#dontshoot

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On Friday, June Care Christian posted a timely Teaching Tolerance blog, #dontshoot.  A former teacher from the same school district where Michael Brown just graduated, Christian provides an eloquent response to what educators can do in the wake of another high-profile shooting of a young, unarmed African-American male.  As she states, “Brown’s death and the outpouring of protest it ignited is symbolic of racial tensions that have festered for too long. Instead of internalizing the events in Ferguson as racial protocol in our nation, students should be taught to be the voices of change and the enactors of justice.”  She then offers some sage advice for all educators, in all communities.

Why are there so few Black people in Oregon?

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​The LBCC Department of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is excited ​to co-sponsor and invite you to a Conversation Project: ​Why are there so few Black people in Oregon?

The​ host​s will be​ Occupy Albany,  the Rural Organizing Project, and the Oregon Humanities.  Co-sponsored by the Albany Human Relations Commission and Linn-Benton Community College Department of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion.
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Have you ever wondered why the Black population in Oregon is so small?  Oregon has a history not only of Black exclusion and discrimination, but also of a vibrant Black culture that helped sustain many communities throughout the state—a history that is not taught in schools. Author and educator Walidah Imarisha will lead participants through an interactive timeline of Black history in Oregon that speaks to the history of race, identity, and power in this state and the nation. Participants will discuss how history, politics, and culture have shaped—and will continue to shape—the landscape not only for Black Oregonians but all Oregonians.

When:  Sunday September 7, 4pm-6pm

Where: Albany Main Library Community Room 2450 14th Ave. SE Albany, OR 97322

A copy of the flyer is linked here.  Contact Peter Goodman 541-981-2882  for more information.

Los Porteños

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El Hispanic News has a nice piece online that features folks from OSU: Los Porteños: Building Bridges with Words.  Los Porteños is a group of Latin@ writers in Oregon.  In the article, they discuss the advantages of being able to share their writing with other authors who are bilingual and bicultural (if not multilingual and multicultural).  They are preparing for an upcoming performance, WORDS THAT BURN, September 25-28, at Milagro in Portland.  It’ll be part of La Luna Nueva Multidisciplinary Arts Festival.

While you’re on the El Hispanic site, you might also check out the article, Environmental Groups Lag Nation in Diversity.

Paradise Lost

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I just recently came across this 2013 Rethinking Schools article: Paradise Lost: Introducing Students to Climate Change through Story.  Author Brady Bennon describes how he taught a high school unit on climate change—first for a freshman global studies class and later to a senior humanities class.  He and his students had some remarkable insights that make this a worthwhile read.  My favorite quote comes at the end…“The places where we live have a profound effect on our lives. They influence our ideas, beliefs, and how we see the world. Places give us meaning. Our memories make us who we are and are inseparable from the places where they are made. So what happens when our place gets destroyed? What happens to the people who are uprooted, ripped from their homes, torn from their place?”

Hello, World!

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Our Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CLD) Work Group has been renamed.  We are now the Social and Environmental Justice (SEJ) Work Group, and this is our new blog.  Welcome!  We remain committed to cultural and linguistic diversity in education.  Our new name reflects a more deliberate inclusion of environmental issues in education.  As we have been, we continue to be advocates for equity.

You’ll find all posts from our former CLD blog archived here.  New posts are on their way.  Also coming soon…our fall schedule of meetings and events under the Calendar menu heading.

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