Over the past 10 years, The Rhapsody Project (tRp) has grown exponentially. From its beginnings in the Hillman City Collaboratory to its now-permanent digs at King Street Station, this decade has seen it connect youth and students of all ages with the power of American roots music. On Dec. 2, tRp took the grand stage at Benaroya Hall for its Blues at Benaroya program in celebration of all it has accomplished. For musician and tRp facilitator Joe Seamons, it was a joyous occasion.
Retail workers across the state of Washington are getting ready to go to the bargaining table with Macy’s just before Christmas and a raise isn’t all they’re asking for.
During Black Friday, hundreds of Macy’s workers from stores at Westfield’s Southcenter mall, Alderwood Mall in Lynwood, and Bellis Fair mall in Bellingham went on strike for three days. The strike was voted on by workers in early October with a 96% approval vote if Macy’s didn’t offer substantial improvements during their November bargaining sessions.
Choosing a Medicare plan that meets your health and financial needs shouldn’t be a burden, especially during this time of year when most people are otherwise busy with holidays, get-togethers, and celebrations. In fact, a well-chosen plan can serve as a safety net, providing peace of mind for both routine and unexpected circumstances.
In the days after the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back national protections for abortion access in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health last year, I heard panicky speculation about what would come next: criminalizing people for their pregnancy outcomes. I have bad news, I thought grimly. That was already happening. It’s not going to be new. It’s going to be worse.
A beloved Beacon Hill mural and community space is at risk.
by Carolyn Bick
Over the course of the first uncertain year of the pandemic, Seattle’s diverse communities banded together to fill in the gaps where governmental programs fell short. Local chefs fed people. Visual artists gave the city hope. Mutual aid groups handed out masks and water. And all of it happened against the backdrop of monthslong protests and a national spotlight on the Black Lives Matter movement, following a police officer’s murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2020. It was in this environment that Feed the People Plaza was born, transforming the corner of South Hanford Street and Beacon Avenue South into a community hangout. With an incoming development in the works, however, the plaza’s days might be numbered.
After my brother’s unexpected death, I’m regretting the words I left unspoken. Despite our present polarization and political turmoil, we must create space for gratitude.
by Marcus Harrison Green
(This op-ed has been copublished with The Seattle Times.)
Thanksgiving is the day I speak to the dead.
It’s a ritual that began last year, the first Thanksgiving Day without my brother D’Marcus. No, there is no seance with the supernatural, nor summoning of spirits, just a jangle of regrets.
Pongo Poetry Project’s mission is to engage youth in writing poetry to inspire healing and growth. For over 20 years, Pongo has mentored poetry with youth at the Clark Children & Family Justice Center (CCFJC), King County’s juvenile detention facility.
Many CCFJC residents are Youth of Color who have endured traumatic experiences in the form of abuse, neglect, and exposure to violence. These incidents have been caused and exacerbated by community disinvestment, systemic racism, and other forms of institutional oppression. In collaboration with CCFJC staff, Pongo poetry writing offers CCFJC youth a vehicle for self-discovery and creative expression that inspires recovery and healing.
Through this special bimonthly column in partnership with the South Seattle Emerald, Pongo invites readers to bear witness to the pain, resilience, and creative capacity of youth whose voices and perspectives are too often relegated to the periphery. To learn more about Pongo’s work of inspiring healing and relief among youth coping with mental and emotional turmoil, join the Pongo Poetry Circle today!
Dear Dad
by a young person at CCFJC
Dear Dad,
Hey, Dad, even though I didn’t meet you I love you with all my heart. Mom says I’m just like you. I walk like you, I talk like you, even act like you. Auntie called me your carbon copy. I met Elijah and Leroy Jr. I’m surprised that outta all your other kids, I’m the one who looks like you.
