Mass Call ✊🏾 Black March 2026

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:00

What's up, everybody? Um, my name is Keith Turvalon. I'm an organizer in the manager of Field and Organizing here at Imagine Black. And I just want to start by saying that I'm really grateful that you're all here. Because showing up in a moment like this, it's not small. It means you care. It means you're paying attention. It means you're willing to be a part of something bigger than yourself. Tonight, we're grounding ourselves in a reality that too many people are being forced to live through every single day. We're talking about ICE. We're talking about immigration enforcement. We're talking about state violence. And we're talking about how that violence is impacting black and brown communities, not just nationally, but right here in Oregon. Let's be real. For a lot of folks, ICE is something they hear about on the news. But for our people, for immigrants, for refugees, for undoc for undocumented black folks, for mixed-status families, ICE is not abstract. It's the fear of a knock at the door. It's the fear of going to work and not coming home. It's children wondering if their parents are safe. It's entire communities being forced to live in silence. And as community organizers, as people committed to liberation, we have to be clear. There is no version of freedom that leaves immigrants and refugees behind. There is no version of justice that separates us from each other. So tonight is about learning. It's about connection, it's about truth. And most importantly, it's about what we're gonna do to show up for each other. And in that spirit, I want to introduce April Alvarez, the director of strategy at Pacoon. April, we're happy you're here. Take it away.

