponsors🙄) had to fight to fill funding gaps. In fact, there was no citywide Black History Month celebration and no one seemingly noticed. Meanwhile, we continue to be flooded with complaints about overt racism and microaggressions, especially from students of color and people of color visiting the city.

Clearly, it's time for urgency and intentional action! As we move forward as an organization, we'll be making some necessary shifts in our approach to be more action-oriented and de-center whiteness. The days of white Lake Oswego residents self-reporting that racism is over and the rest of the community accepting that as progress ARE OVER!    

Save the Dates!

RtR seeks new board members!

Respond to Racism in Lake Oswego is looking for new board members! We seek proactive, justice-minded individuals who align with our mission to educate and empower LO residents with the tools to combat racism in all its forms and make LO and Oregon a better place for people of all ethnicities.

Board members should have demonstrated experience in antiracism work, be able to work collaboratively (including giving and receiving feedback) and understand that de-centering whiteness is a core tenet of effective antiracist organizing. Is that you? Please review our board member job description and RtR Theory of Change. Apply here!

Join an RtR committee!

RtR is changing our organizing model and shifting to a committee approach that decentralizes power. We are looking to form and activate the following four committees:

1. Direct Action
2. Fundraising
3. Community Building
4. Research and Data Collection

In order to help us place you where you can be the most effective, please fill out the following short survey: https://forms.gle/7n6Q5tL3CqA8k2QN6 

RtR is hiring a new Communications Consultant! (Paid Opportunity)

The Communications Consultant is responsible for conveying the organization’s mission in RtR’s messaging. In collaboration with the Executive Director, the Communications Consultant will craft messaging and utilize RtR’s email, website and social media platforms to inform the Lake Oswego community about RtR events, relevant antiracist activities and opportunities for advocacy and antiracism related news in Lake Oswego and
the region, as well as nationally and internationally when relevant. The Communications Consultant will also create graphics to promote events and engage the community with antiracist ideas, as well as write and manage editorial content for the organization. The Communications Consultant will also manage emails for the organization, responding to messages or forwarding them to relevant leadership and/or board members. The Communications Consultant will report directly to the Executive Director. If this sounds like you, apply here!

2024 Candidate Events

Save the dates: RtR is helping organize two events in the lead up to the 2024 general election to make sure racial justice is a prominent part of the conversation. First, we're working as part of the Clackamas County Equity Coalition on hosting a county panel on equity on August 15. We are still finalizing details, but this event will feature both current County Commissioner candidates (all are invited) and other stakeholders from various cities throughout the county. Stay tuned for more details.

RtR is also partnering with the LO Sustainability Network to host a candidate forum for the Lake Oswego City Council and Mayoral elections. This forum will take place at Lake Oswego United Church of Christ on October 7, tentatively from 6-8:30pm. Again, stay tuned for more details.  

Life After the Bubble featuring Izzy Rowland

The rollout for Life After the Bubble is nearing its conclusion. The penultimate episode features recent Lake Oswego High School grad Izzy Rowland and touches on subjects including navigating student activism, the importance of connecting with outside groups like Next Up Oregon and the need to press school district officials harder on anti-racism policy. Check it out and share with your communities!   

Homework: Watch this interview clip featuring Bettina Love and Marc Lamont Hill

RtR is celebrating 7 years and yet, one trend that has frustratingly persisted is the phenomenon of (mostly white) people nodding and smiling while not actually listening to people of color when they speak. This includes written work and testimonies. While people praising the newsletter is welcome, I can't help but wonder how many are actually reading. To that end, I'd like to challenge anyone reading this to a little homework: If you see me and praise the newsletter, be prepared to be quizzed about the above interview between Bettina Love and Marc Lamont Hill, specifically from the 23:39-27:12 mark. If you don't have those 4 minutes of viewing to spare, making a new one-time or recurring donation to RtR is also an acceptable answer. Either way, please show you've actually read this because the alternative of ignoring someone out loud and demanding to be acknowledged for it is not going to fly anymore. Happy viewing!

In Solidarity, 

Bruce AD Poinsette