by Melia LaCour
At the tender age of 5, Dr. Debra Sullivan knew the education system was flawed. She vividly recalls receiving a stern reprimand from her teacher after reading an above-grade reading level book to her classmates.
“I don’t want you bringing books like this to school anymore,” the teacher said. “When you read that far ahead of the other children, you make them feel bad about themselves.”
Continue reading One Woman’s Lifetime Vision for Education Becomes a Community’s Gift
by Jacob Uitti
A day after giving birth to her fourth child, Catrice Dennis felt a strike of inspiration. Sitting on her bed at home with her newborn daughter, looking out the window to the world outside, Dennis whispered the words, “I love you just because.” Suddenly, the material for a new children’s book, I Love You Just Because, flooded her mind.
Continue reading Local Mother-Daughter Team Expresses Unconditional Love in Children’s Book
by Max Wasserman
Any other day, the boy smashing acrylic bins would have been turned away at the door. But this Tuesday, 10-year-old Xavier Fondale was part of a move-out team: a group of family members gutting The Beachcomber, a bar in Skyway that’s almost as old as the community itself. Continue reading A Home Away from Home: Skyway Ponders Loss of Community Bar
by Carolyn Bick
Zae Giri has come out twice. But the first time wasn’t by choice.
“The first time was in seventh grade. … I was at the doctor’s office, and you know on the paperwork, where they have you put down your sexual orientation? I put that down, and made my mom look away, made sure she wasn’t looking, but as soon as I started filling it out, she kind of peeked over my shoulder,” Giri said. “Later on, she confronted me about it in the middle of the lobby. It’s a good thing it was fairly empty, but, like, it was kind of embarrassing.” Continue reading “Queer Camp” Provides Affirming Space for Youth
by Kelsey Hamlin
Last Monday, for the third time this year, Alesia Cannady put on her beloved Skyway “Love Train,” a community block party and gathering.
From two streets away, the music played faintly, but once arriving at Cannady’s house it was bumping. There was an ice cream truck parked at the end of the street and orange traffic cones marked play stations. There were jump ropes, frisbees and chalk. Community businesses and churches tabled along the sides. Continue reading Love Train Rumbles On for Skyway Community Again
by Susan Fried
After nearly two decades the Skyway neighborhood finally got its parade back. On Saturday morning the unincorporated area of King County (though it maintains a Seattle address) transformed its Renton Avenue into a raucous street festival. Judging by Saturday’s attendance, crowd exuberance, and participation, community members most likely won’t have to wait twenty years for another one. Continue reading After Decades-long Wait, Parade Returns to Skyway
(This post was originally published on FredHutch.org and has been reprinted with permission)
It’s no surprise that there are health haves and have-nots in our country, particularly when it comes to cancer.
The health haves have money, insurance, socioeconomic and even geographical advantages on their side.
The health have-nots? Continue reading Top Cancer Groups Team up to Take on Health Disparities
