Event Date: October 5, 2020
Presentation Materials: Report | Recording | Slides
Contributing Girlfriends: Amie Wexler, Barbara Hilyer, Cheryl Ford, Fahti Yamin, Kathleen Perkins, Maja Viklands Harris, Ramona Cahn
In 2020, race is still a powerful indicator of outcomes in Portland. In light of nationwide calls for reforms to end systemic racism, this report shines a spotlight on racial disparities in our own community. Learn about the disproportionate COVID-19 infection rate among Oregon’s Latinx population, the challenges faced by students of color in Multnomah County, and the racial disparities within our criminal justice system that have sparked police reform efforts on both the local and state level.
The Reducing Racial Disparities Spotlight Report identifies a number of organizations working tirelessly to reduce racial disparities, including eight groups that ninety-nine girlfriends has already funded (Red Door Project, Red Lodge Transition Services, Virginia Garcia Health Foundation, Adelante Mujeres, Kairos, Metro East, Open Signal and Bravo Youth Orchestra). If you want to dive deeper into this material, including Oregon’s long racist history, the wealth gap, or Portland’s past practices of housing discrimination, the report includes a robust bibliography and several hyperlinks to current newspaper articles.
The October presentation featured speakers Serena Cruz, Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation and Bobbin Singh, Oregon Justice Resource Center.