Community Statement on May 26th, 2017 Violence by White Supremacist

May 27, 2017

Community Statement on May 26th, 2017 Violence by White Supremacist

We are grieving the brutal stabbing and murder of two courageous bystanders who sought to disrupt a potential assault on a Muslim woman on the TriMet Hollywood MAX station. We extend our heartfelt care and support to the people and their families impacted by this trauma. This senseless tragedy happened on the eve of the Holy Month of Ramadan, a period that draws Muslim communities together with intentions for peace and harmony by centering our purpose and relationship with God.

We wish to extend our gratitude to fellow commuters who spoke out against racist and xenophobic taunts. We expect that those responsible for their deaths are held accountable, and that we will seek community-driven ways to restore safety. News that the perpetrator was a known White Supremacist, and was intimidating People of Color, Immigrants and Refugees on April 29th on 82nd Ave calls us to be vigilant in our resistance.

This horrific violence requires us to reflect deeply on root causes, and is not an excuse to further militarize our communities. We believe in a world where everyone lives without fear of discrimination, exclusion or harm. May more Oregonians take action to interrupt hate and stand for love. In these terrible moments, we are reminded of our fragile humanity and the need to build institutions around the inherent worth and dignity of all people, institutions that function as systems of care.

Here are several concrete ways community members can show support:

• Show up for the Vigil Saturday May 27th 8:30pm and at upcoming public demonstrations planned to resist oppression (more info TBD). There will be a City Press Conference at 3:30pm on E Burnside and 47th ave.
• Attend the Portland Ramadan Tent Project, an interfaith sharing of Iftar - the breaking of the Ramadan fast - this weekend.
• Join, lead or start an organizing group and educate yourself about the legacy of White supremacy and White nationalism in Oregon (A few resources: One Oregon Coalition, Interview with Scot Nakagawa, Why Isn’t Anyone Talking About This Podcast)
• Place a Solidarity Sign in your home or place of business or school

We all have a role in creating the society we live in. As organizations and individuals committed to human rights, we are dedicated to confronting the forces of hate and building movements for social justice. May we find courage and purpose, challenge anti-Muslim Islamophobia, and foster community that ensures each of us have the rights, resources and recognition to thrive.

Sincerely,

Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons, Executive Director
APANO and APANO Communities United Fund

Co-Signers:

