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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 26, 2015)
Page 4 August 26, 2015 Soul Singing Activism C ONTINUED FROM F RONT Locals called out the names of Kendra James, Keaton Otis, Aaron Campbell and -DPHV&KDVVHIRXUKLJKSUR¿OHSROLFHUH- lated deaths in the Portland area. Portland Black PFLAG Chapter mem- bers were also at the rally in solidarity with the message of ending police violence, and local urban farmers offered free freshly grown produce for activists to eat and take home to their families. Don’t Shoot Portland activists have been meeting since Michael Brown, an un- armed black teenager, was shot and killed E\DSROLFHRI¿FHULQ)HUJXVRQ0RLQ$X- gust last year. Monáe has publicly stated she will be visiting Black Lives Matter and other black activist protests and rallies across the Unit- ed States during her current tour. “When things are going on in the com- PHOTO BY O LIVIA O LIVIA / T HE P ORTLAND O BSERVER Victims, survivors, and family of police brutality were invited onstage at Dawson Park Monday to join contemporary soul and pop singer Janelle Monáe for a rendition of her now infamous anthem for police reforms, ‘Hell You Talmbout.’ munity, they can count on us to speak up and say something and come to them di- rectly,” she told NBC’s Today last week. “We don’t come to the rallies as artists, we come as human beings.” She was later cut short on the same net- work TV show, when she began to publicly condemn police brutality and listing names on the broadcast. Say Her Name C ONTINUED FROM P AGE 2 country so far this year, activists across the country and in Portland are calling a state of emergency and asking for sup- port in stopping more needless killing. A vigil Thursday night at Pioneer Courthouse Square, downtown, focused on remembering the victims. With a ral- lying cry of “Say Her Name,” over 100 people attended the event, which was put together by Greater Portland Trans Unity and Don’t Shoot Portland. The aim was to uplift and honor those lost in a way they deserve – by saying their names, sharing their stories, and discussing the importance of supporting trans women in our communities while they are alive. “Eighteen trans women have been PXUGHUHGLQ$PHULFDLQ´H[SODLQHG Alyssa Pagan, a local activist and trans woman who helped organize the vigil. “Most of them are black. We want more SHRSOH WR ¿QDOO\ EHOLHYH WKDW WKHLU OLYHV matter. Often times their deaths go un- investigated and underreported. Even when they are reported on, they are re- peatedly misgendered and their character called into question.” This lives and stories of Lamia Beard, Keyshia Blige, Kandis Capri, London Chanel, India Clarke, Taja DeJesus, Ta- mara Dominguez, Papi Edwards, K.C. Haggard, Mya Hall, Amber Monroe, Yazmin Vash Payne, Penny Proud, Kris- tina Gomez Reinwald, Shade Schuler, Ty Underwood, Elisha Walker, and Mer- cedes Williamson were shared, and or- ganizers asked that community members continue to remember their names and the work they did across the country and in their communities.
