Politics & Government

Civic leaders share ideas on tamping down political polarization in Oregon

Oregon Public Broadcasting | By Rolando Hernandez

Published March 18, 2022 at 6:29 AM PDT

Families, staff, and community members marched in support of the LGBTQ+ community and Black Lives Matter ahead of a Newberg school board meeting Aug. 10, 2021. The school board voted to ban Black Lives Matter and pride flags.

What happens when a community is deeply divided, evident in heated school board meetings and public comments made during city council sessions? We’ll hear from three community leaders who all recently participated in a panel on polarization hosted by George Fox University’s Civility Project. They include Kyle Palmer, mayor of Silverton; Ray Keen, president of the Rotary Club of Canby; and Rick Rogers, Mayor of Newberg, on what’s been happening politically in their communities and their efforts to bring people together.

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