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Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Day

 
On Wednesday Feb. 7, the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) and many immigrants and allies will gather at the state capitol building for a rally in support of WAISN’s 2024 immigrant justice campaigns.  The campaigns are for Health Equity for Immigrants to provide equal access to healthcare for all low-income Washingtonians, regardless of their immigration status, and Unemployment Insurance for Undocumented Workers to create a permanent, separate unemployment system that provides benefits to undocumented workers.
 
The Olympia City Council will also sign a proclamation designating February 7, 2024 as Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Day.
 
KBCS spoke with WAISN Executive Director, Catalina Velasquez about the work by immigrants and allies in the movement of advocating for immigrant communities, the campaigns and the event.
 
Producer: Yuko Kodama
Photo: WAISN

KBCS Black History Month – 2024

Celebrating Black History Month, I am excited to schedule some feature programming for broadcast on Saturday mornings before Gospel Highway starting this weekend February 3rd.  Listener contributions assist KBCS in supporting many producers, studios and program resources.  Links in this message go direct to the audio if you miss the live broadcast or access to the audio archives. 

Thank you so much for your support.
Here is the line up of featured programs for Saturday’s this month:  

Feb 3rd:
4am – The Takeway – MLK – Activism and the Arts
 
Feb 10th: 
4-6am – Black Radio Tell it Like it Was – 6 part Series 
4am – Part 1 –  “In the Beginning” and “Pride & Enlightenment”
5am – Part 2 – “Jack Cooper & Al Beson” and “WDIA, The Goodwill Station”
 
Feb 17th:
4-6am – Black Radio Tell it Like it Was – 6 part Series 
4am – Part 3: “Rappers & Rhymers” and “Sounding Black”
5am – Part 4: “A Woman’s Touch” and “In Control”
 
Feb 24th:
4-6am – Black Radio Tell it Like it Was – 6 part Series 
4am – Part 5:  “Civil Rights” and “Let’s Have Church”
5am – Part 6:  “Music” and “More Music and Less Talk”
6am – Sound Opinion: Mavis Staples
 
I hope these featured programs add to your education of our collective history and the celebration of Black History Month.  Please continue to share beyond this month.  KBCS strives to do more to represent more communities. 
 
Thank you again for your support.
 
Sincerely – Gregory D’Elia, KBCS Operations Manager
black history month

 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Rally at Garfield High School

The Seattle Martin Luther King Jr. Organizing Coalition produced the 41st annual MLK Jr. Day rally on Monday, January 15th.  It was held at Seattle’s Garfield High School.

Listen in to sounds and voices from the rally.

Producer: Yuko Kodama

Photo: Yuko Kodama

Garfield High MLK

MLK

Seattle MLK Jr. Organizing Coalition

 

Martin Luther King Day was founded as the only federal holiday designated as a day of service in honor of the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr. It’s referred to as a ‘day on, not off’.

One of the region’s largest planned observances is over 40 years old.  It’s run by an all-volunteer-run Seattle MLK Organizing Coalition. Many people may know it by the news footage of 1000s of people marching in Seattle. The Seattle MLK organizing coalition plans much more than the march.  It features an Opportunity Fair offering resources for apprenticeships and jobs, and experts who can look over resumes, The event also features workshops that start days before MLK day. 

KBCS interviewed Nia Angelique, the Seattle MLK Organizing coalition youth internship coordinator about this year’s lineup of events.

Producers: Yuko Kodama and Widder Sessions

Photo: Yuko Kodama (2023 MLK march photos)

Griot Party Experience

Griot Party Experience is an evening of authentic and inspiring storytelling to heal the soul.   Long time KBCS contributor, Logic Amen directs this event which features griots such as IamChamel, Monique Franklin, Deaunte Damper, Halisi, Na’eem Shareef, Mecca Amen and many others.  

Griot Party Experience is January 13th, 8 pm at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (104 17th Ave South, Seattle, Washington 98144)

Listen in on KBCS’s series of interviews with some of the griots from this event (more will be added as they’re produced):

Na’eem Shareef is a former Seattle Chapter, Black Panther Party member. Shareef describes his experiences of serving in the community as a teen Party member.

