So, I am writing to you today as a black womxn, a former student, a community leader, a local business owner, and above all else, as a proud Central Oregonian to say that the school board elections that are happening right now matter.

A few years ago, I was still a displaced person who had no deep ties to the community I was raised in. I was a stranger to the spaces of power and influence in Deschutes County. I was convinced I would need to go elsewhere to be listened to or heard. Yet, I witnessed a steady shift in Central Oregon over the last five years, sparked by national upheaval and political unrest. I watched my community choose progress, accountability, and transformation in small ways and then with greater boldness. Are we where we should be? Not even close, our steps thus far have been slow, but they have also been necessary, and the defenders of the status quo are beginning to fear the changes that inclusivity demands.

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