Club Meeting: Empowering the Formerly Incarcerated

Kyle Colleen Black, Policy and Outreach Associate at the Oregon Justice Resource Center, is driven by a deep understanding of the harmful effects of incarceration on individuals, families, and communities. She actively advocates for those impacted by the carceral system, engaging in discussions with state leaders and raising awareness through talks at Oregon universities. Her outreach work is centered on promoting systemic improvements, emphasizing accountability, transparency, rehabilitation, and a shift from punitive measures to a restorative and healing approach.

The Rotary Club of Wilsonville meets weekly Thursdays at noon to carry out its purpose of providing service and fellowship to members and the Wilsonville community. Guests are welcome. Lunch is available off the menu; please arrive and order by 11:45 a.m. if you are ordering lunch. For more information, email president@wilsonvillerotary.com.

Official bio:

Kyle Colleen Black, born and raised in Oregon, explored various career paths in her twenties. She pursued roles in accounting and inventory control across different industries, including brokerage, money management, and the lumber sector. While working as a Director’s Assistant in a Cosmetology School, Black discovered her love for art, leading her to become a licensed cosmetologist and tutor for nine years. However, it was her varying career experiences that helped her realize her true passion lay not in numbers or creative pursuits, but in people.

For over two decades, Black has dedicated herself to volunteering as a Life Coach, providing support, encouragement, and hope to women in need. Recognizing the overwhelming number of people underserved and in need of care, she turned her focus towards addressing these issues. This commitment led her to join the Oregon Justice Resource Center (OJRC) as a Policy and Outreach Associate. OJRC, a non-profit law firm, focuses on offering accessible legal representation and services to those affected by poverty, underprivilege, gender bias, racial disparity, and the carceral system.

Black’s role at OJRC is fueled by her awareness of the devastating impact that cycles of incarceration have on communities, individuals, and their families. She is deeply committed to advocating for those affected. Her efforts include speaking at various Oregon universities to raise awareness of the carceral system and representing OJRC at the State Capitol, engaging with leadership to discuss changes to the current incarceration system. Through her outreach work, Black aims to promote improvement through accountability, transparency, rehabilitation, community engagement, and shifting from a punitive to a restorative and healing approach for all those affected by crime and the carceral system.