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Treehouse’s 5th Annual African American Community Conversation

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Treehouse’s 5th Annual African American Community Conversation is on Wednesday, October 23rd  at 5:30 p.m. at the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) in Seattle, and I hope you’ll join us! This year’s conversation is titled “Black Excellence: Celebrating our success and preparing for the future.” We need each of you to join the conversation, as Treehouse seeks to close the academic/opportunity gap for African American youth that have experienced foster care. We encourage youth to attend the event and participate in the discourse as well.

 

The exhibits at NAAM are open to those attending the conversation. We encourage you to show up at 5:30 p.m. and explore the museum before our discussion.

 

See event details attached, and register at https://engage.treehouseforkids.org/AACC19. Feel free to bring a friend and spread the word.

Business and Labor Summits; City Tours Encourage Year of Return Visitors to Invest in Ghana

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NAACP Leads Largest Delegation of African Americans to Ghana to Commemorate Year of Return

Nearly 300 African Americans reconnected with their African roots in the journey of a lifetime marking the 400th Anniversary of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Baltimore, MD (August 28, 2019) – NAACP led a delegation of nearly 300 African Americans, ranging in age from 4 to 90, on a transformative journey from Jamestown, VA to Jamestown, Ghana to reconnect with their African roots and commemorate the Year of the Return – a landmark spiritual and birth-right journey inviting the global African family, home and abroad, to mark 400 years since the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to the United States.

Participants in the Jamestown to Jamestown journey, explored two complementing sectors in Accra, the cultural landmarks and monuments, and the prime opportunities for investment in the city, and to a larger extent, what the country represents for the Black Diaspora. Hosted by the Ghana EXIM Bank, NAACP President Derrick Johnson gave poignant remarks as to the purpose of the Jamestown to Jamestown trip, reminding the group that the threat to exploit Black labor is still an unfortunate reality across the world, and the need to recognize the value and power of Black labor and consumerism.

The group also took part in a variety of group tours in Accra and the surrounding area, visiting sites such as the home and museum of one of the founders of the NAACP, W.E.B. Du Bois, the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Park, the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine, and the very first cocoa farm in Ghana, the Tetteh Quarshe Memorial Cocoa Farm.

To learn more about Jamestown to Jamestown, please visit: https://www.naacp.org/ghana/ and NAACP on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naacp/.  Hi-Res images are also available upon request.

Emotions Run Raw During Visits to Cape Coast Slave Castle & Assign Manso Last Bath River

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“This has been the most life-changing moment of my life,” whispered an elderly woman to her daughter as they exited the female dungeons and walked toward the Door of No Return – the last port of exit before slaves were taken away from their homeland forever. On the other side of the door stood a placard that read, ‘Door of Return.’
“They called this the ‘Door of No Return,’” said one of the tour guides. “They didn’t want you to come back but look at us now. You have returned. You have survived, and you have returned to us.”

Emotions Run Raw During Visits to Cape Coast Slave Castle & Assign Manso Last Bath River

African Americans reconnected with their African roots in the journey of a lifetime.

The group visited Cape Coast Slave Castle – one of several castles along the coast of West Africa –  where millions of Africans suffered in dungeons at the hands of European slave traders. As the group wandered from chamber to chamber, hanging on to every word as the guide narrated the painful history of the ground they walked on, the agony in the air was almost tangible.

The journey began August 19th with a ceremony at the Jamestown Historic Center to honor the first enslaved Africans to arrive at Point Comfort and Fort Monroe near Hampton, VA.  The reflective, yet uplifting event included a processional, remarks from local and national NAACP leaders and an opportunity for participants to write messages to their ancestors.

The following day, the group visited the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, DC before traveling from Dulles International Airport to Accra, Ghana.

 

Following the tour, nearly 80 participants received the results of their African ancestry, through AfricanAncestry.com. People traced their roots to Cameroun, Togo, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal and more. The Haynes family, a multigenerational family of women traveling from Howard County, MD, were the last participants to be called. The crowd erupted in cheer and tears of joy when it was announced they were matrilineal descendants of the Akan people of Ghana.

Nearly 300 African Americans reconnected with their African roots in the journey of a lifetime marking the 400th Anniversary of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

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NAACP Leads Largest Delegation of African Americans to Ghana to Commemorate Year of Return. Drummers, dancers and local residents greeted the NAACP delegation at Kotoka International Airport, which included actor and humanitarian Danny Glover, as the group made their long-awaited arrival for the Year of Return. The group was first welcomed to the Jubilee House – the residence and office to the President of Ghana – for a photo opportunity, before heading to the Accra Visitor Center to meet with representatives from the Ghana Tourism Authority. Per Ghanaian tradition, the group paid a visit to the Mayor of Accra and Jamestown chiefs, who to announce their arrival welcomed them with a blessing. Warm greeting remarks were also provided by President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana. The group also paid visits to the village chiefs and elders in Cape Coast, as well as the Ashanti Queen Mother, a direct descendant of Nana Yaa Asantewaa – one of Ghana’s most acclaimed heroines.

