Showing posts with label multicultural. Show all posts
Showing posts with label multicultural. Show all posts

Shoreline Schools Weekly Equity Spotlight: What is Black Voices?

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Jewell Parker Rhodes is the guest at
a Black Voices Nov 17 youth panel
Black Voices is the brainchild of Kellogg Assistant Principal Melyssa Stone and supported by the Shoreline Schools Collectively Organizing for Racial Equity (CORE) Team.

This program seeks to center Black voices, as well as celebrate and affirm our Black students and their families.

Our community partnerships emphasize that our commitment to families must extend beyond the walls of our schools. 

We recognize that when the lights go off in our buildings, or the laptop lids close, we still live, work and socialize together throughout our community.

We learn best when we learn alongside one another, and recognize the wealth of knowledge those within our communities offer. 

As a community, we must affirm our commitment to learn from and look out for our neighbors, including those whose voices have been underrepresented in our current systems. We are committed to fostering those opportunities.

This year, Black Voices will host monthly opportunities to engage in learning and community-building events. On November, 17, 2020 they will host a youth panel with Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes about her book “Black Brother, Black Brother.”




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Black Coffee NW to open Saturday with voter registration drive

Friday, October 16, 2020

New coffee shop opens Oct 17
Photo courtesy Black Coffee NW 

 

Black Coffee NW is set to open their doors Saturday, October 17, 2020 at The Junction in the site where One Cup Coffee was located before the owner's retirement.

The location was vandalized on September 30, 2020 when someone tried to break windows and set a fire on the outside of the building. Anyone with knowledge of that event is asked to contact the arson squad 1-800-55-ARSON.

Black Coffee NW Café, 16743 Aurora Ave N in Shoreline, is co-owned by Black activist Darnesha Weary.

According to their website, 

Black Coffee Northwest is about energy and creativity, and we exist to inspire and energize our community alike. We start with the best coffee and the best baristas around, add amazing local art, and bring you the most interesting publications from the world over.

Grand Opening on October 17 will feature a voter registration event.

Tess Owen at KOMO wrote a report for Seattle Refined about the new coffee shop:

Black Coffee Northwest is more than just a cup of coffee. It’s a movement.

More specifically, it’s a grassroots, youth-driven initiative creating space in a Black-owned cafe and community hub in Shoreline. Co-owner DarNesha Weary has been an activist for the past 20 years, and Black Coffee Northwest offers a tangible home for that work.

Read her article HERE



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Virtual Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Sunday, October 11, 2020


Virtual Indigenous Peoples’ Day will be celebrated on Monday, October 12, 2020 at 1:30pm on Facebook Live

Daybreak Star is hosting a virtual celebration with performances from Gathered in This Place Two-Spirit Drum Group, Haida Heritage, Robert Upham and many others. 

View on the Seattle Channel or on Facebook live.



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Kruckeberg Garden in October: "The Healing Power of Plants: a Deeper Look at Indigenous Medicine"

Saturday, October 10, 2020

Indigenous People's Day celebrated Fridays-Sundays in October from 10:00am - 5:00pm 

Kruckeberg Botanic Garden is excited to celebrate Indigenous People's Day with Shoreline Historic Museum! 

Through the month of October, they will be featuring "The Healing Power of Plants: a Deeper Look at Indigenous Medicine," a self-guided exhibit created by Rosabel Gomez and students of Seattle's Franklin High School.

Kruckeberg Botanic Garden is located at 20312 15th Ave NW, in Shoreline 98177.



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Shoreline Public Schools to host online event focused on family discussions of race on October 20

Friday, October 9, 2020



Talking about race is important, but can be difficult in any family.

In an effort to support families in opening dialogues and having conversations about race, Shoreline Public Schools will host Family Room: A Conversation About Race with Dr. Tanisha Brandon-Felder on Tuesday, October 20 from 6:30-8:00pm.

The event is part of the school district’s ongoing Black Voices series of community events. Dr. Brandon-Felder is Shoreline Public Schools’ Director of Equity and Family Engagement.

The event is open to students and families in Shoreline Public Schools. Space is limited and preregistration is required to receive the Zoom meeting link. 

