Category Archives: Community

Community

‘Reconciliation Tour’ Documentary Connects Black Baseball History-Makers to Young Athletes Today

by Victor Simoes

Baseball Beyond Borders (BBB), a Kent-based organization that uses baseball as a tool to increase opportunity and support academic excellence for student-athletes of color, released its first documentary, Reconciliation Tour, in September. The film centers on baseball’s healing power through community building and the athletes’ shared experiences while paying homage to the sport’s historic role in the fight for civil rights and its place in Black American culture. Made in partnership with local Black media production company Converge, the documentary follows 21 BBB members on a trip to the South. 

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Community

Remembering Francisca Garcia: A Pillar of the South End Latino Community

by Agueda Pacheco Flores

You can’t tell Francisca Garcia’s story without telling the story of her family and her community. 

“My mother was, in my view, a giant, a force to be reckoned with,” said her daughter Luna Garcia, between laughs as she recalled her mother. “If she decided something, no matter how outlandish, she made it happen.”

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Community

KD Hall Foundation to Hold Leadership Conference for Girls in Honor of Women’s History Month

by Lauryn Bray

On Saturday, March 25, the KD Hall Foundation, a nonprofit organization for women and girls, will be holding an all-girl conference, for girls ages 11 to 17, to celebrate Women’s History Month. Rising Together: Advancing Pay Equity and Leadership Opportunities for Women and Girls will be about educating members of the Girls on the Rise (GOTR) program about pay equity and opportunity gaps, as well as to get more girls involved with GOTR. The Foundation’s annual conferences are an integral part of its goal to educate, mentor, and support young girls to become leaders and change-makers in their communities. The girls will hear from several distinguished guests, like Seattle Storm Community Relations Director and retired WNBA player Crystal Langhorne, and will be invited to participate in workshops centered around leadership, confidence building, entrepreneurship, and networking.

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Community

A Guide to Ramadan Events in 2023

by Nura Ahmed

This year, Ramadan starts March 23 and ends April 22, depending on when the crescent moon first appears. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar, which reckons time by the moon. It is a part of the five pillars of Islam, a series of obligations that every Muslim needs to abide by. During the month, Muslims fast from sunup to sundown, keeping up with their prayers and working towards purifying their hearts and actions. 

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Community

Massage Parlor Outreach Project Holds Third Annual Vigil for 2021 Atlanta Shootings

by Amanda Ong

On March 16 from 9 to 11 a.m. in Hing Hay Park, the Massage Parlor Outreach Project (MPOP) will be hosting its third annual vigil commemorating the eight lives lost in a shooting in Atlanta on March 17, 2021. Those killed were Soon Chung Park, Suncha Kim, Yong Yue, Hyun Jung Grant, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez, and Paul Andre Michels. Six of those lost were Asian women and massage parlor workers. 

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Community

Anyone Can Grow Their Own Food: Tilth Alliance Hosts Spring Edible Plant Sale in Rainier Beach

by Amanda Ong

On March 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tilth Alliance will be hosting an Edible Plant Sale at the Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands. The sale will include plants bearing fruits, greens, and more, all for between $5 and $15.

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Community

Talking Community Health With New ICHS CEO Kelli Nomura

International Community Health Services celebrates 50th anniversary, and new leadership

by Amanda Ong

Last November, Kelli Nomura stepped into the role of CEO of International Community Health Services (ICHS) following Teresita Batayola’s appointment to President Biden’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiʻians, and Pacific Islanders, after 17 years in the position. Nomura comes into the position having worked with Batayola and ICHS staff as a member of the ICHS board, and already knowing the ins and outs of ICHS as well as the work it does, the challenges it faces, and the services it offers. Nomura’s appointment to the role comes as ICHS celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

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Community

Somali Family Safety Task Force Teaches Somali Through Storybooks

by Amanda Ong

For the past seven years, the Somali Family Safety Task Force, which is based out of New Holly, where a significant portion of the Somali community lives, has been providing Somali and other East African families with resources around career, education, and personal development. What many people don’t know is that the Task Force is just as invested in preserving connections to Somali language and culture. Since 2017, they have published eight books aimed at Somali American families to practice reading and writing in Somali. The latest five Somali/English bilingual children’s storybooks, which had their book launch in January, were created by the Task Force with the support of Best Starts for Kids.

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Community

‘Makibaka! Huwag Matakot!’ Seattle Filipino Youth Attend Anakbayan U.S.A.’s Fourth National Congress

by Victor Simoes

The Seattle Globalist was a daily online publication that covered the connections between local and global issues in Seattle. The Emerald is keeping alive its legacy of highlighting our city’s diverse voices by regularly publishing and re-publishing stories aligned with the Globalist’s mission. 

In early February, Anakbayan South Seattle (ABSS) sent 14 organizers to the Bay Area for the Anakbayan U.S.A. Fourth National Congress and the BAYAN U.S.A. Seventh National Congress. This gathering of over 300 people from across the country aimed to unite on a program to strengthen the National Democratic Movement in the U.S. through a series of actions, workshops, and discussions centered around the call “Laban Bayan! Unite the masses to defeat the fascist U.S.-Marcos II regime and fight for national democracy!” 

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Community

The Future of Black Seattle: Organizers and Community Members Meet for 2023 State of Africatown

by Lauryn Bray

This past Saturday, Feb. 25, community organizers and members, elected officials, and Black Seattle residents gathered together at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute to join Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) in “celebrating a decade of realizing the vision of Black Seattle.” Hosted by TraeAnna Holiday, 2023’s State of Africatown celebration held space for over 15 speakers to present the ways in which they are invested in making their community thrive. Although the speakers came from an array of backgrounds, representing different fields of work, including health care, education, and philanthropy, through their songs and stories, each of them spoke to a collective vision and commitment to protecting, promoting, and preserving the potential of Seattle’s Black communities. 

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