A new, permanent plaque in honor of Barry Washington Jr. now stands in Bend on the downtown corner where he was shot and killed on Sept. 19, 2021.
On Saturday, about 100 people gathered despite wind and rain to attend the memorial dedication ceremony. Washington Jr.’s family came from parts of Oregon and California, including Washington Jr.’s mother, La’Wanda Roberson.
“The memorial is very sacred for me, so the fact that it’s going to be a permanent memorial, I’m very honored,” she said.
Local organizers Joslyn Stanfield and Jasmine Helsley-Barnett worked with Roberson and city of Bend staffer Kathi Barguil to get the plaque placed on the sidewalk near where he was shot. It replaced a temporary display of flowers and pictures of Washington Jr. that had been located in an adjacent tree well for four years since his death.
City officials from around Central Oregon attended the event, including Redmond City Councilor Clifford Evelyn.
“I mean the plaque is beautiful and all that, but the fact of the matter is (Washington Jr.’s death) should have never happened,” he said.
People began protesting anti-Black racism in Bend after Washington Jr.’s death in 2021. He was fatally shot by Ian Cranston, who is white. The single shot came 30 seconds after Washington punched Cranston in a dispute involving Cranston’s fiancée. Washington Jr. was unarmed. Roberson told OPB that if her son weren’t Black, he would still be alive today.
With family and community members gathered around, huddled together in the cold, Stanfield removed a heavy red cloth from the plaque.
The bronze piece bears his name, photo, a piece of scripture his grandmother taught him, and a phrase he would always say to Roberson before leaving the house, “Mama, I’m going to be good.”
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.