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tyschwoeffermann-blog · 4 years ago

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Subject: Oregon Intervention From: Ty S - Oregonian Date: 24 Nov 2020 To: the new Biden Administration Attention - the honorable Cedric Richmond Senior Advisor to the President Greetings elected officials, diplomats, and honorable people, Last time I wrote my elected officials it was under a circumstance of distress. I'm pleased to say that my experience with that situation was resolved with the help and assistance of some good people in public service. I dont write these letters often because Im often not feeling up to putting the kind of energy it requires to express the situation in terms that are solution oriented. But I seek solution oriented strategies often to remedy strife and stress that people in my community live with. It appears to be a time once again to update on the latest issue that we need serious intervention. My name is Ty S I live in Portland Oregon with my wife and son. The experiences as a high school student was quintessential to a Black man growing up in Oregon but my story is unorthodox. My trajectory in education was similar to phil knight of nike as I share two of the four schools he attended: Cleveland High and U of O. So Im as Oregon as the swoosh, Powells, and the Rudolph sign. Politics is my life mostly having been involved in the Oregon students of color coalition and OSA in 2004 and Urban League in 2009 before going on to serve in the Oregon Health Authorities Transformation Center and the Oregon Advocacy Commissions. I'm particularly proud of my community organizing in the between 2004-2016 which includes electing Obama, helping Black Activist run for office, and building a grassroots community health worker project called We Are Health Movement. Once Trump came to power things changed dramatically for the worse in Oregon. Nearly all of my activism ended as a powerful racist insurgency became more visibly violent and threatening to the Black community. Events of Portland Oregon 2020 require intense analysis. Im not a total alarmist about our situation like our media has gaslit and painted Oregon as a place on fire with leftist anarchists extremists. Please recognize that intervention can only be settled diplomatically at this point. We have lived and walked and witnessed a very violent escalation since 2016. Look at the evidence of tracking hate crimes in our state https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map?year=2016&state=OR . We should not be on this list. We have such a small populations of minorities including Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native populations and the many immigrant cultures are very small in overall numbers. The story behind these hate crimes is a way more then just isolated incidents there is a large scale and spreading networks of organizations that only purpose is to antagonize, disrupts, hate, punish and resort to violent intimidation and terrorism. Hate groups in Oregon have dramatically grown in the last four years and as a political, social, and defensive response people have responded in a counter activity to keep those movements from growing further and pledge to end their reign of terror. It started in mid 2016 when Jeremy Christian a pre-radicalized activist with the Proud Boys murdered in 2 people on the Max Transit system (which is like our rail car). Jeremy Christian is part a new movement of internet organizers that have particularly recruited young white men to organizations like the oath keepers, 3 percenters, and inspired by the Bundy occupation movement of 2016. They are living in the shadows of Waco movement. Out west they love that shit and 2016 opened the door for growth of these right wing extremism. Oregon responded initially in Portland by counter protesting against the groups that would gather in various parts of the city including on the Federal freeway 213, Downtowns Terry Shrunk Plaza, and Tom Macall Park. Each of the events in the summer of 2016 organized by violent right wing extremists involved heavy confrontation from counter protesters. This included verbal, physical, and organized violence. This was warfare in a small scale. But many things escalated. This history must include a contextualization of the types of organizations that began to sprout and grow on the opposition which I will categorize as the organized left until I describe it more fully. In Portland initially the ecumenical faith community, the non-profit activists, labor, and a variety of socialist organizations. Some of this coalition of organizations had previously collaborated against neoNazis in the 80s as resistance to hate before. The events of Jeremy Christian galvanized a large scale opposition that sought to resist racialized terrorism of that kind in our community. As events and confrontations continued to persist summer after summer after summer we are now where we are today. As the events continued the city of Portland often utilized the Portland Police Bureau as a referee of sorts to prevent wide scale violence. But there were many instances where people of Portland felt that Portland Police were more favorably protecting the right wing groups more and more the activists involved from the left lost favor with the city government, Police leadership and elected such as Ted Wheeler. The impasse really escalated between the city representatives and diplomats in political actions, contract negotiations for the police union contracted are included as a source of the strain and political tensions escalating. The summer of 2020 was by far the most chaotic situation because the global movement for justice for George Floyd and Briana Taylor tied with Oregons #BLM picked up a new confrontation with the Police and state officers in downtown Portland. Oregon activists like many other states have been fighting for justice for many unarmed black men and women and those with mental illness shot and killed by the Portland, Vancouver, and Gresham police. Local movements converged it was a mashing of black activism in a new generation of young and emerging people for Black Lives with the Oregon defenders and anti fascists who had basically been in battle with right wing extremists continuously for 4 years. The combination produced energy seen no where else in the country. The City saw had over 130 days of continuous protest in a call for anti racism, justice for police murders, and anti capitalism oppression. Now I do not need to detail all of these events and how they were organized and what happened between the night to night. I do know that a lot has happened and most documenting and historicizing these events can tell that story. My purpose today is explain that there is a diplomatic intervention needed. We are desperate in this city for a focus of attention that doesn't involve us looking down the dark hole of a barrel. There needs to be a peace tribunal set up in our city (similar to south africa). The need is so great out here. No convening, No conversations, Nothing seems to be working. Please help us out here and we don't need photo ops, only real commitment and work can solve anything we got out here. The pain is deep and the grievances are so numerous that our community might not heal for a generation. We need peace in this city. We need peace. Peace between police and protesters and between the right wingers. There are some clear changes needed. Here are my suggestions that will give people a part of power. Total and complete overhaul of the law enforcement in this country in the first step we must examine. The Portland Police contract needs a total revamp. All of there leadership needs to be changed. There is a certain segment of Portland that wont setter for less. The many proposals by thousands of activist in portland none of which has happened in the more then 4 years of advocacy: https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2020/06/09/28519183/all-of-the-... We need to accelerate these changes locally and nation wide. We are not an outlier here it is part and parcel of similar movements that started in Furgeson. Even if you or your office got involved and moved the needle on any of these issues Portland still will need to grapple with its right wing violent extremism problem, because it is growing out of control with reports of continuous recruitment in the suburbarbs and nationwide show this. Oregon is the theater of a national program targeting this state as battle ground for the clash of extreme ideologies. What should we do about that? Well my feel is that its not important to most law enforcement or it really feels like it. The law cant really keep up with the type of warfare that is just as much virtual as it is physically in the streets. It will have to be part of a robust strategic initiative on a large scale organized nationally coordinated and well resourced. No longer can cities afford to build volunteer resistances to hate groups. There needs to be a common societal agreement on this in a new contract of acceptance of what is right and wrong in our communities. It is appropriate but it will also need alternative opportunities to get people out of those groups. Violence is not ended here and we expect next year will be worse then this one and we live in fear for our lives. Black people in particular fear that violence is eminent in any outing, they must use precautions to protect themselves in this kind of violent political and social environment because your skin tone and or your social status is often the determinant factor. Hate crimes need national attention to end. We need a nation wide movement to end racism. Many of the right wing extremists are entrenched in their ideology and need an counter narrative that is stronger to inject alternative perspectives. But it might be too late for that here in Oregon we are at the point where violence and counter violence are yearly occurrences and it becomes a matter of desperation to even reach out to the federal government for help and support. Oregon is my home that I spent most this year has required a high level of alertness and protection of my home and family. This is the first year we have seriously discussed leaving the United States because really feel unsafe for us to live here and thrive. I hope this country can do something about our situation with both Policing and Hate before we dissolve into non stop tribal warfare and violence. This call to action and support will go to the high courts of international conflict. Please help me forward this letter to leaders of every civil society.

