Dear Post Community, 

Post 58 stands with our peers in unyielding opposition to the systemic oppression of black people in this country. Historically black people have been pushed out of the outdoors; and while change happens slowly, we must do what we can to break down barriers that exist within our community now. We believe in making every effort to expand the accessibility of the outdoors for all of Portland’s teenagers, which necessarily involves addressing and dismantling the systems of oppression which have created barriers to these experiences. 

With this in mind, we know we must do more. While we currently partner with advocacy groups and organizations such as Betties 360, Urban Nature Partners, Big City Mountaineers, Project Lemonade and P:ear, in an effort to make the outdoors more accessible our responsibility doesn’t end there. We can do much more. We’re listening, we’re learning. This is an issue that we must keep at the forefront of our minds, and it is part of the Post’s mission to work to dismantle the systemic oppression present in the outdoor community.  We encourage you to investigate and potentially support groups working directly and indirectly with marginalized youth, including PDX Climbers of Color, Betties 360, and Melanin Base Camp.

Love, 

Stuart Lidberg, Adam Simon, Peter Green, and Laura Geilenfeldt

Ressources:

https://www.climbing.com/new/anti-racism-resources-for-climbers/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOAOVbyfjA0 - This is a video that very briefly summarizes how police have become more militant in recent years. TW - Weapons, violence by police

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pejPe3DjkcQ - This is a TED talk about police reform from the perspective of a police officer, and was recorded in 2013. TW - Domestic violence and abuse 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/13/magazine/police-reform.html  - This is a New York Times article on police reform and what it would look like. TW - Violence and death

https://www.npr.org/2020/06/13/876628281/what-happens-when-officers-blow-the-whistle-on-police-misconduct - This is a short interview (6min) about two police officers getting punished for speaking out. There are many other stories like this.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/defund-the-police-for-safer-healthier-and-sustainable-black-communities-2020-06-09 - This is a short article about what police reform would look like and why defunding the police is necessary.