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, and voting for change, and from elected officials rising to the occasion. We are at a crossroads and must take 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, and 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, with 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.
Podcasts
- “1619” – Visit The New York Times Website
- “Code Switch” – Visit NPR Website
- “Historically Black” – Visit Washington Post
- “Seeing White” – Visit Duke University Center for Documentary Studies
- “Seizing Freedom” – Vist VPM
- “King Kurus” – Visit The Black History Buff Podcast
- “Witness Black History” – Visit BBC Worldwide Website
Books
Adult Books
- “Buy A People’s History of the United States Book” by Howard Zinn
- “Buy Beloved Book“ by Toni Morrison
- “Buy Between the World and Me Book” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- “Buy Contagious Divides: Epidemics and Race in San Francisco’s Chinatown Book” by Nayan Shah
- “Buy How to be an Antiracist Book” by Ibram X. Kendi
- “Buy I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Book” by Maya Angelou
- “Buy I See the Promise Land A Life of Martin Luther King Book” by A. R. Jones
- “Buy Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning Book” by Cathy Park Hong
- “Buy Something Happened In Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice Book” 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
- “Buy The Autobiography of Malcolm X Book” by Alex Hayley
- “Buy The Fire Next Time Book” by James Baldwin
- “Buy The Making of Asian America: A History Book” by Erika Lee
- “Buy The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In the Age of Colorblindness Book” by Michelle Alexander
- “Buy The Warmth of the Other Suns Book” by Isabel Wilkerson
- “Buy White Fragility Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism Book” by Robin DiAngelo
Children’s Books
- “Buy A is for Activist Book” by Innosanto Nagara
- “Buy A Kids Book About Racism Book” by Jelani Memory
- “Buy Before John was a Jazz Giant Book” by Carole Boston Weatherford
- “Buy Hands Up Book” by Breanna J. McDaniel
- “I Am Enough” by Grace Byers
- “Buy I Love My Hair Book” by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley
- “Buy Not My Idea Book” by Anastasia Higginbotham
- “Buy Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights Book” by Rob Sanders
- “Buy Separate is Never Equal Book” by Duncan Tonatiuh
- “Buy Sulwe Book” by Lupita Nyong
- “Buy The Book Itch Book” by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
- “Buy We March Book” by Shane W. Evans
- “Buy Wings Book” by Christopher Myers
Articles & Shows
Articles
- “Buy The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story” by Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times Magazine
- “Visit Confronting Prejudice: How to Protect Yourself and Help Others Article” by Pepperdine University Master of Psychology Program
- “Visit US Businesses Must Take Meaningful Action Against Racism Article” by Harvard Business Review
- “Visit The Case for Reparations Article” by The Atlantic
- “Visit 5 Bold Ways White Male Allies Can Step Up Against Racism Article” by Tiffany Jana
- “Ignoring The History Of Anti-Asian Racism Is Another Form Of Violence Article” by Connie Wun
- “Byron Allen: Black America speaks. America should listen. Article” by The Grio
- “How to support Asian American colleagues amid the recent wave of anti-Asian violence Article” by Jennifer Liu
- “Coronavirus fears show how ‘model minority’ Asian Americans become the ‘yellow peril’ Article” by Matthew Le
The New York Times (Subscription needed)
- Visit America, This Is Your Chance Article
- Visit When It Works to ‘Defund the Police’ Article
- Visit When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Article Part 1
- Visit When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Article Part 2
- Visit When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Article Part 3
- Visit When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Article Part 4
- Visit When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Article Part 5
- Visit When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Article Part 6
- Visit When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Article Part 7
Shows
- “Black Pioneers an Oregon Experience” – OPB
- “Visit Lift Every Voice” – OPB
- “Watch High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” – Netflix
- “Watch Women of the Movement” – Hulu
Films & Videos
Films
- “13th”, 2016
- “After Selma”, 2019
- “Watch 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 Greensboro Four”, 2003
- “Get on the Bus”, 1996
- “Hidden Figures”, 2016
- “Watch Jim Crow of the North Youtube Video“, 2019
- “John Lewis: Get in the Way”, 2017
- “Life of a King”, 2013
- “Loving”, 2016
- “Malcolm 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
- “Watch The Chinese Exclusion Act”, 2018
- “The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till”, 2005
- “Till”, 2022
- “Wattstax”, 1973
- “When They See Us”, 2019
Videos
- “Watch The Urgency of Intersectionality” Kimberle Crenshaw
- “Watch We Need to Talk About Injustice” Bryan Stevenson
Register to Vote
- Visit Oregon.Gov Website for Oregon Online Voter Registration
- Visit the Washington Secretary of State Website to Register to Vote in Washington State
Events & Classes
- Visit the Oregon Historical Society Website
- Visit Violence Against Asian Americans: How Do We Support the Children? (Webinar)
- Visit Asian Americans, racism, and antiracism in the COVID Era (Webinar)
Check out your local library and community center.
- Visit Clackamas County Libraries Website
- Visit the Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries Website
- Visit Marion County Libraries Website
- Visit the Multnomah County Libraries Website
- Visit Washington County Libraries Website
BIPOC Support
- Mental Health Resources for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
- Visit Resources to Help Empower Asian and Pacific Islander Communities
- Visit 60 Resources for Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Communities
- Visit NAMI Compartiendo Esperanza: Mental Wellness in the Latinx Community
- Visit NAMI Sharing Hope: Mental Wellness in the Black Community
Oregon’s BIPOC History
- Visit the Oregon Historical Society Website
- Visit Oregon Black Pioneers Website
- Visit Oregon Multicultural Archives: Asian American People and Culture History
- Visit Grounded in This Place: A Deep History of Latino Activism in Oregon History
Reading Lists
Equity and Justice: We can achieve it!
Visit 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 VOAOR Main Office