August 19, 2021

Racial Justice Internship Program Partners With Portland Organizations

L&C students who are committed to racial justice work won’t have to choose between paying bills or pursuing their passion. The Office of Equity and Inclusion launched its inaugural Racial Justice Internship Program this summer by giving students a paid stipend to work with a local Portland organization. The community partnership is unique in its interactive nature—instead of simply being assigned a student, these organizations were involved in the entire vetting and application process. We asked the program’s students about their experiences and the valuable insights they gained working with their community partner organizations.

Fabi, in denim overalls, leaning against a stone wall. Name: Fabi Araya Rodriguez
Pronouns: they/them
Class year: 2023
Major: Hispanic Studies
Minors: Ethnic Studies and Music (double)
Hometown: San José, Costa Rica

What three words would you use to describe Lewis & Clark?

Resourceful, Collaborative, Giving

Where did you intern this summer? What did you do for this organization?

I worked for PDX Alliance for Self-Care. They connect marginalized and vulnerable communities to resources and services that provide opportunities for them to practice self care. I helped with various tasks like translations, captioning of materials, and creating a compilation of BIPOC youth resources in the greater Portland area. We’ve been working on creating a comprehensive list divided by race and/or ethnicity in order to provide a more user-friendly resource for specific populations, rather than lists of endless links.

How did Lewis & Clark’s racial justice intern program support you in finding, securing, and funding your internship?

The Center for Social Change and Community Involvement (formerly Student Leadership and Service), reached out to community partner organizations and created the link needed for us to work with them. This year, the Equity and Inclusion Office provided the funding that made it possible for more students to take advantage of these opportunities.

What’s your biggest takeaway from your internship?

My main takeaway is the importance of community organizing. I’ve learned so much about the hardships of nonprofit organizations and community organizing work, all the barriers they have to overcome everyday, and the huge importance these organizations have in providing daily needs to communities that are not supported by the government. I’ve also seen what leadership and the faces of those who participate in the field actually look like. I now understand why organizers do what they do, and how their work consistently intersects with their own needs, identities, and realities.

How did this internship support your passion for racial justice and equity work?

Working with an organization that puts into practice all the realities we talk about in the classroom makes those realities tangible. The daily view of what racial justice work looks like is incredibly hard to capture in a lecture or paper. When you are in a racial justice organization and talk with your colleagues about who we support, and why some things aren’t happening as planned, the pieces fall into place. I was able to understand that the current reality of racial justice organizing is very demanding, time consuming, dependent on grants and external resources, interconnected, and complex. It is also rewarding.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your experience?

I just hope that this program becomes an established one for students, because I have learned so much. Most importantly, the organizations we worked with benefited from the sponsorship of much needed summer interns. Summer is one of the most active seasons in Portland, but also the one with the most community resources needed. We were able to help the organizations while they were helping us.


Shalini, in a red collared shirt, sitting at a desk and smiling at the camera. Name: Shalini Hanstad
Pronouns: she/her
Class year: 2022
Major: Sociology and Anthropology
Minor: Ethnic Studies
Hometown: Seattle, Washington

What three words would you use to describe Lewis & Clark?

PWI, Rigorous, Beautiful

Where did you intern this summer? What have you been doing for this organization?

I interned at RACE TALKS as their social media and marketing summer intern. RACE TALKS hosts numerous events, panels, and discussions in the Portland area that seek to educate the public about racial justice and equity. I created advertising content for events, promoted the content on social media, created structure/planning for future content, as well as assisted with daily operations for the organization.

How did Lewis & Clark’s racial justice intern program support you in finding, securing, and funding your internship?

Lewis & Clark put me in contact with RACE TALKS through a Zoom interview with the organization, so I was supported with networking. Additionally, Lewis & Clark partnered with RACE TALKS to provide me with a stipend after being hired.

What’s your biggest takeaway from your internship?

