Land transfer | Bias in courtrooms | Rural schools

• A Portland contemporary arts center is transferring ownership of its building and land to the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation. Yale Union has held art events and exhibitions in an old brick building in Southeast Portland since 2010. The space will now be used to host Indigenous artists and exhibits, and to promote conversations for social change. Flint Jamison is president of the board of Yale Union. Lulani Arquette is president and CEO of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation.

• Oregon Supreme Court Justice Adrienne Nelson says unconscious racial bias — or any kind of bias — has no place in jury trials. And yet, she acknowledges, every person has these biases. Nelson helped create a video that jurors can watch before a trial starts that's designed to help them identify unconscious bias and minimize the effect those may have on their deliberations. At the same time, the Oregon Judicial Department is launching what it calls a strategic campaign, which includes partnering with organizations to bring equity to "underserved, vulnerable or marginalized" Oregonians, like juveniles and those with mental and behavioral health issues. It also includes training for judges and staff.

• School districts all over Oregon are getting ready for the start of a new school year. But what that will exactly look like is still being determined in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Kate Brown has just expanded the mandatory mask requirement to include children 5 years old and older. One thing is certain, students will be learning differently in every school, whether rural or urban — some more differently than others. We talk with educators Laura Thomas, Toni Myers and Leanne Goff in the Grant, Baker and Umatilla school districts to hear how they're preparing.

Contact "Think Out Loud"

If you'd like to comment on any of the topics in this show, or suggest a topic of your own, please get in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter, send an email to thinkoutloud@opb.org, or you can leave a voicemail for us at 503-293-1983. The call-in phone number during the noon hour is 888-665-5865.