Volunteers of America Oregon stands with the communities, organizations, and individuals across the country and world fighting against the systemic racism that exists within our nation. Significant social change has come in our country from peaceful demonstrations, marches, advocacy, from voting for change, and from elected officials rising to the occasion. We are at the crossroads and must take the active steps to eliminate systemic racism. Together we can become the nation that was promised in our founding documents. May we all find wisdom, guidance and courage to address the issues, practices, and barriers that divide and separate us as a people.
Volunteers of America Oregon has a long history of reaching out to populations that have been marginalized, that have been victims of bias and discrimination. We stand for social justice. Today we stand by our commitment to help the most vulnerable in our community, no restrictions.
We stand for racial justice and equity.
Stand with us! Stand together!
We ask that you stand with us for racial equity and social justice.
Make a Difference
How to contribute to this major societal change agenda?
Develop Self-awareness
Have uncomfortable conversations. “What do I do that might contribute to the problem of racism?”
Volunteer and Support
Get involved with organizations that serve those in need, specifically BIPOC individuals.
Educate Yourself
Watch films, read books & articles, listen to podcasts, and attend lectures about race and anti-racism work.
See something, say something
If there appears to be an inappropriate action or slight say something. Silence is our enemy.
Listen to BIPOC voices
This is a time for each of us to make the extra effort to get to know our community. More specifically, to get to know the Black people, Indigenous Peoples, and people of color in our community.
Register to Vote
Be an advocate and a loud voice in the movement for change.
Resources
- “1619” – The New York Times
- “Code Switch” – NPR
- “Historically Black” – Washington Post
- “Seeing White” – Duke University Center for Documentary Studies
- “Seizing Freedom” – VPM
- “The Black History Buff Podcast” – King Kurus
- “Witness Black History” – BBC Worldwide
Adult Books
- “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn
- “Beloved“ by Toni Morrison
- “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- “Contagious Divides: Epidemics and Race in San Francisco’s Chinatown” by Nayan Shah
- “How to be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi
- “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou
“I see the Promise Land A Life of Martin Luther King” by A. R. Jones
- “Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning” by Cathy Park Hong
“Something Happened In Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice” by Marianne Celano PhD, Marietta Collins PhD, Ann Hazzard PhD
“So, You Want to Talk About Race” by Ljeoma Oluo
“Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America” by Dr. Ibram Kendi
- “The Autobiography of Malcom X” by Alex Hayley
“The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin
- “The Making of Asian America: A History” by Erika Lee
- “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander
“The Warmth of the Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson
“White Fragility Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin DiAngelo
Children’s Books
- “A is for Activist” by Innosanto Nagara
- “A Kids Book About Racism” by Jelani Memory
- “Before John was a Jazz Giant” by Carole Boston Weatherford
- “Hands Up” by Breanna J. McDaniel
- “I Am Enough” by Grace Byers
- “I Love My Hair” by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley
- “Not My Idea” by Anastasia Higginbotham
- “Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights” by Rob Sanders
- “Separate is Never Equal” by Duncan Tonatiuh
- “Sulwe” by Lupita Nyong
- “The Book Itch” by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
- “We March” by Shane W. Evans
- “Wings” by Christopher Myers
Articles
- “The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story” by Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times Magazine
- “Confronting Prejudice: How to Protect Yourself and Help Others” by Pepperdine University Master of Psychology Program
- “US Businesses Must take Meaningful Action Against Racism” by Harvard Business Review
- “The Case for Reparations” by The Atlantic
- “5 Bold Ways White Male Allies Can Step Up Against Racism” by Tiffany Jana
- “Ignoring The History Of Anti-Asian Racism Is Another Form Of Violence” by Connie Wun
- “Byron Allen: Black America speaks. America should listen.” by The Grio
- “How to support Asian American colleagues amid the recent wave of anti-Asian violence” by Jennifer Liu
- “Coronavirus fears show how ‘model minority’ Asian Americans become the ‘yellow peril'” by Matthew Le
The New York Times (Subscription needed)
Shows
Films
- “13th”, 2016
- “After Selma”, 2019
- “Asian Americans”, 2020
- “Becoming Barack”, 2012
- “Birth of a Movement”, 2017
- “Black Is King”, 2020
- “Blackklansman”, 2018
- “Do the Right Thing”, 1989
- “February One: The Story of the Greenboro Four”, 2003
- “Get on the Bus”, 1996
- “Hidden Figures”, 2016
- “Jim Crow of the North“, 2019
- “John Lewis: Get in the Way”, 2017
- “Life of a King”, 2013
- “Loving”, 2016
- “Malcom X”, 1992
- “Obama to Selma”, 2015
- “Rodney King”, 2017
“Ruby Ridge”, 2004
- “Salute”, 2008
- “Self-Made—Inspired by the Life of Madame C. J. Walker”, 2020
- “Selma”, 2014
- “Teach us All”, 2017
- “The Chinese Exclusion Act”, 2018
- “The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till”, 2005
- “Till”, 2022
- “Wattstax”, 1973
- “When They See Us”, 2019
Videos
- “The Urgency of Intersectionality” Kimberle Crenshaw
- “We Need to Talk About Injustice” Bryan Stevenson
Violence Against Asian Americans: How Do We Support the Children? (Webinar)
Asian Americans, racism, and antiracism in the COVID Era (Webinar)
Check out your local library and community center.
- Mental Health Resources for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC)
- Resources to Help Empower Asian and Pacific Islander Communities
60 Resources for Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Communities
- NAMI Compartiendo Esperanza: Mental Wellness in the Latinx Community
- NAMI Sharing Hope: Mental Wellness in the Black Community
Reading Lists
Jim Crow: A Reading List – Not Even Past by Jacqueline Jones and Henry Wiencek
Do you have resources to share?
Please send us resources that can be added to this page.
Email information@voaor.org