The end of our fiscal year in July was an opportunity for us to look back on what MACG leaders had accomplished in the past year.  And... Wow!  We have been busy.

In the midst of a pandemic that moved all our organizing work to the virtual domain, our leaders have remained engaged, connected, and active!

For starters, two new teams formed!

• The MACG Antiracism Team formed in the summer of 2020. They authored two MACG anti-racism statements:
  • after the murder of George Floyd
  • after the increase in violence against the AAPI community 

• The MACG Legislative Action Team formed in the fall of 2021. The team chose Oregon Senate and House bills to support with a focus on:
  • clean energy
  • Oregon’s Sanctuary Law
  • criminal justice
  • housing

The Antiracism Team worked with the Legislative Action team to apply an anti-racist lens to sort, screen and select which legislation to include in the MACG legislative agenda, identifying, partnering and following the lead of BIPOC led organizations. Click here for a recap of legislative victories!

The Climate Change & Environmental Justice Team 

• Developed an initial partnership with Play Grow Learn and other ally organizations in an effort to secure ongoing funding from Portland Clean Energy Fund (creating green jobs, funding improvements to homes through renewable energy, and investing in energy efficiency).
• Led advocacy and legislative efforts to address diesel pollution in Portland in partnership with Cascadia Action/Portland Clean Air and targeted neighborhood associations.

MACG Health Equity organizers 

• The OHSU Richmond Clinic hired first full-time Health Equity Community Organizer, Hilary Nichols. They are in the process of launching clinic house meetings, forming a core team, and developing health equity leadership.

We have a new member institution! 

The Community Justice Collective provides a ‘home base’ for individuals interested in community organizing who do not belong to a MACG institution. They are small but mighty with seven current active members.

We held our first virtual leadership trainings

• In collaboration with other IAF organizations, we held three virtual Leadership Institutes for Public Life, training 49 MACG leaders. 
• We also offered training, listening sessions, and house meetings in Spanish. 25 people attended our virtual Recognizing the Stranger training.
• Eight MACG members attended the pilot training for the IAF's newest training: Wrestling With Colonization.  More details to come on how you can participate in this important and timely work.

We held our first virtual Delegate Assemblies

• December 2020: COVID & antiracism with tri-county commissioners
• April 2021: Measure 11 reform with criminal justice advocates

And we co-sponsored multiple virtual events:

• Live streamed immigration series in Spanish (Know Your Rights, DACA, TPS, Public Charge, Asylum) August, September 2020: 
• Joy of Justice, Unity & Peace: Lessons from Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA February 2021:
• Solidarity for the Rise Against Hate Oregon event to defeat anti-Asian-AAPI hate and violence. May 2021:
• The Interstitium- Stories of Illness, Wellness and Beyond. May 2021

If we can do all this during a pandemic, imagine what we can do going forward!