by Lauryn Bray
As a church choir sang “Holy Spirit Rain Down” alongside praise dancers dressed in pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a Baptist Christian congregation in the heart of Seattle celebrated the installation of its new pastor-elect.
Continue reading Historic Mount Zion Baptist Church Inaugurates New Pastorby Patheresa Wells
Remember when everyone was walking around their neighborhoods during lockdown? Wa Na Wari took the spirit behind the community engagement that comes from strolling through your streets and combined it with its commitment to being a container for Black joy. The 3rd Annual Walk the Block takes place on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 2–6 p.m.
Continue reading Walk the Block Returns for a Third Yearby Jas Keimig
If you’ve taken a walk around the Central District lately, perhaps you’ve noticed some things around the neighborhood that look a little different. On 23rd and East Spring Street, you might have spotted a banner with an image of a disembodied hand holding a brick of chicken bouillon billowing in the wind atop a tall lamp post. From the window of Arte Noir on East Union, maybe you’ve spied a cozy painting in banner form of two Black women and their dog gazing out at you.
Continue reading Public Art Project ‘Femme Noire’ Blossoms in the Central Districtby Jenn Ngeth
Ernestine Anderson. Ray Charles. Quincy Jones. These are some of the legendary names of jazz that have hailed from Seattle’s Central District to the global audience. Honoring the CD’s rich history of jazz infused with a strong focus on community outreach, the Jackson Street Jazz Walk (JSJW), a Music For A Cause event, will continue to entertain, educate, and give back to underserved communities. The 10th Annual Jackson Street Jazz Walk will take place in Seattle’s Central District, with one event in Queen Anne, on Sept. 8–10.
Continue reading This Weekend: The 10th Annual Jackson Street Jazz Walk Celebrates Central District Jazz Legendsby Patheresa Wells
The Teen Summer Musical (TSM) has been a Seattle institution for over 25 years, providing an opportunity for young performers of color to share their theatrical talents with the community. This year’s family-friendly show, Dream!, runs Aug. 18–27, 2023, at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute.
“It is our hope that Dream! will remind an audience that it’s never too late for dreams to come true. Settling for less than your dream can be the difference between happiness and contentment,” said Michelle Lang-Raymond, executive director of Acts On Stage Theatre.
Continue reading Teen Summer Musical Encourages People of All Ages to Pursue Their ‘Dream!’by Susan Fried
A little drizzle didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the thousands of people who showed up for the annual Umoja Fest, Africatown Heritage Festival & Parade on Saturday, Aug. 5. The two-day festival has been a part of Seafair weekend for decades, and there has been an annual parade in the community for 70 years.
Continue reading PHOTO ESSAY | Umoja Fest 2023by Jas Keimig
Nestled near one another on 20th and Union, events venue Made Space and salon Loving Room opened during the pandemic and have quickly become generative, Black-centered, and creative safe spaces in the neighborhood. And from July 29 to 30, the two businesses are collaborating to throw Books Bites n’ Beats, a neighborhood block party celebrating the Black diaspora in the Central District with food, music, dance, films, and books.
Continue reading Celebrating Black Culture in the Central District: Loving Room and Made Space Team Up for Multidisciplinary Block Party Books Bites n’ Beatsby Lauryn Bray
Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) will host Reunion on Union, a community dinner and block party on the corner of 23rd and Union, from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 30, to celebrate the rich community history of Seattle’s Central District and its legacy as a Black cultural hub.
Continue reading Africatown’s Reunion on Union Event Postponed to July 30by Patheresa Wells
For over 70 years, Seattle residents have come together for a festival that has had many names but one purpose: to celebrate cultural diversity. The tradition continues as Umoja Fest Africatown Heritage Festival & Parade brings food, fashion, music, art, and more to Judkins Park on Aug. 5–6, 2023.
Continue reading Experience the Vibrant Culture of Umoja Fest: Seattle’s African Heritage Celebrationby Susan Fried
Joy, just like the music, reverberated throughout the Garfield High School gym as Bubblin Brown Sugar — the long-standing Seattle high school dance contest — got underway on Saturday, June 17.
Continue reading PHOTO ESSAY | Bubblin Brown Sugar 2023
