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Bridging the Divide Through Music

Miriam Oomen is a musician (fiddle player), teaches music and plays in old-time bands.  She hails from Eugene, Oregon and was at Bellevue College as a speaker at a Bellevue College event, Voices United: A Week of Campus-Wide and Civic Conversation.  It provides the opportunity to discuss why and how to have conversations about difficult or complex topics.  Oomen describes how music has bridged the divide for her.

The Future of US-China Relations

Governor Gary Locke, who serves as Interim President at Bellevue College spoke on campus about the future of US-China relations on May 16th. 

Governor Locke served as Washington State Governor from 1997-2005.  He served as the 36th US Secretary of Commerce from 2009 to 2011 and as ambassador to China from 2011 to 2014. 

The event was hosted by Bellevue College Business Leadership Community and the Asian Pacific Islander Student Association.

Special thanks to Bellevue College Digital Media Arts Department for the recording.

 

Transforming Intergenerational Pain into Inspiration and Strength

 
Lauren Iida is a local artist, whose work adorns public spaces including the Washington State Convention Center, Plymouth Housing in Seattle and Uncle Bob’s place in Seattle’s Chinatown International District.  Her main medium is hand-cut paper. 
 
Iida’s Japanese American grandparents were incarcerated during WWII.  They were among 120,000  people of Japanese descent who were forcibly removed from the west coast into barracks in the deserts of the interior US.  She describes how she processes her family’s trauma, and how it’s inspired her artwork.
 
Iida is represented by ArtXchange Gallery. She’ll be unveiling a 30 foot paper memory net featuring symbolic objects from the book, Swimmers, written by Julie Otsuka, May 19th at 7 pm at the Seattle Public Library Central Branch in downtown Seattle. Otsuka will be speaking about the book.  Registration will be required for the event
 
Producer: Yuko Kodama
Photo: From Lauren Iida
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sankofa Impact: Autherine Lucy

 

In 1956, Autherine Lucy, a Black student was expelled from University of Alabama within the first three days of starting a master’s program in Education.  Lucy had enrolled at the school just after the Supreme Court case, Brown vs Board of Education deemed segregation of public schools illegal. It wasn’t until 1988 that Lucy’s expulsion was annulled and she re-enrolled in the same program.  She graduated in 1992.

KBCS’s Ruthie Bly brings you this story about Autherine Lucy’s commitment to pursue her master’s degree.  This story is produced in partnership with Sankofa Impact. Sankofa Impact is a non-profit organization which hosts events and trips to engage community in informative and transformational discussion around the Black freedom struggle.

 
Producer: Ruthie Bly  Special Thanks to Valentina Cooper for help with editing this story.
Photo: Gene Herrick -AP News
 
 

KBCS New Streaming Link and Player

Greetings KBCS listeners and Supporters,
Our apologies on the recent disconnect with the KBCS streaming link.

We have a new Streaming Link
Here it is:
https://stream.pacificaservice.org:9000/kbcs

This link can be copied into media players and some ‘radio devices.’

Sometimes with a change to stream URL, there may be a duration of time before other devices and streaming media players like Grace, Sonos, Alexa and iTunes pick it up automatically.
Many similar services like TuneIn, such as Simple Radio, can pull a streaming feed from online search of websites and online streaming. This can take a few days to reset with the updates to consumer ‘radio devices’ and media players.

We also have a new player:
Launch KBCS Player

Sorry for the inconvenience with these changes.

Thank you for your listenership and support.
Take care
Sincerely,

KBCS Operations Department

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal Town Hall

 

On March 14th, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal held a Town Hall at Town Hall Seattle.Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal was elected in in 2016, and is serving her fourth term in Congress representing Washington’s 7th District.  The district includes most of Seattle, Shoreline, Vashon Island, Lake Forest Park, and parts of Burien and Normandy Park. She is the first South Asian American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. You’ll listen to excerpts of Congresswoman Jayapal’s Town Hall Event from Tuesday, featuring updates from congress, and an opportunity for the Congresswoman to listen to constituents.

If you’d like to contact Congresswoman Jayapal, you can visit her webpage here.
Pramilia Jayapal

Pramila Jayapal

Special thanks to the office of Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Town Hall Seattle for help in coordinating recording for this production.
 
Producer Yuko Kodama

Remember and Resist 2023

 


February 19, 2023 was the 81st anniversary of Executive order 9066.  It ordered the forced removal and incarceration of over 120,000 people of Japanese descent from throughout the west coast. 

In commemoration, an event was held at the Washington State Fair Events Center in Puyallup, Washington.  The organizers were Minidoka Pilgrimage, JACL Seattle Chapter, JACL Puyallup Valley Chapter, La Resistencia and Tsuru for Solidarity.

Over 7,000  people were incarcerated in make-shift shelters and animal stalls on the fairgrounds in 1942  for about five months until the incarceration sites were completed. 

The event also included a gathering at Tacoma’s Northwest detention center to support the detainees inside and call for an end to immigrant detention and deportations.

Listen in on the voices and sounds from Remember and Resist 2023. 

Producer: Yuko Kodama

Photos: Widder Sessions

Northwest African American Museum

 
The Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) just reopened its doors in January, 2023 after 3 years of closure for renovation.  Find out about the variety of programs the museum offers, and some of the current exhibits,  with the museum’s President and CEO, LaNesha DeBardelaben.
 
Producer: Yuko Kodama -Special thanks to Jalisa Bass for help with editing.
Photo: Anthony Bolante
 

Children’s Film Festival Seattle

 
Children’s Film Festival Seattle, is finishing up this weekend.  There’s still time for you to catch a flick with a kid, or to satiate your inner child.  The festival features over 150 films from dozens of countries. Showings are at Northwest Film Forum in Seattle’s Capitol Hill, or you can view all the films online through the end of the weekend.  
 
KBCS interviewed the Festival’s Director, Kendra Sherrill, about event highlights, and why an independent film festival for kids is important.  
 
Producer: Yuko Kodama
Photo: by Derek Edamura
Kendra Sherrill
Kendra Sherrill

NW African American Museum’s African American Cultural Experience Choir

The Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) is possibly the only museum in the country to house a choir.  NAAM was closed for renovation until January, 2023. During the pandemic, the African American Cultural Experience choir became the mobile arm of the museum. The choral group shares Black/US history  with the community through music that expresses the Black experience. 

Listen in on this excerpt of a KBCS interview with NAAM President and CEO, LaNesha DeBardelaben about the significance of this choir.  

Producer: Yuko Kodama Special thanks to Jalisa Bass for contributing to editing

Photo: NAAM

Music Clips: NAAM ACE Choir and KNKX

NW African American Museum's African American Cultural Ensemble singing