Orion Bradshaw
Bio
(M.A.T. / AEA) I am a Teacher & a student of Life. I am a Storyteller every single day & a Facilitator of Equity Justice principles. Constantly curious, ever seeking, attempting to lean into my fears. May the Learning never cease...
Stories (20)
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"BELONGING"
Here we are again, folx - reunited once more! Combating racial and cultural inequities in whatever manner we are able, attempting to craft a more just and illuminated world for future generations to thrive in. I am grateful to be on this journey with you; I'm equally grateful that you are continuing to seek further learning in this regard, and seek to take in more of Matthew Reynolds' prose on EDIA, Justice & Liberation...
By Orion Bradshaw4 years ago in The Swamp
Integrity vs. Loyalty: How are we educating our future?
Almost two years ago, I embarked on a journey with my longtime colleague, fellow Prince super-fan, and chosen brother: the one and only Matthew Reynolds. Through his newly-minted Consulting company, Matthew hoped (and strives vigorously every single day) to build, to create, to craft something brand new for our world and its inhabitants... something founded in equity, justice, and liberation for All. Something with "integrity, accountability, responsibility, vulnerability, hard work, self-worth, and unconditional love at its core." Something rooted in action, aiming to serve and uplift all of humanity.
By Orion Bradshaw4 years ago in The Swamp
Building a World of Belonging:
"Oh, you're a PRINCE fan, huh?", he challenged, scanning me. "You ever seen Purple Rain? Under the Cherry Moon?" "Well, no... not yet", I sputtered, probably averting my gaze toward the floor. "Mm-hMM", he retorted as he shifted his feet, indicating that this conversation was just about over. "You watch those films, and then we can talk about you being a real Prince fan." And with that, he rounded the corner into the adjacent room.
By Orion Bradshaw5 years ago in Motivation
"Let's Party. Let's Give Back."
The Time: Late Spring, 2019. The Place: The Bella Union Restaurant & Bar; Jacksonville, Oregon. (Lights up on Orion Bradshaw, sitting in an outdoor courtyard, sipping a pint of beer and perusing a small, white book. The beer is a pale ale of some kind. The book is 'My Life With the Shakespeare Cult', by Samuel McClure Taylor. Orion's brows furrow and his lower jaw drops slightly, as something in the book resonates with him. Little did he know that, one and a half years later, he would sit down at his laptop and begin to write this here article...)
By Orion Bradshaw5 years ago in Geeks
Why keep up the fight for Racial Equity day after day? This white dude’s WHY…
Recently, one of my best friends — whom I also consider to be my mentor within the vital human Work of Equity & Antiracism — asked me to record a vlog episode with him wherein we’d dialogue on the aforementioned subject of “WHY?”, as it pertains to our ongoing journey within our respective (and sometimes collaborative) efforts to continually battle for racial and cultural equity, both near and far. What follows are just some of the thoughts and feelings I put to “paper” in preparation for our discussion. I sincerely hope that You, my fellow Advocates and Co-Conspirators from all walks of life, can benefit from this in some form or fashion as you/ we continue to march proactively FORWARD toward a brighter future for our people. Thank you for reading. I hope to see you in the Work…
By Orion Bradshaw5 years ago in The Swamp
"Nothing Wrong."
One of those little things in life that has always given me big inspiration is a solo drive, wherein I'm actually able to take in the scenery -- a little thing that is far too rare amid the modern 9-to-5 grind. Which, for me, has been on hold for the last 3 and a half months -- for better or for worse... I think the former, honestly. Sometimes, you just gotta take several consecutive moments to stop and breathe. To really take in the things that are always there, just waiting for you to embrace an appreciative moment, or several. As a resident of eastern Portland, OR, one of those perpetual blessings, presenting me with year-round opportunities for inner re-calibration and healing, is the Columbia River Gorge and the span of interstate that runs parallel to it for many miles. All of this majesty, like myself, resides on the stolen land of the Chinook (more specifically the Multnomah and Clackamas) Tribespeople, First Nation stewards of the land during time immemorial.
By Orion Bradshaw6 years ago in Poets
In the fight for Racial Equity in the USA, we gotta VERB:
Merriam-Webster defines the word verbs as, "words that show an action... almost every sentence requires a verb." So let's get to Work, shall we? And if you're scared of the Work, that is ok. The great white machine has intentionally withheld the knowledge, habits, tools, and resources necessary to tear down and reconstruct a society wherein ALL its inhabitants receive the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness they are promised in this nation's sacred documents. The time for drinking the "dead white guy" Kool-Aid must be past us, my fellow Americans (especially for those of us who come from a life of grandiose privilege). I hope you see that, or at least feel it in your bones...
By Orion Bradshaw6 years ago in The Swamp
We Ain't Got Time...
One of the last live theatre experiences I was fortunate to have, before the Pacific Northwest self-quarantine process was implemented, was Dominique Morisseau’s Pipeline (2017), staged at Portland Playhouse. Not only was the play itself engaging, powerful, and a vital piece of storytelling for our time – but the poem that is interwoven throughout the script also affected me viscerally; that poem is We Real Cool (1959), by Gwendolyn Brooks.
By Orion Bradshaw6 years ago in Geeks
When our world grows bleak, we must dance to the rhythm... . Top Story - March 2020.
Spring's greetings, my fellow opinionated people! (*) I would like you to know: at this very moment, I am sitting in my favorite sports bar, sipping a beer, and watching professional basketball out of my periphery -- and due to the growing (and for some, paralyzing) fear of the coronavirus, this place is about half as busy as it usually is. Which means easier parking and priority seating, which is totally cool with me. I guess. But it has me thinking: if it comes to me being stuck at home in the near future, whether due to illness or work shutdown, which films would be my Chicken Soup for the Soul, as 'twere? Where might I run to first, to flee the binge-watching of super-TV, and find my happy place buried deep under the rising waters of preoccupation (and lack of work)? Where I landed was a universe filled with rollicking soundtracks and bodies dancing unencumbered...
By Orion Bradshaw6 years ago in Geeks
