Opt in Series - March 2022

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee invites all students, staff, and faculty to attend and participate in a series of four Opt-In presentations on March 9th, 10th, 16th, and 17th about Oregon’s historical mistreatment of people of color. Each session will be offered remotely via Zoom, will begin at noon and end at 1 pm, and requires advance registration. You can register for just one Opt-In or for all four.

Each Opt-In will include an opportunity for questions and discussion. Many of us have heard about Oregon’s shameful history of racism. Few know much about the details of that unfortunate history and how it continues to impact present circumstances in this state. Each of the four Opt-In presentations will attempt to fill in some of those details and offer opportunities for discussion with local experts who will offer four different perspectives.

On March 9th, the Oregon Historical Society, represented by its Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk and its Chief Program Officer Eliza Canty-Jones, will offer an overview of the ways Oregon history has been shaped by White supremacists ideology and policies-and resistance to those frameworks-for almost two centuries.

On March 10th, Zachary Stocks, the Executive Director of Oregon Black Pioneers, will offer a presentation about how the popular narrative of Oregon’s history excludes the experiences of African Americans before the mid-20th Century and will attempt to correct that record.

On March 16th, Weston Koyama, representing the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, will present on the history of Japanese Americans in Oregon. The mission of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon is to preserve and honor the history and culture of Japanese Americans in the Pacific Northwest, educate the public about the Japanese American experience during WWII, and advocate for the protection of civil rights for all Americans. Formerly known as the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center, JAMO is a venue for culture and research as well as an invaluable resource for exploring Nikkei experiences and their role in Oregon’s multicultural community. 

On March 17th, Dr. Carma Corcoran, the director of Lewis & Clark Law School’s Indian Law Program, will speak on the racism experienced by Native American Tribes as a result of settler colonialism in Oregon and discuss the ramifications of the Lewis & Clark “Voyage of Discovery” on a historical and contemporary basis.

RSVP and read presenter bios on each event page (links provided below) 

Opt-In March 9: Oregon Historical Society

Opt-In March 10: Oregon Black Pioneers 

Opt-In March 16: Japanese American Museum of Oregon

Opt-In March 17: Dr. Carma Corcoran