Opinion
Looking through the injustice to find a clearer picture of racism
When you hear about one more killing by police, read one more statistic about racial disparities in arrests and mass incarceration, or protest one more black majority city screwed over by an emergency manager, it’s easy to put it down as just one more example of America’s racism and injustice, without giving real consideration to…
A big opportunity for clean air: Looking back, looking ahead
Feb. 3 was a day like no other in the fight for clean air in Oregon. On that day, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality announced that an area of Southeast Portland had alarmingly high levels of both cadmium and arsenic that could impact people’s health. The information came from a study conducted by the U.S.…
Along with big oil, Portand should stop investing in Caterpillar
More than 50 years ago I walked down the main street of Selma, Ala., to the jeers of hundreds of angry people. I was one of a small group of college students who had arrived late to the Selma to Montgomery March for Voting Rights. Because we were late, we brought up the rear of the…
Ways Street Roots readers can support social justice in Portland
Sometimes the world can feel overwhelming. What can I do to make a difference? Does it matter? Can I change anything? The simple answer is yes. Street Roots is faced with these challenges every day. For example, we know we don’t have enough resources to scale up to end homelessness, but we can work to…
Culture
A Colombian perspective on social work in Portland
Cristina Castaño Henao’s job as a social worker once took her to dizzyingly high altitudes amid Colombia’s active volcanoes. Four other contractors had gone up before her but refused to return. The assignment was to act as an intermediary between the families who had lived there for generations and the Colombian government. The land had…
News
A Colombian perspective on social work in Portland
Cristina Castaño Henao’s job as a social worker once took her to dizzyingly high altitudes amid Colombia’s active volcanoes. Four other contractors had gone up before her but refused to return. The assignment was to act as an intermediary between the families who had lived there for generations and the Colombian government. The land had…
Street Roots vendors: Be thankful
I’m thankful that there are still good, loving people in the world – caring people in the world. It makes the day easier when someone is nice and actually honest about caring. Matt Dewart I’m grateful for my customers, for a place to live and Street Roots papers. You know without all this my life…
