News
Bill Keller is holding the system accountable
In February 2014, Bill Keller shocked the media world when he left the New York Times after 30 years to start a national conversation about the U.S. criminal justice system. As editor-in-chief of the nonprofit online news organization The Marshall Project, Keller – a former reporter for The Oregonian – aims to use the power…
District attorney adopts new Measure 11, juvenile policy
The Multnomah County District Attorney announced a new policy Wednesday that may save some juveniles from the consequences of an adult conviction. Juveniles charged with certain Ballot Measure 11 crimes will no longer automatically be kept within the adult court system when they plead down to a lesser, non-Measure 11 offenses. “We’re learning a lot as…
Oregon’s price tag on a run-in with the law
As the financial burdens placed on those who come into contact with the American criminal justice system draw increasing criticism – and the attention of the Obama administration – we wondered: What do these monetary sanctions look like locally? While Oregon is not the most expensive state to have a run-in with the law, it…
Sentenced to life in debt
Alexes Harris studies how people are punished in the United States. Growing up in Seattle in the 1990s as a woman of color, she watched as those around her were carted off to prison for drugs and other crimes. She was curious: What happens to them after they are taken away? What are their chances…
In Portland, a stage for all ages
On Sunday, May 22, the nonprofit organization Friends of Noise hosted its official launch party concert at the Los Prados Event Hall in St. Johns. The event featured musical performances by Doo Doo Funk Allstars, Neo G Yo, Drex Porter and GEM Dynasty. The event kicks off a series of all-ages concerts Friends of Noise…
Methodists reflect on role in Sand Creek Massacre
Since February, the Sand Creek Massacre exhibit at the Clark County Historical Museum in Vancouver has been educating a new generation about the power of historical trauma and healing. The exhibit features art made by the direct descendants from the victims of one of the greatest tragedies in American history, and has stirred critical dialogue…
Opinion
A true story of hope, change and inspiration through art | COMMENTARY
My name is Phillip Wilson. I was born in 1966 to Betsy Ross. My mother was also a famous wrestler in the '50s. Her stage name was also Betsy Ross, taking after the woman who stitched the American flag. She would enter the ring carrying the flag high above her head before each match. There…
I’m forming a Burgerville union because I’m barely getting by | COMMENTARY
I believe that everyone working, 30 to 40 hours a week especially, should be making enough to live, at the very least. They should also be making enough to move forward in their lives. My name is Eli Fishel, I’m 18 years old, and I’m a fast food worker. When I was 16, I worked…
Ten ways you can support Street Roots vendors | DIRECTOR’S DESK
Street Roots vendors work hard in the summer. It’s not easy. Being homeless in the summertime isn’t any fun. Longer periods of daylight are a welcome sign for many Portlanders, but for many people on the streets, it can mean going long stretches of time without adequate sleep. Typical locations for people to sleep in…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor profile: ‘I’m a survivor, and I fought’
When Rachel Amber Leigh sits down for the interview, the first thing she does is pull out a paper with an official stamp on it. The document verifies her gender and name change and is proof of what she has been fighting for her entire life. The right to be herself. Transgender rights are protected…
