September 28, 2016 The Skanner Page 3
News
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tunately, felony convic-
tions in these cases also
include unintended and
collateral consequenc-
es including barriers
to housing and employ-
ment and a disparate im-
pact on minority commu-
nities.”
The release pledges
that the associations
intend to work with
“
also issued a statement
commending the Sherifs
Association and Chiefs of
Police’s position.
“Longer criminal sen-
tences are not always the
path to justice, safety,
or solving challenging
social problems. I am
pleased to see Oregon
law enforcement lead-
ers promoting a smarter
‘Policies that prevent people
from rebuilding their lives
are bad for Oregon’
the governor, legisla-
ture and prosecutors
throughout the state to
“crat a more thoughtful
approach to drug posses-
sion when it is the only
crime committed.” It says
the two professional as-
sociations will recom-
mend user-amount drug
possession convictions
be treated as misdemean-
ors and that ofenders be
assessed for mandated
treatment as a condition
of their conviction.
Almost
immediately
ater the release was is-
sued, groups involved in
criminal justice reform
issued statements prais-
ing the professional as-
sociation’s position.
“We are particularly
pleased that OSSA and
OACP have addressed
the outsize impact that
the current approach is
having on Oregonians of
color,” says a statement
from Bobbin Singh, Ex-
ecutive Director, Oregon
Justice Resource Center.
“Any conversation about
how to address the prob-
lem of mass incarcera-
tion in our state must
prominently feature the
voices of communities of
color and must take par-
ticular account of how
these communities are
afected by current or
proposed policy.”
The ACLU of Oregon
Sista
approach in our state.
Policies that prevent
people from rebuilding
their lives are bad for
Oregon. When someone
is charged with a felony
drug crime it can follow
them for life, prevent-
ing access to housing,
employment, education,
and more,” said David
Rodgers, executive direc-
tor of the ACLU of Ore-
gon.
Unite Oregon ofered
more qualiied praise of
the statement.
“The War on Drugs
has been a failure,” said
Kayse Jama, Executive
Director of Unite Ore-
gon. “Drug policies have
devastated our commu-
nity and contributed to
the mass incarceration of
people of color and low
income communities. In
addition, it does not help
those who are struggling
with addiction. Instead,
it makes it almost impos-
sible for people to ind
safe and secure housing,
meaningful
employ-
ment, and recovery-re-
lated care.”
Unite Oregon’s state-
ment goes on to call for
an overhaul of the crim-
inal justice system, in-
cluding an end to proil-
ing, improved training of
law enforcement and re-
cording pedestrian and
vehicular stops.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Portlander Marian De Bardelaben (left) meets Gina Daniels at costume panel that related the process for creating designs for Twelfth
Night at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Emeritus Board event Sept. 23. The show was directed by Christopher Liam Moore. The show
runs through Oct. 30. Vietgone and Richard II are sold out, and tickets to hot shows “The Wiz” and “The Yeomen of the Guard,” which
run through Oct. 15 and 30, are going fast.
Don’t Shoot
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When asked why Hales changed
the meeting location, he told
KGW that he did not want an oc-
cupation of City Hall.
“I’m not interesting in facili-
tating the occupation of a public
building,” Hales said. “What I
did want to facilitate is a conver-
sation about these issues, and
they’re really important.”
The choice to switch locations
inlamed an already-tense rela-
tionship between the city and
Don’t Shoot Portland. On Fri-
day the group rallied for Black
lives ater the deaths of Terence
Crutcher in Tulsa, Oklahoma and
Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte,
North Carolina.
What began as a peaceful
march turned violent as police
oicers clashed with Don’t Shoot
Portland protesters. The activist
group issued video from the pro-
test that shows clips of alleged po-
lice brutality.
In one video a police oicer
appears to ire a weapon near a
protester’s feet; another shows a
police oicer on a bicycle break-
ing a banner being carried by ac-
tivists. Another video clip shows
protestors being pepper sprayed
by police.
The group issued a press re-
“
• Fix the binding arbitration
clause for police oicers who
are ired.
• Ban oicers from reviewing
body camera footage before
writing reports on use of force
What began as a peaceful march turned
violent as police oicers clashed with
Don’t Shoot Portland protesters
lease condemning violence both
from and towards protesters.
“We do not want riots to occur
in Portland. We do not want our
city to see the same destruction
as Ferguson, Baltimore or Char-
lotte. However, it is us that have
kept our city from spiraling into
similar circumstances, as the po-
lice here have met peaceful pro-
testors with the same mindset as
in those cities,” the press release
read.
The group also issued a series
of demands they say would im-
prove police accountability. The
demands include:
•
•
•
•
•
incidents.
An end to the 48-hour rule
An immediate end to police
brutality at protests
An immediate end to gang en-
forcement oicers being de-
ployed to protests
Increased background checks
on potential oicers.
Make public all bargaining ses-
sions with the Portland Police
Association.
Read more at TheSkanner.com
cont’d from pg 1
their coworkers and managers.
In the ilm, Laneice is referred to as a
“Quota” — a person who has been hired
to fulill government diversity regula-
tions.
Hunte and Redstone spoke about
showing the ilm to groups of trades-
women at national conferences. At an
“
PHOTO BY BOBBIE FOSTER
Drugs
One of Hunte’s favorite screenings
was the Women Build Nations con-
ference in Chicago where the ilm was
shown to more than 700 women in the
trades.
Both Redstone and Hunte felt a heavy
duty to tell the stories of Black trades-
women and to portray them accurately
‘Ater watching it, someone raised her hand
and said that she had had all of those things
happen, all the various microaggressions that
the lead character experiences’
event in New York City, Redstone said
the ilm resonated with those who had
lived Laneice’s experiences.
“Ater watching it, someone raised
her hand and said that she had had all
of those things happen, all the various
microaggressions that the lead charac-
ter experiences — but not necessarily
all in one day,” Redstone said.
to a larger audience. Redstone remem-
bers the exact number of Kickstarter
backers who funded the ilm’s creation
— 256 people.
“All these people were invested in the
project and it was a lot of pressure,”
Redstone said. “I had this responsibil-
ity and privilege to tell this story, but
it was a little nerve-wracking at times
too.”
Hunte said she was
inspired by the wom-
en she interviewed for
her dissertation.
“The women that
I interviewed said
‘please do something
with this; please don’t
just let it sit there.
Please share’,” she said.
“I feel very honored
and excited that we
are getting to share.”
In addition to ilm Still from ‘Sista in the Brotherhood’
festival
screenings,
Sista in the Broth-
riculum and discussion questions so
erhood has been getting exposure
the ilm can be distributed as an edu-
through training screenings. The ilm
cation tool. Those who are interested
has been shown to regional govern-
in screening the ilm for training or
ment Metro, at a Plumbers Union in
education purposes are encouraged to
New York, Oregon Tradeswomen and
contact them at www.sistainthebroth-
the NECA/IBEW Electrical Training
erhood.com.
Center.
Hunte is currently creating a cur-
Read the full story at TheSkanner.com