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tyschwoeffermann-blog · 10 years ago

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Black Male Achievement Press Conference 1/26/15 The City of Portland was selected as one of 11 cities to participate in the National League of Cities’ Black Male Achievement Initiative to improve outcomes for Black men and boys. The BMA is designed to address four specific focus areas: Education, Employment, Family Stability, and Criminal Justice. BMA Portland is an umbrella entity of over 20 organizations in the region represented by Black men that will act as convener, facilitator, policy guide, and collective voice to exert influence and push for change for the betterment of Black men and boys. A two-year process of community engagement and visioning was undertaken to gain feedback, clarity, and direction for the work. Housed in the Office of Equity and Human Rights within Mayor Hales’ portfolio, BMA works with officials in Multnomah County government, as well as with for-profit and non-profit entities to create access to jobs and mentoring. BMA will engage officials at the state and local levels to advocate for policy and/or program change. BMA will use a data-driven approach to highlight disparities and hold systems and their leaders accountable for ensuring Black men and boys have sufficient access and opportunity to the factors that lead to health, safety, and success. Next steps for Black Male Achievement Portland include: continuing to engage all community stakeholders and municipal leaders; advocating for community based solutions that effectively serve Black men and boys; and informing policies locally and statewide that impact Black men and boys. For more information, visit www.portlandoregon.gov/oehr/BMA.

#blackmaleachievement #BlackPortland #Mayor of Portland #My Brothers Keeper #Black Men #Systemic Change #BlackLivesMatter

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tyschwoeffermann-blog · 10 years ago

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http://blacklandia.com/2014-oregon-black-organizing-year-review/

