Newsletters 

Clackamas County Equity Coalition (CCEC)
CCEC's next virtual quarterly meeting is on Thursday evening, October 19, and will explore misinformation with writer, educator, and organizer Bruce Poinsette! https://www.brucepoinsette.com/
Date Thursday, October 19
Time 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Place: virtual (email clackcoequityco@gmail.com for Zoom link)
Email clackcoequityco@gmail.com for more details or to submit calendar events. Visit the CCEC website for more information and find countywide opportunities for events that honor diversity, equity, and inclusion. https://sites.google.com/view/clackamascountyequitycoalition/home

Respond to Racism
Silent Walk on August 20th at 3:00p.m. Circle on First and Evergreen in Lake Oswego.

"The Place We Make" by Sarah Sanderson
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/709751/the-place-we-make-by-sarah-l-sanderson/
From Penguin Random House website:

Moving back to the outskirts of Portland, called the “Whitest city in America,” prompted Sarah’s curiosity about the colonization of the West, her ancestors, and the legal exile of a Black man. She examined four city leaders involved in Jacob Vanderpool’s case—Oregon City’s founder, the case judge, Jacob’s accuser, and a local pastor—and the cultural and theological fallout of their decisions. Along the way, Sarah took a hard look at her tendencies, unconscious and deliberate, to ignore the possibility of prejudice in her heart.
Vanderpool’s case proved a fascinating lens on a far bigger story than one trial, illuminating truths to help us all come to honest terms with our past, learn to repent, and contribute to the good of the people and places around us.
Journey through this sensitive expedition into the events that remain a thorn under America’s skin and discover afresh the vast potential of the flawed but endlessly redeemable—human heart.

Leaders for Equity Diversity and Inclusion Council (LEDIC)
Interested residents are invited to apply to serve on the Leaders for Equity Diversity and Inclusion Council (LEDIC)!
The Leaders for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council (LEDIC) is to act as a liaison to the Board of County Commissioners on matters including sounding board on the impact of policies and practices to diverse residents, develop leadership from diverse communities to increase participation in County functions, establish a list of diverse residents for committee vacancies, make available access to information and to help service providers on outreach efforts to diverse residents.
Application deadline is Aug. 30, 2023 For more information, contact the Equity & Inclusion Office at equityoffice@clackamas.us.

The Clackamas County Equity Coalition does not endorse candidates but does provide information for our followers to make informed decisions.

• May 16th Special Elections Voters' Pamphlet

• Equity-Focused Candidate Rating Guide

• Attend CCEC Information Session

CCEC Spring 2023 Quarterly Meeting

Thursday, April 13th from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The topic will be supporting equity-focused candidates. See flyer for more details. Note: If you have already registered, the zoom link has not been sent out but will be coming your way soon!

*Next Quarterly Meeting

Summer Connections at Clackamas Community College’s Oregon City Campus on June 9, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  https://www.clackamas.edu/landing-pages/summer-connection

• Opportunities to sponsor, table, volunteer and most importantly attend! 

• Contact blackwellheidi75@gmail.com for more information.

Walking with a Panther

Save the date!  Respond to Racism, Lake Oswego Public Library, and Lakewood Center for the Arts present a free showing of Vanport Mosaic’s “Walking through Portland with a Panther: The Life of Mr. Kent Ford. All Power!” – a solo play by Don Wilson Glenn, directed by Damaris Webb, and featuring La’Tevin Alexander.  The play celebrates the life of Mr. Kent Ford, co-founder of Portland's chapter of the '60s-era black empowerment organization, and it incorporates archival footage and storytelling to understand the legacy of local resistance, rediscover lost neighborhoods where the Panthers used to patrol, and learn the intimate makings of unsung leaders of protest and revolution.

Due to the generous support of Respond to Racism, Friends of the Lake Oswego Public Library, and Lakewood Center for the Arts, this play is offered free of charge.  Ticket reservations are required, and tickets can be reserved here: https://lakewoodtheatrecompany.csstix.com/events.php (link is external) starting Monday, April 10 at 10:00 am.  This event will take place at Lakewood Center for the Arts, located at 368 S. State Street, Lake Oswego. Contact Alicia Yokoyama, Adult Services Librarian, at ayokoyama@lakeoswego.city if you have questions.

