Community Consciousness

"Community Consciousness".

By Marlon Crump
a.k.a "Mad Man Marlon."
Street Roots Vendor, poet, occasional writer


"Marlon, we're NOT going to let you DIE!"

A nurse from Emmanuel Legacy Hospital tearfully said to me two months ago. Her near-hidden tears equaled my own.

At 45 years old, I didn't know what to expect at ALL. None of us human beings do, until we're in a fateful-fueled life threatening experience. All my years of partying/hard living caught up to me in May of this year 2023 realizing this reality before my left lung surgery.

It couldn't be helped on my end, but no excuse to my self-accountability of self-infliction. I spent a week there with a hook on my left side forever leaving a scar draining the fluids as I floated my my mind on those thoughts.

Throughout my entire life and twelve with Street Roots, I've lived alone which society labels "demons" ........yet at the end of the day what's important is that if we hurt ourselves do NOT hurt others with your own pain and struggles.
When Im out there posted I represent......and NOT just for myself.

(Just recently I was upset when a few passerbys called me a pimp. Deeply offended me because of how I look. Ignorance is an illness.)


For twelve years, I've lived in Portland, Oregon. I've seen and experienced ALOT. For native Portlanders, that goes without saying. At home, I'm there working with community as well. Jolene's First Cousin, is where I've been staying literally since COVID-19 broke out in 2020.

This year Portland, Oregon Mayor Ted Wheeler instituted the "encampment ban" as an initiative form to covertly cover up its own TRUE objective to remove homelessness/people from its own streets.

(The confusing part is originally Wheeler proposed $27 million INTO encampments, yet efforts by the city intends to ban them?)

"Global warming, mass incarceration, homelessness, racism, the list goes on." Says Multnomah County District Attorney, Mike Schmidt." Anybody can sit back and talk about why we have those challenges.........and anybody can poke holes in proposed solutions."

Sometime later after my transition, I was appointed as "On Point Person" by JOIN in handling situations. (Hasn't been easy but we've always come collectively as a community.)

My sanctuary place of residence is a model ideal by Kevin Cavanaugh's (Guerilla Development) heartfelt dream to house each individual institutionalized on the street into the freedom formation of affordable housing.

(Released from "homeless encampments" or in my eyes "outside incarceration".......TRUE code name for "homelessness." )

When I'm not representing Street Roots downtown, I'm doing so in a neighborhood from which would seem as unfriendly to someone like me, (myself being an "African -American" male".) conscious residents can feel the energy of whoever's around them.

Next door to me is a hair salon, a cafe, a bakery, and a Mexican Restaurant across the street from me that are collectively in a community consciousness level of acceptance, and neighborly brotherhood.


"One of the things I love about working at Rocios is the opportunity of bringing cultural diversity to a community, and what that means in order to thrive." Lisa Santoro, General Manager of Rocios.

(Rocios is under currently new management.)

"ALL are welcome."
Hector Solorzano, Best Friends Cafe

"I'd like to think of the bakery as a safe space where community members can enjoy each other's company." Carrie Padian, owner of Unicorn Bakery.

"Here we meet over food, coffee or beer, and we figure out how our micro actions can lead to macro changes." District Attorney Mike Schmidt. "I'm grateful to be part of this vibrant and engaged community."

Mr. Schmidt has frequented some of the earlier on said above, as a neighborhood community member based on my interactions and observations of him.

Having each other's back like anyone would to a loved one whether you're a neighbor, a family member, a police officer, and DEFINITELY as a Street Roots Vendor.

Everyone's defiance to the demons that destroy us on a day to day basis, by reporting them to the world........and sharing to the angels that surround us who report their own as well.

"ALL these judges, but no lawyers!"

Quoted from me in "Living in a Mad Man Marlon's World" Street Roots 2022 Holiday Zine. "Finding Joy in Chaos
Yes, ABSOLUTELY!😃