Thread by @JoAnnPDX

I am excited to facilitate "Meet the Next Generation", a conversation this Saturday with an inspiring group of rising BIPOC leaders. Read through this thread to learn more about our panelists!

Candace Avalos (she/her) (@candaceforpdx) is a first generation American Blacktina, daughter of Guatemalan immigrants & Black Virginians from the Jim Crow south. She works at PSU advising Student Government & Greek Life. A former candidate for Portland City Council...

she serves as Chair of the Citizen Review Committee & works to bring transparency & accountability to PPB. She shows up for the community in a variety of ways, including as a board member for Portland: Neighbors Welcome & a communication coordinator for a local Kickball Club.

Cameron Whitten (all pronouns) (@CameronWhitten) is a community activist, small business owner, and nonprofit executive. At the age of eighteen, Cameron worked themself out of youth homelessness in Portland and has spent the past decade giving back to the very same community...

...that was here when they needed it most. They have a Bachelor's of Economics from PSU & are an MBA student at Willamette University. Cameron recently served as the Executive Director of Q Center,

...and are the founder and CEO of racial justice nonprofit Brown Hope. Cameron also serves on the board of REACH CDC and Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Lamar Wise (@lamarwise3) went to the University of Oregon and started working for the Oregon Student Association in 2015, eventually becoming the executive director. Last year, he started working for AFSCME Council 75 as a political coordinator.

Since then, Lamar has been appointed to various boards including ACLU of Oregon, Community Alliance of Tenants, and Our Oregon. Lamar also co-founded Washington County Ignite and has been a part of the Black protest response team for Re-imagine Oregon.

Sophie Maziraga is a first-generation Ugandan American employed as Rose City Resource Manager at Street Roots & serves as a member on the Portland Police Equity Advisory Council (PEAC). She is passionate about advocating for mental health, women's rights, & socio-economic justice

Devin Boss was born & raised in NE Portland and is attending school with a major in videography. As a black man he has always been driven by a hunger to understand his identity in America & a desire to break down damaging stereotypes placed on an already deeply stigmatized people

He, like many others, was compelled into the protest-filled streets of downtown Portland by the murder of George Floyd, & the events that unfolded soon after worldwide.

His goal is to utilize his inherent abilities, cultivated skill-set, and life experience to improve the quality of every black life locally and abroad, and to shift the culture of thought surrounding race entirely.

Shanice Brittany Clarke (@shaniceoregon) is a product of a Jamaican-working class family & a Portland activist for racial, climate, & educational justice. She is a co-founder of the Black Millennial Movement & a grant-making member of the Portland Clean Energy Fund Committee.

After being pushed out of public school, Shanice dedicated her life to addressing systems that reinforce student safety and support in education. From GED to Masters Degree, Shanice currently serves Portland Public Schools as Director of Community Engagement.

We hope you can join us live or watch later! The live stream link will be on our facebook & twitter. We will also be taking some questions for our panelists from the live stream comments. You can find our full schedule of upcoming events @ RethinkPortland.com #RethinkPortland