WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE WHEN WE ALL TAP IN…
Portland's slogan is “The City that Works” but when you drive around or walk through our city center it doesn’t feel like a city that’s working. When we catch up on what’s happening within real estate, our local business community, success at our school districts, or follow up with the actions of our local government leadership, the reports clearly show this is a city that is not working. An interesting twist of reality because Portland and the region are sold to the world as a liberal and progressive safe haven. In reality, Oregon was the ONLY state in the union that was founded as an exclusionary state; meaning no Black folks were allowed here by law. We still are living and breathing the harmful legacy of a state so racist, it excluded humans in its making. It doesn’t have to be like this.
The good news is we have the collective power to change the course of our city and state in real time. The interesting thing about Portland is that when you talk to folks on an individual level, you meet some of the kindest, most creative, loving humans. When you look at how our city operates, our policies, our business practices, and community involvement, it’s not in alignment with the individuals who live here. Who Portland is and how the city is run is not on the same page of what we claim this city is. But it could be.
What would Portland look like and feel like if our community really tapped in? If we really became the city that works? What kind of growth would we have if our local businesses and corporations not only took care of their employees with livable and adjusted wages and full benefits, but also poured into our local community? What would it be like if our community rallied and was involved in local politics, our schools, and community based organizations? And not just for a resume or marketing boost but because it was part of our city culture to walk the talk, instead of just scheduling meetings about meetings to talk about talking about problems. What if, at our core, we really did the thing and modeled change?
What a beautiful place Portland could be if we all tapped in and really helped make this the city that works. We can do that by sharing. We can do that by trying NEW things. Our current practices prove over and over again that what we have been doing does not work. This is not a blame game geared towards one industry or sector. This is an opportunity to pivot, collectively. I believe we can do it.
As we round out the last few months of 2021, with a global pandemic still ravaging communities across the globe, let’s make a shift. We can not go back to a normal that did not work. Let’s engage in community, in business, in leadership. Let’s engage with people in innovative ways, with direct action and with care and let’s focus on positive immediate impacts for the collective, not a select few. We can no longer pretend the things we have done for the last 20, 50, 100, or 400 years work. We need to invest in change immediately. We can not afford to live in a scarcity model when we know we have more than enough as a whole community to share in abundance. We can be the change.
Portland and the Pacific Northwest have a huge responsibility. We are a political hotspot. Portland is used as a global example to teach urban development, sustainability, and everything eco-friendly. We have an obligation to the world to walk the talk. We have an obligation to future generations to not only change our practices but to also roll out innovation and massive change. If we keep going at this rate, and in this state of affairs, we are going to leave our children nothing but a destroyed world with undrinkable water, unbreathable air, and a legacy of shame. It does not have to be like this.
Portland needs to get into the space of action. We can not talk our way into a better future. White liberals and progressive businesses are always in this space of talking about talking. The magic happens in the action, not the planning. The change happens in the execution of innovation, with vulnerability, accountability, and trying new things. We will never break down white supremacy norms and racist systems using white supremacy tools or tactics. Think of it like this: If you called the fire department because your kitchen was on fire and they ran inside and lit your couch on fire, that wouldn’t help the kitchen fire. In fact that would make the fire spread and create a whole new issue. We must stop lighting more fires when it comes to racism, equity, and all issues around oppression. We can’t resolve these real societal issues by simply using buzzwords. We can, however, change the course of our human experience by paying thriving wages, investing in the Black communities with no strings attached, by getting out of the way and allowing Black and Brown people to lead, and truly tapping in and becoming the change we all pretend the city of roses is. We don’t have time to wait. This is an urgent matter.
Fellow community members, I invite you to all tap into the community and be the change. We can practice being a city that works for the last few months of the year. and by the new year we will be a little bit closer to our goal: Black Liberation. When we liberate the Black community, we will have liberated everyone because Black folks intersect with all other groups.
Let’s do the thing and share. Share our time, share our resources, share our power.
Here are ways you can start making immediate change and impact in our community for the better:
Sign up as a monthly donor to LOCAL nonprofits doing DIRECT community care (BIPOC community-based organizations especially).
Support your neighborhood schools. Get involved with the School Board.
Shift leadership models and give intentionally silenced individuals the opportunity to lead.
Get involved with your local neighborhood association.
Get involved with local government committees (if nothing else, start attending city council meetings).
Vote focused on what's in the best interest of Black, Brown, and oppressed communities.
Volunteer your time in community. You must be in community to build community.
Share economic abundance with your employees and intentionally oppressed communities.
Invite your friends, family, neighbors, colleagues and business peers to join you in the above action items.