Remember George Floyd.

Remember the life that was stolen because of systemic racism and state sanctioned violence.

Remember how we responded, transforming our outrage and grief into an uprising that rocked the entire nation.

Remember that we’re not done. Our journey has only just begun.

To amplify the movement for Black lives, Brown Hope has convened a grassroots movement called We Are The Bridge: Rise for Racial Justice, 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. It should not take the deaths of more Black people for our elected and business leaders to do the right thing.

A grassroots coalition of Portland-based organizations have formed We Are The Bridge: Rise for Racial Justice— including Brown Hope, 50501 Portland, the Coalition of Black Men, the Oregon Working Families Party, Outside In, SURJ PDX, BIPOC Rise Moor Healing Center, Radical Rest, Veterans For Peace PDX Chapter 72, Restorative Roots Project, and Momentum Alliance. Together, we are calling for immediate action to expand opportunities for our local Black community to thrive— economically, socially, and spiritually.

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.

As we remember George Floyd’s life and legacy, we must acknowledge that we have the responsibility to act. We Are The Bridge is encouraging supporters to help us build power by donating to local racial justice organizations and promoting the campaign on social media by using the hashtags #BlackLivesMatter and #BeTheBridge.

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.

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

For more information, visit: https://linktr.ee/BrownHope