We at the Portland Parks Foundation stand in solidarity with the protestors exercising their rights—often in our public parks—and proclaim with them the simple truth: Black Lives Matter.
The murders of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Reed, and so many others, have demonstrated with blunt horror the racism upon which our country is built. We mourn the loss of these Black men and women and are outraged by their deaths. The pain and oppression being visited on the Black communities must also be our pain, and we know we must do much more to fight the racism that infects this country.
As the last few months have shown, again and again, parks are essential to our health, our social resilience, and our democracy. And toward strengthening those values, Portland Parks Foundation will deepen our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. On our board, committees, and public forums, and in our work building and enhancing parks, we will elevate Black voices along with those of others long denied a meaningful role in shaping our city.
In parks we can fight for, but also measure, change. We will join with you to make more places where everyone feels safe and welcomed, where we can play and relax, and where we can speak . . . and, when needed, shout.