SPEAKER_00 1:49

Thank you so much. Hello, everyone. Thanks, Keith, for the intro, and thank you all so much for welcoming me to your space. Um, my name is April Alvarez. I use she, her Aya Pronouns. I am the director of strategy at Pacoon. Um, I've been working and I've been organizing with Pacoon for about five years now. Um, super proud um to continue all this organizing work and working alongside all of you and other BIPOC communities in Oregon as well. And I just feel super happy and honored to be here with you all. Um, yeah, I'm gonna talk a little bit about a little bit about what Keith was talking about around immigration, around ICE, the surveillance, the patrolling that they've been doing in our communities, the fear that our communities are living under, but also talk a little bit about some of the things that we've been doing up at Goon to take action against all of um the attacks that ICE is um, you know, uh doing uh within our to our communities. Um so I'm happy to share that today. And I just want to say thank you again for having me. Um yeah, I don't know if we could have the the slide deck on. Okay, I see it on. Thank you so much, Keith. Um, well, just a little bit of of con uh context around Bacun. Um Bacoon is Oregon's Farmworker Union. It's on it stands for Beku, uh Bineros y Campesinos on Needles and Noroeste. So we're Oregon's Farmworker and Lapinex Working Families Union. Um and we originally started as the Willamette Valley Law Project. Um, that was kind of like the precursor to Bacon in 1977. And, you know, we're located in Woodburn, Oregon. It's the heart of the agricultural um, you know, uh the heart of agricultural land really in Oregon. Um, and we have a lot of farm workers, Latino immigrants who live in Woodburn and surrounding areas in the mid-Willamette Valley. And uh well, the Willamette Valley Law Project was started in 1977 and it was formed in response to an increase in immigration enforcement. So we've done this before, right? We've been here before, but in different circumstances. Um and that's how Bekun was initially founded, essentially, right? It was a the precursor, it was on the basis of all of these attacks around immigration, the raids that were happening in Oregon, even then, um, to a different capacity, of course, but um that's a little bit of context around the precursor of Oregon. Um, the Willamette Valley Law Project was also um really um key in responding to raids, like I mentioned, and deportations of a lot of tree planters between 1992 and 1994. Um, and you know, the Middle Willamette Valley Law Project was also able to attain the release of some of the workers during that time. Um, and we did a lot of protesting at the Portland um INS office to really protest against the raids and the deportations that were happening. So, you know, a lot of how Pekoon was founded and started was on the basis of a lot of what's happening right now in our current moment. Um, between 1987 and 1988 was when Pekun was founded. So we Pacoon was officially founded in 1985 when 80 farm workers um stood up against the exploitation in their workplaces. Uh they stood up against, you know, wage theft that they were experiencing, um poor working conditions, not having um, you know, access to water, access to uh having breaks, uh poor living conditions. And so that was how Bikoon was founded. Um and, you know, we a lot of those 80 farm workers in the Middle Atma Valley stood up because they wanted uh an opportunity to collectively bargain, right? To fight for their, for their rights in the workplace. Um and so there's a lot of challenges there. Um, you know, still to this day, the National Labor Relations Act um excludes uh farm workers and uh domestic um uh workers as well in being able to collectively bargain. So today the fight still continues. Um, that right is still not um guaranteed for farm workers. And so to this day, our members at Bekun have been fighting for fair contracts, fair wages, um, and we've been doing a lot at the state level to really try to support um better working conditions. Um but since then, um, you know, once um the raids were happening and there was also an amnesty that happened around the 80s, um we uh also founded one of our sister organizations. So the Woodwillamette, um the Willamette Valley Law Project became uh the cent the service center, which is now known as Centro for Campesinos in in Woodburn as well. And during that time, Bekun and the service center were able to assist about 1,300 immigrants to file applications who were seeking amnesty um under the amnesty legislation in 1986. Um and a lot of those applications were approved. So just to kind of understand the landscape in Woodburn, you know, a lot of the folks who, you know, are our elders in the movement, you know, grew up around this time and were able to get amnesty um through through the 1986 legislation and also with the support of, you know, Bakun and the service center who were able to process those things. So, you know, from our foundation, from our roots, right, we've been fighting for workers' rights, fighting for um immigrants, and fighting against ICE and all of the deportations and raids that they have been doing since then, but definitely have escalated under the Trump administration as well. Next slide. Yeah, so just to set the context, I mean, like Keith said, it's no surprise a lot of our communities, black and brown communities, have been living under this authoritarian government that is constantly causing fear in our communities. And we saw a huge escalation last year, 2025, and still today, uh, but especially last year at the start with the Trump administration, a huge escalation of uh the presence of ICE in Oregon, um, not just in Oregon, but across the country, the presence of um just a huge increase in detainments, uh, surveillance um in our communities. And we had this year of escalation where, you know, across Oregon from Woodburn to Forest Grove to Portland to Hillsborough, Gresham, um, even small towns in east uh east or eastern Oregon, right? We saw a huge uptick of ice presence. Um an example in Woodburn, um, some of our very own members, farm workers, um, were stopped on their way to work at 5 a.m. Um, they stopped two vans that were on their way to their day job, right? As laborers, as workers, as farm workers. And they stopped them and they detained all of them um around 5 a.m. And so, you know, 2025, we saw a huge escalation of these raids. Um, you know, it was wild to see. Current day, right now, there has been less of a presence right now in 2026, currently speaking, but in 2025, we're we were seeing a huge uptick of these masked um secret police, if that's what you want to call it, right? Secret police on our streets um without you know badges, without any um, you know, way of recognizing who they were. And so we at Bekun, along with other um organizations, um, formed an organization called Oregon for All. Um, and Oregon for All is uh, like I mentioned, a coalition that started um at the very beginning of 2024, end of 2024, I'm forgetting. Um, and we started this organization to really support and kind of be able to defend immigrants' rights during this time. I think during the 2024 election cycle, a lot of our um community, you know, was realizing like Trump is gonna win, right? Like this is looking bad, sadly, and he's gonna win, and we're really gonna have to do something to, you know, um defend our communities, especially with the attacks around ICE. And so Oregon for All was a response um to that fear that we knew was coming. Um, and so with the Oregon for All Coalition, um, it's made up of several community organizations across Oregon. And we, through Oregon for All, have created a rapid response network where across almost every county in Oregon, there is a local rapid response group in those counties. And those rapid response groups right now have been patrolling their neighborhoods, you know, literally having um shifts at 4 a.m. from, you know, 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., just