Wilsonville Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Speaker Series

• April 27 “Growing up Muslim in Clackamas County” (at Hilton Garden Inn) Presented by Imran Haider, Washington State University

• May 4 “The Mainstreaming of Antisemitism in America” (at Charbonneau Country Club)
  Presented by Bob Horenstein, Jewish Federation of Greater Portland

• June 8 “Systemic Racism in Oregon Schools” (at Wilsonville Library)
  Presented by Rudyane Rivera-Lindstrom, Higher Education Coordinating Commission

• July 6 “The Culture, Language and Etiquette of Disability” (at Clackamas Community College)
  Presented by Ian Jaquiss, Relay Resources

No pre-registration is required. For more details on the DEI Lecture Series events, contact Bill Evans, 503-570-1502; evans@ci.wilsonville.or.us.

Please see message below from Martine Coblentz, Clackamas County Equity and Inclusion Officer. She will be missed and we wish her well in her new adventure. CCEC has enjoyed our ongoing partnership with the Clackamas County Equity Office and look forward to continue working with them in the future on our joint goal to create a sense of belonging to all who live, work and spend time in Clackamas County. 

It is with mixed emotions that I am writing to let you know that I just submitted my letter of resignation with Clackamas County as the Equity and Inclusion Officer. I have been presented with an opportunity with another organization and I have decided to take on this challenge. It was an honor to be appointed in this role to do this meaningful work for county employees and residents. As a resident, raising children in this county, the opportunity to move the needle on equity and inclusion forward has meant so much to me. We have endured a lot in the last few years.  We experienced a pandemic, the rise of a racial justice movement, wildfires, ice storms, election cycles (national and local), a hate crime on campus, and more. Despite all of this, so many of you have remained steadfast toward our vision of creating a Clackamas where people experience belonging. I’m very proud of all we have collectively accomplished in such a short amount of time. I am especially grateful for our Equity and Inclusion team. As a team, we have trained hundreds of employees, created new policies, provided new structures and procedures that never existed before in the history of the county. My team members are talented, strong and compassionate and it has been such a privilege to work alongside them. It is my hope that Clackamas County will cultivate the seeds that have been planted so far so that the fruits of the labors of today will be apparent in the years to come. 

While I’ve made this decision for myself, here are my hopes for you: I hope you continue to envision a Clackamas County where everybody thrives, has a sense of safety, connection, and belonging, so that each person is honored and celebrated for the richness in diversity that they bring. I hope you always remember where you have agency and continue to move the needle forward in the places you can. I believe that great change can happen on the grass roots level. You all volunteer your time to share your expertise and lived experiences to make this County a better place to live and work.  I wholeheartedly thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for this community.  Working with you has been one of the highlights for me in this position and I feel very sad to say goodbye to you. 

I will be working on some projects through the end of this month with my last day physically in the office on April 27, 2023. 

Please take very good care. 

Best wishes, 

Martine

Martine Coblentz, Equity and Inclusion Officer
She/Her/Hers
Equity and Inclusion Officer
County Administration
2051 Kaen Rd. Oregon City, OR 97045
503-655-8579
Hours of Operation: Mon – Thu, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
www.clackamas.us

For more CCEC Information

• Email clackcoequityco@gmail.com for more details or to submit calendar events.

• Visit their website for more information and find countywide opportunities for events that honor diversity, equity, and inclusion. https://sites.google.com/view/clackamascountyequitycoalition/home

Join us for the CCEC Quarterly Meeting, April 13, 2023, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Zoom.

Panel participants will share information on supporting equity-minded candidates. Breakout rooms to follow for discussion. 

• Panel Participant: Neelam Gupta, member of LO for Love and Lake Oswego School Board

• Panel Participant: Catherine McMullen, member of West Linn Alliance for Inclusive Community and Clackamas County Clerk 

Link to register: https://forms.gle/DPZL46H5Pdxr53ve6 

Visit our website for more information and to find countywide opportunities for events that honor diversity, equity, and inclusion.

https://sites.google.com/view/clackamascountyequitycoalition/home 

Email clackcoequityco@gmail.com for more details or to submit calendar events.

Our quarterly meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 12th from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. via Zoom with invited guest, Larry Didway, Clackamas ESD Superintendent. We appreciate you sharing the graphic and link attached among your networks for those interested in learning about school districts and boards across our county. Link to register:  https://forms.gle/7MySi5DSzqmfq5nW6

The West Linn Alliance is pleased to support the Women’s BIPOC Speaker Series in collaboration with Mary’s Woods, Respond to Racism, LO for Love, West Linn Public Library, Lake Oswego Public Library, and African American Women of Lake Oswego.

The speaker series continues on January 12th at 7:00 pm with Oregon Representative, Tawna Sanchez.