     

Halisi, mom of seven children, is a spoken word artist and coach. She describes how she navigates motherhood and her passions.  Halisi also shares tips on self care as a mother working in what she calls ‘the new earth’ 

Local music artist and rapper, IamChamel reflects on the journey into freestyling, and how rhyming has the power to build and heal and also to hurt within the community.  

Mecca Amen describes what it was like for him when his relationship with his father transformed from one of battling authority, to one of respect.

Joy Sparks is the founder of Hella Black Books aka the Black Book Fairy.  Sparks speaks with Griot Party Experience Director and KBCS Producer, Logic Amen about her background and why she started her business of selling Black centered books.

 
 

Producers: Yuko Kodama, Logic Amen and Widder Sessions

Photos: Logic Amen

Beats: Logic Amen

Fleeing Myanmar (aired August, 2023)

Mohamed Imran has been a student in Washington after having fled Burma years ago as an 12 years old. 

Imran describes his journey to the US and how he has stayed active in working for his community.

Producers: Laura Florez, Lucy Braginski and Yuko Kodama

Photo and drawing: Widder Sessions

Curating the Audience – Monique Franklin

Monique Franklin is the Founder of Inspired Child,  an organization that uses black art forms to encourage self awareness and empowerment and to strengthen the local Black community.  She explains why it’s important to her to ‘not only curate the artwork, but the audience’.

Producer: Yuko Kodama (special thanks to Logic Amen for help with the story)

Photo: from Monique Franklin

Learning Lushootseed in an Environment of Intergenerational Trauma (aired August 2023)

 
According to the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), indigenous language learning is increasing in Canada.  Tribes in our region have established multiple language programs to teach Lushootseed, the language of the Coast Salish in the Greater Seattle Area, north to Skagit River Valley, and Whidbey Island, and south to Olympia and Shelton.  At the Tulalip Tribe, Lushootseed Department Manager, Michele Balagot describes her experience learning Lushootseed in a household where her loved ones had experienced the American Indian residential schools.
 
Producers: Yuko Kodama and Lucy Braginski
Photo: Tulalip tribe 

Tribal Canoe Journey 2023 Protocol (aired August 2023)

The InterTribal Canoe Journey, otherwise referred to as “canoe journey” or “tribal journey” are a Coast Salish tribal event to bring back the ancestral cultural ways of using cedars canoes on the Salish Sea as a means to live in relation. Canoe journeys started in the 1980s and have grown over the years.   

Muckleshoot Tribe hosted Intertribal Canoe Journey 2023, welcoming 120 canoes to its shores.  Canoe families came from as far north as Juneau Alaska, British Columbia’s Campbell River and Ahousat areas, and as far south as Southern California. 

On August 6, the 2023 Intertribal Canoe Journey ended with protocol at Muckleshoot.  Listen to sounds and voices of the people there.

Producers: Yuko Kodama, Lucy Braginski and Widder Sessions – Special thanks to Maizy Brown Bear for help with this story

Photos: Widder Sessions and Maizy Brown Bear

Muckleshoot protocol

Line for dinner at Muckleshoot canoe journey protocol

Danny Stevenson – Muckleshoot tribal member

Jenel Hunter Muckleshoot tribal member

Stanley Jones Cowichan First Nations and Katrina “Alex” Johnson Ahousaht/Mowachaht First Nations (British Columbia)

Black Belt Eagle Scout

Katherine Paul or KP is the music artist behind Black Belt Eagle Scout. Her music has influences of alternative rock and traditional indigenous singing and drumming.  Paul is enrolled in the Swinomish tribe and is from Colville and Inupiaq lines.  She grew up in a family of indigenous drummers, singers and dancers.  Paul shares her approach and relationship with her music with KBCS’s Yuko Kodama.

Black Belt Eagle Scout will be headlining the 50 Years of Music and Ideas KBCS event this Wednesday evening at 7:30 at the Tractor Tavern, Alongside Richard Simeonoff and Mr. Sam.   

 

50 Years of Music and Ideas KBCS Event

Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at Tractor Tavern (5213 Ballard Ave NW Seattle, WA 98107) 7:30 pm (Doors open at 6:30)

get tickets here!

 

Producers: Yuko Kodama and Widder Sessions

Photo: by Nate Lemuel