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