Jenny Dettrick/GettyImages Oregon Happy Hour Sparks Critique From Blacks And Whites A Portland, OR “Reparations Happy Hour” is getting a ton of backlash from critics of many different backgrounds. Pics from last nite's Reparations Happy Hour. We had 40 attendees & gave out $400 in cash reparations. Thank you for everyone who shared, donated– most importantly, GRATITUDE to the Black, Brown & Indigenous people who showed their leadership and participated in reparations work pic.twitter.com/S4hPQCeZqd — Cameron Whitten (@CameronWhitten) May 22, 2018 People of Color are POWERFUL. Amazing turnout at Brown Hope’s inaugural Reparations Happy Hour event! pic.twitter.com/3wlqLpb3lr — Cameron Whitten (@CameronWhitten) May 22, 2018 Cameron Whitten, one of the organizers of a non-profit called Brown Hope, hosted a “Reparations Happy Hour” last Monday at a bar in Portland where drinks were provided by the event sponsors and people of color received a $10 donation. The idea was to create a safe space for people of color (Portland is predominantly white if you weren’t aware) where the need for reparations would also be recognized. White people were invited too — but not to physically attend, just to give reparations. Here’s more details on the event, via the Oregonian : The premise was simple: Black, brown and indigenous folks could show up and collect $10 at the door donated by their white neighbors. In total, 40 people attended Monday’s event. “The best part for me was showing up like Portland Oprah and see their eyes light up when I handed them $10,” the event’s organizer, Cameron Whitten said. “Because it was about more than that.” The reparations happy hour signified the transformation of an idea that progressive Portlanders support into something tangible for the city’s residents of color. “We do a lot of talking. We do a lot of making excuses,” Whitten said. “But how often do we actually recognize and acknowledge someone’s suffering? We’re so used to being denied any sort of justice that $10 is a respite.” North Portland’s Backyard Social hosted the inaugural event for two hours starting at 6 p.m. The next one, Whitten said, will be at the Back to Eden Bakery, where a black woman was kicked out earlier this month by a pair of employees who have since been fired. The full event details were also listed on Eventbrite . Whitten has been tweeting to explain a lot of misconceptions around the event. Bars also sell food and provide a social environment. I’m sober, and other sober individuals were there. Our Reparations Happy Hour next month is at a Bake Shop — this was scheduled weeks before NYT wrote an article. — Cameron Whitten (@CameronWhitten) May 28, 2018 —We— featured the $ pics. You can see it on my Facebook. Our attendees did not have a single problem claiming their $10 & taking a picture. This event, pictures and all, left attendees feeling good. We are de-stigmatizing the myth. Ntn’l blowback doesn’t hinder local organizing — Cameron Whitten (@CameronWhitten) May 28, 2018 This won’t get many RTs. But needs to be said. 1. The @nytimes headline is #FAKENEWS 2. This wasn’t a substitute for Reparations & wasn’t organized by white people 3. This event SUCCESSFULLY built community for local PoC 4. I’m 27 years sober — this event wasn’t about alcohol pic.twitter.com/We17MpwmC4 — Cameron Whitten (@CameronWhitten) May 28, 2018 Check out some of the critiques from social media below: Liberalism among pathetic, self-hating, guilt-ridden, white people in Oregon is a serious mental illness. https://t.co/0IHW6BrjOR — Wayne Allyn Root (@RealWayneRoot) May 26, 2018 People who aren't (and have never been) slave owners paying for people who aren't (and have never been) slaves……yeah it all makes a lot of sense……and it definitely won't nurture more pathology or anything like that….. https://t.co/DNLeOTAx3Q — Jamie Glazov (@JamieGlazov) May 27, 2018 I'm glad this “Reparations Happy Hour” raises awareness of the issue, but it's gonna take more than a free drink to recover from 400 years of systemic oppression. Let's talk about transferring land and wealth and dismantling racist laws and social systems. https://t.co/UqS5aUxBU3 — Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) May 28, 2018 thought this was the dumbest tweet of the day until I saw Oregon with a Reparations Happy Hour .. blacks drink free and paid for by whites .. — buster (@busternjax) May 28, 2018 'Reparations Happy Hour' invites white people to pay for drinks! Congrats to all the idiots who donated money to this goofy idea to absolve themselves of some irrational guilt. Count on Liberals to take Crazy to whole new levels every chance they get! https://t.co/XL7jsuWSqu — GuysForTrump (@GaysForTrumpFL) May 28, 2018 To be clear — the drinks and food were paid for by the sponsors and the organizer. The donations came — in part — from white donors. Do you think the “Reparations Happy Hour” was a bad idea? Do you think it diminishes the argument around genuine reparations?
See the article here:
Folks Are Big Mad About “Reparations Happy Hour” In Oregon Where Whites Made Donations But Couldn’t Attend And People Of Color Drank Free
