[This letter will be sent to Portland City Council on 5 March 2024 in advance of their 6 March 2024 to amend city policy for monument review]

Dear Commissioners Dan Ryan, Ted Wheeler, Mingus Mapps, Carmen Rubio, and Rene Gonzales,

We write to reiterate the concerns expressed to City Council during the public comment portion of Wednesday 2/28/2024 2pm session regarding policy 5.74.085 “Public Monuments Review Criteria,” and the potential reinstallation of controversial monuments: 1.) Do not put the toppled five back up without having a transparent community engagement process 2.) Do not vote through this or any PUBLIC policy on public monuments without engaging a transparent mechanism for hearing from diverse publics.

As residents deeply invested in the well-being and equitable representation of all members of our community, we urge you to consider the implications that resurrecting figurative statuary to settler culture will have on the Indigenous communities who live in and pass through our city. Re-placing the toppled five risks perpetuating a narrative that disregards the lived experiences and perspectives of Indigenous peoples. As a city that prides itself on its commitment to culture and equity, we cannot overlook the harm and ignorance that reinstating these statues may immortalize to the detriment of all people who reside in or pass through Portland.

Please instead convene 1-4 transparent listening sessions with diverse community-based groups (centering BIPOC communities and allies), with follow-up so that participants can track how their participation impacts policy. Transparent means we want to see who you are talking to and when. By actively engaging with marginalized communities and centering their voices in decision-making processes, we can work towards a more just, inclusive, and pertinent society for all.

Such transparency will help to humanize the diversity of perspectives Portlanders hold about monuments. Naming the individuals and organizations engaged is an important part of what Mayor Wheeler mentioned in closing last Wednesday's afternoon session. The Mayor spoke evocatively about the need to ensure that Portland’s monuments (and what to do with them) do not further divide the city. The Council's role is to create a container where all the voices that make up Portland can come to the table to be heard. We must trust in the process of the philosophy of democracy, which states that the best ideas get polished through dissent. City Council must not shy away from differences in perspective; rather the Council must create an equitable structure where all voices are heard at the same table.

Thank you for considering this perspective as you define yours in preparation to vote on this policy amendment on 3/6/2024 9:30 am Council session. We look forward to seeing our city continue to prioritize the well-being and representation of all its residents.

Sincerely, [Our Names]