Local News
By Lisa Loving
Of The Skanner News
T
he Portland African American Lead-
ership Forum is building a new
project to counter the geographic
scattering of the African American commu-
nity caused by gentrification.
Their vision also includes reaching out to
connect with other Black communities
around the nation facing the same issues.
The “’We are Black. We are...’ Kick-off
Community Celebration and BBQ” is Satur-
day, July 19, 2 -6 p.m. at Montavilla Park,
8219 NE Glisan.
Behind the motto, “Celebrating all that we
are from the North to the Numbers,” the
group is setting the table with free food,
games, live music and DJs to bring people
together for a six-month initiative aimed at
a common cause.
The group is hosting monthly breakfast
events and a branded “We are Black. We are
as a community- one that is defined FOR us
and BY us, rather than reacting and building
our narrative based on stereotypes or depic-
tions of our community that don’t come
from within,” says spokeswoman Rachel
Gilmer.
“What does it mean to be Black in Port-
land? How does this connect to our
struggles as Black people globally? What is
needed to carry the baton of the Civil Rights
Movement to the next level and achieve jus-
tice for our people?
“Throughout the next six months, we
hope to engage the community in these
types of questions, so that we can build the
connections and shared understanding nec-
essary to advance a movement in Portland,”
she said.
Gilmer added that the group is reaching
out to other communities nationally who are
experiencing similar challenges to magnify
the effort.
“In addition to lacking a cultural and com-
‘We are Black. We are...’ Kick-off Community
Celebration and BBQ is Saturday, July 19,
at Montavilla Park, 8219 NE Glisan
Portland” t-shirt and merchandise campaign
to get people together and “crowdsource” a
message of community pride and self-defi-
nition.
“By creating opportunities for our com-
munity to come together in celebration, we
hope to build deeper community relation-
ships and a deeper sense of self and purpose
munity center, we also recognize that one
grave consequence of gentrification is that
many of our people have been displaced to
areas that lack adequate service options,
especially those that are culturally compe-
tent and responsive,” Gilmer says.
“We also recognize the need to build rela-
tionships between community members and
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAALF
PAAlF ‘Crowdsources’ New Anti-Gentrification Project
Through the campaign website and social media accounts, PAAlF is inviting
Black people locally and nationally to complete the statement: “we are Black.
we are _________. “
service providers by bringing resources
directly to them.”
In addition to the kickoff barbecue, the
ongoing breakfast events and the t-shirt
campaign, PAALF is mounting a social
media project allowing community mem-
bers to connect and speak out on Facebook,
Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram – literally
building a virtual community center where
the forces of pushout have crumbled so
much of the face-to-face connections of past
generations.
Through the campaign website and social
media accounts, PAALF is inviting Black
people locally and nationally to
complete the statement: “We are Black. We
are _________.”
“We have launched ‘We are Black. We
are...’ to build our power and connections
as a community,” Gilmer says.
For more information, go to:
www.weareblackweare.com
On twitter: www.twitter.com/WeAre-
Black_WeAre
On
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/weareblack0weare
On
Tumblr:
weareblack-
weare.tumblr.com/
On
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/weareblack_weare
We honor the many
accomplishments of African
Americans.
It is our primary goal as a
labor union to better the
lives of all people working
in the building trades
through advocacy, civil
demonstration, and the
long-held belief that work-
ers deserve a "family wage" - fair pay for an honest day's work.
A family wage, and the benefits that go with it, not only strength-
ens families, but also allows our communities to become
stronger, more cohesive, and more responsive to their citizens'
needs.
Our family wage agenda reflects our commitment to people
working in the building trades, and to workers everywhere. In this
small way, we are doing our part to help people achieve the
American Dream. This dream that workers can hold dear regard-
less of race, color, national origin, gender, creed, or religious
beliefs.
The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters
Representing more than 5.000 construction workers in Oregon State.
Do you want to know more about becoming a
Union carpenter?
July 9, 2014 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 9