Demetria Hester

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Demetria Hester in June 2021

Demetria Hester (born (1974-11-30)November 30, 1974) is a Black activist, speaker, and hate crime survivor based in Portland, Oregon.[1] She is a frequent organizer of and speaker at Portland's George Floyd protests, Black Lives Matter rallies, and vigils for victims of police violence.[2]

Early life and education[]

Demetria Hester moved from Tennessee to the Pacific Northwest searching for a fresh start for herself and her two children.[when?] She first moved to Washington state, then to Portland in 2014. She has worked at a restaurant, studied at the Art Institute of Portland and become a sous chef. Hester is fond of the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.[1]

Surviving a racist attack[]

Hester survived a verbal and physical assault by white supremacist and murderer Jeremy Joseph Christian on 25 May 2017, while waiting for the light-rail train in Portland. Hester claims police did not take her seriously when they responded to the incident.[3] The next day, Christian fatally stabbed two men and injured a third on a different train in what is known as the 2017 Portland train attack. Hester testified against Christian at his trial.[4]

Activism and arrest[]

Hester became a visible leader during the 2020 summer-long George Floyd Protests, and is a founder and lead organizer of Moms United for Black Lives, a group that participates in protests to end police violence against Black people.[1][5] This group is led by a collective of Black women, including Don't Shoot Portland’s founder Teressa Raiford and .

Hester was arrested at the George Floyd Protests in early on 10 August 2020, booked on suspicion of disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer, and held in the Multnomah County Jail.[6] Later, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt declined to prosecute Hester and other protesters who were charged with small nonviolent offenses.[7] All charges have been dropped.[3]

Hester led a group from Moms United for Black Lives to Washington, D.C. on January 20, 2020, for Martin Luther King Day, an occasion which she called a "beautiful and epic moment in history."[2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Oregonian/OregonLive, Jayati Ramakrishnan | The (2020-10-05). "'I've been fighting my whole life.' Demetria Hester reflects on Portland protests and her lifelong activism". oregonlive. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  2. ^ a b Madeline Holcombe. "Wall of Moms may have imploded but Black-led groups are picking up where it left off in Portland". CNN. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  3. ^ a b Riski, Tess (August 10, 2020). "Portland Police Arrest Black Lives Matter Activist Demetria Hester During Sunday Night Protest". Willamette Week (in American English). Retrieved 2021-04-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ Oregonian/OregonLive, Maxine Bernstein | The (2017-08-19). "Woman criticizes TriMet, Portland police response on day before MAX stabbing". oregonlive. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  5. ^ "Arrest of leading activist Demetria Hester in Portland galvanizes Black Lives Matter groups". Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  6. ^ "US: Hate crime survivor Demetria Hester arrested in Portland". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  7. ^ Associated Press (Aug 10, 2020). "Hate Crime Victim Arrested at Protest Won't Be Prosecuted". US News. Retrieved 6 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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