PAST EVENTS

JOURNAL DRIVE

Thank you so much to all who donated journals! Your donations will support the important work that Write Around Portland does in our regional correctional facilities.

VIRTUAL EVENTS

MON JAN 11 | 6-7 PM: Song Circle: Songs of Social Justice 

Celebrate One Book, One Beaverton and Just Mercy with songs of social justice at this special edition of our Song Circle. We will sing and play 9-10 songs together virtually. Chords and lyrics will be provided. 

THURS JAN 14 | 6:30-7:30 PM: The Death Penalty in Oregon 

Aliza Kaplan, Professor of Law at Lewis and Clark Law School and Director of the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic, will share her expertise about the history of the death penalty in Oregon, recent changes, and the current status of the law.

SAT JAN 16 | 7-8 PM: Mercy Me! True Stories of Justice, Mercy, and Redemption (Told Live!) 

Join us for night of true stories told live on a virtual stage, featuring national storytellers Tim Tingle and Chetter Galloway, and local tellers Cynthia Butts and Mike Devenney.

TUES JAN 19 | 6:30-8 PM: Memoir Writing Workshop 

Don’t throw away your shot to record history—as participant or witness. Explore how memoir is different from autobiography and nonfiction, learn how selected memoirs, like Just Mercy, have preserved events in history, and write a short description of one of your own "historical moments." Facilitated by Dr. Susan Swartwout, author and founder of Southeast Missouri State University Press. 

WED JAN 20 | 6-7:30 PM: Race and Oregon History 

Alexis James of Construct the Present will help us explore Oregon’s racially biased history and engage with the community in healing and building bridges. Participants can expect to learn, connect, and speak their truth in a space that is welcoming and rigorous.

SAT JAN 23 | 6-7:30 PM: Working for Change: A Panel of Local Advocates for Justice and Equality 

Representatives from local nonprofits working in the area of criminal justice reform will share about the important work they do and ways you can get involved. Featuring the Partnership for Safety and Justice, Red Lodge Transition Services, Write Around Portland, the Forensic Justice Project, and the Restorative Justice Coalition of Oregon. 

WED JAN 27 | 6-7:30 PM: White Allyship 

What does it mean to be a white ally? And what does it mean to have the support of white allies as a person of color? What is needed from white people in our communities to focus on the conversation about racism? Facilitator Alexis James will guide participants in exploring their identities, learning how to acknowledge different lived experiences without alienating friends and neighbors, and moving toward action in their own communities. This conversation will set the table for engaging in discussions about racism, white culture, and identity. People of all racial backgrounds and identities are welcome!