Join us

Join Justice for Keaton Otis for a monthly vigil. Keaton Otis was a young Black man killed by the Portland police on May 12, 2010 in 2010 at NE 6th and NE Halsey. The police admitted they stopped him for “looking like a gangster.” Keaton’s father, Fred Bryant, started the monthly vigil on the 12th of the month after his son’s murder on the spot where Keaton’s life was taken. Fred Bryant did this for over three years, fighting for justice for his son, every single month in the rain, the dark, the heat, and the snow. Fred Bryant passed away on October 29, 2013.

Since 2010, Justice for Keaton Otis and community members continue to meet at the corner of NE 6th and NE Halsey on the 12th of every month at 6:00 PM to remember Keaton and call for justice. When the pandemic began in 2020, JFKO added an online option via Zoom for folks to still gather and honor Keaton and Fred. Since then, the collective hosts hybrid monthly vigils both online and in person (with masks required) to ensure that these gatherings are safe and accessible to community members.

Join community members at the corner of NE 6th and NE Halsey on the 12th of every month at 6:00 PM to remember Keaton and call for justice.

For updated information on monthly vigils, please visit the Justice for Keaton Otis Facebook page.

16th Angelversary for Keaton Otis

Join us as we commemorate and honor the life of Keaton Otis on the 16th anniversary of his passing.

flier for 16th angelversay event featuring photo of keaton and info about the event.

Basic Details:

Agenda:

5-6 pm peacekeeping

  • Altar co-creation
  • Parquet cleaning
  • Pantry/library restock
  • Seed giveaway/exchange
  • Letters to Keaton and Fred

6-7 pm special vigil

If you can, please bring:

  • Flowers for the altar
  • Shelf-stable food for the pantry
  • Books for the library
  • Seeds to share
Additional Info:
  • Masks required (available onsite)
  • Tea/snacks provided
Jamaaliz Jamjam Roberts 9th memorial for Keaton Otis, May 12, 2019. Photo by Pete Shaw
9th memorial for Keaton Otis, May 12, 2019. Photo by Pete Shaw

Thank You!

Thank you to the people and organizations who have turned out to support Justice for Keaton Otis

  • Alyssa Bryant (Keaton’s sister)
  • Tanika Burlie (Keaton’s cousin)
  • Fabian Shakir (Keaton’s childhood friend)
  • Pacific Northwest Family Circle (PNWFC)
  • Portland Copwatch
  • Black Lives Matter Portland (not operational)
  • Asians4BlackLives PDX (not operational as of 2023)
  • Black Arts Ecology of Portland (BAEP)
  • JoAnn Hardesty 
  • Lloyd EcoDistrict
  • Rev. Dr. Leroy Haines
  • Dr. T. Allen Bethel
  • Emmett Wheatfall
  • Mic Crenshaw
  • Blaque Butterfly
  • Lewis & Clark College – Student Leadership & Service
  • KBOO
  • Streetbooks
  • Arresting Power
  • Critical Resistance
  • Red Machete
  • Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ PDX)

This is not an exhaustive list. Many other individuals and groups have contributed to honoring Keaton and Fred at the vigils and events.