Agenda Packet 7-22-19 Work Session

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Resolution -- Page 2 of 3 July 22, 2019, Work Session white supremacy groups, including militias, are advocating for the apprehension, detention and deportation of Central American refugees legally seeking asylum in the United States. The State of Oregon also has a history of enacting racist policies that have left lasting harm on communities of color, including entering the Union as a “whites-only” state in 1859, refusing to ratify the 14th and 15th amendments to the United States Constitution, and enacting black exclusion laws. The City of Eugene had de facto enforcement of its status as a ‘Sundown Town,’ an extended presence of the Ku Klux Klan, whites-only housing covenants, and unequal access to government services, all of which led to gentrification and decimation and demolition of historic communities of color. I. We have seen a recent surge of white nationalist activity and hostility here, in our home, conjuring painful memories of our City's past and causing harm to current residents. The trauma inflicted on Black people, people of color, Muslim and Jewish people, religious minorities, the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups by white supremacists results in generational and psychological harm affecting health, educational, economic and social outcomes. J. The City of Eugene has a longstanding history and commitment of celebrating and supporting people of all races, national origins, immigration and refugee statuses, religions, gender, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, ages, and economic statuses. The City Council has adopted Ordinances and Resolutions that demonstrate this commitment, including: 1. Human Rights Municipal Code provisions, EC 4.613 - 4.655 (adopted in 1971, with the most recent amendment adopted in 2014 which made it unlawful to discriminate based on gender (Ord. 20523)). 2. Resolution 5073 (adopted 2012) in Support of a Statement of Principles for Immigrant Integration. 3. Resolution 5142 (adopted in 2015) Declaring the Urgency of the Housing and Homelessness Crisis. 4. Resolution 5148 (adopted in 2016) Declaring the Second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. 5. Resolution 5150 (adopted in 2016) Supporting the Oregon Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. 6. Resolution 5154 (adopted in 2016) Declaring the City of Eugene’s Commitment in Protecting Refugees. 7. Resolution 5174 (adopted in 2016) Declaring the City of Eugene’s Commitment to Being a Welcoming, Inclusive and Safe Community for Everyone. 8. Council Ordinance No. 20579 (adopted 2017) Concerning Protections for Individuals and Adding Sections 2.495 and 2.497 to the Eugene Code, 1971.