"Since 2020, dark money groups-like People for Portland and other conservatives (Dem and Republicans alike)-marinated and slow-roasted the global movement for Black lives in lies, and then pitchfork-fed it back to the people as the scourge of the nation. Matter of fact, half-baked takes about the movement were being amplified even before 2020 came to a close. It's why I partnered with the Portland Mercury this year to produce a magazine titled BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective of Portland's Racial Justice Protests."
"Published in May to coincide with the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's murder, we distributed 40,000 copies of this commemorative magazine, which spotlighted the perspectives of 12 Black Portlanders on direct action, government, mentorship, abolition, investment, and more. Since then, the magazine has inspired art, book clubs, a City Club forum, school curriculum, and even got a share from Nikole Hannah Jones. So while some wanted to treat 2020 as an asterisk, we made sure it was given the center stage it truly deserves."
Portland experienced a year marked by intensified federal enforcement actions, grassroots reclamation, and attention-grabbing protests. ICE escalated operations while Black Portland led groundbreaking reclamation and community-strengthening efforts. Organizers created BlackOut, a commemorative magazine distributing 40,000 copies and amplifying twelve Black Portlanders' perspectives on direct action, government, mentorship, abolition, and investment. The magazine inspired art, book clubs, a City Club forum, school curriculum, and national attention from figures like Nikole Hannah-Jones. Conservative dark-money groups amplified misleading narratives about 2020, prompting local organizers to actively preserve and center the memory and lessons of the protests.
Read at Portland Mercury
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