Social Justice

The second phase of an affordable housing project in North Eugene is done.  As KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, Bascom Village’s grand opening for 48 units was held today.  

Customers to Lane County businesses may see a new poster displayed in windows. A group is asking stores and restaurants to put up a flyer stating “Bridges, Not Walls.” The initiative is meant to bring awareness to immigrants in the Eugene/Springfield community.

Members and friends of the Eugene Springfield LGBTQ  community prepare to celebrate diversity and respect at the 25th Annual Pride Festival. As KLCC's Tiffany Eckert reports, the event is expected to draw thousands to Alton Baker Park on Saturday.

This week's shootings of two African-American men by police as well as the killing of five Dallas police officers by a sniper brought strong feelings from the Eugene community.

Last Friday an Oregon Circuit Court Judge ruled a person can legally change their sex to non-binary—not female or male. Transgender law experts say this is the first ruling of its kind in the United States.

Trailer parks can be a viable housing option for people living on low or fixed incomes. Nearly 63-thousand Oregonians live in these unique communities.  A tenant owns the home but rents the land it sits on. Mobile home park managers act as landlords--an arrangement that can work well-- or lead to trouble if power is abused. Sometimes tenants seek legal help over grievances.

Stickers with racist messages were found this week on new light signals installed on Willamette Street in Eugene. And this isn’t the first time hate speech has been spotted in Lane County.

Springfield's largest employer, Symantec, is one of two Oregon businesses being recognized for its LGBT Inclusion in the workplace.

Basic Rights Oregon honored Symantec and Portland metro's New Seasons Market last week at a luncheon. Seven years ago, Symantec employee Cass Avrill told his manager he was transitioning. He says he was surprised by the companies' reaction.

Students at the University of Oregon want the school to stop investing in the fossil fuel industry. Wednesday members of Divest UO rallied outside the administration building. The protest is part of a continued sit-in at U of O’s Johnson Hall.

Farmworker Union members stopped in Eugene last weekend as part of a west coast protest of the major berry production company Driscoll's.

Tiny houses are recognized as a viable solution to the housing crisis in Oregon. Veneta is the latest community to help get people into homes they can afford.

The occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge cost taxpayers millions of dollars. GOHOME – a campaign dedicated in part to the occupiers' eviction – raised $125,000.

In Eugene Monday hundreds gathered to march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event, hosted by the NAACP, began at Autzen Stadium and traveled to downtown Eugene.  

On Thursday, Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County distributed 120 twin-sized Tempur-Pedic mattresses to low income families. For free.

1 in 5 Oregonians will rely on a food pantry or soup kitchen in 2016. This is according to a recent survey from the Oregon Food Bank. 

Friday, the 6th annual Yachats New Years Day Peace Hike sets off from the Yachats Commons at 9:45 A.M. The event, in part, honors the memory of the American Indians forced to leave their homes in the mid-1800's.

More than half of students in the Eugene 4-J school district qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. During long breaks from school, these children are at risk of going without meals. As KLCC's Tiffany Eckert reports, local churches are making it their mission to end food insecurity one neighborhood at a time. 

Eugene activist and author Peg Morton died Saturday. She was 85. Morton died on her own terms. She had been dealing with health issues for some time and felt it was her time to go. Morton spoke with KLCC’s Rachael McDonald two weeks before her passing.

There are 6 Syrian refugees in Oregon. One of them lives in Eugene. Ali Turki Ali came here in June. He’s learning English at Lane Community College.  Ali left his home country in March 2014.