
Brown Hope has a wild dream to serve as a community anchor and inspiring beacon that reminds us all of the importance of Home. It’s the place we return for community, care, and safety.

Home is where we always belong.

Our Homecoming theme is Unconditional Love. At Brown Hope, we know that the best solutions to all of the challenges of today are through the power of people. No matter who you are: your background, your identities, your deepest nightmares, or your greatest dreams–– Brown Hope is here for all of us, to inspire a more beautiful and connected community.

At our Homecoming, there will be song, food sharing, storytelling, organizational updates, interactive healing activities, and a collective call to action to inspire a future of love and abundance.
We’ll also be celebrating the official 5 year anniversary of Brown Hope! Our event agenda will cover the past, present, and future of Brown Hope, and our speakers list will include current and former staff, volunteers, program participants, and community members. We are especially excited to announce that our emcee of the night will be Salomé Chimuku, Co-Founder of the Black Resilience Fund!
We believe that Love is always the answer. Join us for our official Homecoming event at Village Ballroom on November 4th and feel all the love our community has to offer!

Welcome home to Brown Hope!


Brown Hope has a wild dream to serve as a community anchor and inspiring beacon that reminds us all of the importance of Home. It’s the place we return for community, care, and safety. 

Home is where we always belong.

Homecoming: Our Future Begins


Join us on February 21st for Brown Hope's Homecoming: Black Soirée at The Village Ballroom from 6pm-9pm

This is an opportunity to connect with community in celebration of Black History month, while also extending gratitude to Brown Hope’s continuous work towards healing and racial justice.

You don't want to miss our kick-off event of 2024!

**Event Details**:
Attire (BEST ALL BLACK)
Adult Event for all folks! (*No children allowed*)
Appetizers & Drinks will be served
DJ (get ready to dance!)


**Get Involved With Brown Hope**:
[Volunteer Form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdszsFPwMqnx21RO15NK7FXG-qvckbx4PZsOH1LAqy1zpToqA/viewform)
[Host a Brown Hope Party!](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfoPr8onJ0WO4BQEZiEx2fCJLAhHRoC23HdHquIxm6U3SmClA/viewform)


Homecoming: Black Soirée

We Are The Bridge: Rise for Racial Justice is a week of action between May 15 — May 24 in recognition of George Floyd’s murder five years ago. This week of action features a series of community gatherings, culminating in a historic rally on May 24th at Revolution Hall and a peaceful march through downtown Portland and the Burnside Bridge.

We march for George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Quanice Hayes. Kendra James. Eric Garner. Mike Brown. And so many others. We march because this injustice and suffering should never happen again.

In 2020, Portland became a beacon of hope for the whole nation and the entire world thanks to 100 days of sustained action in solidarity with Black lives. This year, We Are The Bridge: Rise For Racial Justice is a collective antidote to the disease of moral bankruptcy currently plaguing our country. By participating in this week of action, we can make 2025 a defining year for Portland and our commitment to justice. 

Here’s the complete list of events organized for our week of action:

Nonviolence and De-escalation Training: 6pm on Thursday, May 15 at openHAUS (5020 NE MLK Blvd). Facilitated by the Portland Peace Team, this training teaches how to foster peace during moments of conflict using the CLARA de-escalation method.

Community Grief Circle: 12:30pm on Saturday, May 17 at Alberta Park (1905 NE Killingsworth St). Experienced facilitators will lead activities that help attendees release emotional wounds connected to George Floyd’s murder and racial violence. Concludes with an optional community potluck.

Know Your Rights Training: 6pm on Thursday, May 22nd, Online. Facilitated by the National Lawyers Guild, the workshop covers constitutional rights related to activism and police interactions at first amendment events.

We Are The Bridge Rally and March: noon on Saturday, May 24th at Revolution Hall (1300 SE Stark St). A rally featuring Black and Indigenous leaders, followed by a peaceful march through downtown Portland with a moment of silence on Burnside Bridge.

We are the heartbeat of this movement. Let’s work together to inspire a lasting movement of change.