This free community event will be held at Mary's Woods in the Dunn Community Center, Cascade Hall, 17520 Mesnard Street, Lake Oswego. Living steaming will be available. Click here for more information

LO for Love and partners invite you to a celebration Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. on Sunday, January 15th at 2:00 p.m. at Lake Oswego High School Auditorium. Visit https://www.loforlove.org/upcoming-events/honoring-dr-martin-luther-king-jr for additional details.

"Can We All Get Along?" is an intentional dialogue event being supported by the Wilsonville Alliance for Inclusive Community and Oregon Humanities Conversation Project.

The event is scheduled for January 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Clackamas Community College-Wilsonville Campus. Room W155. RSVP to connect@wilsonvillealliance.org by January 10. RSVP is not required but preferred.

Clackamas Community College is working to expand their community connections and has requested information about any metro area culturally specific chambers of commerce/business alliances in order to extend invitations about events and celebrations the college is hosting/sponsoring. Please contact Casey Layton, Chief Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion officer to share information. She can be reached at 503-594-3008 or casey.layton@clackamas.edu

Email clackcoequityco@gmail.com for more details or to submit calendar events.

Visit our website for more information

https://sites.google.com/view/clackamascountyequitycoalition/home

Feel free to forward this message to equity-minded individuals, groups and organizations in Clackamas County! 

Please Join us for our upcoming steering committee meeting on December 9, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. on Zoom. Email for link.

*Save the Date* Next Quarterly Meeting will be happening on January 12 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Zoom. Special Guest will be Clackamas ESD Superintendent Larry Didway to talk about Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in relation to schools across Clackamas County. Break out rooms for Q and A with Mr. Didway, support for candidates who may be interested in running for their local School Board and other related topics. Be on the lookout for registration materials!

Respond to Racism Storytime features books by authors from various backgrounds.

December 5, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. Register here.

Bystander Training with Right to Be December 5, 2022, at 6:30 p.m.

REGISTER in advance for this webinar.

Respond to Racism & LO for LOve are co-hosting a Silent Walk on December 18, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. Lake Oswego, 200 1st St, Lake Oswego, OR 97034

Walk in silence to support our BIPOC community, thinking of equality, love, belonging and healing.

Wilsonville Alliance for Inclusive Communities shared a wonderful Cultural Calendar for 2023.

Home Forward opened the waitlists for over 30 affordable housing properties on November 30th, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.! Applications will be accepted online or you can call (503) 415-8050 for assistance over the phone Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Applications will be accepted for two weeks only through December 14th, 2022.

Properties include senior/disabled housing, studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, 3 bedroom, and 4 bedroom units. Applicants must meet income and eligibility guidelines.

Clackamas Community College is launching a free basic computer skills course at its Wilsonville campus. The course is open to the public and will be held Thursdays, Jan. 19 to March 16, 6:00 p.m-7 p.m. No laptop is needed for this community education class.

To sign up, visit: https://forms.gle/812ZzwxJdUNJN2Dh7. Need help registering? Call 503-594-0940. The CCC Wilsonville campus is located at 29353 SW Town Center Loop. For more information about community education at CCC, visit www.clackamas.edu/community-education.

Clackamas Diverse Educator Pathway is a program that helps racially, culturally and linguistically diverse classified staff become teachers and fill critical gaps in Clackamas County schools. CDEP provides successful applicants with $2,500 to $15,000 in tuition scholarships per term (winter and spring) — subject to available funds — to attend Clackamas Community College, Oregon State University, Pacific University Oregon, Portland State University and Western Oregon University. Find out more about the program on the Clackamas Education Service District website

Email clackcoequityco@gmail.com for more details or to submit calendar events.

Visit our website for more information and calendar of local events: https://sites.google.com/view/clackamascountyequitycoalition/home

Happy Holidays From the Clackamas County Equity Coalition

CCEC Quarterly Meeting 9.15.2022 with special guest, Aric Clark and the History of Policing 

Would you like to join the steering committee to plan these equity-focused events? Contact us for the zoom link. We meet on the second Friday of each month at 2:00 p.m. 

Respond to Racism LO Monthly Meeting is happening on October 3rd.

Kids' Story time from 5:00 to 5:30

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/426856819237 Join us October 3rd for our continuing young readers series, Storytime, hosted by Katharine Phelps. Please share this invite with your neighbors or family. This may be one of the few places where your child can participate in a BIPOC reading group.

