Oregon Governor Institutes ‘Racial Justice Council,’ Seeks Permanent Changes To State Government

Last week, I wrote about California’s new Ethnic Studies curriculum, and I asked readers to contact me with updates on how critical race theory (CRT) is making inroads into their communities. Over the weekend, my inbox was flooded with responses. As we all suspected, this ideology is everywhere. Red states as well as blue. 

One horrified Daily Wire reader in Oregon shared a letter sent to all state employees from the Governor, Kate Brown (D-Oregon). In it, Brown describes new and forthcoming changes in the state government, all in service to “racial justice.” Prepare for a full body cringe. 

Gov. Kate Brown’s Insufferably Woke Letter To All State Employees

The letter, originally sent January 27th but only brought to our attention this week, begins with the customary listing of historical sins. Brown reminds employees of the multitude of racialized wrongs they remain complicit in by virtue of residence in the state. It is dull, woke tripe. However, further down she launches into some truly hair-raising promises. 

She writes, “I will be spending my time and energy showing what anti-racist, justice-oriented leadership looks like from the top,” as she considers it her “anti-racist duty” to “disrupt ‘the normal’” and to represent residents who have been neglected by “white leaders.”  

Central to her plan seems to be educating her plebeian employees about racism. “There is a wide spectrum of understanding about what anti-racism really is,” she explains. “Instead of just trying not to be racist, white people must do the work of anti-racism” because, and this may come as a surprise to some, “as state employees, counteracting racial injustice is our job.” 

An attached handout generously assists state employees in their assignment to become actively “anti-racist”, which of course is code for the now state-sanctioned racism of CRT. Suggested readings include Robin DiAngelo, Ibram X Kendi, Ta-Nehisi Coates and others. Conspicuously missing were any writings by or about Dr Martin Luthar King Jr., who has become an inconvenient impediment to the new racialized order that Brown and her colleagues seek. 

She then launches into a chilling list of concrete actions she has already taken to weave state-sanctioned racialization directly into Oregon government. They include but are not limited to:

• “Instituted a Racial Justice Council (RJC) to recommend over $280 million in investments” 
• “Created the first RJC-led, anti-racist legislative agenda including a proposal to institutionalize the Racial Justice Council permanently.”  
• “Established the Chief Cultural Change Office in the Department of Administrative Services” to “lead the effort in addressing Oregon’s structural and institutional racism”.
• “Creation of new additional equity-focused positions in state agencies”
• “Created the State of Oregon Equity Framework for COVID-19 Response & Recovery to ensure that Oregon’s under-resourced communities and communities of color are at the forefront of our recovery plan.”
• “Invested $10 million in Universal Representation to promote immigrant rights and ensure that every Oregonian has access to defensive and affirmative immigration legal representation.”

She concludes, “there’s…much more coming up…we will continue to take meaningful steps to incorporate anti-racism into state government’s policies, budget process, state workforce, and structures.” 

Several months ago we were shocked by the degree to which this ideology had infiltrated municipal governments, with places like Seattle on the forefront. Now, those concerns seem quaint as entire state governments fall in line. Oregon is a deep blue state, but this iliberal ideology is on the march across the country. Now is the time to become informed about what is happening in your state. 

Thank you to everyone who submitted stories and evidence. We continue to monitor and report on the encroachment of this ideology into our schools and civic institutions. Please reach out to [email protected] with updates from your community. 

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member.