 

300 African Americans, ranging in age from 4 to 90, on a transformative journey from Jamestown, VA to Jamestown, Ghana to reconnect with their African roots and commemorate the Year of the Return – a landmark spiritual and birth-right journey inviting the global African family, home and abroad, to mark 400 years since the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to the United States.

The journey began August 19th with a ceremony at the Jamestown Historic Center to honor the first enslaved Africans to arrive at Point Comfort and Fort Monroe near Hampton, VA.  The reflective, yet uplifting event included a processional, remarks from local and national NAACP leaders and an opportunity for participants to write messages to their ancestors.

The following day, the group visited the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, DC before traveling from Dulles International Airport to Accra, Ghana.

“In the Twi language of Ghana, ‘Sankofa’ translates to ‘go back and get it.’ We are standing in our ‘Sankofa’ moment,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson. “We are proud to return to Ghana to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors and reaffirm that our existence is one of strength, power, resilience and liberation.  This experience has brought us all closer together and we have the knowledge we need to continue to fight for all of mankind. Strangers became sisters, fathers became mentors, children became playmates and a generation of the Black diaspora found their home.”

The journey began August 19th with a ceremony at the Jamestown Historic Center to honor the first enslaved Africans to arrive at Point Comfort and Fort Monroe near Hampton, VA.  The reflective, yet uplifting event included a processional, remarks from local and national NAACP leaders and an opportunity for participants to write messages to their ancestors.

The following day, the group visited the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, DC before traveling from Dulles International Airport to Accra, Ghana.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® to Raise $1 Million in One Day For Second Consecutive Year in Support of HBCUs

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Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover, International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., presents $1.6 million to Historically Black College and University (HBCU) presidents at Chicago headquarters during February 2019 ceremony.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® seeks to raise $1 million in 24 hours for a second consecutive year during HBCU Impact Day on September 16, 2019.  As part of a four-year $10 million fundraising goal, AKA International President Dr. Glenda Glover is leading the challenge for contributions that can help to secure fiscal sustainability and success across all Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

“This year, we are simultaneously launching a ten-month campaign to secure larger corporate giving matches, corporate pledges and donations to our AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund, while continuing our efforts to support these all-important educational institutions,” said Dr. Glover, who is also president of Tennessee State University, and an HBCU graduate.

On September 16, as part of the sorority’s recognition of HBCU week, chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will host fundraising events around the globe. Donors can make contributions by texting AKAHBCU to 44321, giving by mail or online at http://aka1908.com/hbcus/donate-hbcu during the 24-hour campaign. Money raised through HBCU Impact Day will assist in providing financial support to these schools over the next three years.

“Last year, our members and supporters surpassed our million dollar goal in one day, and we began distributing funds almost immediately to support HBCUs around the country,” added Dr. Glover.

“This was a historic moment for Alpha Kappa Alpha, but it was also just as historic and meaningful for our HBCU families.”

In February, AKA gifted $1.6 million from their AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund to 32 HBCUs. Presidents from these institutions joined Dr. Glover and sorority leadership at a special Black History Month program at the Ivy Center International Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.

Organizations that provided the largest corporate matches to the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund in 2018 were Caterpillar, General Electric, Hilton, Houston ISD, IBM, SAP America, State Farm Companies Foundation, UnitedHealth Group, and Wells Fargo Bank.

These endowment funds can help schools reduce student debt through scholarships, fund industry-specific research, recruit and retain top faculty, and much more.  According to The Network Journal, roughly a quarter of all African Americans with bachelor degrees graduated from an HBCU (22%). HBCUs have historically served all people regardless of race or economic standing and continue to do so. These schools are often the largest employer in rural areas, and educate students from pre-K through college via teacher education programs, charter schools and early college high schools housed on their campuses.  AKA believes the importance of these environments of higher learning and the need to support them has never diminished.

For a complete list of institutions funded in the first cycle from the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund, and more information on the sorority’s commitment to HBCUs, visit our online pressroom at www.AKA1908.com/news-events/.

About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA) is an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African-American college-educated women. Alpha Kappa Alpha is comprised of nearly 300,000 members in more than 1,000 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Liberia, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Germany, South Korea, South Africa, and in the Middle East.  Led by International President Glenda Glover, PhD., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is often hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African-American women.” For more information on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and its programs, log onto www.AKA1908.com

Inquest ordered into fatal shooting of Charleena Lyles by Seattle police.