1. Diego Hernandez, Oregon State Representative
2. Lew Frederick, Oregon State Senator
3. Karin Power, Oregon State Representative
4. Jessica Vega Pederson, Multnomah County Commissioner
5. Andrea Valderrama, David Douglas School Board
6. Ann Linninger, Oregon State Representative
7. Ana del Rocío, David Douglas School Board Member-Elect
8. Chloe Eudaly, City of Portland Commissioner
9. Wajdi Said, Muslim Education Trust
10. Rania Ayoub, Muslim Education Trust
11. Congressman Earl Blumenauer
12. Duncan Hwang, APANO and APANO Communities Fund
13. Khanh Le, State Director, Main Street Alliance of Oregon
14. Mary Nolan, Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon
15. Rev. Michael Ellick Senior Minister, First Congregational United Church of Christ
16. Jan Elfers, Executive Director, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
17. Andrea Paluso, Executive Director, Family Forward Oregon and Family Forward Action
18. Kayse Jama, Executive Director, Unite Oregon
19. Nancy Haque, Co-Executive Director, Basic Rights Oregon
20. Amy Herzfeld-Copple, Co-Executive Director, Basic Rights Oregon
21. Grayson Dempsey, Executive Director, NARAL Pro Choice Oregon
22. Rev. Lynne Smouse Lopez, Pastor, Ainsworth United Church Of Christ
23. Jackie Yerby, Executive Director, Bradley Angle
24. Toya Fick, Executive Director, Stand for Children Oregon Chapter
25. Nikki Fisher, Executive Director, Bus Project and Co-Director of New Leaders Council Portland Chapter
26. Charles McGee, Executive Director, Black Parent Initiative
27. Jackie Leung, Chair, Micronesian Islander Community of Oregon
28. Andrea Williams, Executive Director, Causa Oregon
29. Rev. Barbara Stevens, Universalist Recovery Church
30. Alan Hipolito, Executive Director, Verde
31. Bobbin Singh, Executive Director , Oregon Justice Resource Center
32. Jillian Schoene, Executive Director, Emerge Oregon
33. Rev. Kit Ketcham, Pacific Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
34. Ashnie Butler, Regional Outreach Director, Family Forward Oregon.
35. Rev. Tracy Springberry, West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
36. Maureen Andersen, Event Coordinator, Portland Indivisible
37. Samantha Gladu, Co-Director, New Leaders Council Portland Chapter
38. Noel Mickelberry, Executive Director, Oregon Walks
39. Huy Ong, Executive Director, OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon
40. Patricia Rojas, Executive Director, El Programa Hispano Catolico
41. Lamar Wise, Oregon Student Association Legislative Director
42. Rev. Ron Werner, Jr, Oregon Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
43. Sasha Vidales, Director, Creative Goal Solutions
44. David Rogers, Executive Director, ACLU of Oregon
45. Cindy Casama Gerber, Community Member
46. Aimee Santos-Lyons, APANO Member
47. Bea Downing, Community Member
48. Zeenia Junkeer, Community Member
49. Marlie Cardiff, Community Member
50. Heather Fercho, Community Member
51. Amy Casso, Gender Justice Program Dir, Western States Center
52. Rachel Hirsch, Community Member
53. Jim Labbe & Rita Sabler, Community Members
54. Megan and William Bird, Community Members
55. Beatriz Gutierrez, Community Member
56. Vivian Satterfield, Community Member
57. Natalie Lerner, Community Member
58. Ivan Hernandez, Community Member
59. Megan Kovacs, Community Member
60. Whitney Grubbs, Community Member
61. Channbunmorl (Chom) Sou, CEO of JustBarz
62. Yian Saechao, APANO Youth Organizer
63. Koua Moua, Community Member
64. Jamee Greer, Community Member with Western States Center
65. Andrew Riley, Community Engagement Coordinator, 1000 Friends of Oregon
66. Kathryn Moran, Community Engagement Coordinator, Westminster Presbyterian Church
67. Gary Moran, Community Member
68. Rachel Post, Community Member
69. Marissa Yang Bertucci, Community Member, Portland Public Schools
70. Se-ah-dom Edmo, Movement Building Director, Western States Center
71. Ashlee Albies, Portland National Lawyers Guild
72. Maria Delgado Miembro y Líder de la Comunidad
73. Rujuta Gaonkar, Community Member
74. Kristin Teigen, Community Member and board member, Oregon NOW
75. Katherine McDowell, ACLU of Oregon Board Member and VP of Litigation
76. Ben Sand, Community Member
77. Kenneth Lerner, Co-President, Havurah Shalom
78. Thach Nguyen, APANO Board
79. Felicia Williams, President, Portland Downtown Neighborhood Association
80. Alma Trinidad, community member, scholar activist
81. Lisa Watson, Community Activist
82. Dmae Roberts, executive producer, MediaRites
83. Sara Gelser, State Senator
84. The Rev Jeremy Lucas, Christ Church Episcopal Parish, Board Member, Institute for Christian Muslim Understanding
85. Sarah Iannarone, Community Member
86. Rev. Judy Welles, Unitarian Universalist Association
87. Laurie Huffman, Executive Director, Oregon School-Based Health Alliance
88. Annette Mattson, Trustee-elect, Mt Hood Community College
89. Katie Rose, Executive Director, Oregon Support Services Association
90. Leah Benson, Community Member
91. Sophorn Cheang, Director, IRCO Asian Family Center
92. Ali King, President, Nasty Women Get Shit Done PDX
93. Judith Mowry, City of Portland Office of Equity and Human Rights
94. Marcus Swift, Director of Political and Legislative Affairs, American Federation of Teachers-Oregon
