New Washougal group aims to address ‘homegrown extremism’

In 2021, a group of Camas and Washougal residents came together to discuss critical race theory — an academic movement that examines social, cultural and legal issues as they relate to race and racism — and to try to figure out why CRT had become a highlight of contentious school board meetings across the country.

“We just wanted to figure out what this whole flap was about,” said group member Melanie Wilson, a Washougal resident. “Over time we became more and more focused on what was happening in the local school system — schools being where a lot of the political action is right now in this community and a lot of other communities around the country. And over time, the group became more focused on anti-extremism than anything else.”