(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
While some Portlanders ride bikes and walk around their neighborhoods with relative ease, that ostensibly simple act isn’t so easy for many others. Local nonprofit leaders who work with immigrants, people of color, and families that rely on social services, paint a much different picture of neighborhood mobility.
In the case of Oregon Walks, Executive Director Jess Thompson said in a recent member newsletter that many people they serve, “Are not feeling safe leaving home during the pandemic.” “Too many folks do not have enough (or any) access to face coverings or reliable information about how to walk ‘Covid-aware’ and more safely when they walk out the door.”
Think about that the next time you head outside for a run or a bike ride: There are people who feel trapped inside their homes because of fear of the virus, fear of authorities, fear of the unknown.
To help ease anxieties, Oregon Walks has created “walking kits” they’ll distribute via partners in food boxes, at health clinics, and homeless shelters. According to Thompson, each kit has a face covering, safety light, literature on public health and walking safety guidelines, and links to local services and resources.
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“They’re struggling with economic fallout and don’t want to engage on this topic because we’re trying to survive.”
— Duncan Hwang, APANO
Duncan Hwang is associate director of the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon and transportation justice is one of his priority policy areas.
I spoke to Hwang earlier this month. While we hosted a debate about open streets and pushed the city to move forward with them, Hwang said the community he serves was reeling. Unemployment, xenophobia directed at Asian-owned businesses, health fears, the digital divide that impacts families with schoolkids and adults who don’t have reliable access to news and other information — those are the issues faced by many Portlanders whose voices are underrepresented here and in other local media outlets.
“No one’s really going anywhere, so it’s hard to have transportation conversations,” Hwang said when I asked him for his thoughts on open streets. “Vulnerable communities are suffering right now, they’re struggling with economic fallout and don’t want to engage on this topic because we’re trying to survive.”
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“No walking kit can erase the terrorism white supremacy culture inflicts.”
— Jess Thompson, Oregon Walks
For Oregon Walks, Jess Thompson says the murder of Ahmaud Arbery helped crystalize their mission. “[News of his murder] shook us to the core,” Thompson wrote in a newsletter this week. “It was a stark organizational reminder that no walking kit can erase the terrorism white supremacy culture inflicts. This, along with the anti-Asian racism many of our community members are experiencing in the public right of way, give us deep pause as an organization and make us more committed than ever to engage mainstream active transportation professionals and public planners in expanding the focus of our work to create a more broad understanding of ‘safety’.”
For Thompson, safety isn’t just about infrastructure or lower speed limits or sidewalks. “Safety is uprooting white supremacy culture that permeates every system in the US.”
Thompson says Oregon Walks is planning a series of virtual conversations in late June dubbed “Talk the Walk, Walk the Talk” that will be about equity and safety in the public right-of-way. If you’d like to get involved contact her at jess@oregonwalks[dot]org.
———
CORRECTION: I regret that I didn’t accurately relay Jess Thompson’s statement. It’s important to note she wrote in her newsletter that safety is not just about infrastructure. I unintentionally left out the “just” part and that omits a very important nuance. I’m very sorry for the misunderstanding my mistake caused.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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For those who are still having trouble with face coverings, try this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1FHPI4XpRs
It’s easy, it works, and the components should be nearly universally available.
Keep telling people they are victims and they will continue to be victims. You aren’t helping them.
I’m not sure who this comment is directed at since the only people calling somebody a victim are the ones being victimized.
This is so condescending, minorities not intelligent enough to deal with Covid?
Do they think they are all children?
Amazing article.
Could you point to the part of the article that claims minorities aren’t intelligent enough to deal with COVID? I must have missed it.
Paragraph #2 states that they do not know how to walk Covid-aware. This is information that is repeated on the media of all types literally thousands of times. The article implies that minorities do not know how to access mass media. That is both not true, and insulting. That said, I think if you stopped 100 minority folks, 99 would say that this Thompson person does not speak for them. So, this is essentially Mr Maus trying to create tension that does not, in fact, exist, out on the street. It is easy to go to a aggrieved talking head and come up with a great sound bite.
In what language? 99% of the media on COVID is in Engish. What if you don’t speak English? What if you don’t speak Spanish or Russian?
