- Be an ally in the fight for racial justice. Gotta awkwardly admit, I didn’t fully comprehend ‘White Privilege’ until this month (if you didn’t either, check out, ‘What is White Privilege, Really? or this White Privilege TED talk to start). Then protests started promoting ‘Defund the Police’ and my assumption thought it must mean no more police. There are conflicting news points. We encourage reading about different perspectives. Here are a few—CNN posted, “There’s a growing call to defund the police. Here’s what it means.” Locally Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty held a Q&A Media session discussing her views on what this plan would hold for Portland in the future should her proposed amendments, including defunding the Gun Violence Reduction Team and eliminating the Special Emergency Reaction Team be approved. Time will tell, yesterday Oregon Live reported, ‘Portland City Council fails to agree on police spending, will vote on budget next week.’
- Donate. Educate. Read. Follow. Listen. Support.
- Petition: Superstar Beyoncé posted ways to seek justice by signing petitions of your choice at org; Color of Change; We Can’t Breathe and NAACP.
- Donate to any of the above organizations.
- Educate:
- Talking to Children About Race: “The worst conversation adults can have with kids about race is no conversation at all. Talking to kids about race needs to happen early, often, and honestly.”
- Sesame Street & CNN Town Hall on Racism: If you missed the virtual “Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism” event for families, view it online. “Are the protesters sad?” — Elmo
- Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History. It’s no secret we love Kevin Hart in our household (my kids can’t get enough of him and Dwayne Johnson in the latest Jumanji movies) but check this out! Kevin Hart highlights the fascinating contributions of Black history’s unsung heroes in this entertaining — and educational — comedy special. Netflix is offering it for free right now too!
- Learn about Juneteenth coming up next week on June 19—What is Juneteenth? The history behind America’s other Independence Day.
- Read:
- Crediting Alexis Maycock, a freelance writer and new resource contact, she posted two highly informative articles that includes an abundance of resources. How to Be a BIPOC Ally + Support Local Black Businesses and How to Talk to your Kids about Racism, Race & Activism
- Listen:
- Sheinelle Jones and others shared their stories on the TODAY show.
- Fandango announced free movies on FandangoNOW to help educate including a powerful list of flicks spotlighting Black cinema that were curated by the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) about the Black experience. Quick Trivia – The Hate U Give was a past OBOB book in the 9th to 12th grade division in 2018-2019.
- Listen to Don Lemon’s new podcast is called “Silence Is Not an Option.” There are many different ways to listen to these podcasts when you click link. Check out June 15: There is No Going Back from This Moment and June 18: Why Not Being Racist is Not Enough.
- Support:
- Create a Peaceful Protest Poster with your Kiddos! Check out Portland Children Museum’s easy how-to directions.
- Support Locally Owned Black Businesses: BlackPDX for a listing of Black-owned enterprises in the greater Portland metro area or MercatusPDX for a directory of businesses that identify as Black-, African American-, or African-owned. Check out Nostrana To Go, Benefitting the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. As long as Portlanders are marching in the streets, Nostrana is offering a special pizza at no cost ($0) to those who march—and available to those who don’t in exchange for a generous donation ($100) to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Come grab a free pizza if you’re marching or make a donation to take one home. Both options available at their online storefront, as well as a selection of favorite Nostrana dishes, wine, and drinks. Check it out here: https://togo.nostrana.com/
- Legislatively in Oregon, here’s a quick take on the police reform that passed the week of June 29, 2020.
- Senate Bill 1604: Makes it harder for arbitrators to overturn police disciplinary findings, if the arbitrator concurs that misconduct occurred and disciplinary policies were followed. This bill was strongly opposed by Oregon police unions.
- House Bill 4201: Establishes Joint Committee on Transparent Policing and Use of Force Reform. The panel is supposed to make recommendations by the end of the year for additional legislative action. This bill was initially intended to put police shooting investigations in the hands of the Oregon Department of Justice, but was altered on Thursday.
- House Bill 4203: Bans use of chokeholds except in situations where using deadly force is warranted.
- House Bill 4208: Allows use of tear gas only after police announce they intend to use it and requires police give people time to disperse. Police must first declare a riot is occurring under Oregon law before using tear gas.
- House Bill 4205: Requires officers to take action to prevent or report a fellow officer engaged in misconduct.
- House Bill 4207: Requires state to maintain public records on police discipline that law enforcement agencies around the state must check when hiring an officer.
Our Mission: The Grout PTA is a group of passionate parents, guardians, and teachers whose primary focus is to advocate for high-quality education and the well-being of all Grout students. The PTA works to coordinate and support events that bring the Grout community together and to raise funds for projects and programs that strengthen our school, community, and neighborhood.