Happy New Year from The Skanner

Looking back at 2015, I want to say a big Thank You to all of our readers and friends. This year, our 40th year of service to the Northwest community, you have been behind us in so many ways.

Many of you came to The Skanner Foundation's Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast to hear Ben Chavis speak about voting rights and education.

We hope you'll join us in January for the 2016 Breakfast and hear from a brilliant lawyer and a legend in his time: Charles Bonner.

We have been humbled by the generosity that has seen us recognized in ways we never expected. The Oregon Historical Society indexed our photos.

Commissioner Nick Fish nominated us for a Spirit of Portland award. Our awards also belong to all of you. Without you we would not be here. So, please, keep contributing your stories and sharing your views. They are important. 

The Skanner celebrated its 40th birthday. And you celebrated with us.

On the political stage we made some progress. It was the year of Black Lives Matter and Don't Shoot Portland. It was the year of Black Male Achievement and Ban the Box. 

President Obama did his best to humanize prisoners and reform the justice system.

But this year was tough too. Thank you to all the activists and the nonprofits working to help our most vulnerable families weather the renters state of emergency. Thank you to those working to take guns out of the hands of young people. And thank you to those working for justice reform.

From Ferguson to Chicago to Baltimore and Charleston we wept and raged. We lost good people. We lost some illusions.

But we did not lose our fight.

And we do not lose our hope and faith in a better future for all people.

If 2015 was eventful we can expect 2016 to bring just as many changes. Let's help each other make those good changes.

So from everyone here at The Skanner we wish you and your loved ones all the very best for 2016. Happy New Year. 

View the full cover and read The Skanner Special New Year Issue here.