patrolling our local streets, making sure that if there's any presence of ice that we're reporting it or that we're keeping our community safe. So that's been a lot of the um response that we've been um that we've had during the last um year of escalations around ice is you know, really trying to patrol our own communities. We've created these own regional community leads hubs where we have volunteers literally coming out and patrolling and doing shifts in the mornings and the evenings. And so that was a lot of the response that we had to do during 2025 when we were seeing this uptick of the presence of ice and detainments. Um, I think all of y'all are familiar with it, but we could see, you know, videos across Oregon of folks being detained in stores outside of their workplace, um, being detained and outside of like near schools, right? And so we had to do a lot of response in that way through Oregon for All and PERC, um, the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition as well, who has been supporting with um rapid response and patrolling. So through this year of escalation, we really tried to like beef up our volunteer patrolling. Um, we learned a lot about how to recognize ice, how to recognize if um there's an ice car um around. And we created a whole network um around um, you know, verifying if there's an ice car um as well um outside in in local communities. So it's been a huge year of escalation. We also filed several lawsuits after increased ice presence and activity in Woodburn and Salem. Um one of the lawsuits was against the Department of Homeland Security and uh Christy Noam, and it was around safeguarding um places of worship, schools, hospitals, and public spaces, um, basically saying that you know ice should not be um there or allowed in those um uh public spaces. Um and since then, you know, it's been tough. We, as you all know, um and probably hopefully have not had to experience this, but you know, uh friends or family members that you might know in your community have experienced this. We had a lot of losses, right? A lot of folks were detained, um, but we have been working a lot with the Innovation Law Lab as well, um, who and Echo who are supporting with um attorneys and free legal services for folks who were detained um during the time as well. So a huge uptick, but we've created sort of um some defense networks, right, for patrolling um to really keep our community safe. And that's what what our role has been right now is keeping our community safe, patrolling and you know, really trying to use like what we have in our resources um to support against um ice and all of the terrible things that they've been doing. Next slide. And here's just some country-wide data. So you can see, you know, this is from 20 end of 2025. Um, but this number is probably higher, a lot higher. But around the end of 2025, there was about 65,735 um people detained um in ICE detention. And um, you know, about only um 73% of these people had no criminal conviction conviction. So we know that a lot of the rhetoric, a lot of the um, you know, story that the Trump administration and all of his cronies, right, are putting out there are simply false about our communities. And we've we've known this, right? This is a classic attack um from the right and from conservative groups who um don't want our communities to be here, sadly. Um, but I just wanted to point out some of that data as well. Next slide. Here's just a couple of data points, too, about um Oregon. So, you know, for for Oregon, there are 92% of Oregon farm workers identify as Hispanic or Latino, and those are a lot of the communities that have been really hit right now in Oregon, the farm worker community. Um, 15% of Oregonians also identify as Hispanic or Latino. Um, and 43% of new Oregonians from the last decade are Latino too. So a lot of our communities have been really hit hard, and um, you know, we've had to do a lot of work, like I mentioned, to really um protect our communities during this time. Next slide. Okay, so I know I went quickly through like some of the ways that we're trying to combat um what's happening in our communities and what we've been able to do through the Oregon for All Network, through PERC, um, through Innovation Law Lab and Bakun's work and others' works as well. But, you know, at the end of last year, when our members came to us, our members were like, you know, patrolling is great, rapid response is great, and we've been able to do a lot of great, you know, uh work and community safety through that, but we need to do more, right? Like what's happening is just not acceptable, of course. And we need to stand up, right? It's not enough to just patrol, it's not enough to just like um send volunteers out and send ice verifiers out and record videos, right? That is doing a lot, but we have to really stand up and do something. So a lot of the work that Bakun has been doing is around mobilizing and creating actions against ice and calling out against um ice um and and demanding that they stay out of um out of Oregon. And so at the end of last year, when we saw like again, a huge uptick of ICE presence in Woodburn and Salem, which is where most of our members live, um, our members came to us and they said, we have to do something, right? So we created this campaign and it's called the Day Without an Immigrant Campaign. And we started it in December. Um and we since then have been um, you know, working towards a general strike on May Day. So this campaign, the Day Without an Immigrant Campaign, is focused on telling people that, you know, having a month, an action once a month from December to May 1st, which is May Day, International Workers' Day, where we're having visibility actions every month, um, marches, rallies, teach-ins, vigils, where we're able to highlight the stories of immigrants, able to call out the injustices, call out and demand ice out of our communities. Um and on these days, we're also trying to weave in like the worker power as well within the immigrants' rights um story around ice. And so on these visibility action days of a day without an immigrant, we're calling for no work, no school, no shopping, and to avoid and and to um close their businesses if they're able to. It's been challenging for our communities. I know it's a hard time right now for a lot of our communities economically, but you know, when our um members came to us and they said, we have to really make an impact some way, like there's just too much going on. Um we um, you know, chose to do these like labos uh paros laborales in Spanish, which is like labor stops, work stoppages, right? Um, because our members wanted that. Um, and so since then we um have had an action um every month across different cities in Oregon, from Portland to Salem to Ontario to Medford and Bend, and different organizations have signed on um who have hosted these actions in support of the day without an immigrant. And there is a QR code. If you all want to scan it and pledge it, um, there is a pledge on there, and you'll receive more information about what the day without an immigrant campaign is. And, you know, April 1st is tomorrow. That is the next day without an immigrant action. I'll talk a little bit more about that in a bit. Um and then the last really big day of the day without an immigrant is May 1st, May Day, um, which there's usually a big action in Portland and action in in Salem as well. And I'll I'll talk about that here in a bit as well. Next slide. So that's just more information about the date without an immigrant actions. Um, like I mentioned, we've been trying to build up across different cities in Oregon. Um, and so far we've had about 80 partner organizations who have hosted um uh actions in their cities. We have about 200 endorsers of the Date Without an Immigrant campaign. Um, and I want to also really make sure that I connect this point is that the Date Without an Immigrant campaign is also aligning with another national campaign that's happening um across the country. It's called the May Day