Editor’s Note: This is a follow-up to articles in the September-October 2020 newsletter (accessible via www.bwnapdx.org) related to BWNA’s commitment to neighborhood diversity and inclusion. For additional resource links, click on “Community Resources” at the top of website home page.
In the summer of 2020, a board member of the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Association was approached by a neighbor looking for BWNA support after having been the target of an act of racial harassment. We were appalled by an incident that so challenges our mission of making sure Beaumont-Wilshire is a welcoming and livable neighborhood for all. It took our volunteer organization a while to figure out how best to help, which was a learning experience for us. We realize that in these challenging days we need to improve our skills at responding to acts of bias in our neighborhood. Following our pledge to develop ways to confront discrimination and support cooperation among Beaumont-Wilshire neighbors, we have created a list of resources. If you have experienced or witnessed an act of bias or harassment of any resident or business based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation, these resources may be helpful:
The Oregon Coalition Against Hate Crime, a statewide partnership between community groups and local, state, and federal governmental agencies, has a helpful website with definitions of hate and bias crimes as well as a comprehensive list of steps to take and places to contact: www.oregoncahc.org/report-a-hate-crimeincident.
Portland United Against Hate (PUAH) is a coalition of 80 organizations, which offers support to those who have experienced hate and a means to report and track incidents: www.portlandunitedagainsthate.org.
Basic Rights Oregon, with its focus on the LGBTQ community, offers another source for explaining when acts of hate and bias become crimes and has extra ideas about bullying and harassment in schools: www.basicrights.org/know-your-rights/hate-crimes.
The Oregon Dept of Justice has a site and process for reporting hate and bias crimes: https://justice.oregon.gov/CrimeReporting/BiasCrime.
If you need support to navigate these and other services, reach out to a BWNA contact, and we’ll do what we can to help. Supporting neighborhood safety and livability is in our DNA. Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood contacts are listed at: www.bwnapdx.org/contact.