People who speak English as as first language get shit tons of misinformation. I’m sure its difficult to get accurate information in languages that are not widely spoken in Oregon.
I know bikeportland is generally oblivious wealthy white people, but this privilege display is extra special.
Hi cmh89. You are bikeportland too. And FWIW it’s a bummer to me (and mean/unfair to others) when people make sweeping generalizations about our readers… especially when those generalizations are insulting. Please don’t do that. Thanks. I appreciate your comments.
Hi Jonathan, I want to say thank you for your solid reporting on minority issues. This is not an easy space to hold, but yes Oregon was paved on racism and eminent domain. However it’s NOT easier hearing this from a ***personal insult deleted by moderator*** white lady, just saying. It gets really old seeing quotes like this from the same people who also don’t seem to mind pushing forward regressive gas taxes (Cap and Trade, Fix our Streets) as an equity solution to climate crisis. Another gas tax won’t save brown folk in Portland or the environment. But it will maintain the white women status quo as saviors of the schools. I mean honestly we need safe routes to medical facilities, but these women are inflexible and unable change because they’ve never really SUFFERED for being brown. I’ve seen large trucks charge black women on MLK. They don’t do that to white women. Just saying, you can’t talk the talk unless you have actually felt your life threatened because of your skin color. Thank Jonathon for holding this space. You are a cycling GOD!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, nobody complains about hardship more than the second-most privileged group of people: White Women.
I mean, look at the reactions to your story. A decent amount of your readers can’t comprehend how it might be difficult to get accurate information about a pandemic if you don’t speak English. It seems like the definition of oblivious to me.
So, fair point. What % of Portlanders do not speak, at least minimally, English? I’m guessing well below 5%, but that is just a guess. Also, if a situation like the pandemic, even non-English speakers would ‘get’ that something big is going on, and ask around.
Where do we draw the line? Must things be printed in every language, like Navajo?
If we can reach 98% of the population fairly easily and it takes 50% more effort to reach the last 2%, that’s not efficient.
And at some point, there is an onus on the person to learn how to navigate the country they’ve chosen to live in?
JM, why are your articles not written in Sanskrit?
Oregon does not draw lines. So yes, if you need it in Navajo then Oregon will translate it for you.
So will Google Translate.
It comes down to personal opinion I guess. I personally believe that Oregon should be translating and broadcasting high quality, vital public health information in every single language that is spoken in Oregon.
Some other folks might believe that its not necessary to communicated high-quality, vital public health information to some groups of people based on an off-the-cuff cost-benefit analysis.
>>> For Thompson, safety isn’t about infrastructure or lower speed limits or sidewalks. “Safety is uprooting white supremacy culture that permeates every system in the US.” <<<
This is a surprising statement for an organization nominally dedicated to walking. Does this mean that Oregon Walks thinks we should not lower speed limits or build sidewalks?
Are there any Portland-area organizations still focused primarily on pedestrian safety and access?
I can think of no better way to win people over to your cause than to suggest they are part of White Supremacist culture.
It would seem this conversation is always dominated by one white voice.
She said it’s not JUST about infrastructure. It’s ALSO about white supremacy.
Down-voted for posting a fact. Maybe this is why we didn’t love the down-votes system before.
It’s interesting certainly. Maybe this is what the bike community actually is…
I guess it’s not totally surprising
.
In the part of Washington County where I live the Asian folks all have the good masks (N95) while the white supremacist looking folks don’t wear masks or wear bandana’s with skulls and such on them. So perhaps this problem is self correcting in the long run.
“white supremacist looking”….wow what does this even mean?!
Klan robes?
***Hi nerpaderp. You seem to be new here. Welcome! If you want to have your comments posted, you’ll have to be nicer and more productive. I don’t object to your points, I object to the way you are making them. Please don’t insult anyone. Thanks. – Jonathan***
It would be important to understand the % of the people they are interacting with that feel this way, is it 100%, or 10%? I have two kids in an outer NE high school with many friends and acquaintances from immigrant families (Vietnamese and Somalian mainly). What they are hearing, along from what I’m hearing from the school Principal is that the main concerns are about food, paying bills and internet for school work. No issues of fear and aggression have been reported as far as I know. I’m not saying that the quotes in the article aren’t true, but if the feedback is from a select few that would be important to understand. My point isn’t that this is terrible to hear about, but I just want to know if it is coming from one or two bad apples out there and not from an entire community of white supremacists which is how I read the article.
