Community

The Morning Update Show — 12/16

The Morning Update Show — hosted by Trae Holiday and The Big O (Omari Salisbury) — is the only weekday news and information livestream that delivers culturally relevant content to the Pacific Northwest’s urban audience. Omari and Trae analyze the day’s local and national headlines as well as melanin magic in our community. Watch live every weekday at 11 a.m. on any of the following channels, hosted by Converge Media: YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Periscope, and whereweconverge.com.

We also post the Morning Update Show here on the Emerald each day after it airs, so you can catch up any time of day while you peruse our latest posts.

Morning Update Show — Thursday, Dec. 16

Mayor Jenny Durkan | Gun Violence | What Has She Done for Black Community | Challenges for Mayor-Elect Harrell

Continue reading The Morning Update Show — 12/16 →
News

New Community Birth Center Expands Access in the South Sound

by Bunthay Cheam

On Wednesday, Dec. 1, Terri Chi-Lee held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Community Birth Center (CBC) in Lacey. It is the first BIPOC/Woman-owned birth center in the South Sound area and the first Khmer-owned birth center in Washington State.

The event — which was attended by a crowd of Chi-Lee’s family, patients, and friends — began with a blessing ceremony by Khmer Buddhist Monks from Wat Prachum Raingsey temple in Yelm.

“It was really special — a little overwhelming,” said Chi-Lee of the event. “I wasn’t expecting that many people … I can’t believe that it’s true and real and that I achieved it, you know? I always dream big. I’ve always dreamed big my whole life.”

Continue reading New Community Birth Center Expands Access in the South Sound →
News

State Investigating COVID-19 Outbreak Linked to Wrestling Meets, County Ramps Up Vaccine Availability

by Sally James

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is investigating more than 80 cases of COVID-19 linked to four wrestling competitions across the state. Some of the cases included the new variant omicron.

Continue reading State Investigating COVID-19 Outbreak Linked to Wrestling Meets, County Ramps Up Vaccine Availability →
News

NEWS GLEAMS: Virtual Black Santa, Seahawks Commit $500K for Youth Achievement Center, & More!

curated by Emerald Staff

A round-up of news and announcements we don’t want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!

✨Gleaming This Week✨

Continue reading NEWS GLEAMS: Virtual Black Santa, Seahawks Commit $500K for Youth Achievement Center, & More! →
Voices

Seedcast: The Land Is Happy You’re Here

by Jodall Mattson

Since time immemorial, Indigenous people have celebrated storytelling as a way to connect the present to past lessons and future dreaming. Narrative sovereignty is a form of land guardianship, and Nia Tero supports this work through its storytelling initiatives, including the Seedcast podcast, as well as in this column for media partner the South Seattle Emerald.

I started the Native Sharing Garden about four years ago. In the beginning, friends would join me in the dirt, maybe once a month. We would work a bit, share a meal, and share skills the way Indigenous and BIPOC folks do. As time has gone on, more and more of my days are filled like this, and I’m more and more drawn to making plans to do this long-term. This land is so special, and I can say that because, you know, I didn’t create it. 

Continue reading Seedcast: The Land Is Happy You’re Here →
Voices

OPINION: Spirit Returns 2.0 — Finding Solidarity at the Duwamish Longhouse

by Amanda Ong

“We were second-class citizens in our own land,” my grandfather used to tell me, perhaps the only time I saw him with a hint of a scowl. Our land then was Hong Kong, where Chinese residents were under British control for 100 years. As the original inhabitants of Hong Kong were Punti, Hakka, Tanka, and Hokkien, the island has always been ethnically Chinese. My grandfather seldom spoke about the marginalization my family experienced during their time in Hong Kong as a British colony and when he did, he was brief. When my mother was a child in the 1960s, our family made the decision to leave Hong Kong to be second-class citizens in another land, hoping for something called “opportunity.” 

Continue reading OPINION: Spirit Returns 2.0 — Finding Solidarity at the Duwamish Longhouse →
Community

The Morning Update Show — 12/15

The Morning Update Show — hosted by Trae Holiday and The Big O (Omari Salisbury) — is the only weekday news and information livestream that delivers culturally relevant content to the Pacific Northwest’s urban audience. Omari and Trae analyze the day’s local and national headlines as well as melanin magic in our community. Watch live every weekday at 11 a.m. on any of the following channels, hosted by Converge Media: YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Periscope, and whereweconverge.com.

We also post the Morning Update Show here on the Emerald each day after it airs, so you can catch up any time of day while you peruse our latest posts.

Morning Update Show — Wednesday, Dec. 15

Councilmember Juarez | Metier Brewing | LIVE — Jake Gravbrot | LIVE — G. Prez Asphy

Continue reading The Morning Update Show — 12/15 →
News

Sound Transit Searching for Equitable Fare Enforcement Solutions

by Lizz Giordano

Two years after Sound Transit acknowledged that internal data showed Black and low-income riders were more likely to be cited and punished for failing to pay on trains, the agency is still searching for a solution for fare enforcement equity.

According to 2018–2019 rider surveys and enforcement data, 9% of light rail and Sounder train riders were Black but accounted for 21% of the people cited or fined by officers. And nearly 60% of the riders cited had a household income of less than $50,000.

Continue reading Sound Transit Searching for Equitable Fare Enforcement Solutions →
News

Community Rallies Behind Local Business Owners

1 Comment

by Ronnie Estoque

When the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country abruptly in March of last year, many worried what the impact on local small businesses would be. 

Small businesses in South Seattle had to adjust and pivot their business models to weather the brunt of the pandemic, and many of them found unwavering support from the local community. 

Continue reading Community Rallies Behind Local Business Owners →
News

Too Many Patients, Too Few Staff Members Create Unsafe Conditions, Unions Announce

by Sally James

Nurses and other hospital-based workers joined union officials Dec. 13 to launch a lobbying effort aimed at creating minimum standards for staff numbers in hospitals.

In an emotional press conference by livestream, several workers shared their own experiences with covering gaps left by short staffing. There were staff shortages before the pandemic began, but the crucible of the outbreak made it worse. The project is called the Washington Safe and Healthy Campaign. 

Continue reading Too Many Patients, Too Few Staff Members Create Unsafe Conditions, Unions Announce →

Amplifying the Authentic Narratives of South Seattle