Oregon is a hidden jewel of the national social justice movement. We have a history of the early adopters of police justice campaigns that date back to the 1970s when Kent Ford organized on NE Russell and Union Ave.[1] In the 1980s when the Black United Front organized against police racism and racial harassment, it was laying the ground work for todays movements to hold police accountable. [2] The Eric Garner case in New York city almost mirrored the 1985 killing of Lloyd D. “Tony” Stevenson at the hands of the Portland police. The legacy of the community organizing in Oregon’s Black community has a long tradition of uncompromising calls for justice. This is the third year of writing this blog (2012 & 2013) to capture stories of political organizing that has been lead by African, African American, Black, and the diaspora in Oregon. I define political organizing loosely to capture the grassroots stories of individuals, families, and small organizations making huge strides in building the a stronger political, social, and community well-being, as an affirming Black presence in Oregon. National Political Movements: This has been a year of much turmoil in Black America with a few glimmers of hope that can help us contextualize. First the most important issue of this year in the social and political hemisphere has been the police justice movements that have intensified stemming from a plethora of very high profile killings of unarmed Black men and women at the hands of police. Entire websites[3], organizations, and social media #hashtags (#BlackLivesMatter, #HandsUpDontShoot, #ICan’tBreathe) have created the exponential world wide sound off of outrage over no police indictments. Michael Brown and Eric Garner’s death have sparked this global outcry for justice but it was important to note that there are many other victims including women and queer Black people who have gotten much less attention on the nation scale. Time will tell how these movements will collaborate for real police reforms that address systemic racism. Other important national stories: Honoring the past: Important Black Leaders who passed away this year include: Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, Rudy Dee, and Marion Barry to name a few. Local heroes lost Charles Jordan and Chris Pool Jones. Arts, TV and Cinema: Dr. Henry Louis Gates jr. launches PBS tv series Finding Your Roots which examines American history through American celebrities ancestry. Neil Degrasse Tyson is celebrated astrophysics in Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey which elevated him as one of the highest profile Black scientists on the planet. Dear White People enjoyed widespread acclaim and success, as a story about racism and microaggressions in American society. Misty Copeland recognized as one of the worlds top ballerinas. Politics: Many were predicting in 2013 that Obamacare would have a dramatic impact on African American health care access, but that seems to not be the case in republican states, which have not adopted Medicaid expansion and has left out 1.4 million Black individuals from being eligible. New Black Republican Senator was elected this year Tim Scott of South Carolina making him one of two, and the overall trend of Black republicans is a storyline with Will Hurd and Mia Love joining the house, here are demographics. In a “December surprise” President Obama announced that Cuba will become a normal world partner with the hopes of enhancing trade, healthcare education, and race relations, but questions remain whether Assata Shakur will remain on the wanted list of terrorists. Youth Led Movements: Youth organizing is possibly the cornerstone of any sustained movement in Americas Black history, and this year we are encouraged to see some strong youth uprisings that have taken off in Oregon. The year had a lot of great highlights including; Ferguson to Portland; Queer Intersections; student athletes; and women mobilizing to end violence. Glenn Waco Hip Hop Activist Glenn Waco Portland’s young people build a solidarity network in Oregon by fundraising for a freedom ride to Ferguson. A number of activist participated in the community protests in Ferguson and witnessed first hand the tactics on the ground. Here is one young mans account of his experience. These activist have applied their experiences directly to the Portland activist community by organizing Don’t Shoot Portland, which has held many protests in NE and Downtown Portland. They have even sat down with the mayor and joined the different police accountability taskforces. Here is a great article in on Glenn Waco leading community protests. Portland Police Hug Devonte Hart Sgt. Bret Barnum and Devonte Hart “The Hug” Some say the Portland protests have been watered down by this picture of a police hugging a young Black man because it has been used to symbolize trusting of the police, but until that boy can hug a police man without the tremors and tears, we don’t have trust for police as a Black community. The police Sgt. Bret Barnum posted on his facebook page I am Darren Wilson (Ferguson police who shot Michael Brown) which left many questioning his authenticity in the photo. One of the highlights of the year is seeing the new organization Queer Intersections get off the ground in Portland. Giovanni Blair McKenzie is a top leader to look out for in the year to come, he is the founder of Queer Intersections Portland which is a space created intentionally for queer people of color in Portland. http://www.qiportland.org/ #HandsUpDontShoot Dwayne Benjamin and Jordan Bell UO Basketball players protest #HandsUpDon’tShoot Two brave college athletes demonstrated their dissent during a University of Oregon home game. Junior forward Dwayne Benjamin and freshman forward Jordan Bell held their hands up during the national anthem. Activist nationwide have used the hands up as a symbol of protest police justice in the killing of unarmed Black people. The moment for student bravery