Walidah Imarisha
spoke Tuesday at the third annual Governing for Racial Equity conference
in Northeast Portland in a Northeast
Portland hotel ballroom Tuesday morning. Imarisha, is a Portland-based writer and educator.
Imarisha took the podium at the third annual
Governing for Racial Equity conference to talk about the narrative of Portland as a "progressive mecca" and to
answer the question, "Why aren't there more black people in Oregon?
"Oregon
represents a "useful case study" of the policies of institutional
racism, exclusion and containment. Oregon is unique only in the fact that they
wrote it down," she said, referencing policies from a century ago that
barred most people of color from owning property.
Imarisha talked about the state's entrance to the union
and how pioneers codified the exclusion of blacks into the state constitution.
She talked about Vanport
and the legacy of redlining minorities into specific areas of the city, of the impact
construction of Emanuel Hospital and Veterans Coliseum had on black
neighborhoods.
Redlining is the practice
of denying, or charging more for, services such as banking, insurance, access
to health care, or even supermarkets or denying jobs to residents in
particular, often racially determined,areas.
She pointed out, Portland and Oregon still have communities
of color because earlier generations stayed and fought for change.
"Communities of color don't need saviors," she said, "We need
allies."
Sherrilyn says, “December was marked by a rash of racist and offensive remarks
by public figures, drawing outrage and protests from large swaths of the
public. But the frequency and number of these incidents in the last month of
the year and the intensity of our focus on these occurrences should give us
pause.”
Sherrilyn goes on to say, “The distinction
between substantive barriers to equality and individual racist acts or
statements is an important one. Both are deserving of attention, but the
returns for victory in the former far outweigh those in the latter.” I
certainly agree with Sherrilyn A. Ifill, we must take on the concepts of Kinney Rogers in the song ‘The
Gambler’: “You got to when to hold ‘em,
Know when to fold ‘em, Know when to walk away, Know when to run”!
Looking
back, remembering a prophecy, Paula Deen was merely the beginning of the uncovering
of racism in the USA.
In the Blogger
People of the USA is a Prophecy that tells how racist America will fall
like dominoes if they do not change their evil ways. At the same time
"Never We Forget" these raciest people or their biased and raciest
comments and actions.
I
totally agree my Royal Sister Sharrilyn that we must choose our battles, thoughtfully
strategically and carefully. I believe that the issues that we People of Color
should focus on is not only the H.R. 40 Bill, which has been introduced every
year since 1981 by US Congressman John Conyers Jr, which consequently has been
rejected by Congress year after year after year.
The second important
issue that plays a large role in the treatment of People of Color all around
the World, including the USA and poor people is the Depopulation Bill that has
been signed into Law of which many of us are unaware of this silent strategic
plan of genocide against Afrikans from immunizations of the AIDS virus, GMO to outright murder!
What
is Depopulation All About? Who are the targets? Of course it is
People of Color and specifically Afrikans in order to take over the natural
resources that the USA needs if it is to survive.
This
Depopulation bill states some amazing facts that many of us are not aware of and will never
be until it it too late if we do not focus on those underlying issues that keeps cropping up being revealed by those who are racist/biased White Americas who that they can
say or do anything and will not be held culpable for it! Consider it a warning from GOD...We just need to listen! We must heed the warnings that we are being given!
"…depopulation should be the highest priority of the U.S. Foreign Policy
toward the Third World”.
Minister
Louis Farrahkan, of whom many reject because of his bold stance against racism
and his philosophical beliefs of Islam, is warning the people. However to
defray his words and bamboozle the people of Afrikan descent to ignore and
reject Farrahkan, he is portrayed as a racist in order to keep "Black”
people from receiving Truth and to reject the messenger. Truth revealed at the cost of his life!
We
people of Color are in a battle that if we want to win the war, we best be
caught studying to "show ourselves approved as workmen who need not be ashamed but
rightly dividing TRUTH", this means receiving Truth as well, that we will not be caught unaware still singing
"We Shall Overcome Some Day"! Today is that day!
Paula
Deen was merely the beginning of uncovering racism in the USA. In my
Blog
People of the USA is a Prophecy that tells how racist America will fall
like dominoes if they do not change their evil ways.
At the same time
"Never We Forget" raciest people or their biased and raciest
comments and actions. I trust from a higher power that they will pay the
'utmost 'farthing'!
Apostle RubieJames is a published author who writes under the pseudonym JEWELS PROPHET. Review and purchase her books, 60% of revenue from sells goes to support MISSION GHANA.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT of this Ministry!
