We have loved America, but America has not loved us back.
– Coach Doc Rivers
Fellow Members, Friends and Community Partners,
Recently, I attended the “No Kings” march and rally. Many of you have noticed, as did I, that there were very few Black people present. Honestly, that didn’t surprise me. Too many of us know what happens when we try to collaborate with White-led movements – we are often used, tokenized or ignored once the cameras are off and the work of true justice begins.
Our community is wary of performative allyship – the kind that shows up for rallies, posts the right hashtags and speaks of equity in public while upholding exclusion and inequality in private. We have watched White allies march for justice in the streets and then return to boardrooms that continue to exclude, to churches that remain silent, and to systems that fail to see our humanity.
We are tired. We are angry. and we are no longer willing to pour our energy into spaces that do not value our presence or our truth.
Portland’s Reckoning with Race
As Shari Dunn powerfully articulates in her article, “Why Portland is a Target of the Far Right“, “Portland and the Pacific Northwest have long been safe havens for White Supremacy. Yes, there have been moments of resistance and progress, but when it truly counts, too many White residents default to protecting their own comfort and self-interest – and that sustains the very systems we’re fighting to dismantle.”
The NAACP Portland Branch recognizes this reality. We see it in policy, in education, in policing, in philanthropy, and in everyday life. Black people in this region continue to experience harm – not only from those who oppose us outright, but also from those who claim to be our allies while maintaining inequitable structures.
Why We Still Show Up
So, why did I show up at that march? Because silence is not an option. Like Malcolm X taught us, “By any means necessary.” We must use every tool at our disposal to demand justice and protect our community. That includes marching, voting, organizing, teaching and building systems of our own. But let’s be clear: this is not just about showing up for moments. It’s about sustained, courageous, consistent work – the kind that rebuilds trust, restores justice and truly dismantles White Supremacy in all its forms.
Do not rely on their systems to free us. We must continue to build our own tables, fund our own institutions and protect our own future. That is the work of the NAACP Portland Branch. That is the work of liberation.
In solidarity and strength,
James Posey
President
NAACP Portland Branch Unit 1120-B