was quickly shut down by coaches and hardly reported in the media, with no comments made public from the students who demonstrated, but I recognize them for using that platform to bring attention to an important political issue in America. Grassroots organizing: Portland Mayor Charlie Hales was never going to be mentioned on this blog until he did something, well he did, announcing this years top equity initiative the Black Male Achievement initiative. The City of Portland was selected by the national league of cities with 11 other cities to participate to address disparities affecting young black men and boys. This is loosely connected to the Presidents My Brothers Keeper initiative http://www.whitehouse.gov/my-brothers-keeper which is often recognized as President Obama’s first African American focused policy, an yet flawed because of lack of inclusion of women. The work will now live in the office of Equity and Human Rights. The City also moved to join many other cities in Banning the Box which will give the opportunity of formerly convicted felons to get jobs in the city government http://www.fairchanceforall.com/. #EnoughIsEnough #EnoughIsEnough Take back the streets Community Organizers Organize Health and Anti-violence Take Back the Streets ride Take Back the Streets from Delphine Criscenzo on Vimeo. Portland’s Gang Task Force renamed itself this year to the Community Peace Collaborative. The Enough is Enough campaign seeks to end gang violence which this year took the lives of Ervaeua Herring, 21, Hahrahcio Roy Branch, 26, and Andrew Leon Coggins Jr, 24. In New Columbia, North Portland organizers put together the Take Back the Streets bike ride which gathered community members to cycle around the neighborhood demanding for peace and unity. This year is 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act being signed into law by President Lyndon Baynes Johnson. Oregon honored the day with education, historical retelling, and honoring justice champions. Here is a link to list of awardees. In addition, the Urban League of Portland, a historical civil rights organization for the African American Community have traveled the state collecting stories about the African American experience in Oregon, the report will be released soon and it features photos by Intisar Abiota. http://stateofblackoregon.org/ Divine 25 25 new community health workers got trained this year as part of a community driven effort to address health disparities and build on community strengths. We Are Health Community Health Worker movement convening two 80 hour trainings that have built capacity and have led to greater networks of health services that are culturally specific to the African American Community. This years cohort names them selves the divine 25. Portland African American Leadership Forum fresh off the 2013 and 14′ campaign for affordable housing and city plan to address displacement and gentrification, won a decisive victory securing 20$ Million committed by city of Portland to build affordable housing. The 2014 Portland African American Leadership Academy organized efforts to build community connectedness and self determination through their We Are Black We Are campaign that gathered over 400 participants at a summer BBQ. http://www.weareblackweare.com/ Every year I honor the stellar activism of an individual who has shown persistent and sustained work as a social and political activist in Oregon. Organizer of the Year: keesha This year I honor LaKeesha Dumas for her work as a Peer Support Specialist and Community Health Worker for the Urban League of Portland. She is a strong and powerful women making waves in the community health world. She volunteers with the Community Peace Collaborative, PFLAG Portland Black Chapter, Oregon Community Health Workers Association, Straightway Services, and the miracles club and many more. She has been on the forefront of ending violence in the community, increasing the utilization of community health workers that are culturally specific, and as a speaker she inspires people to live clean and sober lives. She also sits on the very critical Traditional Health Worker commission which is deciding on state policy for the five worker types. This year she received honors from the Oregon Public Health Institute as an emerging leader. Dumas-cochran wedding Did I mention that she also got married this year. Marriage equality came to Oregon this year!!! Keesha Dumas and Onesha Cochran-Dumas marriage was one of the first legal and recognized same sex marriages in Oregon. At the ceremony they jumped the broom as newly weds and expressed how important it was to be the first Black couple in Oregon to experience this new right. http://portlandobserver.com/news/2014/may/21/rejoice-same-sex-ban-lifted/ Honorable Mentions: The Trailblazers blazers 1 Not only are they the best team in the NBA this year. They also have political beliefs and stand on them. Will Barton, Damian Lillard, Dorrell Wright, Lamarcus Aldridge and Wesley Mathews of the Portland Trail Blazers because they protested the against the police killing of Eric Garner by wearing the “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts. They were wearing the I cant breath shirt on Dec 10th Minnesota Timberwolves game. It is important to see celebrities and athletes stepping up to make statements even if it opens them up for criticism. Muhammad Ali sacrificed his title by standing up for what he believed in. [1] Portland’s Black Panthers by Sarah Mirk illustrated by Khris Soden, Dill Pickle Club, 2011. http://multcolib.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2093815068 [2] The Two faces of Portland racism in the “most livable” city by committee to support the Black United Front, Portland printing press cooperative, 1982 http://multcolib.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1434678068_the_two_faces_of_portland [3] http://handsupdontshoot.com/ http://www.handsupunited.org/ http://blacklivesmatter.com/