My biggest takeaway is learning the importance of community. Racial justice and equity work does not solely require your physical and mental labor, but your emotional labor as well. Building relationships with my team and fellow interns was crucial to my success in this work. It is not meant to be done alone. As Audre Lorde said, “Without community, there is no liberation.”

How did this internship support your passion for racial justice and equity work?

This internship gave me valuable experience to enter the field of racial justice and equity work after I graduate. I am very grateful to have been financially supported in this position, as many people are often forced to do this work for free or for little compensation.


Gabriel, standing on the far right behind a table covered with prepared food at an outdoor fair, ... Name: Gabriel Huerta
Pronouns: he/him
Class year: 2022
Major: History
Hometown: Los Angeles, California

What three words would you use to describe Lewis & Clark?

Predominantly white, Community

Where did you intern this summer? What did you do for this organization?

This summer I interned on the Power Hour event, a weekly program through the nonprofit Brown Hope. Within this position, I created visual graphics, emailed newsletters, attended meetings, and assisted in vaccination resource distribution. Most significantly, I finalized a proposal for a ”Welcome to Portland—Black, Brown, and Indigenous Resource Guide,” filled with resources regarding food, housing, career, art, and socializing specifically for Black, Brown and Indigenous people who’ve arrived in Portland and the surrounding area.

How did Lewis & Clark’s racial justice intern program support you in finding, securing, and funding your internship?

Lewis & Clark’s Racial Justice Intern Program allowed me to complete an invaluable internship with a developing nonprofit that wouldn’t have been able to fund my employment themselves. I also would not have had the capacity to take an unpaid opportunity this summer, and I am so grateful that funds were allocated for students with racial justice-centered experiences and employment.

What’s your biggest takeaway from your internship?

The Power Hour community of Portland’s Black, Brown, and Indigenous people is indescribably caring and intertwined. Every week, attendees are unapologetically themselves and make connections that couldn’t occur in predominantly white spaces. From my experience working in Power Hour, I’ve realized how necessary it is to construct and maintain spaces for exclusively Black, Brown, and Indigenous people, and to rely on white allies when necessary. This is especially necessary in spaces such as predominantly white institutions and cities.

How did this internship support your passion for racial justice and equity work?

Attending Power Hour weekly has exposed me to extensive communities of various identities in Portland that I likely wouldn’t have known about otherwise. Interacting with these communities has made me aware of the type of work that remains to be done in Portland, including substance abuse rehabilitation, housing and food distribution, monetary reparations, and racial justice advocacy.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your experience?

I’ve been incredibly impressed how Brown Hope, and specifically the folks in Power Hour, have utilized my strengths and gradually pushed me into new and challenging experiences. I have never felt like merely an intern, but rather like an appreciated team member.


Nicole, smiling, wearing a black and white print floral top while standing in front of a green an... Name: Nicole Lewis
Pronouns: they/them
Class year: 2021
Major: Anthropology
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona

What three words would you use to describe Lewis & Clark?

Opportunity, Critical Thought, Passion

Where did you intern this summer? What did you do for this organization?

I interned at the Filipino Bayanihan Center in Southwest Portland. The Bayanihan Center’s mission is to create a bridge between services and members of the community and act as a practical resource. My duties included cleaning and maintaining the space, creating and distributing promotional materials, assisting with event setup and breakdown, and working on my own thesis research project by conducting interviews, collecting sources, and transcribing audio.

How did Lewis & Clark’s Racial Justice Intern Program support you in finding, securing, and funding your internship?

The program has been an immense support throughout this internship process. They connected me with the Bayanihan Center and helped facilitate my time there. Lewis & Clark was able to provide me with funding for my internship in addition to the summer grant that I received from the anthropology department to conduct research.

What’s your biggest takeaway from your internship?

The biggest takeaway from my internship is the importance of community collaboration. The welcoming, nonhierarchical, and egalitarian work environment taught me about the possibilities of working collectively in a way that accounts for everyone’s learning and accessibility needs.

How did this internship support your passion for racial justice and equity work?

