Estacada marches against racism
Around 150 people gathered to march for racial equality in Estacada and were joined by Portland NAACP President E.D. Mondainé.
"We are in a new civil rights era, and we must summon the urgency and sense of purpose that animated Dr. King and the other luminaries of previous eras," Mondainé told attendees of the march on Friday, July 17. "America's negligence of the past has skewed the beliefs in progress. It has tainted the minds of many Americans and have left our non-African brothers and sisters oblivious to the severity and scope of racism in this country. As Mayor Drinkwine has modeled, many Americans lack the words to articulate the current state of importance of equality, inclusion and justice for Black Americans."
March attendees cheered upon hearing Mondainé's words. A participant in a counter gathering yelled "go home," and another person screamed an expletive.
Friday's event was the second march against racism in Estacada coordinated by the STAND UP Movement. As participants gathered at Estacada High School, PDX Resistance Assistance offered food and supplies. Masks were available for those who didn't already have them. Members of the NAACP distributed signs honoring Black people who had been killed by police or civilians, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown and Ahmaud Arbery.
Awakening Thunder, an Indigenous group committed to sharing their culture and honoring the land through music, performed an honor song before participants marched from the high school to City Hall.
While holding signs promoting racial equality and accompanied by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, marchers said "Black Lives Matter" and "When Black lives are in danger, fist up, fight back."
Many counterprotesters told them that "all lives matter," and several sat next to a sign that read "Our mayor matters." One person in the counter gathering asked why there were no Black people at the march, and another yelled "You're all a bunch of hypocrites. You ought to be ashamed."
Someone else approached the group of marchers after they had gathered outside of City Hall and yelled "all lives matter" and "abortion is murder."
— Emily Lindstrand (@Emilyhasnews) July 18, 2020
Community watch group forms
As march participants gathered, another group of community members were at the Veterans Memorial and coordinated people who wished to participate in the Estacada Community Watch program.
Leaders of the recently formed group stationed people in locations around town to keep an eye out for any potential instances of violence or vandalism.
Joel Litkie, one of the group's organizers, said he didn't think any potential instances of violence would come from participants in the march, but rather people arriving after the event.
"We want to be there in case it comes and get word to law enforcement," he said. "Our main goal is peace. We're not a political group. We want to see the community protected."
Community Watch participant Gail Herman sat near a memorial at Estacada High School with signs that said "Stop racism, all lives matter" and "Love one another as I have loved you."
"We want to be sure the community is protected," Herman said.
On not seeing color pic.twitter.com/4l6qrcwQGK
— Emily Lindstrand (@Emilyhasnews) July 18, 2020
Sharing perspectives
Once the march reached City Hall, a variety of people spoke — including someone who identified herself as a counterprotester.
"I will cook you a meal. Let's have a conversation. Let's be humans. I want to see past your skin color. I will see past everything. We are all people," she said.
She added that she is unable to say that Black lives matter because she believes every human life should be honored.
"I don't see the color of skin," she said. "I can say that every human matters. I can say that you are important. Every single life is valuable."
After she spoke, marchers chanted "Black lives matter," and a participant addressed not acknowledging skin color.
"You can see that I'm Black, no?" she asked. "Do you not see this melanin? I need all of you to understand that. Just because you can walk around in a town and people do not say anything to you, until you walk in my shoes, don't say you don't see color. How do you not see color?"
Another speaker, Mark, advocated for local action and change.
"A lot of the objections are rooted in party politics. Feel free to boo if you want, but I am a Republican. And I absolutely support Black Lives Matter. This is not a Marxist coup d'état. … We're against racial profiling. And if that's a problem, you have to ask yourself, are you racist? Why is that a problem?" he said. "Let's make the change local. Let's start here, and then the sky's the limit."
Molly Izer, a student at Sandy High School and co-manager of Students Advocating for Equality, encouraged her fellow young people to take action.
"If you think for one second that just because you do not have a vote, you do not have a voice either, you are wrong," she said. "Every single one of us, as youth, it is our time. Just because we do not have legislative representation does not mean that we do not have an impact and that our words do not have value, because now is the time for youth to rise up."
Portland NAACP President E.D. Mondainé speaks at the march against racism in Estacada pic.twitter.com/F6JQGvohJF
— Emily Lindstrand (@Emilyhasnews) July 18, 2020
Frank George, one of the leaders of the Estacada STAND UP Movement, said the group plans to encourage city leaders to release a statement pledging their support against racism and prejudice.
"We've gotten a lot of apologies from Mayor Drinkwine, and I believe they're sincere, but an apology is not enough. We need to take steps to not just be not racist, but to be anti-racist," George said. "There is right and there is wrong. There is no gray area. There is either supporting people of color or being against people of color. We have to get on the right side of history — not just in Portland, not just in Washington D.C., but here in Estacada, because here is where it really matters."
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