Skip to main content

February enews from Colors of Influence

The spring edition of Colors of Influence will be out in March. Here are some quotables from the upcoming edition:

"As a council, we are making a difference in the lives of people. By helping create opportunities for minority-owned businesses while creating value for our members, we’re helping people create and leave a legacy." ~ Kenneth Jones, on what he enjoys most about his work at the Northwest Minority Business Council.

"We have parents who ask specifically for their kids to be mentored by someone who looks like their child. Some of the kids end up on the waiting list for a mentor for three years or more." ~ Pamela Weatherspoon, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, speaks about the community need for the newly launched African- American Mentoring Program.

Coming in March, interviews with:

Dr. Carolyn West Bartley Dobb Professor for the Study and Prevention of Violence, University of Washington, Tacoma

Pictured, Dr. Carolyn West

Elizabeth Asahi Sato President, Rise to Excellence

Melvin Broadous Chairman, Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors

Carmen Caballero-Rubio Community Affairs Director, Office of Mayor Tom Potter

Kenneth Vigil co-founder, Vigil-Agrimis Inc., winner of 2007 Minority Small Business of the Year Award

Adrienne Livingston Executive Director, Black United Fund of Oregon

Dave Thayer board member, Oregon Native American Chamber of Commerce

Ping Khaw artist and board member, Asian American Business Alliance

and more ...


Community Events

From Say Hey NW! networking for professionals of color to a daylong Latina empowerment conference, there's a whole lot going among communities of color in the Portland area. View upcoming events



MLK Day Celebration Through Service

On Jan. 21, United Way of the Columbia-Willamette organized 14 community service projects to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

More photos here

Popular posts from this blog

Lucky Tomorrow: Stories

Deborah Jiang-Stein's debut collection of short stories explores the lives of people who are often overlooked. From flower street vendors to families torn apart by ambition, to a woman on death row awaiting redemption amidst a tumult of memories, Jiang-Stein vividly depicts their struggles. Each story is set in various cities where she has lived: Seattle, Minneapolis, and Tokyo. While these settings differ, they share a common indifference toward human suffering. In "Lucky Tomorrow, " each vignette offers a glimpse into harsh realities that are often difficult to confront, yet are grounded in the lived experiences of those frequently unseen and cast aside. The stories convey powerful themes of longing and fleeting hopes for fresh starts that may never arrive. Although the themes are specific to the characters, they resonate with the universal human experience. As an activist and advocate, Jiang-Stein has made a significant impact through her extensive work with women...

Medicine Wheel for the Planet

Jennifer Grenz, PhD       Working toward ecological healing requires awareness of how Indigenous ancestral knowledge and living ways can complement Western scientific approaches to environmental restoration and protection practices. Dr. Jennifer Grenz (Nlaxa’pamux mixed ancestry) worked for more than two decades as a field researcher and practitioner for environmental nonprofit organizations, where she worked with different levels of government, including First Nations in Canada. "Medicine Wheel for the Planet" compiles Grenz’s most potent realizations about the lack of forward movement in addressing an impending ecological catastrophe.  A warming climate impacts not only human lives but also the natural balance that relies on reciprocal relationships rooted in deep connections to the land. She uses the metaphor of the four directions of the Indigenous “medicine wheel” to invite openness to Indigenous teachings, letting go of colonial narratives, merging lessons f...

Memento - Embracing the Darkness

Dennis "Dizzy" Doan Stories about overcoming and persevering through family dysfunction, poverty, and mental health challenges offer hope and the promise of better days. Dennis “Dizzy” Doan’s memoir Memento: Embracing the Darkness is one such story, with the added complexity of being raised in an immigrant Vietnamese family. Doan’s parents dealt with the mental and emotional aftermath of war, which forcibly uprooted them from their homeland. In the United States, they struggled to create a safe and stable life for their two sons. Doan shares his journey of finding himself, his craft, and eventually a successful tattoo business in Southern California despite personal strife and run-ins with the law. Doan is best known for developing the aesthetic language to combat anti-Asian hate that erupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. His art series titled “Model Minority” went viral, sparking conversation about Asian American identities and harmful stereotypes. In Memento, Doan showcase...