Your perception is correct. There is always someone looking to act aggrieved. They just need to find a mouthpiece to get their word out. Mr. Maus is happy to indulge.
Hi Steve, you seem to have a lot of insight into the immigrant communities of Portland.
Where did you get this special understanding?
Or are you just a white guy who feels empowered to speak for them?
You have a point. I am an older, not rich, white guy. So, of course, I cannot directly know the experience of minorities. I never claimed to be doing any more than giving my own personal opinion. The best I can give you (and I know many will roll their eyes) is my relationships with my Korean next door neighbor, my Haitan/American on the other side, my good friend Korean/American, several African/American cyclist friends, and several Hispanic friends. We actually never talk about race. I feel no need to bring it up, and they don’t either. But, most of them are the kinds of people who, if they had a grievance, would be glad to share it with me. I would love to hear more input from folks of color, not affiliated with a ‘non-profit’, a term that the owner of this website uses for some unknown reason. As if your tax status gives you some kind of special status.
What for-profit companies are making an effort to gather the opinions of underrepresented minorities? And why would you believe them more over companies who are not doing it for money?
Yes, that’s exactly what your tax status gives you.
Cool, it sounds like you don’t have any insight then. I’m not sure what value your opinion on experiences you’ve never, and will never, have are.
I bet
Is it any different than Jess Thompson (a white woman), feeling empowered to speak for them?
I sure hope Oregon Walks is not just focusing on undoing White Supremacy Culture and is still working toward advocating for safer pedestrian infrastructure, as this is a critical issue that needs advocacy and especially impacts communities of color in places like East Portland. As a son of an immigrant from Asia and as a human, I am totally for working against White supremacy, when this is defined as a belief in the supremacy of the “White race” over all others and actions to continue this. However, some activists have defined White Supremacy very broadly, equating it with actions that promote or continue “White culture,” which some equate with Western culture or “White settler culture.” This can be seen as including most everything about the way we live – industrialized society, the education system, speaking English (or Spanish – another colonialist language), or even riding bikes. Sorry folks, but due to a history we cannot undo, we will for the foreseeable future have a society with a strong Western basis, although I think our society can become much more inclusive and will be shaped by other cultural traditions. In a global world, we are all becoming hybrid cultures. Go to Japan or Korea and you will see vibrant Asian cultures, but you will also see many things with origins in the West, like industrialized economies, universities, rail systems, steel and concrete high rises. They are hybrid cultures. Nothing inherently bad about taking on some aspects of other cultures. It’s a human thing. My basic point is that there is nothing wrong with having our society permeated with Western cultural traditions, as long as it is inclusive of a diversity of people and we are open to its continuing evolution as a hybrid culture. So, don’t worry about whether your bike is a product of White Settler Culture. Just ride.
Comment of the week
Comment of the week!
Any racial theory, including more modern ones, like POC/white, all fail for a simple reason: race doesn’t exist. It never did. We (humans) created it, and to be specific, Johann Friedrich Blumenbach codified the modern concept of races. We constructed it and we can deconstruct it. But to deconstruct it, we can’t keep relying on it as crutch and try to flip the hierarchy of races we created. Oh, you were born here, well you have X social privileges, so your now three pegs down the hierarchy. Oh you were born here, well Y group treated you bad, so you go to the top of the hierarchy. The very idea that a person’s concepts, ideas, or day-to-day living is tied into a race is exactly the idea of racial responsibility, an “original sin” argument made by very specific group of people in the early-to-mid 20th century. (Hint: not the Girl Scouts.)
We can address the inequalities of the past without making sweeping generalizations of the children of those that created those inequalities.
They absolutely are still focused in safer infrastructure. I very regrettably omitted the word “just” in my reference to Jess Thompson’s quote in the original post (has since been updated). As in she said, “Safety isn’t just about sidewalks, etc…”
Also. I appreciate the points you make. I feel however, that saying “don’t worry about it” isn’t the right way to think about this. It feels dismissive to me and I think we (esp. white people) should absolutely worry about it. But “worry” is a vague word and everyone will find their own level of “worry” and that’s OK. That’s part of the process IMO.
