Friday night I stayed up all night and personally went to downtown Portland to observe the unrest that took place, and Portland, I’m tired. The Black community is tired. (Thread)

2/ The systemic racism constantly targeting, criminalizing, and killing Black people is not just exhausting, it is frustrating, it is terrifying, it is enraging, it is painful, and it is deadly.

3/ Add to the mix a global pandemic where Black and brown people are getting sick and dying at astronomical rates compared to white people; we can no longer continue acting stunned or shocked at the unrest.

4/ We need to focus our attention on the people’s pain and the source of that pain, rather than obsess over the narrative of destruction when people protest. This is not about one murder or one incident. It’s about the entire history and system that we’ve been living in and

5/ that’s what we need to come to terms with and tackle head on. We need to dismantle the conditions and systems that led to these responses in the 1st place. Our communities are asking for justice– not just for this one murder, but for all the acts of violence that have occurred

6/ Beyond justice we absolutely need to build a system that creates a future safe for everyone, and that means fighting for systemic change.

7/ I also want to set the record straight: As the acting president while the Mayor was out of town last night, I was the one to call for a curfew this wknd. Given the incredibly high tension during this time, I want to give Portland a moment to cool off + reground ourselves.

8/ I understand the concerns that this would lead the way to enhanced policing, and I say this unequivocally: policing is not the solution to community voices being ignored or silenced. This is a moment to recalibrate and

9/ figure out how each and every Portlander will act to support the Black community because we cannot accept the conditions and systems that continue to harm us.

I offer you a few ways:

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1. Oregon’s Officers Bill of Rights is the state law that protects officers engaged in misconduct. If you’re wondering how to impact a system where police officers around the country/our state avoid reprimand, contact your state legislators and call on them to change this

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2. Call on Governor Brown to convene a special short session. In addition to responding to the COVID-19 crisis, the Governor should make police accountability and support for Oregon’s communities of color a priority that the state must act on now.

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3. Portland Committee on Community-Engaged Policing @PCCEPportland is holding a special community listening session on the murder of George Floyd Sunday, May 31 at 5pm: http://us02web.zoom.us/j/4056682253 

13/ I’m committed to working with my colleagues on how to address these issues at the local level, starting (but not ending) with the full review of all Portland Police Bureau specialty units and fighting for a fair police contract.

14/ Our communities deserve to be heard, they deserve to be respected, they deserve justice, and they deserve to heal.