Strong campaign. And this campaign is um geared towards doing a general uh general strike on uh 2028. And so we've been really looking at this day without an immigrant campaign as a practice towards what does it actually look like for our communities to stand up and strike against all of the injustices that are happening, calling ice out, calling out against all of the exploitation um that happens to workers, to our communities, against you know, police activity, and so much more. So we've been really trying to work with that national campaign as well, uh, around the Day Without Immigrant Campaign to start getting Oregonians to practice uh what it looks like to demand ice out of our communities, to um not go to school, not go to work, not go shopping. And a lot of this too is aligned with what we saw in Minnesota and Minneapolis on January 30th, after the huge presence of ice in Minnesota as well. And so we've been working a lot with partners um in Minnesota um to really work on a general strike strategy and what they were able to do um on January 30th. So as you all saw in Minnesota, they really stood up against all of the terrible things that ICE has been doing or and is still currently doing. And they were pretty successful um in getting um, you know, largely the presence of ice out of our communities. But um it's been a really interesting time um since the end of last year and the beginning of this year. I think, you know, what we've been seeing is that the ice there isn't as much presence right now recorded in Oregon, just to an FYI, right, you know, from PERC, from um Oregon for all. But we really think that right now they're kind of like reorganizing and restrategizing themselves as well. And we do expect that, you know, probably by the end of but probably near to near the elections this year, that there will be more of an uptick. And we've been seeing a lot of the strategy of being at airports right now, too. So there's a lot of things happening, but You know, I wanted to point out the campaign that we're doing to really um call out for ice out of our communities. And then the next slide kind of just goes over how the December action went, how the January action went. We had about nine cities participating where we've held marches and actions across Oregon. And, you know, these have been really cool actions where folks have been able to hold um stops at Hilton's in Portland, for example. Um, you know, a lot of groups in Portland are also doing actions against enterprise because enterprise has been doing contracts with ICE. Um so there's been a lot of movement around um how we're stopping like these corporations from contracting with ice as well. Next slide, please. And then these are just some of the upcoming actions. So tomorrow, actually, we have our next um uh day without an immigrant, and there are some echo actions happening. There's gonna be two in Portland. Um, one is around the the Hilton um action. So um I'll send y'all the link to that. Dion, maybe y'all can share it with folks. Um, but we're also doing a statewide small business canvas across different cities in Oregon and to ask there for small businesses is for them to participate on May Day to come out and support on May 1st, which is our big um International Workers' Day, which this year we're really focusing on immigrants' rights, demanding ICE out of our communities. Um and we've been working with allies in in Portland as well, um, who are doing their own march in in Portland. Um, Bakun is hosting the one in Salem at the Capitol. Um, and so yeah, there's been a lot of movement, but we know that, like I mentioned at the top of this, surveilling and patrolling is or the patrolling and rapid response has been super helpful and is essential, as well as the legal services. But we have to do more than that. We have to stand up, we have to march, we have to um, you know, really call out um these corporations who are contracting with ICE. And that's what the whole purpose of the campaign has been doing. And I think we've been seeing some successes around that in Oregon and across the country as well. Um, but still a lot more there. Next slide, please. And I just wanted to give out a couple of immigrant rights resources. Um, I don't know if I'm able to share my screen. I don't know, Keith. Um, but I will link it here in the chat after this. Um, I'm gonna link the Oregon for All um website for you all to check out. I highly encourage you to check out Oregon for All, like I said, is a coalition that has many um BIPOC organizations and immigrant rights organizations across Oregon who are doing a lot of work around um the patrolling that's happening, the rapid response, and the know your rights work as well. I highly encourage y'all to check them out. And they have a monthly call that happens where there's updates around how to protect your community right now, what's happening in your community. Um, they've been launching a lot of really good toolkits around what you can do on your own local city councils and county commission uh spaces to advocate for um, you know, those uh government to really give resources right now during this time. And we've had a lot of wins as well in the cities like Salem and Woodburn and Gresham and Portland around um the city councils giving funding and passing a no-ice resolution as well. Um, so there's been a lot of work happening there. And then I'll also link the day without an immigrant website in the chat for y'all to check out. Um, this is another great space where you guys can look at more information and tools around trainings that are happening and also some of the actions that are happening as well. Next slide. Okay, and then this is just the flyer for the Salem May Day. So, like I mentioned, if y'all are interested in coming, we would love to have you come. There is a Portland action as well. I'll try to send that to you guys via email. I don't have the flyer quite yet, but I think they're still finalizing the Portland flyer for May Day. But this year, like I mentioned, it's really important for our communities to call and demand ice out of our communities. That's gonna be the big push for May Day. And that is also the last action for the day without an immigrant campaign. Um, there is a QR code that y'all can scan. It'll take you to the pledge where you'll get more information about the campaign and about May Day. Um, but I just really want to emphasize that a lot of the work that you know we've been doing here in Oregon around the intimidation and the attacks from ICE is the patrolling, right? It's been the rapid response work, it's been all these marches and teach-ins and actions that we've been trying to do to really diminish the presence of ICE and to call them out of our out of our communities. Um, Bekun has also been working a lot on during the short session, the legislative session that just passed this this year, um, last month. Um, we worked with a lot of community organizations to pass an immigrant rights justice package, which was a huge step for our state as well. Um, it was a package with about a number a huge number, a long list of bills. One of them was um a bill that passed where, you know, in Oregon were saying that um ICE can't wear any masks. Um, where we have another bill that passed around um safeguarding schools, so making sure that um uh school campuses are now alerting students and parents if there is a presence of ICE nearby. Um, you know, we were also able to pass um more um a lot uh more funds for the echo services, so free legal services for folks who might need support with immigration services and so much more. And I'll put that uh a link here about the immigrant rights justice package that was passed this year that, you know, hopefully is going to be supporting and safeguarding our communities during this time as well. Um, I know that was a lot and really fast, and I think I went over time, but I'm happy to answer any questions um as well around, you know, what's been happening in Oregon, how to best support, and just any curiosities.

