Ashland Sunrise Project​

From Sundown to Sunrise

Ashland Sunrise Project is a truth and reconciliation coalition addressing our community’s history as a Sundown Town.

What is a Sundown Town?

Sundown towns were communities that purposefully excluded African Americans and other racial minorities from living in, or simply passing through, their community through a culture of fear, violence, and intimidation.

Sundown towns denied African Americans the freedom to settle in many parts of the country and have contributed to our disbursement of racial demographics today.

What is the Sunrise Project?

The Sunrise Project aims to help former sundown towns develop new identities as “sunrise communities,” the opposite to a sundown town. Sunrise communities are places in which everyone can feel safe, respected, and like they can call this space their home.

The 3 R’s of Reconciliation

Remembrance: Understanding the harm that was caused.

Repair: Putting an end to harm as it continues today.

Redemption: Creating good from a story of harm.


Make a contributions to support Ashland Sunrise Project through the Oregon Remembrance Project.

How can I help create a SUNRISE Community?

  • Be caring and curious – start a conversation with someone different from you, and listen to what they say.
  • Be welcoming – break the ice with a friendly greeting when someone new enters your circle.
  • Learn history – learn our local history and talk about it.
  • Share stories – share your own story and listen to the story of others.

Ashland Together is partnering with the Oregon Remembrance Project, a Portland based organization dedicated to helping communities with truth and reconciliation projects.

Ashland Together’s intention is to create a new ending to the story of a sundown town by creating an ending where a formally exclusionary community becomes known as one of the communities most intentionally committed to inclusivity because of its history.

Check our Events Calendar for upcoming Community Gatherings

Place: Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Carpenter Hall on Pioneer Street, next to the OSF box office.

What You Can Do

The Ashland Sunrise Project is working toward Ashland being a community where everyone can feel safe, respected and like they can call that place their home.  People sometimes ask what they can do to further that vision.  As you go about your day in Ashland, you can let us know what you see in the various institutions you visit. 

Be sure to record

Place:

Location:

Date:

Signed:

and Send to:  tamsin.taylor26@gmail.com  In the subject line label: Getting into Action

Here are a few things you might look for:

  • When you are outside the building, does it appear welcoming to people who have sometimes felt like they aren’t welcome, for example see the list below?
  • As you enter the building, do you think it would be accessible for people with limited mobility: steps, thresholds, ease of access? (think baby/toddler carriage, wheelchair)
  • Once you are in the building, do you notice employees of color or employees that appear to be part of the populations listed below?
  • Are you greeted as you enter?
  • If this is a store, are there products that might particularly appeal to or are obviously created by people from the populations listed below?
  • If this is a service organization, grocery store, bank or restaurant, are there instructions, menus, or manuals in Spanish? Signage in other languages?
  • Is there art on the walls that would be welcoming to the people listed below?
  • What else do you see that might be noteworthy about this place being welcome?  What might this place do to be more welcoming?
  • You have been just observing.  Is this a place that we could talk to about how well they are doing and/or about what they could do to improve?
  • We hope that we can applaud those who are making Ashland particularly welcome and make suggestions for others.

Are you a member of any of these populations?  Did that affect how welcome you felt: People of Color:  Black, Brown, Asian, Indigenous, Multi-racial, LBGTQPeople with limited mobility, deaf, blind, Young students, Elders, Children

Click below to download A Brief History of Racism in the State of Oregon and the  Town of Ashland

Click below to download
End Notes and Resources Companion to booklet

Make a Donation to Ashland Sunrise Project

Click below to make a one time or recurring donation to support Ashland Sunrise Project. Donations are made via Oregon Remembrance Project. 

Ashland Sunrise Project to date

Launch of Ashland Sunrise Project

Taylor Stewart, Gabi Olga and Tara Houston
Carpenter Hall
February 12, 2024

Uncovering Oregon’s Black History

Mariah Rocker, Oregon Black Pioneers
Taylor Stewart and Tara Houston
Carpenter Hall
March 18, 2024

What Does It Mean to Belong

Cassie Preskenis
Micah Blacklight
Taylor Stewart and Tara Houston
Carpenter Hall
May 17, 2024

Holding Difficult Truths

Sarah Sanderson, The Place We Make
Taylor Stewart and Tara Houston
Carpenter Hall
July 8, 2024

Finding Common Ground Post Election

Mike and Emily Green
Taylor Stewart and Tara Houston
Carpenter Hall
November 11, 2024

Taylor Stewart at Mountain Meadows and the United Church of Christ November 10, 2024

Follow up with Gina DuQuenne and Taylor Stewart

United Church of Christ
January 17, 2025

How to do No Harm and be a Good Neighbor

Alma Rosa Alvarez, SOU
John Almaguer, immigration lawyer
Kathy Keesee, Unete
Gina DuQuenne
Rogue Valley Unitarian Church
February 24, 2025

How do you Reconcile a Lynching?

Taylor Stewart
Southern Oregon University, Meese Auditorium
May 8, 2025

Getting into Action

Cassie Preskenis and Gina DuQuenne
Taylor Stewart
Ashland Public Library, Gresham room
September 8, 2025