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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 2018)
November 21, 2018 Page 9 Mississippi Alberta North Portland Vancouver East County Beaverton A diverse group of high school students from all over the Portland area gather to tackle social justice issues. They are volunteers with ‘What Now Oregon’ a youth orchestrated event coming to Wilson High School on Saturday, Dec. 1. What Now Oregon Students set table for social justice event The stage is set for a youth orchestrated event that puts a focus on social justice is- sues and provides an opportunity for any- one--especially youth--to participate in our democracy. “What Now Oregon” makes it return for a full day and evening event, on Saturday, Dec. 1 at Wilson High School in associat- ed with dozens of non-profit organizations. Free and open to all, individuals of all backgrounds are invited to join in and put energy into action for good. This year, for the first time, youth lead- ers already active in their communities are at the helm of providing the direction, con- tent and structure for the event. The topics to be covered include racial justice, gun violence, criminal justice, in- digenous rights, climate change, LGBTQ+ rights, sexual assault and women’s rights, refugees and immigration, religious free- dom, mental health, and education and stu- dent rights. By exploring these critical and timely topics, student will gain a better under- standing of our community and how these social justice topics relate to engagement in democracy. “The planning committee is adamant about an equity focus in every one of our workshops. We want to make sure under- represented voices that have been neglect- ed in social justice movements are given total focus,” says Gabby Cosey, a senior at Lincoln High School and one of the stu- dent organizers focusing on preventing gun violence. In 2016, Natalie Sept founded the “What Now” event bringing 2,000 peo- ple and over 55 nonprofits organizations together at Revolution Hall after the No- vember election for community mem- bers to direct their energy into action for good. After a successful second year, she along with the help of J.T. Flowers, native northeast Portlander, and Rhodes Scholar recipient for 2018, co-created a succession plan where student activist leaders would assume responsibility for and lead the event moving forward. To register and RSVP for the free “What Now Oregon” event, visit whatnoworegon. org.