SPEAKER_01 28:15

Thank you so much, April. Um, all that information was wonderful, and we absolutely needed to know it all. We are a little bit over time, but I had a I wanted to know if you had a little time to answer maybe one or two questions that I have.

SPEAKER_00 28:28

Yeah, for sure. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 28:30

Thank you so much. Um, the first question is uh, what are what are ways people in this room can show up in solidarity without causing harm?

SPEAKER_00 28:38

Yeah, thank you. I mean, I think the most important way to show up, I mean, there's so many ways, right? And I think especially right now, our black and brown communities are, you know, they're being attacked. Immigrant communities are being attacked. And I've I've gotten that question a lot. And, you know, right now there is a big need without causing harm. Um, I mentioned the patrolling. Um, there's always a huge need of, and anyone can support here, you know, especially if you're an ally of the community. Um, we really need folks to come out and volunteer and support with a patrolling shift if you're able to. And a lot of these shifts right now have been looking like, you know, you going out with a volunteer with a partner. Um, you get a training, a human rights observer training. Um, and you know, a lot of the patrolling is like you have a shift, right? Sometimes these shifts are really early. They could be from 5 a.m. or it could be at any time that you're available. But that's a really important way to show up because especially when there was a huge increase of ice, we needed those patrollers out there, right? Like we needed community to really show up. Um, and that's a way to not cause harm if you feel safe enough to do so. Um, and I will I'll put in the chat a link of where y'all can sign up to volunteer as well. And then another way to show up is to come out, right, to some of these marches if you're able to. I think that's a really great way to show solidarity, especially to the Mayday march, the Portland one, or the Salem one. Um, and I think showing up for one another is just a big step in the marches. Um, there's been a lot of trainings that are happening too. And I encourage folks to visit that Oregon for All website. There's a lot of trainings linked there. Um, and yes, thank you for putting the volunteer link on there, Dion. Um, if you all are interested. Um, also on the pledge, there there is um the the Dayton Immigrant Pledge, there is a way to pledge if you want to support with um rapid response, which is the patrolling. So I think that's a really good way to show up without causing harm and getting a training to support with that if you're able to.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

