Portland, United States
The Red Door Project is a non-profit organization with a compelling mission to use the power of storytelling to reshape racial dynamics. Against the backdrop of a politically charged environment and the troubling instances of conflict and violence between communities of color and the criminal justice system, the organization's work is both urgent and vital.
The Red Door Project's efforts have not gone unnoticed, with accolades such as Portland Monthly’s Best New Non-Profit 2012, City of Portland’s Best Nonprofit 2016, Regional Arts and Culture Council's Juice Award for Innovation 2018, and Americans for the Arts Robert E Gard Award 2020 underscoring the impact of its work.
The organization's flagship program, The Evolve Experience, stands as a groundbreaking initiative, merging live performances with an engagement curriculum to instigate systemic change and enhance public safety, particularly within the criminal justice sphere. The performance component incorporates monologues from well-received productions such as Hands Up: 7 Playwrights, 7 Testaments and Cop Out: Beyond Black, White & Blue, intertwining contrasting perspectives from police officers and African Americans.
The Red Door Project has conducted 13 Evolve Experience workshops since 2019, reaching a total of 1,740 individuals, including over 800 criminal justice professionals, FBI agents, judges, Oregon Department of Justice staff, and students from Oregon public schools, law schools, and universities.
The most recent investment, a grant investment received on 17 February 2023, came from Jordan BCC Community Grants, injecting further support into the organization's impactful endeavors.
