Silence is Complicit

(Image Credit: Moments by Mariah)

Dear RCR community and beyond,   

It’s time to speak out. In fact, it’s long overdue that we do so. And speaking out is only the very first step. We must stand together with the marginalized and oppressed communities whose lives face daily threat due to systemic racism. We – as a community and organization – have work to do. 

George Floyd is the most recent widely publicized name on a list of Black individuals who have been killed at the hands of corrupt police and violent oppressors in our country. A list that reaches back over 400 years. We know the names Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Emmett Till — and there are many more that we don’t.  

We cannot stand by and let the unjust loss of so many lives be in vain. We must use our privilege to be the conduit for change—to combat systemic racism and white supremacy. There is a long road of work ahead, and we want you to join us in that. We need show tangible support to our BIPOC community, especially our Black community now, during their time of deep grief. There are some things RCR has implemented in the past to remove barriers to access and make our league a more inclusive space (scholarships/financial aid, a gear lending library), but we know that it’s not enough. These are a few of the things we’re committed to doing in the coming weeks and beyond:

• Working with consultants who specialize in racial equity to help us develop anti-racism training within our league.
• Reinvigorating the work of our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. 
• Offering a $2k match for RCR members who donate to a non-profit that supports the BLM movement, as designated by the league (more info on this coming soon). 
• Using our platform and reach to amplify the voices of Black skaters, content creators and activists. 

Below is a list of resources and action items we believe will help us (and you) in this work. This is by no means comprehensive, and is intended to be a living document that we will add to as we continue to seek out more.   

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Save and Share
BLM Resources Master List 
This list includes many valuable resources: places to donate, where to seek pro-bono legal council, petitions to sign and much more.  

Justice in June 
A resource compiled with educational materials to become more informed as step one to becoming an active ally to the Black community, whether you have 10 minutes to an hour per day.  

Follow, Support and Amplify the voices of the Black skaters in the derby community (and beyond)
Team Black Diaspora Roller Derby – Instagram / Facebook  
Holding Space w/ Magic Pod – Instagram
Black Skate Alliance – Instagram
BIPOC Who Skate – Instagram / Facebook 

Support Black Owned Businesses 
BlackPDX
I Love Black Food
Mercatus PDX
Support Black Owned   

Education and Reading Resources
Black History Month Library
Black Revolutionary Texts
So You Want to Talk About Race – Ijeoma Oluo
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism – Robin DiAngelo, PHD
How to be an Antiracist – Dr. Ibram X Kendl
They Can’t Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America’s Racial Justice Movement –  Wesley Lowery
The Fire Next Time – James Baldwin
Between the World and Me  – Ta-Nehisi Coates
Freedom is a Constant Struggle – Angela Y. Davis
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness – Michelle Alexander
Bleeding Albina: A History of Community Disinvestment, 1940-2000 – Karen J. Gibson

Donate & Get Involved
Black Lives Matter PDX 
The Black Resilience Fund 
Don’t Shoot PDX 
Campaign Zero 
The Equal Justice Initiative 
The Portland NAACP 
Black United Fund of Oregon 
Urban League of Portland