1 June 2020 By OSBHA
We believe that Black Lives Matter, and today we are calling for an end to the structural racism that underlies state-sanctioned violence. We recognize that all forms of oppression are connected — in addition to the police brutality that Black people face, we know that Black youth are disproportionately disciplined within our education systems, that Black people have less access to quality healthcare, that Black people experience the highest maternal mortality rates, and that Black people are more likely to die from COVID-19. Our organization's vision is for all children and youth to be healthy, learning, and thriving; we cannot achieve this vision until systemic racism, anti-blackness, and white supremacy have been dismantled.OSBHA is committed to actively engaging in practices that redistribute, share and build power to change systems of inequity. There are other nonprofits in Oregon that have been actively working for justice on different levels for a long time: Urban League of Portland, Western States Center, Unite Oregon, Oregon Health Equity Alliance, Oregon Alliance of Black School Educators, and Black Parent Initiative. We thank these organizations for their leadership, and we commit to uplifting Black voices as we advocate for equity in school health.
Resources:
6 Considerations for School Leaders Making a Statement About George Floyd
Some Black-Led Orgs on the Ground in Oregon
How Student Activism Shaped the Black Lives Matter Movement
