The SE Uplift community wishes to express our deepest concern and grief over last Friday’s tragedy. Our hearts go out to the young women who were the targets of the hate speech. Our deepest condolences go to the families and friends of those honorable individuals who stood up to hate. And we wish healing for everyone who witnessed this trauma.
We honor those who lost their lives:
53-year-old Ricky John Best of Happy Valley, Oregon was a treasured City of Portland employee who leaves behind a wife and four children.
23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche was a Reed College graduate and resident of Southeast Portland, described by his family as someone who “lived a joyous and full life. His enthusiasm was infectious.”
And the SE Portland resident who survived:
21-year-old Micah David-Cole Fletcher, a PSU student who won a 2013 poetry competition with a poem condemning Islamophobia.
Hours after being attacked, survivor Micah David-Cole Fletcher posted the following:
I am alive,
I spat in the eye of hate and lived.
This is what we must do for one another
We must live for one another
We must fight for one Mother
We must die in the name of freedom if we have to.
Luckily it’s not my turn today.
This tragedy affects us all. Like so many individuals, community organizations, and leaders, SE Uplift reaffirms our commitment of working together for a hate-free community. Here are some links to related resources, actions, and other materials that we hope you find helpful.
- June 4th Portland Stands United Against Hate Event
- June 7th Protecting Immigrant & Refugee Rights Event
- June 24th Conversation Project on Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
- APANO’s Call for Healing and Long-Term Change
- Portland United Against Hate
- SE Uplift’s article on Resources for Supporting our Immigrant Neighbors
- SE Uplift’s article on Working from a Position of Privilege – Fighting Hate
- Article in the Portland Occupier – The Time is Now
- Article in the Washington Post – A Grieving Mother’s Letter to Trump
- Article in the Huffington Post – The White Terror Crisis in Portland
By Molly Mayo, SE Uplift Executive Director