I also want to acknowledge that this topic is very personal and complex and I know from a lot of experience that discussing it online can be very tough and often leads to misunderstanding and frustration. I hope everyone here can maintain an open mind and offer support to other views. Let’s give everyone the benefit of the doubt and learn from different perspectives while we muddle along this very difficult road toward better understanding.
Would have been nice to know this was updated, as I wrote a response to somebody thinking that the original article had “just” in it and it turns out the article was edited without notice.
I think there are some less enlightened members of society that are angry that this Corona Virus outbreak has been something of a Suez moment for white male leadership. The UK, NYC,Brazil, Italy and the U.S. government are seen by all as the losers in Pandemic leadership race, while the stars have been led by women ( New Zealand) or women of color ( San Francisco, Hong Kong, Taiwan ). I think the time for settler culture has passed and the Virus is making that abundantly clear to all.
Do you suppose Prime Minister Adern (of NZ) is not of “settler culture”? Or that the government of Taiwan somehow consists of indigenous people, and not “settlers”? And calling the leaders of Hong Kong and Taiwan “people of color” demonstrates a rather ethno-centric view of the world.
Good leadership and the ability to make wise decisions are not gender-based or ethnic traits. And while I give you credit for the “Suez moment” reference, the rest just doesn’t hold together. Who, exactly, is angry about the so-called “pandemic leadership race”?
How about the no-mask guy from the viral video at New Seasons now featured on Oregon Live. He seems pretty angry as he rants about masks and women.
Ah, my bad. I hadn’t seen that video, and didn’t realize he was making a geopolitical argument about gender and the quality of leadership.
The positive response varies widely based on a lot of factors, generally not just race or gender. Tim Waltz, Governor of MN has gotten praise for his response while next door, the Governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem, has still refused to do anything, turning South Dakota in hot spot nationally. Governor Noem as even had quite the back-and-forth with First Nations who have wanted to impose their own shelter in place orders. Yet, not that far away, Governor Gretchen Whitmer is having a hell of a time with protesters. So its more of a “stupid is ans stupid does” than color of someone’s skin and or their genitals.
“less enlightened members of society” = anyone with a different opinion than mine.
I highly, highly recommend that folks read this article: A Tale of Two Truths: Transportation and Nuance in the time of COVID-19.
https://medium.com/at-the-intersections/a-tale-of-two-truths-transportation-and-nuance-in-the-time-of-covid-19-9bc99ff8c005
It is possible to hold multiple truths, multiple perspectives, and multiple approaches to safety at once. To say that Oregon Walks is no longer working on pedestrian issues because they are holding space for safety concerns that go beyond pavement is really limiting for our collective efforts to advocate and build meaningful change for all people in public space. And I’ll add that Jess’s newsletter did not say ‘safety isn’t about infrastructure or sidewalks’. She said it isn’t JUST about that. Nuance is important!
Note: Just added this to the story:
I regret that I didn’t accurately relay Jess Thompson’s statement. It’s important to note she wrote in her newsletter that safety is not “just” about infrastructure. I unintentionally left out the “just” part and that omits a very important nuance. Sorry for any misunderstanding
This correction needs to be at the bottom of the story, not buried in comments.
I read a lot of comments above that were obviously written because of that omission and new readers are wondering what they’re talking about. Not cool.
I agree! I did add it to the bottom of the post but for some reason I must have saved it wrong and I just realized it’s not there. I’m sorry. Adding it back now. My fault.
Thanks. That one-word change definitely changes my highly negative reaction to the arrticle, to ‘somewhat negative’. haha
I live two blocks west of 82nd in the Jade district. We never walk east. Narrow sidewalks, no ADA ramps for strollers, lots of weeds and gravel along sidewalks, limited crosswalks, you run into I205, abundant campers, etc.; it’s just not inviting. I don’t doubt anyone for not wanting to go for walks if you live around 92nd and Division. The I205 path should be a wonderful asset to the neighborhood, but we all know the current condition the trails in, unfortunately.
