Cameron Whitten facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cameron Whitten
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Whitten in 2013
|
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 8, 1991 Secaucus, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Residences | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Occupation | Community activist |
Cameron Whitten (born April 8, 1991) is an American activist. He is known for working to make communities better. He focuses on important issues like affordable housing, making sure everyone is treated fairly regardless of their race, and supporting LGBTQ+ rights.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Whitten grew up in Sterling, Virginia. This is a town near Washington, D.C.. In 2009, he moved to Portland, Oregon. When he was 18, he experienced being homeless for a time. Later, he went to Portland Community College to study.
Standing Up for Change: Early Activism
When Whitten was 20, he joined the Occupy Portland movement. This movement started on October 6. He stayed in Lownsdale and Chapman squares for 38 days. This was during the time the protest was active.
Whitten got involved in politics by running for mayor of Portland, Oregon, in 2012. He wanted to make sure everyone felt included and respected. Even though many thought he was an interesting candidate, he was not elected mayor. After that, the Oregon Progressive Party nominated him for state treasurer.
Fighting for Housing and Equality
Also in 2012, Whitten started a hunger strike. He did this outside City Hall to protest the housing crisis in Portland. He wanted city leaders to act quickly. The strike lasted almost two months. It ended after the Portland Mayor's Office agreed to some changes. Whitten kept speaking out about homelessness.
In 2013, Whitten helped with the campaign to make same-sex marriage legal in Oregon. That same year, a homeless camp was cleared. A burrito cart then took its place. Whitten organized a protest where free burritos were given out. This caused the cart to move somewhere else.
In 2014, Whitten became the leader of an organization called Know Your City. In this role, he led walking tours about Portland's history. He also wrote articles about police using too much force. These articles were published in local magazines. He also served on Portland's Transit Equity Advisory Committee. This group helps make public transportation fair for everyone. In 2014, Whitten joined cyclists to protest unsafe roads. This happened after a cyclist was killed in a bike lane.
In 2015, Whitten was a student at Portland State University. He was arrested after complaining about conditions on a Portland streetcar. In 2016, representing Know Your City, he spoke to the Portland City Council. He talked about how important it is for education to be relevant to different cultures.
In 2017, Whitten protested against a travel ban. This ban stopped travelers from certain countries from entering the U.S. During one protest, he filmed a violent event. His video was used in news reports.
In 2018, Whitten started a group called Brown Hope. This group works for racial justice. Later that May, he started Brown Hope's first event. It was called Reparations Happy Hour. This event got a lot of attention from news around the world.
Supporting the LGBTQ+ Community
In July 2018, Whitten became the temporary leader of Q Center. This center helps Portland's LGBTQ+ community. He was asked to help during a leadership change. He later received an award for the Q Center's work. This award was for their many years of helping Portland's LGBTQ+ community.
In February 2019, Whitten helped organize an emergency town hall meeting. This meeting was for the LGBTQ2SIA+ community. It happened after several reports of physical attacks against LGBT people in Portland. In June 2019, Whitten started a fundraising campaign. It raised over $100,000 to improve the Q Center.
Running for Metro Council
On January 21, 2020, Whitten announced he was running for Metro Council. This is a regional government body in the Portland area. He had support from US Representative Elizabeth Furse and other city councilors. He left his job at Q Center to focus on his campaign.
Personal Life
Whitten identifies as queer.
See also
- List of LGBT people from Portland, Oregon
