Civil Rights reclamation can begin right here in our own communities, because every generation inherits the responsibility to decide what freedoms will exist and expand for the next

— Demond Hawkins

The history of Juneteenth is often told as something that happened elsewhere — in the South, in a different era. But Oregon has its own record of exclusion to confront, including its founding as a “white utopia” after the Civil War. Oregon entered the Union in 1859 with Black exclusion laws written directly into its Constitution, prohibiting Black people from living, owning property, and entering into contracts in Oregon…

“Disengagement is dangerous, and low voter turnout is just one challenge we’re facing. Turnout alone is not enough if maps are unfair across the U.S. Fair maps are not enough if people do not vote. And without real representation, people are less likely to engage in voting or voter turnout activities. Oregon is not immune simply because our state has vote-by-mail and automatic voter registration.” — Demond Hawkins, President, NAACP Eugene-Springfield

NAACP Eugene-Springfield has released a statement on policing and community safety following the resignation of a Eugene Police officer whose racist and offensive comments were recorded on the officer’s body-worn camera on Jan. 30

The incident led to the officer’s resignation and a widening investigation into whether anyone else knew about the remarks.

The police body cam footage recently released is disturbing, if unsurprising. The casual, mundane, joking tone of the phone call is more troubling even than the racism as expressed through stale, Civil-war era stereotypes. Violence is discussed as an everyday matter, including harm against partners and children. It shows how dehumanization works as a normalized pattern that creates violence across identities — but it also creates an open door for all of us to unite in our fights for justice.

Hate often arrives looking careless, desperate, and poorly made. Beneath the tired language and crude presentation is something even smaller: a worldview rooted in ignorance, fear, and weakness. Over time, the intimidation such acts attempt to create gives way to a different emotion — unexpected pity for people who have willingly surrendered their humanity to fear.