95. Heather Nicholas, Community Member
96. Daisy Quiñonez, Community Member
97. Ashley Thirstrup, Community Member and Kay Hutchinson
98. Neighbor
99. Raahi Reddy, APANO Board
100. Dahabolul Khadija Fai, Community Member
101. Amy Fellows, Executive Director, We Can Do Better
102. Meera Kumar, Community Member
103. Charlotte Lumae, Educator, Community Organizer
104. gita mehrotra, community member
105. Amanda Rhoads, Community Member
106. Rev. George William Whitfield, Pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church-PDX.
107. Renee Ramey, North Plains Grassroots
108. Kathleen Jeskey, Oregon BATs
109. Patti Duncan, Community Member
110. Athen O'Shea, Q Center Board of Directors, Greater Portland Trans Unity
111. Kirsten Saladow, Director of Communications, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art
112. The Rev. Maureen-Elizabeth Hagen, Episcopal Diocese of Oregon; President, Association for Episcopal Deacons
113. Dr. John Talberth, President, Center for Sustainable Economy
114. Daphne Wysham, West Linn Alliance for Inclusive Community
115. Megan Rutherford, Co-President, Action Together Oregon
116. Dr. Amelia Nestler, Director, Action Together Oregon
117. Christine Lewis, Community Member
118. Christine Chin Ryan and Pat Ryan, Community Members
119. Rachel Prusak, Nurse and Community Member
120. Cyreena Boston Ashby, Community Member
121. Diane L. Grover, Portland Immigration AttorneyKali Thorne Ladd, Community Member
122. Stephen Green, community member
123. Raquel Bournhonesque, community member
124. Lisa Bates, community member
125. Sonali Sangeeta Balajee, Consultant and Senior Fellow, Haasstitute, UC Berkeley
126. Katie Potter, Retired Portland Police Officer
127. Patrik McDade, People-Places-Things Program Director
128. Jenny Glass, Executive Director, The Rosewood Initiative
129. Martha Perez, General Political Activist
130. Jerry Anderson, Disability Rights Advocate
131. Cari Luna, Chapter Chair, Portland Democratic Socialists of America
132. Val Hoyle, Community Member
133. Amanda Lamb, Board President, Montavilla Food Cooperative
134. Rachele Avolio community member
135. Tera Couchman Wick, concerned citizen
136. Katherine McGuiness, Board President, The Network for Reproductive Options
137. Traci Rossi, Executive Director, Center for Women’s Leadership
138. Jamie Partridge, Portland Jobs with Justice
139. Jodi Ballard-Beach, Co-chair, Oregon Women's Equity Coalition
140. Amy Ruiz, community member
141. Hanif Fazal, Executive Director of the Center for Equity and Inclusion
142. Danielle Trammell, community member
143. Steph Routh, Community & Marketing Manager, Community Cycling Center.
144. Roberta Phillip-Robbins, MRG Foundation
145. CJ Robbins, Black Male Achievement, Office of Equity & Human Rights, City of Portland
146. Anne Marie Hiestand, Community Member
147. Tatiana Elejalde, Office of Equity & Human Rights, City of Portland
148. Koffi Dessou, President of Togo Community Organization of Oregon (TOGO CORE)
149. Carrie Lanza, Lecturer, University of Washington, Bothell
150. Nickole Cheron, Office of Equity and Human Rights
151. M’lissa Wetherell, Community Member
152. Mark McKechnie, Executive Director, Youth, Rights & Justice
153. Terri Preeg Riggsby, Board Chair, West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District
154. Robin Eisenbach, Facilitator at the Center for Equity and Inclusion
155. Kelley Weigel, Executive Director, Western States Center
156. Kyle & Renee Curtis, Community Members
157. Kelli Brandt, Community Member
158. Dante J. James, Director, Office of Equity and Human Rights
159. Suphaphon Wendy Phanthadeth-Aguinaldo, community member
160. Terri Akey, community member
161. Malcolm J. Chaddock, Veterans For Peace CH 72 and Individuals For Justice
162. Tazma Ahmed-Datta, community member
163. Emily von W. Gilbert, community member
164. Judith Eda, community member
165. Leslie Honey, Community Member
166. Steve Demerest, president, SEIU Local 503
167. Qwo-Li Driskill, Community Member
168. Sarita Amaya, Community Member
169. Susan Rives Denight, Community Member
170. Blanca Garcia-Rinder & Keiran Wright, Community Members
171. Kelley Weigel, Western States Center
172. Rev. Bill Sinkford, Senior Minister, First Unitarian Church of Portland
173. Rev. Thomas Disrud, Associate Minister, First Unitarian Church of Portland
174. Rev. Dr. Emily Brault
175. Cyndi Swaney, Community MemberJ
176. Janet Byrd, Executive Director, Neighborhood Partnerships
177. Rev. Heather Rion Starr, native Portland Oregonian, Co-Minister, Unitarian Society of Hartford, CT
178. Jessica Marks, Co-President, The Refugee Center Online
179. Dr. Aileen Alfonso Duldulao, Community Member
180. Rujuta Gaonkar, Community Member
181. Sandy Bacharach, Community Member
182. Jessica Katz, Project Coordinator Family Preservation Project
183. Shweta Moorthy, Coalition of Communities of Color
184. Constance Cloak, Member of the West Linn Alliance of Inclusive Community
185. Stephen Marc Beaudoin, board chair, Multnomah Education Service District
186. Lisa Lyon, Laurelhurst Resident
187. Sari Storch Mathes, new Oregonian
188. Hannah Love, Campaign Manager, A Better Oregon
189. Heidi Guenin, community member
190. Meg Niemi, President SEIU Local 49
191. Brian Rudiger, Executive Director SEIU Local 503