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tyschwoeffermann-blog · 10 years ago

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vimeo

I, along with members of our Question Bridge: Black Males team, will be on the ground in Ferguson, MO this Saturday and Sunday (10/11-12) during #FergusonOctober.

We’ll be archiving the thoughts and concerns of the people and recording Black males asking and answering the questions that matter to them.

We’ll also be live tweeting, maybe some live vlogging or whatever you call it. You want to join the conversation too? Good, there’s an app for that.

Anytime that question comes to you, pop open the app and share it. We’ve built an online community of Black males working in concert, to find answers and speak for ourselves. Explore the QuestionBridge.com and the app and contribute a few answers every week; develop the muscle; develop the community.

Download our free app here today, so you’re ready, for yourself.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/question-bridge-black-males/id796541488?mt=8

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.questionbridge.app&hl=en

Find us. Build with us. Let us know how our platform can help you.

You have questions. You have answers. QuestionBridge.com

Please share, especially with the Black males in your life. #SignalBoost

(There are zero dollars generated from this. What began as an art project has developed into a movement, that will soon explore the many other demographics that form our society. Thank you for your support.)

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tyschwoeffermann-blog · 10 years ago

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tyschwoeffermann-blog · 10 years ago

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Morning Turn-Up

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tyschwoeffermann-blog · 10 years ago

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tyschwoeffermann-blog · 10 years ago

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Reading the People History of the United States Speech by Malcolm X "A Message to the Grassroots" from his original oration in Detriot 1963. Event sponsored by Organizing People Activating Leader (OPAL), Portland.

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tyschwoeffermann-blog · 11 years ago

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