Tag Archives: Observance/Holiday

Voices

OPINION | This Memorial Day, Think About Honoring the Dead by Protecting the Living

by Michael T. McPhearson

Like most U.S. Americans, I am weary of the near-daily stories of gun violence and killing. It’s overwhelming. But unlike most people in the U.S., I have seen the pain and suffering in the aftermath of the violence. My experiences in more than two decades have pushed me to see that whether it’s war, street violence, police killings, mass shootings, or suicides, the pain of losing loved ones is the same, and people always ask, “Why?” 

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Community

Massive Monkees Celebrates 24 Years With a Hip-Hop Dance Competition, Community Jams, and Live Music

by Victor Simoes

Celebrating 24 years of evolving a distinctly Seattle hip-hop culture, Massive Monkees will kick off their yearly celebration, Massive Monkees Day, on Saturday, May 27. The three-day event will include a hip-hop breaking competition with cash prizes for the winners, outdoor events with vendors and food, and live performances from Seattle’s legendary B-boy crew. 

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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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Voices

Reimagining Black History Month: Victoria Santos

(This article is reprinted with permission from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and Reagan Jackson. Read the full “Reimagining Black History Month” series on FrontPorch.Seattle.gov. Stories and profiles will be added throughout the month.)

Victoria Santos is a cofounder of the BIPOC ED Coalition of Washington State, a multicultural, cross-sector collaborative of 200+ Black, Indigenous, and People of Color nonprofit leaders working in solidarity to promote wellness and restore resources in our region’s communities. She is also the director of the Center for Healing and Liberation, a home for transformative work, committed to the thriving of BIPOC community members and the liberation of everyone.

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Voices

‘Like Fine Wine, Black Joy Over Time’: The Necessity of Black Joy Narratives to Black Liberation

by Nacala Ayele

(This article is reprinted with permission from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and Reagan Jackson. Read the full “Reimagining Black History Month” series on FrontPorch.Seattle.gov. Stories and profiles will be added throughout the month.)

As a Joy Actualization Coach for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, I define joy as the internal sense of well-being, satisfaction, and contentment that is independent of external circumstances. For Black People, the necessity of prioritizing joy can be a hard sell. How are we supposed to be joyful in the face of viral Black death, police murders, racial, health, educational, and economic disparities that are driven by a white supremacist system, and the many other ways that the length and quality of our lives are diminished by white supremacy? During Black History Month, we do deep dives into historical trauma, tragedy, and oppression, all of which make it hard to consider joy as something that should be prioritized, much less as a tool for liberation.

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Community

‘Meet Me at Higo’ Recalls Executive Order 9066 Through Seattle’s Murakami Family

by Victor Simoes

On Feb. 1, “Meet Me at Higo: An Enduring Story of a Japanese American Family,” the traveling exhibit from the Wing Luke Museum, opened on Level 8 of The Seattle Public Library’s (SPL) Central Library location. The exhibit tells the story of a Japanese American family in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District before, during, and after World War II, allowing visitors to get a sense of the profound historical roots of the Japanese American community in Seattle. 

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Voices

OPINION | Love for the People at Seattle Public Schools You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

by Krista Hanson

I learned they existed just weeks before we met. I attended a meeting to create something called an Individualized Education Plan — the IEP, they called it, rolling it out like a one-syllable word. My son’s IEP detailed the minutes per week he would have with school-based therapists. I was a child who moved through schools without ever meeting these people, so I had no idea how central to my son’s experience of school they would become.

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Community

Honoring Black History Month: Events in the Seattle Area

by Victor Simoes

Last Updated on February 22, 2023, 2:45 pm.

Black History Month is well underway. The annual celebration conceived by historian Carter G. Woodson began in 1926 as a time to honor Black resistance and raise awareness of Black history.

A wide range of events are happening throughout Seattle, uplifting Black histories, stories, and brilliance. These commemorations include educational events, workshops, art exhibitions, and an entirely new museum organized by Rainier Avenue Radio, showcasing the achievements and celebrating Black historical figures particular to the Pacific Northwest.

Listed below are some events around the Seattle area to honor and learn from the vast history of Black culture, identity, and excellence.

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