Right on. One more question, and then we're gonna um we're gonna move on. But um, does Pacoon take a stand on whether to shut down the Portland Ice facility?

SPEAKER_00 30:52

That's a great question. We have taken a stand, and we our stance, I know might sound a little controversial, is that we shouldn't. And here's a reason why. Um, a lot of the um, you know, like the logistics pieces, if that's what you call want to call it, or like the technicalities, is that what we've been seeing is that when people are being detained, um, there's a very short time from when they are um transferred to the Portland ICE facility to Tacoma, which is where they have the actual um ice facility, right? The detention center. And so a lot of the tactics that ICE has been using is that they're trying to process people really quickly from the Portland ICE facility straight to Tacoma. And so what we've seen is that even though it's terrible that folks are being detained, obviously, but you know, even when they are um being detained and they are sent to Portland, the amount of time that they have at the Portland ICE facility was actually really critical for um, you know, folks like Innovation Law Lab and other attorneys to be able to release the person who was being detained. So, for example, if we didn't have that facility and folks were just being detained on the streets, um ICE officers would just send people straight to Tacoma. And once they're being sent straight to Tacoma, it's a lot harder to get folks released from that detention center. So obviously we don't want a detention center anywhere. We don't want ICE facilities anywhere. Um, but that currently, right now, has allowed for some time to allow us, allowed us some ample time for people to be processed less quicker and get them released quicker if possible from Portland here in Oregon and get them to their families. Um once they're in Tacoma, it's really tough to get anyone out there and to get, you know, folks released. So because of that, we have taken the stance that, you know, just for that reason, but um there's a lot of like legalities and technical pieces, and it's a really tough um role to be in. But you know, right now, like our communities are taking and legal services are taking any um any strategy, tactic that we can to release folks um from ice.

SPEAKER_01 33:12

Right on. I think it was really important for folks to know that. Um thank you so much for your time today. Thank you so much for all your wisdom, um, for all the work that you're doing, that you've done, that you'll continue to do. Um much appreciated. Thank you very much, April.

SPEAKER_00 33:29

Thank you. Appreciate you all.

SPEAKER_01 33:31

And everybody, April Alvarez, Pacoon. Thank you so much for coming today.