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Executive Dow Constantine today ordered an inquest into the fatal shooting of Charleena Lyles, 30, by Seattle police officers on
June 18, 2017.

The purpose of inquests is to determine the causes and circumstances of any death involving a member of law enforcement within King County while performing his or her duty.

A pool of retired judges serves as pro tem Inquest Administrators to oversee the process. King County Superior Court provides a courtroom as required by state law. A Staff Attorney hired on a pro tem basis assists the Administrators and will run the proceedings. The chief law enforcement officer of the involved agency will testify about the department’s use of force policy and training.

A jury of no more than six will be asked to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding the death. Instead of being asked whether the officer had reason to fear for their life, jurors will now be asked to determine whether the officer’s actions complied with department training and policy.

Seattle On The Line: Examining the History and Contemporary Impact of Redlining

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The legacy of redlining has cast a long shadow on how Seattle has developed and continues to evolve. Beginning in the 1930s, racial discrimination in mortgage lending “redlined” areas on government maps. Boundaries were drawn using various types of criteria to assess risk, including race. The practice kept people of color out of neighborhoods in hundreds of cities across the country, including Seattle.

Join us for Seattle On The Line, a panel discussion examining the legacies of racial segregation in housing in Seattle and the complex dynamics playing out in our neighborhoods today, 6:30 p.m., Friday, July 12, at Northwest African American Museum (NAAM), 2300 S. Massachusetts St. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is free.

Seattle arts leader Leilaini Lewis will moderate a conversation about the history and impacts of redlining in Seattle. The panelists are housing advocate Xochitl Maykovich of Washington CAN; artist Jake Prendez of White Center’s Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery; activist Steve Sawada, co-founder of the Chinatown-International District (CID) Coalition; and local artist Warren Pope whose exhibition, “Blood Lines Time Lines Red Lines,” is on display at NAAM.

Despite the 1968 Fair Housing Act ban of racial discrimination in housing and today’s real estate boom, the lingering effects of segregation and racist housing policies remain.

The influx of people moving to Seattle has brought significant change to many of its neighborhoods. Rapid growth is shifting the city’s cultural, economic and demographic make-up, leading to displacement pressures on lower-income households and communities of color.

Seattle on the Line is co-presented by NAAM, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Wing Luke Museum and Seattle Channel. The event will include free access to NAAM exhibitions, including “Warren Pope: Blood Lines Time Lines Red Lines” and “Edwin T. Pratt: A Living Legacy.”

We will tape the conversation for rebroadcast on Seattle Channel cable TV 21 and will post the program to the web.

Ethnic Fest has been celebrating culture & community for Over 30 years!

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Metro Parks. Wright Park Ethnic Fest 2018 Photos by Russ Carmack.

July 27-28, 2019
Noon – 7 pm

Wright Park
501 South I St., Tacoma, WA

Ethnic Fest has been celebrating culture & community for Over 30 years! Enjoy two full days of music, dance, art, and foods from around the world.

Since 1986 Ethnic Fest has grown to become the largest celebration of culture and community in Tacoma. Voted the best festival of the South Sound; this year Ethnic Fest takes place Saturday, July 27 – Sunday, July 28 from Noon to 7 pm at historic Wright Park in Tacoma, WA.

This family-friendly, free festival has grown in size and hosts Kid’s Zones, hands-on cultural activities and experiences, performer stage, as well as numerous specialty arts and crafts, food, and information vendor booths. This year’s festival will also include a 3 on 3 basketball tournament, for Youth (15U) and Adaptive Recreation divisions.

Vendors and performers

Basketball Tournament

 

Two Women and Minority Led Businesses in Spaceworks Incubator Celebrate Launch

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Michelle Matlock (left) and Aaliyah Al-Mahdi (center) at the premier Signature Event for The People’s Parlor, hosted at Spaceworks alumni business (Re)Style Clothing Company, owned by Kirsten Reynolds. Photo courtesy of The People’s Parlor.

Spaceworks Tacoma is excited to announce the launch of two new local businesses: Circle Up Productions and The People’s Parlor, both event-based companies. Circle Up Productions, owned and operated by Michelle Matlock, blends theater and circus arts to produce live shows, curate special events, and teach performing arts. The People’s Parlor, owned and operated by Aaliyah Al-Mahdi, brings one-of-a-kind nights of curated entertainment, local food, and craft drink located in unique, secret locations disclosed only to registered guests.

After ten years on the road performing with Cirque du Soleil, Matlock decided to return to her home in Tacoma and build a business that adds to the vibrant performing arts community in the city. She uses her expertise to blend theater and circus arts to produce live shows, curate special events, and teach performing arts. Her background in the entertainment industry has allowed her to successfully partner with other presenting organizations and joining Spaceworks has given her the knowledge and resources needed to run her business efficiently.

