More than a year after George Floyd was murdered, protests in Portland are still garnering national news. The ACLU of Oregon hosted a virtual panel with community leaders to discuss what’s really happening in our communities on the streets, at the capitol in Salem, inside city hall, and in courtrooms. Each panelist has their own unique expertise and experience on the front lines of Portland protests, public policy, and the never-ending search for police accountability. Tune in to hear what’s obstructing the work of justice and safety for our communities, their reactions to the recent resignation of the RRT (Rapid Response Team), and how we can move forward to demand accountability.
Thank you to our panelists:
- Candace Avalos (@candaceforpdx), executive director of Verde, co-founder of the Black Millennial Movement, chair of the Citizen Review Committee
- Juan Chavez (@inafutureage), civil rights attorney at the Oregon Justice Resource Center
- Zakir Khan (@ZakirSpeaks), board chair of CAIR-Oregon and civil rights advocate
- Kelly Simon (@KelKSimon), legal director of the ACLU of Oregon
- Alex Zielinski (@alex_zee), news editor of the Portland Mercury
As you watch, consider these teaching questions:
- If I am centering BIPOC voices and experiences, what am I hearing?
- Where am I leaning into binary thinking when a situation is not binary?
- What are my personal experiences with accountability and how are those experiences informing my beliefs?