You can preregister here: http://bit.ly/BVFamilyRoom 

Dr. Brandon-Felder will lead participants through an interactive discussion of how to openly and honestly talk about race as a family. The meeting agenda includes:
  • Discussing the social constructs of race
  • Examining racial identity development models
  • Scenario discussion
  • …and a fun read-aloud surprise

Questions? Email us at blackvoices@shorelineschools.org



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Indigenous Peoples Day Storytelling with Roger Fernandes and Fern Renville

Thursday, October 8, 2020


Indigenous Peoples Day Storytelling with Roger Fernandes and Fern Renville

Saturday. October 10, 2020 from 11am-Noon

Register Online for Zoom link (Registration required, limited to 100 attendees)

In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, Roger Fernandes and Fern Renville will share cultural stories which connect to Shoreline’s Indigenous history and current day. 

Roger Fernandes is a member of the Lower Elwha Band of the S'Klallam Indians. He is an artist, storyteller, and educator whose work focuses on the local Puget Salish tribes of western Washington.


Fern Renville is a citizen of the Sisseton / Wahpeton Tribe of South Dakota. She is an artist, a theater actor, director and playwright, and a Dakota Sioux storyteller. 

Recording will be shared on the Shoreline Historical Museum and Kruckeberg Botanic Garden websites for those who cannot attend.




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Meaningful Movie: Blood Memory

Tuesday, October 6, 2020


Meaningful Movies: Blood Memory

Tuesday, October 6, 2020 
6:30 – 8:30pm

Registration required HERE

Battles over blood quantum and ‘best interests’ resurface the untold history of America’s Indian Adoption Era – a time when nearly one-third of children were removed from tribal communities nationwide. 

As political scrutiny over Indian child welfare intensifies, an adoption survivor helps others find their way home through song and ceremony. 

Film will be streamed live with a discussion after the film. 



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Native American storytelling and songwriting

Sondra Segundo 

Native American Storytelling and Songwriting
Thursday, October 8, 2020 
from 4-5pm. All Ages. 

Native American storyteller and musician Sondra Segundo brings traditional stories from the Haida Nation. 

After a Read aloud of her picture book, Lovebirds: The True Story of Raven and Eagle, Sondra conjures discussions with students that lead to the creation of an original song inspired by how the story connects with their lives. 

The final song will be posted on a special web page at learningwithstyle.com

Registration required HERE. You will receive a Zoom link at the email you use to register.

If you do not receive a Zoom link the day of the event, contact Jennifer. jwooten@kcls.org



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Pork Filled Productions' Unleashed festival features staged readings online

Friday, October 2, 2020


Pork Filled Productions' Unleashed festival features staged readings (A stage reading is a form of theatre without sets or full costumes. The actors, who read from scripts, may be seated, stand in fixed positions, or incorporate minimal stage movement. --Wikipedia) online, with pay what you can ticket prices. 

Unleashed 2020, New Pulp Stories for the 21st Century features brand new works by playwrights of color, using genre stories (horror, SF, fantasy) to tell strong, plot driven stories
 
It runs November 10 to 14, 2020, at 7pm, online. Their November 14 play, Mustard Seeds, is being co-produced by The Hansberry Project.

Pork Filled Productions has set directors and dates for its third Unleashed festival, a celebration of new plays by POC playwrights. These scripts push past the bounds of conventional theatre to tell exciting new BIPOC-led stories in genres like horror, science fiction, fantasy and beyond.


Directors include Anny Ly, Grecia Leal Pardo, Zenaida Rose Smith, Nabra Nelson, Kiefer Harrington and Valerie Curtis Newton. Shows are at 7pm. 

Tickets are available online at https://pork-filled.ticketleap.com

Playwrights: (Top) Julia Izumi, Michelle Tyrene Johnson, Jesse Jou
(Bottom) Greg Lam, Mercy Floresislas, Patrick Zhang



The lineup begins Tuesday, November 10, with I Thought I Was Safe, by Patrick Zhang, directed by Anna Ly, with dramaturgy by Daniel Rector. An amalgamation of the noir and horror genres, I Thought I Was Safe explores multigenerational immigrant trauma as it converges with decaying urban America.

Next, on Wednesday, November 11, will be a night of shorts. The Golden Disc, by Greg Lam, directed by Gecia Leal Pardo, dramaturgy by Lydia Diamond, is about two friends who have their day interrupted by the sudden arrival of an alien object. For the Living by Chie-Hoon Lee, directed by Zenaida Rose Smith, dramaturgy by Lydia Diamond, introduces us to a world of scientific reincarnation, and asks profound questions of where one life ends, and another begins. A third short will be announced at a future date.