This internship upheld my passion for racial justice and equity work by being involved with creating tangible support networks for the Filipino community. I had the opportunity to work directly with my fellow Filipino-Americans by volunteering at our Kalugusan food pantry, helping facilitate events, and otherwise keeping the center functional and running smoothly.


Ruth, standing in front of a forest and wearing a black jacket, smiling on a sunny day. Name: Ruth Makonnen
Pronouns: she/her
Class year: 2022
Major: Psychology
Minor: Gender Studies
Hometown: Ethiopia and The Netherlands

What three words would you use to describe Lewis & Clark?

Open, Communal, Full of Conversation

Where did you intern this summer? What did you do for this organization?

I interned at the UPRISE Collective. This organization aims to support individuals to work toward uplifting their own communities. I have been involved in organizing events, facilitating workshops, reviewing policies, writing grants, and much more.

How did Lewis & Clark’s Racial Justice Intern Program support you in finding, securing, and funding your internship?

The program helped me find UPRISE. This internship would not have been possible for me to do without the funding Lewis & Clark provided. I was supported throughout the summer as I did the kind of work I have always been interested in doing—namely, social justice-oriented work at a nonprofit organization.

What’s your biggest takeaway from your internship?

Interning at the UPRISE Collective taught me how a nonhierarchical organization can truly look. The way the people support each other and are supported by the organization has been inspiring to me and made my interest in social work grow significantly.

How did this internship support your passion for racial justice and equity work?

The internship has given me the opportunity to work on skill sets that are necessary when it comes to organized social justice work. I also learned a lot in terms of content and critical thought from the people at UPRISE and, as mentioned before, it has inspired my passion for social work as a possible field of study I would like to explore after graduation.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your experience?

It has really been such a time of growth and learning for me. I am very grateful for this opportunity and for the existence of organizations like the UPRISE Collective.


Ariely, in a black turtleneck, standing on the field at Griswold Stadium and smiling. Name: Ariely Mejia
Pronouns: she/her
Class year: 2022
Major: Sociology and Anthropology
Hometown: Houston, Texas

What three words would you use to describe Lewis & Clark?

Competitive, PWI, Selective

Where did you intern this summer? What did you do for this organization?

I interned at Brown Hope in Portland. They provide resources and a space to heal and create connections with Black, Brown, and Indigenous leaders in the community. Throughout the summer, I worked with the communications team in graphic design, social media management, email reports, research on events and resources in the Portland area, and communications.

How did Lewis & Clark’s racial justice intern program support you in finding, securing, and funding your internship?

I found out about the Racial Justice Intern Program through a friend who said I should apply since it was exactly what I was looking for. Luckily, I got accepted! The intern program provided access to the organizations, which made the application process much easier.

What’s your biggest takeaway from your internship?

I have gained so much valuable insight and experience at Brown Hope, but I think the biggest takeaway would be my desire to continue making spaces, opportunities, and resources for Black, Brown and Inidgenous folks to come together and feel at ease, connect, heal, and uplift their voices. Brown Hope has been providing such spaces through their programs that are authentic and genuine. Working alongside the amazing community leaders who make these programs possible has been yet another assurance for me to continue to pursue a career in community work, specifically toward racial justice.

How did this internship support your passion for racial justice and equity work?

Brown Hope’s mission and values attracted me to the internship in the first place. Their vision aligns with my own devotion in fighting against racial injustices and uplifting Black, Brown and Indigenous communities. Throughout my time there, I was able to create a communications project for the 2021 Latinx/e Heritage Month. Brown Hope provided me a platform to celebrate and represent my own community through interviews, music, food, and more! This project would not have been possible without their immense support.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your experience?

This internship connected me with some amazing leaders in the community who have inspired me to continue to pursue this path of racial justice work. I couldn’t thank them enough for all of their help, patience, and kindness. I truly feel like I have a community to turn to outside of Lewis & Clark College. I hope to continue to work with Brown Hope as a volunteer throughout my last year at L&C and encourage everybody to do the same if they truly wish to see a positive change in our community.