So according to bourgeois white leftists, black and brown people are too stupid to WALK without their help? Nice.
I think that quite frequently, white leftists (or Progressives in my parlance) believe they know what is best for others and are obligated to speak and make decisions for others. I read this earlier on WW and I wonder if it also sums up how many minorities think about white leftists.
“Liberal progressives are incurious people who are incapable of self reflection. They confuse academic qualifications for intelligence and believe they are morally and intellectually superior to the deplorable. The mix of arrogance & elitism is toxic and one of their greatest weaknesses.”
I find it odd that you’re not familiar with the term “don’t shoot the messenger”. Because it’s not the white voices you’re hearing in this article.
What I brought away from this is that white rightists (or Conservatives [am I getting my parlance right? I don’t do politics]) believe they know what is best so much more than the law that minorities are so afraid of them they don’t want to leave the house.
I’m not sure who you’re referring to here since according to the article the people reporting the issues are the “black and brown” people themselves.
That’s just not true. One need only look at the About -> Our Team link on Oregon Walk’s website to see that its not true.
The article quoted two people, neither were “black or brown”. I didn’t see mention of either of those two colors, in any context, anywhere in the article at all.
“No walking kit can erase the terrorism white supremacy culture inflicts.”
— Jess Thompson, Oregon Walks
Is that really true? It’s an open carry state. I can pretty quickly design a “walking kit” that can erase the terrorism white supremacy culture inflicts.
An armed society is a polite society?
Do you think minorities don’t suffer enough? Do you realize how many more would be dead if they were legally carrying a gun? There’s a high profile case in the news right now where a black guy is in jail for attempted murder because white guys broke into his house and killed his EMT girlfriend and he shot back. This is a best case scenario because it involves police. You think if a minority tried to legally defend themselves on the street using a gun that it would turn out well for them? They don’t need more reasons for people to want to kill them.
Racism is now ascribed as the root cause of all adverse social interaction confrontations and conflicts among diverse Americans, but other culturally homogeneous countries also deal with the same type of adverse social interaction confrontation and conflict scenarios within their populations. Is the foundation unequivocal racism or more so a negative byproduct of human interaction.
Chuck D: Did you or did you not fire Flava Flav from Public Enemy?
Everyone is a comedian these days. It’s easier to travel the path of least resistance by making a joke for ego and instant gratification than it is to take the time to reflect on a topic and produce a cognitive response to the best of one’s ability.
There is humor in just about everything.
But I think I understand the point you are making. What amount of negative interaction is simply human conflict? It’s sure easy to blame things like racism and sexism, but sometimes it is just people.
I have a female acquaintance with whom I frequently get into debates with. Any disagreement with her is labeled “sexism”, when it really is “you just said some really dumb things and I’d say the same thing to a guy”.
He showed up late for work because he forgot “What Time is it?”
This is by far the most ridiculously social justicey article I’ve seen on bike portland. How embarrassing for this site.
For those confused about what whiteness (And “white supremacy”) has to do with transportation, walking and cycling there is a wonderful Critical social justice dictionary being compiled that can help one understand the perspective of the critical theorists and activists who use these terms.
I think it’s important that we understand how these terms are being used if we are to counter their inherent illiberalism. This dictionary is a fantastic resource because the language of the critical theorists from which these concepts arise Is sometimes hard to understand from a laypersons perspective. There are many linguistic traps set in these theorists redefinition of language to suit their ends. It is exceedingly difficult to counter these trends without being branded and dismissed as a “white Supremacist” or some other such nonsense. These are dangerous labels in these time to be stuck with.
Here’s a link to the definition of “whiteness”; https://newdiscourses.com/tftw-whiteness/
Here is a link to the definition of “white supremacy”;
Critical theory has been saturating many of our institutions and is have extremely deleterious effects. I am heartened to see so many people here on bike portland starting to push back. Critical social justice is NOT liberalism. It is a radical way of viewing the world with end goals of tearing society apart such that it can be rebuilt along utopian lines; with utopian being defined by the critical theorists. I myself see this as a very dangerous phenomena.
Oops, here’s the second link; https://newdiscourses.com/tftw-white-supremacy/