12th Anniversary Party at Dignity Village
some notable homeless-America history
with those who happened it
and those who keep it happening.Jim Page and Brad G do the music:
“On the Street Again”
“American Dream”
“To Inspire Dialog”
“Help!! Police!!”
with Ken S at the BBQ
saucing, broiling, grilling, and sauteing.
Welcome movers and shakers
and history makers and
unhoused government statistics
sleeping on cement, maybe cardboard.
On the west bank of the Willamette River
In their cold and homeless hungry winter of 2000
eight Portland men and women pitch their tents
under the Broadway Bridge. Two days later
Police sweep, silence and disperse.
Gathering randomly, shopping-cart homeless
create Camp Dignity
under the Fremont Bridge. Five days later
Police sweep, confiscate food, clothing and disperse.
Organizing support from small local media
dozens of shopping-carts parade
to the Morrison Bridge. Three weeks later
Police sweep, arrest, but the courts dismiss.
Crowds, bull horns and international news
cover the massive shopping-cart parade
return to the Fremont Bridge. Nine months later
Courts rule, Police observe
and the City of Portland deliberates:
advocates, homeless, supporters
and six historic shopping-cart parades.
On the 27th of February, 2004
Dignity Village becomes the first
city-sanctioned tent city in North America.
Movers and shakers and history makers:
Jack Tafari, Street Roots, Lee and Barbara Larson, Ibrahim Mubarak, Mark Lakeman,
Street Repair, Marc Jolin, Sisters of the Road, Right to Sleep, Homeless Liberation Front,
R2DToo, Judge Stephen Bushong, State Senator Chip Shields, Commissioner Nick Fish,
Sally Erickson, the Portland Housing Bureau, Kwamba Productions, those who paraded
with shopping carts and their hundreds of supporters and advocates, Dignity Villagers
and the thousand-plus housed Dignity alumni.
