When people hear the words “historic preservation” they often think of places. But it’s really the stories of the people and communities associated with historic places that make them worth saving. Unfortunately, the preservation field has long struggled with painting a full and inclusive picture of our shared past. Restore Oregon acknowledges the legitimate pain and alienation this has caused. We are listening and learning in hopes of taking meaningful, constructive steps forward.
Throughout Oregon and across our country, people have stood up in the face of injustice to confront the deep, systemic racism that disproportionately affects the Black community. The preservation community has certainly not been immune to this inequity. Thus our staff has been taking time to reflect on opportunities to focus our preservation efforts on creating a more equitable society, and we have taken inspiration from Brent Leggs, Executive Director of the National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.
As a result:
- We must challenge our own preconceptions.
- We will participate in training on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- We recognize the need to not only listen but also uplift and amplify the history and voices of Black people locally, nationally, and globally in the struggle for freedom.
- We commit to re-examining our current work to address and better include the experiences of BIPOC.
- We aim to diversify our all-white staff and further diversify our Board of Directors.
- We hope to use our shared history to build community.
- We promise to support and be kind to each other.
Restore Oregon acknowledges that solving the deep, structural issues within our nation and our field will take time, empathy and a focused commitment from each and every one of us. But we also believe that preservation has the power to evoke powerful social change by:
- Using historic places to define or redefine Oregon’s cultural heritage, Main Streets, architecture and landscapes.
- Making the telling of Oregon’s story more equitable and inclusive.
- Playing an important role in addressing real-world problems of affordability, housing and climate change, in an equity-driven manner.
– The Restore Oregon Team