SPEAKER_00 33:37

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 33:43

All right, y'all. I'm back. Uh first I want to appreciate April Alvarez and the work of Pacoon for continuing to show what it looks like to build power with intention, care, and deep roots in community. Now I want to zoom out a little and uh bring us back to why we're here and who we are as Imagine Black. Imagine Black envisions a world where people of African descent descent enjoy the rights, resources, and recognition to be thriving, resilient, and connected community. Let me say that again. We're building a world where black people thrive, not survive, where we thrive. And when we say black, we mean all black people. Black folks born here in the US, black immigrants, black refugees, black undocumented folks, black queer folks, black disabled folks, black youth, and black black elders, black folks navigating systems that were never built for us to win. And so when we talk about ICE, we cannot separate that from the broader system. ICE is a part of a system rooted in control, a system rooted in criminalization, a system rooted in deciding who belongs and who does not. And if we're honest, the same oppression has always been used against black people. That's why when we talk about abolition, we mean it. Abolition is not just about policing, it's not just about prisons. Abolition is about dismantling every system that cages, deports, surveils, and dehumanizes our people. That includes ICE. Because you cannot say you believe in freedom and then be okay with families being torn apart. You cannot say believe you, you cannot say you believe in justice and then ignore the suffering of black immigrants. At Imagine Black, we're building power to change that. We are organizing, we are building leadership, we are creating spaces like the kinfolk where people do not just show up, they step into their power. And we've got a lot coming up. As you just heard, tomorrow on April 1st, Pacoon, along with other immigrant-led organizations like Unite Oregon, they're hosting a day without an immigrant. We've already put it in the chat, we'll be putting it in the chat again. Um hopefully we've got it in the chat now. There's the links. Um, on April 26th, we're gathering for Earth Day at Imagine Black Futures. I mean, at Black Futures Farm, and I really want y'all to pull up for that because this is more than just an event. This is a vibe, this is a homecoming. It's going to be a beautiful opportunity to be in community with other black folks, outside, on the land, breathing fresh air, reconnecting to something deeper, a space to laugh, to learn, to rest, to just be, to be surrounded by black joy, black care, black brilliance, to put your feet on the earth and remember we belong here too. And then we have something real special coming. If that wasn't already special enough. We've got Al Yep to Vote. And listen, this is not your average fundraiser. This is gonna be a blast. We're talking about full-on, high energy, can't miss, game of basket game of local celebrity basketball, community leaders, leaders, organizers, folks you know and love on the court, just showing out. It's gonna be loud, it's gonna be joyful, it's gonna be competitive, and it's all for a purpose. Because we believe organizing does not have to be serious, it can be fun, it can be alive, it can bring people together in ways that feel good because joy is not separate from the work. Joy is the work. Joy is how we sustain ourselves, joy is how we remind each other what we're fighting for. Tickets for Ally to Vote are available now, and we'll drop the link in the chat for folks to sign up. We also are in desperate need of energetic volunteers to bring this event to life. Reach out after this call if that's you. Um, I want to say that again. We need energetic volunteers to bring this event to life. We really need y'all. Please sign up. Um, you can find information at the ticket link or by visiting events.humanitics.com slash alleyop the vote. It should be in the chat now. If you're interested in volunteering, we would love your support. Please go to Imagineblack Action.com slash alleyup volunteer. That link should be in the chat. And with that said, we're gonna pass it to AJ from Equitable Giving Circle, one of my good friends, to talk about what EGC's got going on. I think you're on mute, AJ.

SPEAKER_02 38:30

Of course. Um, thank you all for being here tonight. I really appreciate you taking your evening to spend with us and to learn a little bit. Thank you so much, April, for sharing all of the information. I really appreciate the context that this work has been happening. This fight is not new. I think that is really important for us all to remember. And I really appreciate the call-in that we all can and need to be doing more. I think after many of us watched the um Musicless parade on Saturday with no demands, there is a big call from the black and brown organizer community asking for everybody to do more and to show up and also to listen to the organizers who've been doing the work. Um, there's no reason to reinvent the wheel, and there's no reason to well, there's just really no reason not to listen to the experts in the room. Um, so I just really appreciate April coming and spending some time with us. Um immigration is an issue that does impact all of us. And as an organizer that does direct service work for the black and brown community, I too am begging everybody to pull up and do more. Um my slogans tend to be tap in and lean in. Uh, but definitely now is the time. Now is the time for us to collectively also be rallying our intimate communities, whether it's our neighbors, our friends and family, our coworkers, our group chat, etc. It's really important that those of us who are taking the time to learn, to be in community are also um getting on our soapboxes and rallying our people. Um, those of you who don't know me, I am AJ McCreary with Equal Giving Circle. I'm one of the founders and executive director. We do direct service work here in Portland around food access and community building and placemaking. And we feed over 400 black and brown families a week with food that we buy from black and brown farmers. So we work closely with our um immigrant community, especially those that are in the agriculture space. Um, and we absolutely adore that community and are so grateful for their wisdom and their knowledge and their expertise. I, as somebody who has worked closely with the farm and agriculture community, I wish that people would really wise up. Our farmers and our agriculture workers are scientists and engineers and experts and the most amazing people, and we will not survive without them. They have knowledge and skills that most of us city folk who have been detached from the land. We we can't survive without their knowledge and expertise, and we need to start acting appropriately. Um so I um EGC, what we've got going on. We are excited that we're gonna be at um with Imagine Black and Black Futures Farm on April 26th. So definitely please pull up. It's gonna be a beautiful time. EGC also has our annual Earth Day event um on May, blah blah on uh the 11th of April. Um and that's gonna be a little more um like family-oriented, kid oriented, and it's gonna be at the Leech Botanical Garden. You can find that information on our website. We always have um our free market that is on Thursdays from 10 to 2 p.m. at the Levin Center. Um, we're there, it's a space for black and brown folks to come and get food, fresh produce, um, protein, and pantry staples. Uh, we've got all kinds of fun stuff at that. If you haven't been, it's definitely a vibe and highly recommend, not just for the food, but for the community and the connection. Um and then EGC is also working on rallying more recurring monthly donors. We have been asking for more people to pull up as a reoccurring monthly donor. And as much as I am deeply focused on EGC's needs this year, I also mean this is across the board. So Pacoon, Imagine Black, Black Futures Farm, all of your favorite black and brown-led organizations become a monthly donor. Um, you know, $25 doesn't seem isn't too many of us will easily spend $25 on leisure or fun, whether or not we have it or don't. We need to start being really thoughtful about how we're spending our money and what we're investing in. And that is a call-in for all of us. If we are getting Uber Eats or taking ride shares or going to leisure things, whether it's a bar or a concert, whether we are buying things that we don't need, we're shopping, we need to be really intentional. Um, we need to stop saying that we don't have any money. We need to start being really thoughtful. The civil rights movement was funded by neighbors and people that cared. That looks like the people that are on this call. Um, so I really want to invite y'all to learn more about that. Um, EGC is hosting a virtual giving party on April 14th. It is for EGC, but it's a great space to learn about the ways that you can tap in collectively and the way that you can start being really thoughtful about showing up as a monthly supporter. Um, I will drop that link. In the chat. Um, check out our website, follow us on social media. Please keep on coming to our events and keep on hyping us up in community, not just EGC, but Imagine Black, Pacoon, Black Futures Farm, all of these amazing orgs that are holding up this work. We absolutely need y'all to keep showing up alongside of us so we can continue to build a future that is, you know, inclusive for everybody and that genuinely takes care of everyone. We could absolutely all be thriving. That's all I got.

