Oregon Coalition Against Hate Crime

Fighting hate by networking resources

Tag: Portland State

Remembering one murder in this time of hate. — October 30, 2018

Remembering one murder in this time of hate.

/Randy Blazak/Leave a comment

October 30, 2018

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Thirty years ago, the brutal murder of an Ethiopian immigrant by racist skinheads put Portland, Oregon on the map and put the problem of hate crimes into the national consciousness. Now, in the wake of racist murders in Kentucky and Pennsylvania and right-wing bomb threats across the country, we are called to remember the killing of Mulugeta Seraw and the work that must be done to confront the seemingly growing wave of hate in our communities.

The CAHC is honored to support the Urban League of Portland in the holding of a Conference to Commemorate Mulugeta Seraw on Tuesday, November 13, 9 am to 2 pm, at Portland State University. The conference will include participation from the local Ethiopian community (including Mulugeta’s uncle), attorneys involved in the civil suit against the White Aryan Resistance, Portland United Against Hate, and the Coalition Against Hate Crime. To register, please click the link below:

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

If you are interested in a scholarship to attend the conference free of charge, please click here: Scholarship Application Form

The city also has plans to add street top signs with Seraw’s name in the Southeast neighborhood where the murder occurred. The announcement for that ceremony is forthcoming and is being planned for the morning of November 14 at the intersection of SE 31st and SE Pine.

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Seraw’s murder and the current racial violence that has gripped our nation remind of us of the hard work required to move us towards a more equitable society. Let’s honor Mulugeta by doing this work now.

We hope to see you on November 13.

 

How We Respond to Hate — August 27, 2017

How We Respond to Hate

/Randy Blazak/1 Comment

August 26, 2017

On August 12, the Coalition Against Hate Crime, with the assistance  of the Department of Justice – Community Relations Service, held a free forum, entitled How We Respond to Hate. The forum, hosted at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, had a capacity audience. The original motive for the forum was to help the city heal and respond to the May 26 Max train attack, but the events occurring in Charlottesville, Virginia that weekend were on everyone’s mind. Much networking was done and there was good coverage from the local media:

Portland leaders discuss hate crimes

The forum was made possible thanks to a generous grant from Emily’s Fund and with help from the Genocide Studies Project at Portland State. Emily’s Fund also made available “HATE NOT IN OUR TOWN” yard signs that participants took home. The day was built on three important panels, with the participation of committed community leaders.

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Welcome and Introduction 12:30 – 12:45 pm:

Randy Blazak, Coalition Against Hate Crime

Law Panel

Law and Law Enforcement Panel: 12:50 – 1:45 pm

Responses to hate from local and federal law enforcement agencies

Moderated by Knight Sor, DOJ/Community Relations Service

Caryn Ackerman, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation – Oregon

Hannah Horsley, U.S. Attorney’s Office

Jeff Sharp, Portland Police Bureau Bias Crime Detective

Sheriff Pat Garrett, Washington County

Jeffery Howes, Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office

Community panel

Community Voices Panel 1:50- 2:45 pm

Perspectives from communities that have been the target of hate

Moderated by Harpreet Singh Mokha, DOJ/Community Relations Service

Gurpreet Kaur Singh, representing the Sikh community

Seemab Hussaini and Zakir Khan of CAIR-OR, representing the Muslim community

Steve Wasserstrom, Reed College, representing the Jewish community

Reid Vanderburgh, PFLAG, representing the LGBTQ community

Resource Panel

Resource Panel 2:50 – 3:45 pm

Preventing and responding to hate

Moderated by Amanda Byron from Portland State’s Conflict Resolution Department

Hillary Bernstein, Anti-Defamation League

Rachel Cunliffe Portland State Conflict Resolution

Shweta Moorthy, Portland United Against Hate

Chase Jones, Department of Homeland Security

Harleen  Kaur, Sikh Coalition

Wrap Up and Networking 3:45 – 4:00 pm

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Hate continues to be a problem in our state. On August 20th, as motorists from around the region drove north on Interstate 5 to view the solar eclipse, many were greeted by banners hung by neo-Nazis from bridges in the Eugene-Albany area. Our rapid response team (i. e., Jeff Gottfried) delivered nearly 200 yard signs to churches, temples, and synagogues in the area, letting neighbors know that hate has no place in Lane County.

As we try to make sense of the events in Charlottesville (Read Randy Blazak response to the situation here: Charlottesville: America’s fork in the road), and our president’s mixed messages about racism, we redouble our efforts around this issue. We are working on a plan to better distribute the “HATE NOT IN OUR TOWN” signs to communities across the state. We are also partnering with the Portland Urban League to build towards a 2018 event to mark the 30th anniversary of the murder of Mulugeta Seraw by racist skinheads in Southeast Portland. We encourage you to be a part of our efforts.