What causes the human herd to turn? I was at the incredible Black Lives Matter march protesting the death of George Floyd on May 31 when a group of about 20 people pursued a different tactic than the organizers had planned. “Come On! Let’s block the bridge! Come On!”
A few minutes’ pause, and some people headed in that direction, then a voice rang out, “Go home!” Another voice joined, “Go Home!” And then a choir. I visibly saw the herd turn, as a result of the community voicing its values in solidarity and number.
Believe me I am not against civil disobedience. But it must be planned, people must be trained and safety agreements be stated, agreed to and practiced. To spring an action of “Hey, let’s all block a street and get arrested,” especially when led by white people at a Black Lives Matter march, was not a value the community held. It was not respectful of the BLM movement and message. I am glad to be in Eugene as we navigate this journey to becoming an anti-racist community.
Patricia Hine
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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