Teressa Raiford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Teressa Raiford
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Raiford's official 2020 campaign portrait
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Teressa Raiford
1970 (age 55–56) |
| Occupation | Activist, community organizer, former political candidate |
| Organization | Don't Shoot Portland |
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Teressa Raiford (born 1970) is an American activist and former political candidate. She lives in Portland, Oregon. She is known for starting a group called Don't Shoot Portland. This group is led by Black community members.
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Teressa Raiford's Activism
Teressa Raiford has been a strong voice for social justice. She works to make communities safer and fairer for everyone. Her activism often focuses on police accountability.
Early Experiences and Community Work
When Teressa Raiford was a child, her grandparents owned a restaurant. One day, Portland police officers threw dead possums onto their business doorstep. This unfair act caused many protests against racial injustice.
In 2010, Teressa Raiford's nephew, Andre Dupree Payton, was shot and killed in Portland. His case is still unsolved. After this, Raiford started Don't Shoot Portland. This group works to make sure police are held responsible for their actions. They work with the Portland Police Bureau and Multnomah County Sheriff's Office.
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Standing Up for Rights
In 2015, Raiford organized a march to honor Michael Brown. During the march, she was arrested by five officers. She was accused of blocking traffic and causing a disturbance. However, a jury later dismissed the case in 2016.
In June 2020, Don't Shoot Portland took legal action against the City of Portland. They asked a court to stop the Portland Police Bureau from using tear gas. Don't Shoot Portland also shared a report about riot control agents. This report explained the harm these agents can cause, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In July 2020, Don't Shoot PDX and another group called Wall of Moms filed a lawsuit. They sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. They argued that sending federal forces to Portland was against the law.
In 2022, Raiford spoke out about information given by the Portland police. This was after a shooting incident in Normandale Park. She asked for an independent investigation into what happened.
Teressa Raiford's Political Campaigns
Teressa Raiford has also run for public office several times. She wanted to bring her community work into government.
Running for Portland City Council
In 2012, Teressa Raiford ran for a seat on the Portland City Council. She tried to win against Commissioner Amanda Fritz. Raiford finished in fourth place out of five candidates. She received 3,840 votes.
Running for Multnomah County Commission
In 2014, Raiford ran for the Multnomah County Commission. She ran against Commissioner Loretta Smith. Raiford finished in third place out of four candidates. She received 1,986 votes.
Running for Multnomah County Sheriff
In 2016, Teressa Raiford decided to run for Multnomah County Sheriff. She ran as a write-in candidate against Mike Reese. Reese was a former Portland Police chief. Reese won the election with most of the votes. Raiford received 3,000 write-in votes.
Running for Portland Mayor
Teressa Raiford announced her plan to run for mayor of Portland in late 2017. She was one of the first people to say they would run. She started getting volunteers and campaigning in late 2019 and early 2020.
On May 19, 2020, Raiford did not win the primary election. The winners were Ted Wheeler and Sarah Iannarone. Raiford came in third place with 18,310 votes.
After the primary election, some of Raiford's supporters encouraged people to write her name in for the final election. Raiford did not actively campaign for this write-in effort. However, she also did not ask her supporters to stop. This meant her name was still a factor in the final election between Wheeler and Iannarone.
Images for kids
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Raiford's official 2020 campaign portrait
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Teressa Raiford at a protest in 2020
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Teressa Raiford's logo for her 2020 mayoral campaign
