Portland is one of the whitest cities in America, with an extremely racist history. So who would have ever thought we would be the city to watch during the modern-day civil rights movement?

There you go, and here we are. Did we need reminding? Of meaning and truth? And its arbiters? We did. We always do.

The world is calling me to write. It’s also calling me to try new things and when I get scared, to surrender and try again.

What gave mid-century trailblazers like RBG the courage of their convictions?

Art–whether it be dancing, painting, drawing, film–creates a space for self-examination, helping us to envision possible futures, and better versions of ourselves. And the Jewish month of Elul is traditionally an opportunity for introspection before the High Holidays of Rosh …