Portland NAACP dinner brings community and national leaders together to ‘fight for the future’

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Portland’s historic NAACP chapter brought together community leaders and advocates from across the region for its annual Freedom Fund Dinner at the Portland Convention Center on Saturday.

Local NAACP president James Posey said Saturday’s goal was to inspire the hundreds of people who attended to advocate for communities of color in Portland. He said there are people who have been historically marginalized.

“Things are tough,” Posey said. “I’m going to be really honest with you, things are very difficult.”

Posey said the organization serves as a buffer between communities of color and systemic oppression, and that the issues affecting the city of Portland particularly impact the Black community.

“It’s always the people who are at the bottom and not in a position to defend themselves that are being hunted,” Posey said. “When the going got tough, people would say: ‘When White America catches a cold, Black America catches pneumonia.’”

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Posey said Portland’s Black community is vibrant and brings culture to the Rose City, but many feel undervalued and underrepresented.

“We are resilient people,” Posey said. “We have to be to survive in a typically hostile environment. Portland was a hostile environment.”

Portland had racial exclusion laws in its constitution until 1926, and today not even 6% of the city’s population is black.

“The lowest rate in every category, high incarceration rates, fitness and achievement gaps; These are things I like to focus on because there should never be a difference in achievement between when children go to school. That stands out in this town.” Posey said.

The dinner brings together community leaders and organizers from across the country to advocate for change.

Tennessee State Representative Justin J. Pearson traveled from Memphis, where he was one of two Black representatives expelled from the state legislature last April for speaking out against gun violence.

“People who have been oppressed and marginalized for too long need to be heard in government and other parts of society,” Pearson said. “We know we need people who focus on justice in institutions, people who focus on equality in every aspect of our lives. “The NAACP in Portland does this extremely well, and I’m grateful to be here and be a part of it.”

Pearson is working with Posey to help the NAACP mobilize Portland voters ahead of both national and local elections in less than 40 days.

Posey said she looks to her 3-year-old grandson for inspiration.

“You want them to live in a community that shows love, we all live in a positive direction. When African Americans suffer, Posey said, our entire community suffers. “We must fight for the future”

According to Posey, Portland’s NAACP chapter is entirely volunteer-based. Follow this link to learn more.