Commissioner Rubio Celebrates Reimagine Oregon Grant Recipients

City Commissioner Carmen Rubio joined Prosper Portland and Black community leaders Monday to celebrate the first round of grants from the Reimagine Oregon Economic Opportunity Investment Fund. More than $6.3 million in grant funding was awarded to 53 projects by for-profit and nonprofit entities that operate within Portland.

The grants, which are funded with cannabis tax revenue, are intended to provide economic opportunities to communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition. They also align with the City's Advance Portland strategic vision to foster wealth creation within underserved communities by creating access to economic opportunity for business development and growth.

Here are Commissioner Rubio's remarks:

"I'm incredibly honored to be here tonight to celebrate these incredible grantees, and to acknowledge the long path that it took us to get here.

"I want to take a moment to acknowledge that today also happens to be Indigenous People's Day. The contributions that Indigenous people have made throughout history are integral to our identity as a city.

"As Black and Brown communities, we fight together for a more equitable and more just future. Continuing in that spirit, four years ago, Reimagine Oregon began its work to dismantle systemic racism in Oregon - and by doing so holding leaders and government institutions accountable to their purported values and missions.

"One outcome of this work was the City's investment into the work of Reimagine Oregon with the aim to increase economic opportunity for communities that have been most harmed by cannabis prohibition.

"Tonight, we celebrate a major milestone in this work. This project has had a long road to get here, and its very story reminds us all that we have much more to do as a City to begin to acknowledge and redress the past injustices, harms, and generations of lost wealth and opportunity.

"While everyone in this room knows these as undisputable facts, it pains me to say that these facts are not always fully appreciated.

"For those of you who need a reminder: Last year, Commissioners Rene Gonzalez and Mingus Mapps initiated a harmful plan that would have broken community trust by clawing back on these promised funds and instead reallocating them - ironically - to public safety.

"It also would have undermined a key goal for these funds: for Black Portlanders to self-determine where these community investments should go.

"But together with you - the community - we were able to stop this from happening. With Mayor Wheeler, and later Commissioner Ryan, we were able to reverse Commissioners Mapps' and Gonzalez's amendment and ensure that - finally - the City was able to honor our commitment to being good faith partner to Reimagine and get these investments into community.

"Everyone here tonight validates what we know to be true: that this important work moves our community toward more economic opportunities, wealth creation, and restorative justice.

"And let's be clear: We cannot work to dismantle structural barriers to racial justice and racial equity if we are unable to work through discomfort, face the truths of our history and present-day actions, take accountability, and make changes.

"As elected officials, we have an ethical and moral responsibility to move toward justice - and the basic idea of keeping your promises.

"Tonight we see that not only did justice prevail, but we can now see a clear path forward, and we are providing the support and building the momentum that the project needs to continue.

"But we still have more work to do - and that's why I'm so grateful for the leadership of Justice Rajee and Prosper Portland staff Chabre Vickers, and Vicky, Daniel, and Trevor.

"So tonight is a celebration, but it's also about the future: because creating access to capital and investing $6 million (as a start) into our small Black and Brown businesses and the community at large is how we revitalize Portland and get it ready for our next generation of BIPOC entrepreneurs and innovators.

"The presence of each one of you here tonight is a sign that, once again, Black and Brown Portlanders are at the forefront leading the change and turning the corner for our city on the road to economic recovery.

"I expect that all of you will continue to play leading roles in our city's resurgence, and hope you see tonight as a recognition of your faith, your ability, and the presence of Black and Brown brilliance, innovation, and industry that has been the bedrock of local American economies since time immemorial.

"Thank you for what you do for Portland. I am so proud to be in this work alongside all of you.

"Congratulations again to all the stellar awardees, and to Reimagine Oregon for continuing to move us toward justice in our communities."