Community

Memorial Planned for South Seattle’s Pioneering Tradeswoman, Feminist Leader

by Helen Gilbert

A public memorial will be held Oct. 11 for Heidi Durham, one of the first women in the U.S. to break into the electrical trades, a 40-year resident of South Seattle, and a veteran leader in the Freedom Socialist Party (FSP) and Radical Women (RW). She died of Alzheimer’s in Seattle on August 23. Continue reading Memorial Planned for South Seattle’s Pioneering Tradeswoman, Feminist Leader →

Column

A Whole Person: How Seattle Is Working to End Discrimination Against Ex-Offenders

by Marilee Jolin

I’ve never seen him so dejected.  My friend Jackson*, who usually sports a smile and is always ready to offer an encouraging phrase, slumped through the room with his tall shoulders hunched and his face downcast avoiding my concerned eyes.  Before too long, I found out why.  The job he was so proud to have landed last week, was snatched from his grasp that afternoon when he showed up for training. When I saw him, withdrawn and angry, he’d just returned from this almost-job, “we don’t hire felons here” still echoing painfully in his ears. Continue reading A Whole Person: How Seattle Is Working to End Discrimination Against Ex-Offenders →

Art

Review: The Northwest Film Forum

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by Mary Hubert

I will be the first to admit that the film world is a bit of a mystery to me. Sure, I’ve done my fair share of small budget pet projects, but at heart I’m a theater junkie through and through. So when I walked into the Northwest Film Forum’s opening ceremony on Thursday and was enveloped immediately by film lovers in themed outfits, I was initially shell-shocked. Continue reading Review: The Northwest Film Forum →

Announcement, Community

Rainier Vista Youth Throw “Beautify the Block” Party to Counter Recent Surge in Youth Violence

Local immigrant and refugee youth from the Rainier Vista neighborhood of South Seattle have come together to throw a neighborhood wide block party on October 1st in light of recent violence in the community. Named, “Beautify the Block”, the youth led showcase will highlight local talent, community members, nonprofit orgs and business vendors with the intention to bridge the gap between neighbors and community based organizations, as well as demonstrate youth talent. Continue reading Rainier Vista Youth Throw “Beautify the Block” Party to Counter Recent Surge in Youth Violence →

Column

Articles of Faith: The Day All Lives Truly Matter

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Note: Articles of Faith is a regular column featuring social critiques from local members of diverse religious denominations.

by Marcus Harrison Green

(The following is the transcript from a speech delivered at Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation on Sunday, September 28th. You can listen to an audio recording of it here.)

I always brag to my friends that Westside Unitarian has the largest black membership of any Unitarian Church in the state. One of them brought that up to me when I told him I was fretting over giving a sermon on racism here today. He asked me how large it actually was. When I told him five, he said: “Oh five percent! That’s not bad, especially in Washington.” I said, no – 5 people. He said: Marcus I know being agnostic, you’re kind of iffy on that whole “does God exist or not” thing, but if I were you I’d get down on my knees in some intense prayer to him. Continue reading Articles of Faith: The Day All Lives Truly Matter →

Food

Review: Super Six Restaurant, Simply Super

by Marilee Jolin

Earlier this summer I walked down Hudson street in Columbia City and noticed a couple guys up on a ladder, painting a brick building I’d never really noticed before.  The logo was black and I could just make out the first two large S’s at the far left side.  A few days later, I was so happy to learn this would be the site for Super Six, the newest restaurant from the owners of Marination Ma Kai (Alkai) and Marination Station (Capitol Hill).   Continue reading Review: Super Six Restaurant, Simply Super →

Community

“Mind the Gap” Installation Builds A Bridge Between Mt. Baker and Modern Urban Development

Residents gather at the "Mind The Gap" overpass.
Residents gather at the “Mind The Gap” overpass.

Can government-built structures like bridges provide a canvas for social equity? Local Seattle designers took on this question by activating the Mount Baker pedestrian overpass with an installation for the 2015 Seattle Design Festival: Design for Equity, September 21st through October 3rd. The installation, “Mind the Gap,” explores a literal bridge connecting historic Mount Baker to dense urban development taking place in the North Rainier Valley. The effort addresses equity gaps in accessibility, infrastructure, and culture that frequently follow transit- oriented development in historic neighborhoods, by creating a sense of place through little- known and culturally diverse local history. The result is intended to inspire cohesive community ownership on a deeper level. Continue reading “Mind the Gap” Installation Builds A Bridge Between Mt. Baker and Modern Urban Development →

Events

This Weekend In South Seattle: Rainier Court Community Festival, West Hill Action Cleanup, ROAR Farm Stand

Events this weekend in the South Seattle area

Friday, September 25th

Movies: Opening Day of Grandma– DetailsLily Tomlin stars as Elle who has just gotten through breaking up with her girlfriend when Elle’s granddaughter Sage unexpectedly shows up needing $600 bucks before sundown. Temporarily broke, Grandma Elle and Sage spend the day trying to get their hands on the cash as their unannounced visits to old friends and flames end up rattling skeletons and digging up secrets –Time: 4:50pm, 7:10pm, 9:20pm-Where: 4816 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98118. More Info:  http://www.arklodgecinemas.com Continue reading This Weekend In South Seattle: Rainier Court Community Festival, West Hill Action Cleanup, ROAR Farm Stand →

Amplifying the Authentic Narratives of South Seattle