Amy Goodman comes to Portland

Amy Goodman of the syndicated radio show, Democracy Now! is in Portland as part of her latest book tour. Her motto is, "Go to where the silence is and say something.” She interviews small-town activists involved in movements for social justice, she gives air-time to people doing the work locally, people whose names are not household words. She tells stories the corporate media ignores, and she reminds us: “Those who care about climate change and the fate of this planet are not a fringe group. Those who care about ending white supremacy and racism are not a minority. We are not even a silent majority. We are a silenced majority, a majority being ignored by the corporate media.” She says there is something worse than negative publicity, and that’s no publicity. She praises “heroes, heretics, and whistle-blowers.” Her talk Sunday night was a sold-out benefit for our local community media radio station, KBOO, and our local alternative newspaper sold by street people, Street Roots. 

Waiting in line with 599 other people, I saw many of the local activists I know, including Teressa Raiford and her friends Laurie and Alyssa in the photo above. Goodman read some excerpts of her book, wonderful stories about ordinary people working to make the world a better place. She gives heart to us. We are not a fringe group of weirdos, as the corporate media suggests. It’s important to remember that.

This photo was actually taken Sunday evening, but I didn't have time to write about it till Monday, and it's so important to me that I want it in the journal, so it's here on Monday.