THIS BLACK HISTORY MONTH WE CELEBRATE AND HONOR OUR QT/BLACK AND MELANESIAN COMMUNITY...
UTOPIA PDX celebrates the successes and honors the resilience of Melanesian and QT/Black folks who must overcome adversity. Despite these challenges, there are intersectionalities that bring the community together. We witness and acknowledge that there are lived experiences our Melanesian community exists within that we, as Polynesians and Micronesians, will never face or fully understand. We will endlessly celebrate, respect, and empower the intersectionality that brings together Melanesian and Black communities. We advocate alongside our QT/Black and Melanesian communities because support and solidarity does not stop at the end of this month.
As an organization, we understand that we have a responsibility to use our privilege to create space and highlight our Melanesian and QT/Black folks, now and forever. Our Melanesian community is strong and powerful. We, as Polynesians and Micronesians, have the privilege of learning from and celebrating the achievements, experiences, and insights of how our Melanesian community navigates the world around us.
This month, and every month, we dedicate our energy, minds, and time to decenter ourselves so we can holistically listen to and highlight the needs, wants, and requests of our Melanesian community.