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HONORING BLACK HISTORY
Iwant to honor the Soul District Business Association, which has devoted 45 years to elevating and advocating for BIPOC business owners in North and Northeast Portland.
From helping Black youth develop skills to succeed in our growing tech industry, to creating community gathering spaces for neighbors and business owners to connect and support each other, The Soul District Business Association is doing the kind of work that can change lives and build a stronger Oregon for generations to come.
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Black-owned businesses always have been, and always will be, essential to local economies and local communities.
Black business owners and entrepreneurs helped lead the movement for civil rights, and continue to lead with resilience, innovation and excellence despite the many barriers put in their paths.
As a state, we must acknowledge our long history of structural and institutional racism – from exclusion laws and redlining to discrimination and displacement – and use that knowledge to break down these historical barriers and build a better future for all Oregonians.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted and exacerbated many specific, systemic inequities that need to be addressed. In 2020, when I was the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, I heard from Black leaders who designed a fund to provide cash grants to Black individuals, Black-owned businesses, and Black-led nonprofit organizations who experienced financial challenges due to COVID-19. It was clear to me that this needed to be a priority, and I worked closely alongside Black advocates and legislators to establish the Oregon Cares Fund, which ultimately distributed more than $60 million.
Now, as Governor, I am committed to reducing racial disparities and transforming how the state provides services to support all Oregonians.
In my first month in office, I released a recommended budget that centers the needs of everyday Oregonians and endeavors to embed equity in the work of state agencies. Importantly, my budget embeds feedback from the Racial Justice Council, an advisory group explicitly designed to change how the state listens to, engages with, and supports BIPOC Oregonians.
My budget was just the first step in a strong, ongoing partnership with the critical work of the Racial Justice Council (RJC). In every budget action, and every policy action, we must be working to reduce the systemic causes of racial disparities that have meant less opportunity and more harm for Oregonians of color. One specific bill that I’m working with the RJC on in this legislative session would adjust the state’s contracting and procurement processes to expand access and opportunities for small and emerging business and BIPOC-owned businesses.
Lasting change is only possible when it’s driven by the people. You have my commitment as your Governor to be a partner in the movement toward equity, justice, dignity, and shared prosperity for all.