In Solidarity: Response from Bird Alliance of Oregon

Bird Alliance of Oregon stands in solidarity with the Black community against centuries of violence, police brutality, systemic racism, and injustice. We are outraged by the murder of George Floyd and the long list of Black people, adults and children, who have been killed as a direct result of systemic racism that permeates our society. From Trayvon Martin to Tamir Rice to Ahmaud Arbery to Breonna Taylor, the list is long and painful. Black lives matter. We also recognize that the murder of Black people is the ultimate manifestation of pervasive aggressions and oppression felt by the Black community on a daily basis throughout this country. Bird Alliance of Oregon has remained silent for too long. 

The conservation movement has a long history of excluding, ignoring, and minimizing people of color in the fight for the environment. It is critical that we all work together to dismantle racism and systems of oppression. Bird Alliance of Oregon recognizes that silence makes one complicit in systemic racism. That means we are committed to doing more to speak out against injustice within our own organization and beyond, to work with our Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) partners to do things differently, to center the voices of BIPOC people, and to create lasting, equitable change.

We highly encourage people to learn more about racism and allyship, as we continue to do so as an organization. First, you can visit a resource page from the Innocence Project that provides a variety of things people can do in the fight for justice and against police violence. For a brief, shareable list of anti-racist resources, please click here.