MRS in Solidarity & Action for Black Lives Matter

Multicultural Retention Services (MRS) stands in solidarity with the Black community as an extension of the work we do to combat white supremacy, racism, and anti-blackness. Like many around the world, we are grieving the loss of David McAtee, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Abery and countless others who have been killed during acts of police brutality — including Jason Washington whose death came as a result of Portland State University arming its Campus Public Safety Office. Multicultural Retention Services is designed to be a place of resource for all communities, however, now more than ever we must confront the evils of anti-blackness and anti-black violence. We acknowledge that these injustices have been a product of white supremacy in this country and the latest in a long history of degradation and oppression in Black communities. 

Multicultural Retention Services is committed to remaining educated on ways to advocate for the Black Community, speak out against injustices, and address the anti-blackness that occurs daily in our communities, our programming, and our spaces. We, the MRS staff,  will be taking the following steps and actions to ensure accountability:

Providing opportunities to share feedback on experiences and interactions with MRS

Integrating anti-blackness and expand anti-racism educational frameworks and material in our college success courses

Expanding training to our student workers and peer mentors on interrupting oppression and anti-blackness 

Investing our time and energy into the reflection of our own biases as MRS staff through continual education, interactions, and engagement with anti-racism frameworks and advocacy

As always, MRS is committed to supporting PSU students and their educational endeavors. We want to highlight and affirm the importance and value of the Black community, and would like to encourage and empower our larger community to do the same. We have provided a list of resources below that we encourage everyone to utilize to learn, support, and amplify the voices of the Black Community at this time. MRS is dedicated to being a resource for our students, and will remain available for those who wish to have intentional dialogue around these topics and need the space to do so. 

In Community,

• Perla Pinedo,  Director of Multicultural Retention Services and the Diversity Scholarship Program 
• Vvdaul Holloway, African American and Black Student Services and the ACCESS Program
• Michelle Lee, Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi Student Services and the EMPOWER Program
• Hira Bukhari, Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi Student Services Graduate Assistant
• Emanuel Magana, Latino/a/x Student Services and the GANAS Program
• Natalie Galvan, Latino/a/x/ Student Services Graduate Assistant
• Trevino Brings Plenty, Native American and Indigenous Student Services and the NATIONS program
• Jasmine Taylor, Multicultural Retention Services Graduate Assistant
• Jeffrey Smith, Office Manager of Diversity & Multicultural Student Services

HOW TO HELP

Donate

• Donate to Official George Floyd Memorial Fund.
• Donate to Belly Mujinga's family, including her daughter.
• Donate to The Minnesota Freedom Fund, which provides funds to pay bail for those protesting in Minnesota.
• Donate to The Bail Project, which provides funds to pay bail for those who have been arrested during the protests. You can split your donation between the 39 bail funds (including the Philadelphia Bail Fund, the LGBTQ Freedom Fund, the Community Justice Exchange National Bail Fund Network and the Mississippi Bail Fund Collective) by clicking here.
• Donate to the National Bail Fund Network, which includes a directory of community bail funds.
• Donate to Black Lives Matter.
• Donate to The Movement For Black Lives, a global initiative which aims to support Black organizations to conduct conversations about current political conditions.
• Donate to North Star Health Collective, which coordinates and provides healthcare services, resources, and training to those protesting in Minnesota.
• Donate to Unicorn Riot, which supports journalists on the front line.
• Donate to Black Visions Collective, which centers its work to develop Minnesota's emerging Black leadership to lead powerful campaigns.
• Donate to Reclaim The Block, a grassroots organization that works to provide the Minneapolis community with the resources they need to thrive.
• Donate to Say Her Name, a campaign that calls attention to police violence against Black women, girls, and femmes.
• Donate to justice for David McAtee, a Black restaurant worker killed by police in Kentucky.
• Donate to I Run with Maud: Ahmaud Arbery fund by his best friend.
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How to help with little to no money

• Zoe Amira, a 20-year-old YouTube creator, wanted to make it easier for those people to contribute to the cause simply by streaming a video and not skipping ads (turn off your ad-blocker). Her video. All streaming revenue will go to support BLM resources

Sign Petitions

• To demand justice for George Floyd, you can sign the petition here.
• To demand that the police officers involved with George Floyd's death are arrested and charged with second-degree murder, you can sign the petition here.
• To demand the immediate arrest of the three officers who were present when Chauvin kneeled on George Floyd's neck, sign the petition here.

Books to Read

• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
• They Can’t Kill Us All by Wesley Lowery
• Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Your Silence Will Not Protect You by Audre Lorde
• How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi

Films to Watch

• When They See Us
• 13th
• I Am Not Your Negro
• Selma
• The Hate U Give
• If Beale Street Could Talk
• Just Mercy
• Fruitvale Station
• Mississippi Masala
• Malcom X
• 12 Years A Slave
• Get Out
• Sorry to Bother You
• Do the Right Thing