Update in regards the Change of Color petition

We have been asked by the teenagers who were affected by police brutality during the Climate Strike on Friday, September 20th, to pull back on public displays of support, including the Color of Change petition. Initially, they supported the petition and appreciate all the community support, however, at this time they have decided they would like privacy, time, and space to heal and understand what they need. They are asking for any witnesses of the violence to please contact us, 350PDX at info@350pdx.org or Misha at misha@350pdx.org. 

The students and their families are concerned about the videos circulating of the police brutality. In our original statement we provided the article, “How Videos of Police Brutality Traumatize African Americans and Undermine the Search for Justice.” We ask our supporters to read this article, consider the ways racialized trauma impacts people of color, and reconsider before sharing violent imagery of police brutality against people of color. We understand the intention of informing the public, but please consider the impact on people of color.

Thank you all for your support and attention to this issue. We will not be posting publicly about what we are doing to support the students and their families until given express consent. However, we are working diligently to make sure that any needs they have, including legal, financial and emotional support, are met through any connections or resources we may have.

350PDX Staff