We Are The Bridge: Rise For Racial Justice

# Back to School
# Donation Drive

Brown Hope is hosting a Back to School Donation Drive this summer to help students in our neighborhood have the supplies they need by the first day of school. The theme of this year’s campaign is *Youth Educated & Empowered To Thrive*, because we believe every child deserves access to quality education. 

This is a grassroots campaign, and we need your support! Local businesses will be hosting donation bins **—between Monday, July 20th and Wednesday, August 19th—** where neighbors can deposit items like backpacks, folders, pencils, and erasers. We’ll be distributing the collected supplies at community events on August 20th and August 22nd.

# Here's How You Can Support

1. Drop Off School Supplies at one of these Collection Boxes
* Me Fit (4943 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97211)
* Artist and Craftsman Supply (2906 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97217)
* Nalu Kava Bar (722 N Sumner St, Portland, OR 97217)
* Columbia Art and Drafting Supply (1515 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214)


2. [Shop at Our Back to School Wish List](https://www.target.com/gift-registry/gift/pdxback2school2026)

3. [Make a Financial Donation Online](https://secure.givelively.org/donate/brown-hope/back-to-school-drive-2026)

# Items Requested
* #2 Graphite Pencils
* Colored Pencils
* Composition Book (one subject, wide ruled, black)
* Socks
* Snacks (Granola Bars, Chips, Trail Mix, etc.)
* Backpacks
* 1 inch 3-ring Binder
* Wide ruled spiral notebooks (one subject, solid color)
* Crayons
* Colored Markers
* Kleenex tissues
* 2-pocket folders
* Highlighters
* Glue sticks
* Hand Sanitizer
* Lotion
* Scissor
* Lined Paper
* Erasers
* 12 inch ruler with centimeter markings
* Scotch Tape
* Index Cards
* New Childrens shoes (All Sizes)

2026 Back To School Supply Drive

PORTLAND, Oregon — As the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday over the future of birthright citizenship, Portlanders gathered at Augustana Lutheran Church to rally in support of immigrants in Oregon.

The event, organized by Cameron Whitten, founder of Brown Hope, drew attendees who celebrated immigrant communities while advocates watched developments from Washington, D.C.

"I feel like in times like this, like joy is so important to remind us of what we're fighting for," said Je Amaechi, an attendee whose parents immigrated from Jamaica shortly before she was born.

Amaechi said her personal story reflects a common one for children of immigrants. "My story is like a very common story," she said. "There's so many people who are the child of immigrants and their parents came here to make a better life for themselves."

Children like her, born after President Trump signed his executive order seeking to end automatic birthright citizenship, could lose what Amaechi called the privilege of American citizenship under the administration's proposal.

"Today it's birthright citizenship. Tomorrow it's something else. Yesterday it was something else," Amaechi said. "And it just feels like we're having all of these issues compounded onto us."

At the Supreme Court Wednesday, a Trump administration attorney argued the 14th Amendment was intended to apply to children of freed slaves, not immigrants in the country illegally, according to the Associated Press. A majority of the Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical of the administration's argument, the Associated Press reported.

Whitten said he does not believe the court will side with the administration and expressed frustration with the case. "I don't think the Supreme Court is going to do something so dumb or reckless, and so it is unfortunate we're wasting time and resources on this case," he said.

Whitten added that he remains hopeful the court will uphold birthright citizenship. "I have hope that the right decision will happen and will demonstrate that birthright citizenship is important, and we should continue to be the inclusive nation that we strive to be," he said.

A ruling is expected by the end of the court's term this summer, according to the AP.

As advocates await the decision, organizers at Wednesday's rally said they are looking ahead to May Day, calling for a boycott that includes no work, no school and no spending, to demonstrate the importance of immigrants to the economy and broader community.

A pastor at the rally urged continued commitment to the cause. "We're recommitting ourselves," the pastor said. "So there's no time to rest, no time to be weary. We have to all come together, love each other, but then let's look for the vision of who we are supposed to be."

