State-Of-Black-Oregon-2015

DIRECT SERVICEDEFINITION: This approach meets people’simmediate needs.EXAMPLE: Every week, Inger volunteers hertime at Tubman Elementary to help closethe educational achievement gap for AfricanAmerican school age youth. Tutoring is a greatway to meet the immediate needs of peoplemost negatively impacted by an issue. In thiscase the issue is education equity.ELECTORALDEFINITION: This engages public officials ona deeper level to support the developmentand implementation of policy initiatives, getsmeasures on the ballot, elects communityrepresentatives and encourages people in theircommunity to vote.taking action:+ advocacy+ directservice+ electoral+ communityorganizingEXAMPLE: VOTE!! Had it not been for theAfrican American vote, we would not havebeen able to benefit from the legacy ofgroundbreaking politicians like Senator AvelGordly, Margaret Carter, JoAnn Hardesty, andLoretta Smith. Are there other Black politicianspast or present in the state? With increasedrepresentation of Blacks in elected positions,we have a stronger voice and a better chanceof influencing policy that addresses inequities inBlack communities.COMMUNITY ORGANIZINGDEFINITION: Community organizing is a processby which people who are most impacted by anissue organize and take measures to influencethe policies and/or culture surrounding them.EXAMPLE: Public school parents have organizedto demand a high-quality education for theirchildren. In 1982, Ron Herndon and othersdisrupted a Portland Public School Boardmeeting and insisted that Tubman be located inthe heart of the Black community.169