Story and photos by Susan Fried
Nothing really beats seeing a child’s eyes light up when they see Santa Claus, or even seeing a child with the opposite reaction, bursting into to tears after being forced to sit on the lap of some chubby, bearded man in a red suit. The secular part of modern Christmas is for children and for the memories we have of our own childhoods around this time of year.
2018 has been a big year for us at South Seattle Emerald — full of big transitions, big successes, and even bigger efforts. We’re growing our group of community advisors, offering free workshops, providing mentorship, and working on solid plans to be able to build capacity and deliver even more to you, our beloved community.
by Reagan Jackson
Rainier Beach is the new gentrification ground zero. I have a front row seat. I recently celebrated my seventh anniversary of being a homeowner. I have watched my neighbors get foreclosed on and pushed out. I have watched the house flipping teams come through and trim up the yards, slap up new fences, and paint over bright color with the neutral blues and grays white people seem to prefer. When I walk through my neighborhood now, it’s a lot less like the vibrant diverse place I chose to live in and a lot more like Pleasantville.
Continue reading The Displacement Tax: An Update from Gentrification Ground Zero
by Reagan Jackson
The Southend’s own hip-hop artist Gabriel Teodros dropped a new album last week called History Rhymes if it Doesn’t Repeat (A Southend Healing Ritual). Teodros grew up first in Columbia City then in Beacon Hill and got his start as a rapper as a part of the group Abyssinian Creole. In 2007 he released his first solo album, Lovework.
by Carolyn Bick
For the third year in a row, the Rainier Playfields echoed with children’s laughter, as they played in the sunny field, running through obstacle courses, whacking badminton birdies, dodging rubber balls, and climbing up rock walls during the Big Day of Play.
Continue reading Photo Essay: Big Day of Play Comes to the South End for the Third Year in a Row
by David Kroman ((This article originally appeared in Cross Cut)
Demont Corneleus is a large, African-American man with a bald head. He’s tough — a former Marine, and the kind of man who regrets that he was never deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Continue reading Exodus of Seattle’s Black Community Dims Hopes for Community Clinic
