Black Portlander Kareem Patton was recently terminated from Do Good Multnomah, over a social media post that was forwarded to executives of the Portland, Oregon charity. According to their own mission statement,
“Do Good Multnomah supports Veteran-Centered Communities that inspire dignity, sustainability, and purpose.”
Kareem just so happens to be a combat veteran himself. He recently shared the termination letter on social media, which makes vague references to company policies, but never accuses him of committing any specific infractions.
I interviewed Kareem to get his side of the story.
Tom: “Tell me about your military service.”
Kareem: “I’m a combat veteran. I served in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus Korea. I have a combat action badge because I engaged in combat in Afghanistan. Actually, maybe a few days after these photos were taken, they almost killed me.”
Tom: “What year did you enlist and what drove you to enlist?”
Kareem: “I joined the Army in 2001, right before 9/11. I always wanted to serve America because at an early age I recognized American exceptionalism.”
Tom: “Wow, most people during that period enlisted after 9/11.”
Kareem: “I tell people all the time I love my country. I did at an early age. I think I started to get a pro-America attitude around 10 years old.”
Tom: “How old were you when you enlisted?”
Kareem: “18.”
Tom: “What did a day at Do Good Multnomah look like for you?”
Kareem: “I primarily worked on night shift, so we would always make sure the participants had ample food and access to their lockers. Because of Joe Biden’s economy, we were usually short staffed, so we had to stay mobile and go to multiple areas to keep the shelter safe and make sure everyone had what they needed. Because of mental illness and chemical dependency, sometimes there were assaults and destruction of property. When things were calm, we always encouraged the participants to talk to their case managers and we were there to talk with them about anything pertaining to housing. They may want to talk to us about how far along in the process they are or if they have any general questions.”
Tom: “What was your favorite thing about your job?”
Kareem: “Seeing veterans get housing, because a lot of our vets have been on the street for a long time. My best day was seeing a Vietnam Veteran, who had been homeless for 20 years, finally feel safe.”
Tom: “Do Good Multnomah claims you violated their workplace policy on ‘discriminatory or abusive behavior, including sexual harassment.’ Did they provide any details or evidence of this accusation?”
Kareem: “The only evidence they provided to me was something they saw on the internet, but they were not clear about exactly what wrong I did. They just didn't like my political beliefs.”
Tom: “So it was nothing you did at work?”
Kareem: “That’s right. They showed me Antifa Twitter accounts that had doxed me.”
Tom: “When did this happen?”
Kareem: “It was about a week before I got the termination letter. The HR director, Fletcher Nash, summoned me to meet with him. He grilled me about San Francisco and some pictures Antifa members posted of me.”
Tom: “What happened in San Francisco?”
Kareem: “It was an event about tech censorship put together by Philip Anderson, another black conservative. Philip was going to have me speak, but a large, violent group of Antifa broke through the police lines and crashed our event. I told Fletcher Nash about how we were assaulted, and how Philip, a fellow black man, got his front teeth punched out, but he wouldn’t listen. He interrupted me, saying that Philip was a Proud Boy, which is not true.”
Tom: “Sounds like he doesn’t know the first thing about Proud Boys or Philip Anderson.”
Kareem: “He’s just been fed slander from Antifa doxers. He showed me several Antifa Twitter accounts that were posting all kinds of garbage about me. There was a picture of me with a Confederate flag on my vest, which I told him had been photoshopped on. Then there was a picture of me holding a sign that said ‘It’s OK to be white.’ He was fixated on it.”
Tom: “This isn’t the first time Antifa has conspired to get you fired from a job, correct?”
Kareem: “Yes. Same industry; helping homeless veterans. Actually the job I got fired from, Transition Projects, is across the street from Do Good Multnomah in downtown Portland.”
Tom: “When did that happen?”
Kareem: “February 2021. Someone left an anonymous tip claiming that I’m ‘anti-gay.’”
Tom: “Why does Antifa hate you so much?”
Kareem: “Because I’m a Black Conservative. I contradict their narrative, so they have to destroy me. I even told Fletcher about them leaving threatening letters, the ‘Antifascist’ accounts, they literally have doxed me. I’ve had my life threatened by them.”
Tom: “Did the HR Director care about these death threats you’ve received?”
Kareem: “No. All he cared about was the ‘It’s OK to be white’ sign. I told him all that, and he brought the picture up and said, ‘tell me the meaning behind this.’ So I explained to him that I held the sign because I wanted to show that the slogan couldn’t hurt me.”
Tom: “How did he respond?”
Kareem: “He said that he wasn’t making the connection. He wanted to know why I’m not saying ‘It’s okay to be black.’ I told him that, of course it’s okay to be black. Then he started saying we’re being oppressed, not them. They’re walking in privilege.”
Tom: “And your response?”
Kareem: “I talked about how Black Americans have a history of standing up and fighting back. I was trying to make the point that we’re stronger than their words. But he kept asking how the ‘It’s OK to be white’ sign ties in. No matter what I said, he just couldn’t get over the fact that I was holding this sign.”
Tom: “Was it your sign?”
Kareem: “No. I didn’t make it. Someone else did. I asked them if I could hold it. I wanted to show that skin color isn’t important to me. A person’s character is what’s important to me.”
Tom: “Was Fletcher Nash the only employee who had a problem with you?”
Kareem: “Most of the executives didn’t seem to like me. They were looking for a reason to get rid of me. But I got along fine with all the people I worked with on the ground. My supervisor, who was also a Veteran, was supportive of me and told me that I do good work.”
Tom: “Why would they want to get rid of you?”
Kareem: “They don’t want to scare away personal donors. They get funding from the county, state, and federal government for their operations, but they love personal donations and they think my activities have jeopardized that.”
Tom: “Do you think donors will appreciate how Do Good Multnomah treated a black combat veteran?”
Kareem: “I don’t think so, but that’s just how these people at Do Good think. It’s not just about being black, it’s about following the narrative. It’s about having a hive mind and not straying from the BLM narrative about the Black American experience.”
Do Good Multnomah might be an “at will” employer, but it might do them good to remember the donations they receive are “at will” too.
Kareem is currently unemployed but seeking a new job. His ambition is to gain Oregon State security guard credentials, otherwise known as the DPSST. He’s trying to raise $250 to pay for the fees associated with the guard card. If you would like to help support this patriotic combat veteran, you can help him keep the lights on until he finds a new job by donating to his CashApp: $JamahlFilbert1776