Diversity, Equity, Social Justice
Created by: Brandon Petitt, Grace Hagemann, Narantungalag Gerelt-Od
Disclaimer: This page was created by undergraduate students at Portland State University, and we are not affiliated with any of the organizations that are listed in this page.
Disclaimer: This page was created by undergraduate students at Portland State University, and we are not affiliated with any of the organizations that are listed in this page.
"THE DANGER OF A SINGLE STORY" - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Intersecting Axes of Privilege, Domination, and oppression
Erete, S., Israni, A., and Dillahunt, T. (2018). An intersectional approach to designing in the margins. Interactions, 25(3) , 66-69. https://doi.org/10.1145/3194349.
history of Portland
With Oregon’s population being almost 85% white, it’s important to understand why that is when we have discussions of diversity and inclusion among Oregon communities. Having a deep understanding of historical trauma can help communities find solutions to the problems that arise from it.
These key moments in Oregon history highlight the deep-rooted racial hatred that it was built upon: -1844: Peter Burnett Lash Law - It became illegal for black folks to be, live, or own property in Oregon, and any who were found breaking that law would be beaten once a month until they left. This law remained on the Oregon Constitution until 2002. -1859: Oregon joined the union as neither slave nor free state, but a no-blacks state. -1959: Oregon finally ratified the 15th Amendment, granting black men the right to vote, in its constitution, 89 years after the United States Constitution ratified it. -1973: Similarly, the 14th Amendment was ratified to provide equal protections to all US citizens, 105 years after the US did. -2018: Adrienne Nelson, Oregon’s first black Supreme Court Justice was appointed. |
Top: Portland, Oregon in the 1920s- from https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/07/racist-history-portland/492035/
Bottom: Members of the Klan meeting with Portland officials in 1921 (North Coast Oregon)- from https://gizmodo.com/oregon-was-founded-as-a-racist-utopia-1539567040
Bottom: Members of the Klan meeting with Portland officials in 1921 (North Coast Oregon)- from https://gizmodo.com/oregon-was-founded-as-a-racist-utopia-1539567040
a Quote from Walk out, walk on
Scaling up creates a monoculture that relies on replication, standardization, promotion, and compliance. It’s easy to make the case for this strategy in the context of consumer culture. Businesses all over the world encourage people to consume their beverages, buy their merchandise, watch their movies. Despite the fact that community is inherently local, most people engaged in community change nonetheless aspire to follow in the footsteps of big business by scaling up, expanding programs, and rolling out offices in new geographies. They pursue the coveted strategy of disseminating best practices, which holds that what has been invented and perfected in one place can be parachuted or transplanted into another. This view assumes that organizations are machines, and to improve them, we just need to swap out the old parts for new and improved ones, or install new software. In other words, conventional wisdom tells us to use the same irrigation, measure out the same slant of hillside, and plonk down our grapes. And then somehow we’re surprised when the wine tastes bad.
Wheatley, Margaret J., and Deborah Frieze. (2011). Walk Out Walk On : A Learning Journey into Communities Daring to Live the Future Now, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Incorporated.
In-class activity - Inclusion/exclusion
what makes you feel included? |
what makes you feel excluded? |
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