June 7, 2017
Page 11
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
Photo by Z aChary s enn /t he P ortland o bserver
Two children carry powerful messages to the steps of the Hollywood/42nd Avenue Transit Center during a moment of silence to remember the two men killed in a racially
motivated attack on light rail more than one week ago. The Friday noon observance was organized by TriMet which asked all buses and trains to pull over and stop for one
minute in honor of the victims.
chair of Portland State University’s Black
Studies Department, agrees that today’s
sociopolitical climate makes it easier for
racist speech to be made publicly.
“In the past, people may have felt that
they needed to take these kinds of remarks
to the back room,” Jackson said in an in-
by Z aChary s enn
terview with the Portland Observer. “Now,
t he P ortland o bserver
there is this feeling that it’s okay to say
Racially—motivated fatal stabbings on
certain things that in the past might have
a Max light rail train more than a week
been characterized as inappropriate.”
ago has raised concerns from a number of
Both Jackson and James believe that so-
community leaders that a new connectivi-
cial media has played a role in connecting
ty on the Internet and a new sociopolitical
those expressing racist and white suprem-
climate has emboldened people with racist
acist ideology.
views, energized by the election of Presi-
“People on the Internet are looking for
dent Donald Trump.
people who share their ideas.” Jackson
In an interview with the Portland Ob- ed,” James said.
Dante James, who serves as director of
the Office of Equity and Human Rights server, James explained that using diluted
James says that the campaign of Pres- said. “Like-minded people will find com-
for the city of Portland, has called on the terms, such as “alt-right,” “ethnic slurs” ident Trump has emboldened those with fort in those types of relationships.”
James says that enhanced connectivity
media not to downplay the role that white and “biased language” in conversations white supremacist sentiments to be more
is one of the vectors allowing white su-
supremacy and racism played in the Me- surrounding attacks motivated by racism vocal and violent.
can inadvertently help white supremacist
morial Day weekend attack.
“The election didn’t create this,” he premacist messaging to continue to spread.
“You can have a mob mentality with-
“Unless we acknowledge this reality groups to propel their agenda.
said, “It just created an opportunity for it
“They have in fact become more main- to be more comfortable in doing what it out ever being in the mob now, because of
and use these words,” James said, “we will
not be able to address the root causes of stream and can now use euphemisms like wanted to do.”
C ontinued on P age 15
“the alt-right” to be more readily accept-
the problem.”
Dr. Shirley Jackson, who serves as the
Advocates say
political climate has
emboldened hate
Fighting
Racism