SPEAKER_01 44:36

Thank you so much, AJ. Um, as usual, you come with the fire. Um, everything you say, I agree with. Um, thank you for uh plugging Imagine Black. We definitely need uh monthly donors as well. Um with that being said, folks, we're coming to a close. Um and I want to leave us with this. Everything we talked about tonight, uh the fear, the harm, the injustice, none of it changes without people. None of it changes without the people in this room, none of it changes without our families, our communities. Um, none of it changes without people. Not just awareness, not just agreement, action. The truth is, oppressive systems like ICE exist because people allow them to. And they'll only fall when enough of us decide we're not gonna accept it anymore. So here's what I'm asking of you. Do not let tonight just be something you attend, let it be something that moves you to action. Get connected, join Imagine Black's Kin Folker Accomplice Sustainer program, donate to Equitable Giving Circle, Pacune, and to us at Imagine Black. Show up to Civic Events, download the Black Possibilities app for a safer way to get involved digitally, build relationships, have conversations that are uncomfortable but necessary because this work, this movement, this vision of freedom, it's not built by individuals. It's built by community. And I truly believe this. If we move together, if we stay rooted in love and accountability, if we refuse to leave anyone behind, then we can build a world where ICE, policing, and prisons do not exist, where our people are safe, where our public safety officials provide care, where can where our communities are whole. So thank you for being here. Thank y'all for showing up and let's keep building. Y'all all have my information. Keith at imagineblack.org. Hit me up anytime. I've always got a moment. I'll never turn down a message. I will always respond. Hit me up, get involved. We need you. We need you dearly. Sign up for Ali Yoop the Vote. Come to our Earth Day event, just relax with us. But we need you. We need you to show up. This is not a time for inaction. This is a time where we all get involved. This is a time where we're not too busy, where we're not too tired. We have to show up. It's important. And you'll kick yourself in 10 years. If you knew there was a moment and you just did not stand up, you did not raise your voice. We need you. We need each and every one of you. So please show up for yourself, show up for your families, show up for EGC, show up for Imagine Black, show up for Paccoon. Show up for for whatever your reason is, but please just show up. Don't be quiet. Don't let them silence you. Don't silence yourself. Show up. Thank you very much. Um I love each and every one of you. Thank you for spending your time with us this evening. Have a great night. And please stand up, show up, do your part, do whatever you can. It'll be enough. I promise. Whatever you can do will be enough, but please do something. All right, y'all. Peace.