“Spaceworks gave me a risk-free opportunity and the tools to discover whether or not my business had a chance of survival. They also cultivate a culture of collaboration. So, the projects that I get to work on with other alumni of the program are incredible. All of the support is just amazing” – Michelle Matlock

The People’s Parlor is a passion project for Aaliyah Al-Mahdi. With a lifelong devotion to hospitality and bringing people together, she’s seen the benefits of creating close-knit communities in business. Al-Mahdi’s dedication to community organizations and military career have given her the skills to succeed. Through The People’s Parlor Signature Events, Al-Mahdi creates one-of-a-kind nights of music, food, and drink. Taking place in unique, secret locations disclosed only to registered guests, each Signature Event is carefully curated to be an all-inclusive, elevated night to remember.  While Signature Events are what they’re known for, The People’s Parlor also has short term, themed event series throughout the year.

“When I first moved to WA, I was so sure I was going to live in Seattle and be a city-girl. But after two months of going to meetups, trying to find my tribe, I was over it. Seattle’s vibe felt a tad pretentious and unless you worked at one of the tech companies, it was isolating. I longed for a community. So, I decided to create an environment where our community could connect and build fruitful relationships.” – Aaliyah Al-Mahdi

Matlock and Al-Mahdi joined Spaceworks Incubator program last year and completed the Business Planning Cohort in December 2018. After developing their business plans, they began market testing and determined that 2019 will be a series of specialty events hosted in unique locations. Spaceworks is thrilled to support these two women as they bring creativity and passion to Tacoma’s economy and stay engaged by finding collaboration opportunities and uniting creative entrepreneurs.

“I remember first meeting Michelle at the Entrepreneur Success Workshop. I had no idea that the clown world or its industry was a real thing. Fast forward to a year later, and our businesses are collaborating and creating an undeniable presence in Tacoma. A Clown and a Soldier. Spaceworks did that.” – Aaliyah Al-Mahdi

Upcoming Events:

 

  1. The People’s Parlor

A Signature Event: The Magic House

Sunday, June 30, 2019

12pm – 4pm

$50, must register at www.thepeoplesparlor.com

*Location revealed to registered guests only

  1. Circle Up Productions

Juggle Jam (circus skills) with the Artists of Venardos Circus!

July 11, 2019

12:00 PM

Urban Grace Church, Downtown Tacoma

FREE, must register at www.Circleup.fun

  1. Collaborative Event with The People’s Parlor + Circle Up Productions

A Signature Event: Summer’s End

Friday, September 27, 2019

Must register at www.thepeoplesparlor.com

*Location revealed to registered guests only

Circle Up Productions – Michelle Matlock

www.Circleup.fun

info@circleup.fun

646.541.2659

 

The People’s Parlor – Aaliyah Al-Mahdi

www.thepeoplesparlor.com

info@thepeoplesparlor.com

919-906-8132

FOR INFORMATION ON SPACEWORKS:

Gwen Kohl

Spaceworks Incubator Coordinator

253.682.1725

gwenk@tacomachamber.org

www.SpaceworksTacoma.com

Festival Sundiata Black Arts Fest

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The board of Festival Sundial would like to invite you to join with us in supporting Festival Sundiata presents “Black Arts Fest ′: This will be a wonderful family event held at Seattle Center . The festival celebrates the arts and educates the community about people of African descent who form a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. The festival will encompass, music, spoken word, food, vendors, information, employment opportunities an incredible art exhibition and sale, drill team exhibition, and much, much, more. Millions of people have been touched by the Festival Sundiata experience and come back annually. The free programs will be even more entertaining, with great production value and classic performances. Most importantly, Festival Sundiata creates an opportunity to bring families and diverse communities together in unprecedented ways.

Ultimate Art Experience at Festival Sundiata

The Ultimate Art Experience is a glimpse into the talent, imagination, experiences and artistic world of African American artists. This is an opportunity for our visitors to experience these creations up close and personal. Friday night during the weekend of Festival Sundiata Black Arts Fest there will be a reception where the opportunity to meet the artists and hear their stories will be afforded to all. Festival Sundiata has a tradition of presenting breathtaking art and this year will be no different as we carry-on the tradition. One of the advantages of Festival Sundiata’s Ultimate Art Experience is the art will be available for purchase. There are many components to Festival Sundiata and the campus of Seattle Center spans many acres, however the Ultimate Art Experience is a not to be missed component, make sure you take in the Ultimate Art Experience. Our Art Curator is Ms. Kimberly Ann Phillips