Listen to Understand-Essential Conversations 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/428991253387 Please join us on Monday October 3 for an insightful evening conversation, from members of our community, about racism in their lives. Friends from our community will answer a short series of questions—speaking through the lens of their own lived experiences. We are grateful for this opportunity of grace and learning, keeping in mind one of our Respond to Racism agreements: respectfully listen to understand. Monday’s community meeting includes a surprise guest moderator—join us on this journey of learning!

Clackamas County's Indigenous Peoples' Day Celebration is happening on Sunday, October 9th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Clackamas Community College's Environmental Learning Center.

https://www.clackamas.us/event/2022-10-09/indigenous-peoples-day

Link to last year's celebration https://youtu.be/LDY0uc6FBO4

West Linn Alliance is having a BIPOC women’s speaker series. First Speaker is Bandana Shrestha, new state director for AARP Oregon. Live stream  will be here. Oct 13, 2022, 7 p.m. Link for more info https://westlinnalliance.org/event/womens-bipoc-speaker-series-bandana-shrestha/

Unite Oregon City is hosting a visit to the Black in Oregon: 1840-1870 Exhibit at Pittock Mansion 

October 15, 2022  from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm 

Tour the exhibit Black in Oregon: 1840-1870  with others from Unite Oregon City. Tickets can be purchased by visiting https://pittockmansion.org/exhibits/.

Carpooling is available by emailing uniteoregoncity@gmail.com

HINT Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

Oct 19, 2022

3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Join us for a virtual celebration of the rich histories, cultures and contributions of the LatinX community in & around Clackamas County.

Via Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/7prjfwp4

Meeting ID: 810 2675 4227 Passcode: 887669

Dial by your location: +1 (253) 215-8782

LO for LOVE and Lakeridge High School student groups present Diwali Celebration

October 23, 2022 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Lakeridge High School. Free.

Clackamas County Summer 2022 Cultural Events (current as of 6/10/2022)

Special Request to support LGBTQ+ PRIDE 2022

Saturday, June 25, 2022 1:00pm - 4:00 pm

Centennial Plaza, Sandy, OR

Join SAFE to celebrate PRIDE! Everyone belongs at PRIDE!

METRO Committee on Racial Equity

Two Positions open on the Metro Committee on Racial Equity for people who live in Clackamas County (CORE)

Do you have lived or professional experience advocating for racial justice in our region?

If so, we need you. Metro is recruiting four seats for the Committee on Racial Equity. The committee, which meets monthly, helps Metro decision makers center communities of color in the development of new policies, programs and investments. Its members advise on issues spanning housing, transportation, land use, waste management and other areas. The committee has also been active in shaping our response to COVID 19 and helping guide our work to invest in and protect Black lives.

Learn more and apply: Visit: http://bit.ly/joinCORE. For disability accommodation for the application process call 503-797-1774, or 503-797-1804 TDD. To request the information in Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian or Chinese call 503-797-1888.

Application contact: Raul Preciado Mendez Raul.PreciadoMendez@oregonmetro.gov

Educator with Confluence

Confluence is looking for an energetic and collaborative Indigenous Emerging Artist/Educator to work with our small and dedicated staff to help deliver educational programming and produce culturally relevant art. We're looking for someone with a cultural connection to the Indigenous Tribes of the Columbia River system in Oregon, Washington or Idaho. The position will remain open until July 1st, 2022.Read the full job description here and please share!

CCC Master Plan Survey

Clackamas Community College is creating a Concept Master Plan that will guide the next 10 years of improvements to our three campuses. This could include improvements to buildings, outdoor spaces, walking and biking paths, streets, and other physical spaces on each of our campuses.

As a member of the community and a stakeholder of the college, your input on how we grow is valued. Please take 15 minutes of your time to fill out our Campus Visioning Survey. Your anonymous responses will contribute to the overall recommendations for future enhancements to the college space and physical environment.

Complete the campus visioning survey by Thursday, July 8, at 11:59 p.m.: https://clackamas.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9oyTtCg9umHwxfg

For more information, visit www.clackamas.edu/master-plan. Questions? Email master.planning@clackamas.edu.

SRO letter

Many CCEC groups supported the letter writing campaign to remove Sheriff Clark from the Oregon SRO Conference. Continue following up with the local police departments and school districts on this topic. https://www.osroa.net/home?fbclid=IwAR1zI6DX-LtR6rYnX79KBCzJxuTwLb3arAMdmt5tORRkPHPhEQTFB5LBggI

ReImagine Oregon

Call to Action to write to Clackamas County Commissioners and explain the importance of ReImagine Oregon and their initiatives. bcc@clackamas.us

• ReImagine Oregon letter template