[Watch the News Story Here](https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/national-politics/community-rally-birthright-citizenship-supreme-court/283-a434651a-c0d8-414a-a80a-1c8e2b3c9aa7) 


KGW 8 News

Community rally backs birthright citizenship as Supreme Court hears Trump's case to end it

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - A solidarity rally was held Wednesday night at a Northeast Portland church for an often-overlooked group. Organizers aimed to raise awareness and show support for immigrants from Africa amid the immigration crackdown.

Oregonians came together in solidarity and song at a rally at Augustana Lutheran Church.

“We’re living in dire times, there is a lot of chaos, there is a lot of uncertainty, I want to turn to my neighbors,” said Cameron Whitten, organizer and founder of Brown Hope.

The solidarity rally was in support of African immigrants, a community that one of the event’s organizers said is often overlooked.


“On the one hand, they have almost extra energy on them as targets of enforcement, and on the other hand, they’re erased in these conversations, and we want to change that,” said Je Amaechi, organizer and organizing director of Unite Oregon

Amid increased enforcement, the church has served as a safe haven for immigrants, and Pastor Mark Knutson emphasized that ongoing conversations are crucial to further this work.

“Our immigrant neighbors are hurting, let’s stand up, or you may be an immigrant and say I’m hurting, but we have to do that collectively, and it’s every day of the week,” said Knutson.

At the rally, leaders described the effects of the crackdown on those they know, sharing with the crowd the community’s challenges and struggles.


Organizers said events like this, which center around community, are what will drive the country to change.

“The future is in our own hands, and we’re not going to just let things just happen to us, we’re not going to like roll over, we’re going to fight for what we believe we deserve,” said Amaechi.

“This is the type of space for us to come together and dream and imagine for the better future, and so this is necessary, and so for anyone who feels tired, or feels exhausted, or scared, you’re not alone,” said Whitten.

[Watch the News Story Here](https://www.kptv.com/2026/04/02/solidarity-rally-held-northeast-portland-church-support-african-immigrants/)


KPTV Fox 12

Solidarity rally held at Northeast Portland church in support of African immigrants

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — As part of a renewed “commitment to racial justice,” Portland leaders are commemorating George Floyd.

Portland City Council approved a resolution to honor Floyd’s life on Thursday. It comes nearly six years after a Minnesota police officer knelt on his neck for more than 9 minutes, killing him on May 25, 2020.

“This George Floyd resolution is a commemorative resolution,” District 1 Councilor Candace Avalos said. “It’s about memory. It’s about naming what happened and putting on the public record that his murder sparked a global movement for racial justice in four cities, including Portland, to reckon with police accountability and systemic racism.”

Portland held racial justice protests for more than 100 consecutive days after Floyd’s death. The recently-approved policy, which Smith introduced alongside fellow District 1 Councilor Loretta Smith, notes his death sparked local discussions about police brutality as well — with 81% of voters supporting a November 2020 measure to implement a new police oversight system.

Local activists also created the Black Resilience Fund, a financial assistance program for Black Portlanders, in the wake of Floyd’s death that same year.

But many of the 2020 commitments to supporting Black communities have since faltered, according to Avalos and Smith’s offices.

“In the years following the 2020 racial justice uprising, many local and national commitments to advance Black lives and dismantle systemic inequities have not been fully realized, and in some cases have been scaled back, weakened, or dismantled, leaving many Black communities without the sustained investment and action that was promised,” their resolution reads.

More than a dozen people testified in support of the policy, with some testifiers noting the city’s own deadly officer-involved incidents.

Portland Copwatch’s Marc Poris called attention to the $3.75 million settlement officials approved last summer, involving police officers’ deadly shooting of an unarmed man — 30-year-old Immanueal “Manny” Clark-Johnson — who they mistook as an armed robbery suspect in 2022.

Poris additionally noted the June 2025 incident in which 52-year-old Damon Lamarr Johnson died in the Kenton neighborhood after police arrived for a welfare check.

The resolution from Smith and Avalos said both deaths have “deepened community grief and reinforced the urgency of advancing racial justice and systemic reform.”

[Link to Article Here](https://www.koin.com/news/portland/sparked-a-global-movement-portland-resolution-commemorates-2020-death-of-george-floyd/)
