State-Of-Black-Oregon-2015

ESSAY 18WE NEED EACH OTHERBruce PoinsetteContributing Writer, State of Black OregonWe hear it all the time. The samepeople who tell us we’re theleaders of the future are oftenthe ones who silence us andrefuse to see the work we’re doing—the impactwe already have.Politics is more than speeches, voting andprotests. Politics emerges from the things thatunite us. It’s culture, music, fashion and sports.And it’s business. In the face of unemployment,we’re gradually building economic powerthrough entrepreneurship.Every time we come together with other Blackpeople, we’re building networks. We depend onthem for job recommendations and collaboratewith them to create galvanizing art, organizepolitical actions and devise innovative businessideas.At the end of the day, politics is about taking careof our people. We all want stable housing. We allwant others to respect our rights. We would alllike to be comfortable being ourselves.But embracing our identity, never mind takingcare of our economic needs, can be difficult inOregon. We’re spread out all over the state. Eventhe largest concentration of Blacks in North andNortheast Portland is dispersing as a result ofgentrification. If you live in places like Knappa,Lake Oswego or Klamath Falls, some Portlandersdon’t even know you exist. We don’t see eachother and, as a result, we don’t communicate.As young people, we’re going to have to bemore intentional about building community. Wehave to network, coordinate gatherings and usetechnology to reach out to everyone we can. Welive in different parts of the state, characterizedby different natural resources, economies andopportunities. We don’t have to escape to L.A.,Atlanta or New York. The business partner,bandmate or collaborator you’ve been looking formight be just a two- or three-hour drive away.Of course, as youth, our resources are limited.We need mentorship, job training and access togathering spaces. Historically Black organizationslike the Urban League provide these things,but many of us don’t know this or don’t takeadvantage of it. We feel disconnected becausewe don’t communicate. All we know is what wesee in the news and the political campaigns.Many people ask for our participation but don’taddress our concerns. Often, it feels as thoughwe don’t even get the chance to speak—thechance to be taken seriously. We need to makeour presence felt. If we don’t feel organizationsare serving us, we can go to them and initiate theconversation. Even with our small numbers, wecan do so much. But we need each other. We areour most reliable natural resource.162