Racial justice is a feminist issue.

Racial justice is a feminist issue.

• Racial justice a feminist issue because cis women of color, trans women of color, and gender queer people of color die at the hands of police.
• Racial justice is a feminist issue because women of color–and especially queer and trans women of color–must be centered in our community organizing conversations in order to challenge structural state-perpetuated violence and racism.
• Racial justice a feminist issue because systemic violence is a feminist issue.
• Racial justice is a feminist issue.

Many of our community members are actively participating in speaking out, protesting, taking action, and standing in solidarity, in response to the rash of policy brutality that continues to sweep the United States.  As a feminist community center, we are hosting workshops on how to stay safe and healthy while taking this struggle to the streets.  Taught and facilitated by Rose Hip Collective, please join us at In Other Words for at least one of these street safety workshops:

• Safe and Healthy in the Streets workshop December 10th, 2014 at In Other Words Feminist Community Center
• Safe and Healthy in the Streets workshop December 14th, 2014 at In Other Words Feminist Community Center

Come join us for one of these two-hour trainings about keeping you and yours safe while protesting for a better world. We’ll cover identifying police tactics, action preparation, and talk about those strange and illustrious medics you see roaming about with red crosses. These are the first of what we hope will be several such workshops in coming weeks.  Can’t make either of the safety trainings?  Please click here to download a protest safety pocket guide.

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Critical upcoming actions, meetings, discussions:

• Discussion about the Real History of Black People in Oregon with Walidah Imarisha on December 4th, 2014
• Meeting with Mayor Hales on December 9th, 2014
• List of demands for police accountability, drafted by Portland Right to the City Coalition, to be delivered to City Council on December 10th, 2014
• Don’t Shoot Portland #PDX #Ferguson #BlackLivesMatter rally on December 10th, 2014
• Send a holiday card to an LGBTQ person who is living behind bars, sign up by December 11th, 2014
• Vigil for Keaton Otis on December 12, 2014
• Don’t Shoot PDX rally and protest on December 16th, 2014
• Out in the Night screening & community organizing discussion on December 18th, 2014
• Black Talks with Black Student Union at Jefferson High School on December 18th, 2014
• The State & Revolution at Portland State University on December 18th, 2014
• PDX Kids 4 Justice Youth Rally & March on December 20, 2014
• The Cry for Justice Vigil & Rally on December 20, 2014
• NVDA Strategy & Planning workshop on December 20, 2014
• Don’t Shoot PDX Community Organizing Meeting at In Other Words December 28, 2014
• PDX Don’t Shoot! rally and protest on December 31, 2014
• How to Copwatch Training with Portland Law Collective meeting on January 9, 2015
• Don’t Shoot PDX Community Organizing Meeting at In Other Words January 11, 2015
• Arresting Power screening on January 15, 2015
• PFLAG Portland Black Chapter networking social at In Other Words on January 17, 2015
• Don’t Shoot PDX Community Organizing Meeting at In Other Words January 18, 2015
• In Other Words Feminist Community Center General Assembly for the Feminist Community at In Other Words on January 24, 2015
• Don’t Shoot PDX Community Organizing Meeting at In Other Words January 25, 2015
• Don’t Shoot PDX Community Organizing Meeting at In Other Words February 8, 2015
• PFLAG Portland Black Chapter networking social at In Other Words on Feburary 21, 2015
• Don’t Shoot PDX Community Organizing Meeting at In Other Words February 22, 2015
• Don’t Shoot PDX Community Organizing Meeting at In Other Words March 8, 2015
• PFLAG Portland Black Chapter networking social at In Other Words on March 21, 2015
• Don’t Shoot PDX Community Organizing Meeting at In Other Words March 22, 2015
• Don’t Shoot PDX Community Organizing Meeting at In Other Words April 5, 2015
• PFLAG Portland Black Chapter networking social at In Other Words on April 18, 2015
• Don’t Shoot PDX Community Organizing Meeting at In Other Words April 19, 2015
• In Other Words Feminist Community Center General Assembly for the Feminist Community at In Other Words on April 25, 2015
• Don’t Shoot PDX Community Organizing Meeting at In Other Words May 3, 2015
• PFLAG Portland Black Chapter networking social at In Other Words on May 16, 2015
• Don’t Shoot PDX Community Organizing Meeting at In Other Words May 17, 2015
• Don’t Shoot PDX Community Organizing Meeting at In Other Words May 31, 2015

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There are innumerable ways to make your voice heard. The most important part is to engage, speak out, and be true to yourself and your communities.  Here are a few of the many ongoing ways to speak out:

• Justice for Keaton Otis: monthly vigils
• Sistah Sinema queer women of color: monthly screenings
• Artists Against Police Violence: call for submissions
• PDX Crafting Collective: craftivism monthly meetings
• PDX-Ferguson-NYC-Berkeley-Cleveland-Utah-NC Support Calls: every day until justice
• Allow yourself to imagine a better world: read literature! Read and think and write about anything you can get your hands on, or choose by subject such as science fiction and fantasy, young adult, queer theory.  And then discuss or write or make a zine about it.

• Don’t Shoot PDX is a primary organizer of many of the significant actions that have taken place in Portland so far in response to recent police brutality: the march in protest of no indictment for Michael Brown’s murder in Ferguson Missouri, the march in protest of no indictment for Eric Garner’s murder in Staten Island New York, the action at the Moda Center, and multiple follow-up marches, actions, and protests at the Justice Center, Courthouse, Pioneer Place Mall, and the Apple Store.  Don’t Shoot PDX holds its community organizing meetings twice per month at In Other Words Feminist Community Center.
• Mourning Glory Publishing:  call for submissions
• Healing Justice for Black Lives Matter
• Hold yourself accountable.  Read A Herstory of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement and reflect, think, question yourself, and hold yourself and others accountable for what the do (and what they don’t do).
• Women of Color Zine project:  support them, read them, engage.
• PFLAG Portland Black Chapter:  regular meetings, events, socials, fundraisers.  Support them, engage in discussion, participate and/or be an informed ally.

 Stay safe out there, feminists.

You are valued, appreciated, and worth it.

 In Other Words loves you.

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Got a suggestion or a new event to add to the lists above?   Please let us know so we can keep this blog post current and updated! Please drop us a line at communications[at]inotherwords[dot]org with the information and a URL link.

In Other Words Feminist Community Center is an entirely volunteer-run 501(c)3 non-profit.