Hello white people who want to be allies to Black and brown people. Biden is in and the previous infestation is out. We’ve danced, cried and felt the stress of the past four-plus years melting away. Ahhhhhhhh. Now, back to work. Do NOT think, “We won” or “It’s over.”
If you know U.S. history, you know that every time Black and brown people make a baby step forward, we’re attacked by vicious white backlash. We all witnessed white backlash at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 by — yeah, I’ll say it — “deplorables.” They fight tooth and nail to keep white supremacy the flavor-of-the-day. They fight legislatively and physically — spilling the blood of Black and brown people.
Don’t wring your hands and say, “I don’t know what to do.” That excuse has gotten very old for those of us who have lived our entire lives under the dangerous, rabid hatred of white supremacists. And stop wasting time and brain cells arguing with “friends” and relatives who will never acknowledge these truths. They’re on the wrong side of history and there’s no hope for them.
What to do? Here’s a logical step: Contact a chapter of Black Lives Matter and ask how you can support the movement. Let them tell you what to do and how you can help.
Do not fall into the complacency of thinking the past four years was an unpleasant dream. It was real! Evil still lurks. Do not squander this opportunity for meaningful, significant change.
Ramona Wise
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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