About Us
Black Joy Oregon is a non-violent organization that travels across Oregon to demonstrate loving and joyful celebrations of Black Joy and culture. Black Joy Oregon uplifts women into positions of leadership and empowers communities of color. We demonstrate and organize within our state to demand change for our most marginalized community members. In true non-violence form, we seek to create social change through truth-force and love-action. With a willingness to undergo suffering rather than inflict it, and never looking for retaliation.
What We Do
Spreading Black Joy & Celebrating Black Excellence
The original idea of Black Joy Oregon was dreamed up by our Founder Julianne Jackson, sparked by a conversation she had with a young Black Woman from a rural Oregon community. She had shared that while growing up in rural Oregon, she had never seen another Black person outside of her family. She had been wanting to organize an event/protest but she didn’t know who would stand with her and Julianne thought to herself… We will stand with you!! Julianne realized that although we had seen a huge influx of protests and support for the Black Lives Matter movement along the I-5 corridor, those who live in rural Oregon may not feel or see the same support. We decided that we would travel to every city in Oregon to make sure our Black and Brown Oregonians know that they are loved, supported, and represented. And when we say every city, we mean it.
Black Joy Oregon uplifts women into positions of leadership and empowers communities of color. We demonstrate and organize within our state to demand change for our most marginalized community members. We help locate and provide assistance with resources for Black folks, whatever they need we help them find. We provide opportunities for BIPOC Youth and community members to do their community service with us, as well providing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion trainings.
Our operation is run off of volunteer members, fundraising and donations! We appreciate any and all support y'all give us!! Donations, follows, likes, & shares. Everything counts!
Our Founder
Julianne Jackson
When Jackson isn’t on the road, she and her partner take care of her three children — ages 16, 13, and 11 — and their dog and cat. Jackson is also a singer-songwriter, an Oregonian since childhood, and a staff member of the Portland nonprofit Partnership for Safety and Justice, where she helps to promote their racial-justice work.
How You Can Help
Donate to Our Cause
Donations help our operation run! Everything we do is made possible from fundraising and donations. When we travel, we like to take care of as much as possible to make it doable for our team. We always try to cover lodging, food, transportations/gas while we are on the road.