“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”
John F. Kennedy
Disclaimer: all views represented here are my own. They do not reflect the views of any others I am associated with; either at the individual or group level.
Preface
I’ve lived in Portland, OR since 2009. I moved here, after many moves for quality of life reasons. During that time I’ve gotten to know the place pretty well. But, before I jump into my observations on the place and these last 100 days, let me tell you the perspective it’s coming from.
I bring with me to Portland a New England sensibility and a childhood spent in a military family. I am a lifelong political independent but have never voted Republican. I hug trees but have trained in mixed martial arts my entire adult life. I’m east coast driven but west coast inclusive…all to say I’m all over the map if you try to put me in any of the current US political buckets. My politics reflect the issues I care about not my identity, ethos or personal values.
My view on Portland, 10 years in
In the time I’ve lived here I’ve been encouraged by the passion for positive change is see in the community. I see a city unlike any other I’ve been to in America. And I’ve lived in several and visited all of them at least once. I believe this city is the most socially progressive city in America. More similar to my experience living in Sydney, Australia than living in NYC.
My assumption moving here was that these social values of inclusion, respect, tolerance and even acceptance translated into policies. On that I was wrong. Portland is at once living a new social model but that attitude and outlook doesn’t effectively make it’s way into policy. It’s like the inclusion part also includes the inclusion of those who are perpetuating the problems with too much tolerance and not enough adult guidance.
I’ve seen this manifest several times in a decade of living here. A few examples; big parts of Portland have air quality that does not meet federal clean air standards in summer months. Policing is the same model here as everywhere else and minorities suffer disproportionately here just like every other US city. Oregon incarceration rates also similar. I see massive timber money behind the political scenes and scars across the landscape from it. Southern Poverty Law Center shows multiple hates groups thriving in Oregon. The 2 main rivers in Portland are far from clean and while there are many bike lanes, they are poorly networked and there are still some sections of Portland with unpaved roads. So high marks on good intentions but poor marks on real, progressive leadership and execution from local government.
Not perfect but better than most
Do I think these observations add up to a failing grade for Portland city and Oregon state leadership? No, I don’t. It would be letting the perfect be the enemy of the good if I did. Also, in our bipolar political system, I think the current alternative would do far worse at serving the issues I care about.
A lot of context I know but there are a lot of perspectives on what is happening here and I want to be clear on where I’m coming from. I was asked by friends and family to write this article to help them make sense of what they are seeing out here. For this article I’ve chosen to focus on what I see as different here versus other US cities.
To that end; with all that’s already out there on the politics, the factions, the fear mongering…I choose to showcase and highlight the beauty I see through all the anger and fear.
Why did I go?
First and foremost to show my support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Secondly to show support for my friend and neighbor, Isiah Clarke. I wanted to go all along but as a father of 2 young children and the sole provider, had a hard time justifying the risk in my own mind. Once Isiah said he was going, it was all the reason I needed.
The mental process I went through in deciding to go 2 miles from my front door, risk some safety and support my neighbor is one many white Americans are going through. It comes down to the fundamental question I ask myself and I believe all white Americans should be asking:
“What should I be doing with my white privilege?”
I don’t know if my answer is the right one but I know my neighbor feels my support. I know the answer to this question for me is just outside my own door. The answer comes through asking the experts; your fellow Americans (of color). Just ask them. My neighbors answer was great. When I asked him, what do you think the difference between being an Ally and Accomplice…he simply said:
“If you get a situation where you have a turn at the mic…and you have a chance to speak up for Black Lives. Stop and look around…if there is a person next to you of color; hand them the mic and take a step back. That’s what an accomplice does.”
In addition to Isiah’s advice, I have my own background to draw upon. I grew up in the military. The enlisted military. For those who don’t know military families, the enlisted ranks are made up of mainly poor, less educated volunteers. So my kid community was far from the typical white suburban one.
I wasn’t really aware of any privilege until my late teen years. I saw it first present through interactions with the police. I had already seen racism present in other areas but it wasn’t until a group of me and my friends had a run in with the police that I saw privilege first hand. After a night of revels a fight broke out. Of the 5 members in our group, 2 were African American, the rest were not. They were the only ones who went to jail that night.
So after 47 years, I can say, through my lived experience…privilege is real, racism is real and if you find these questions uncomfortable, it’s ok! That means you’re doing it right.
Actor - Ally - Accomplice
Actor, Ally, Accomplice?
When Malcolm X was asked how white people could be allies and accomplices with Black people in 1964, he responded: “By visibly hovering near us, they are ‘proving’ that they are ‘with us.’ But the hard truth is this isn’t helping to solve America’s racist problem. The Negroes aren’t the racists. Where the really sincere white people have got to do their ‘proving’ of themselves is not among the black victims, but out on the battle lines of where America’s racism really is — and that’s in their home communities; America’s racism is among their own fellow whites. That’s where sincere whites who really mean to accomplish something have got to work.”
A Rare Beauty Emerges
There is so much I could focus on for this article. All with varying levels of controversy surrounding them. I have interests in all of them but chose hear to focus on something I share with my kids, art.
I’ve been drawing, painting, airbrushing, carving and creating since I was about 4 years old. My great grandmother is famous artist in RI, Ethel Fitton. It’s something I’ve always held close and even hidden from other boys when I was young for fear of ridicule. So, I love art and my kids do to.
In going down to the protest area for the first time, I didn’t know what to expect. Being an immigrant to the PNW area, I half-expected the downtown to be what the media portrayed in Seattle. A lawless, dirty, homeless camp…full of crime and depravity.
We arrived at about 4:30pm and saw families with kids in strollers, a pair of well dressed, well quaffed silver haired women sipping chardonnay at a street cafe. The “Wall of Medical Professionals”, “Wall of Vets” and “Wall of Moms” were all there warming up. It felt not like Mad Max but like an outdoor concert full of socially conscious people.
In exploring the 3-4 city block area around Chapman Square in downtown Portland. I noticed it wasn’t just the feel of the crowd that was different. How people were treating their city was different. There wasn’t the wanton, mindless destruction one might expect. One the contrary I saw:
“A thoughtful expression of the African American experience through some of the most beautiful and visceral art I’ve ever seen anywhere. The energy of these pieces is profound…”
Of the many things I could lend my voice to in these times of change, environmentalism has been my core as you all know. But this aspect of the Black Live Matter movement and others I thought I could highlight. In addition to posting the artists work here, when possible I’ve reached out to local artists to make sure they can get original copies.
Please feel free to share any of the photos below royalty free to get the word out. That said, a link to a more detailed post by Benjamin Brink at Street Roots is here. His article provides options on how you can directly support more local art.
Excellent article. The art is remarkable.
Fantastic! Keep up the amazing and important work!
Very insightful. Thank you. BLM.