The Coalition of Communities of Color is a Portland, Oregon, based left-of-center advocacy group comprised of several ethnic advocacy groups and community service providers, mostly focusing on the Portland area or the Pacific Northwest. The group states that it represents a broad coalition of culturally specific organizations including those serving Africans, African Americans, Asians, Latinos, Middle Easterners and North Africans, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Slavic immigrants and descendants. The group has not specified why it counts Slavic and eastern European communities as communities of color. ¹ Members of the coalition include the Native American Youth and Family Center, Imagine Black, and the Muslim Education Trust. ²

Background

The Coalition of Communities of Color was formed in 2001 as an alliance of “culturally-specific” organizations mostly based in the Portland, Oregon, area. The group advocates on left-of-center racial and environmental issues and “supports a collective racial justice effort to improve outcomes for communities of color through policy analysis and advocacy, environmental justice, culturally-appropriate data and research.” The group also addresses “socioeconomic disparities, [and] institutional racism” and is intended “to organize our communities for collective action resulting in social change.” ³

Much of the organization’s activity includes research and advocacy-based projects focused on racial justice issues, environmental issues, healthcare, and other social and cultural issues. ⁴

In 2023 the coalition joined many other far-left anti-Israel organizations in calling for a “ceasefire” in the Israel-Hamas war, stating that “The Coalition of Communities of Color unequivocally condemns the violence, death, and destruction that has been visited upon innocent Israelis and Palestinians. We also acknowledge the historical power imbalance that has been responsible for perpetuating the conditions of Palestinian suffering over the past several decades.” ⁵

Activity and Programs

Research of the Coalition of Communities of Color includes publications entitled “Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap,” “Police Violence is Hate Violence: Testimonies of Police Brutality from the Streets of Portland,” and “The Politics of Data: Uncovering Whiteness in Conventional Social Policy and Social Work Research” ⁶

In 2023, the group launched the Modernized Anti-Racist Data Ecosystems (MADE) for Health Justice initiative to promote left-of-center “health and climate justice” policies and ideology. The coalition led a group of 19 other local organizations in the Portland area including the Community Energy Project, the Oregon health Equity Alliance, and the Urban League of Portland to form the initiative. ⁷

The MADE for Health Justice initiative was funded by a $1.2 million grant from the de Beaumont Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and has partnered with the Portland Bureau of Transportation, Multnomah County Library, and Oregon Health Authority on projects concerning transportation, public libraries, and student health. ⁸

The group also supports left-of-center policies at the local level in Portland, including the adoption of ranked choice voting in the city.⁹

Members

Member organizations of the Coalition of Communities of Color include Africa House, APANO Communities United Fund, El Centro Milagro (Miracle Theater), Hacienda CDC, Imagine Black, Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), Latino Network, Muslim Educational Trust, Native American Youth and Family Center, Pacific Islander & Asian Family Center, Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives (PCRI), Slavic & Eastern European Center, Unite Oregon, Urban League of Portland, and Voz Workers’ Rights Education Project. ¹⁰

1. “Who We Are.” Coalition of Communities of Color. Accessed January 21, 2024. https://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/whoweare
2. “CCC Members.” Coalition of Communities of Color. Accessed January 21, 2024. https://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/ccc-members
3. “Who We Are.” Coalition of Communities of Color. Accessed January 21, 2024. https://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/whoweare
4. “Research Justice Center.” Coalition of Communities of Color. Accessed January 21, 2024. https://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/ccc-researchdatajustice
5. CCC Supports a Ceasefire for Gaza.” Coalition of Communities of Color. November 16, 2023. Accessed January 21, 2024. https://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/ccc-news/2023/11/16/ccc-supports-ceasefire-for-gaza
6. “Research and Publications.” Coalition of Communities of Color. Accessed January 21, 2024. https://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/research-and-publications
7. “November 2023 Newsletter.” Coalition of Communities of Color. Accessed January 21, 2024. https://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/ccc-news/2023/11/17/nov-2023-newsletter
8. “Fall 2023 Equity Lens Newsletter.” Coalition of Communities of Color. Accessed January 21, 2024. https://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/ccc-news/2023/9/19/fall-2023-equity-lens-news-letter
9. “Fall 2023 Equity Lens Newsletter.” Coalition of Communities of Color. Accessed January 21, 2024. https://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/ccc-news/2023/9/19/fall-2023-equity-lens-news-letter
10. “CCC Members.” Coalition of Communities of Color. Accessed January 21, 2024. https://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/ccc-members