Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made this statement on March 25th, 1968. That was 52 years ago. Some things have changed but the throne is still occupied. These videos of Black men being killed, threatened, or arrested for the crime of being Black make my blood boil. I am sure you feel the same.

The news reminds us that too often our public safety system fails people of color. If you live in Black skin, this is not news to you.

I have skin in this game. I am a Black man and the parent of two Black boys. My kids fuel my commitment to dismantling racism in our culture, institutions, and economy.

That is why I am asking for your help in ending racism.

And denouncing racism is a first step, but it is not enough.

Overcoming racism also requires us to reject violence. There is a reason why Martin Luther King practiced non-violent activism. Racism rests upon the politics of violence and power. That is why ending racism requires us to reject violence.

Violence against People of Color must stop. And violence in the streets must stop.

The politics of peace, I propose, does not mean compromise or capitulation to the status quo. Instead, I am challenging Portland to help me end racism in our community before the two Black boys I am raising grow into being two Black men.

Peace also requires us to demand accountability from individuals and institutions. I will push for a police contract that establishes the highest standards of professionalism and accountability in Oregon. That is why I support community policing. I am calling on the state legislature to take up Senator Lew Fredrick’s (D-Portland) bill on police accountability.

Sincerely,