On Thursday, November 12, PFP presents 100 Hungry Ghosts, by Jesse Jou, directed by Nabra Nelson, dramaturgy by Gavin Reub. Graham lives on the most haunted road in America. After multiple tragedies upend his life, he begins to see spirits, as his neighbors’ own painful histories surface. Will he learn to let go of grief or will he meet a grisly end at the hands of one hundred hungry ghosts?

Friday, November 13 sees miku and the gods, by Julia Izumi, directed by Kiefer Harrington, dramaturgy by Stephanie Kim-Bryan. Miku wants to be a god. Ephraim wants to be an Olympian. Grandma wants to remember. And Shara wants people to just include him in the conversation, you know? miku, and the gods is an epic and small adventure that braids friendship, death, and power beyond what one could ever desire.

Finally, the festival caps off with a co-production with The Hansberry Project: Mustard Seeds, by Michelle Tyrene Johnson, directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton, with dramaturgy by Martine Kei Green-Rogers. On the banks of the Missouri River, a group of researchers gather at a former site of the Underground Railroad where slaves fought for their lives and swam for freedom. Under a full moon, old friends and colleagues are at each other’s throats as they struggle to reconcile their past. Nearby, spirits watch, as spirits do, trying to make sense of these mortals and find a way out.

A seventh show, CJ: An ASpanglish Play, by Mercy Floresislas, directed by Ana Maria Campoy and dramaturgy by Melanie Queponds, is being prepared for a special presentation in 2021.

Directors: (Top) Valerie Curtis-Newton, Kiefer Harrington, Anna Ly 
(Bottom) Nabra Nelson, Grecia Leal Pardo, Zenaida Rose Smith


The directors:
  • Anna Ly is a Seattle-based director and a graduate of WWU. The current Directing Associate for Macha, she has also worked locally with PFP, REBATEnsemble, Mount Baker Repertory Theatre, Village Theatre KIDSTAGE, Evergreen Middle School and Foundry10. She is also a member of the 2018 Directors Lab at Lincoln Center Theater.
  • Grecia Leal Pardo graduated from the University of Washington in Drama and Classics in 2019. Previously, Grecia has directed Aesop’s Fables: a Devised Piece and The Penelopiad through UW’s Undergraduate Theatre Society. Grecias is also a stage manager, who’s gotten to work with Pratidhwani, eSe Teatro, and Off-Road Shakespeare. 
  • Zenaida Rose Smith is Producing Director for MAP Theatre, Asst Production Manager & Casting Associate for Book-It Repertory, a freelance actor and a director. Directing credits: co-produced workshop of The Way Back; In the Grey City (Asst), Young Playwright’s Festival (Schmeater); selections of Spoon River Anthology (North Seattle College).
  • Nabra Nelson is a theater creator from Egypt, Nubia, and California. She is also the Director of Arts Engagement at Seattle Rep. Directing credits include: BLISS (or Emily Post is Dead!) (Renaissance Theaterworks), 26 Miles (UW-Milwaukee), Rep Lab (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), Exile From The Land Of Gold (Tessellate Festival).
  • Kiefer Harrington (he/him) is excited to be back with PFP! Last time he was here, Kiefer got to direct the virtual reading of She Devil of the China Seas. Kiefer was also involved with UNLEASHED 2019, working with Kendall Uyeji on his play Old & New. Other credits include: Hitchhiker (By the Seat of Your Theatre Company), Snow White (Assistant Director, Seattle Children’s Theatre).

The Hansberry Project

Currently the Head of Directing at the University of Washington School of Drama, Valerie Curtis Newton serves as the Founding Artistic Director for The Hansberry Project, a professional African American theatre lab. She has worked with professional theatres across the country including: The Guthrie Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Seattle Rep, Playmakers Repertory Company, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Intiman Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, The Mark Taper Forum, New York Theatre Workshop, and Southern Repertory Theatre among others.

Since 2006, The Hansberry Project is a professional black theatre company dedicated to the artistic exploration of African American life, history and culture. From initial sketches to fully-realized productions, the Hansberry Project promotes and supports black theatre artists of diverse interests and disciples, speaking on a range of themes and working in a variety of styles.

Pork Filled Productions

The oldest Asian American theatre group in the Pacific Northwest, Pork Filled Productions centers Asian American and POC artists to imagine fantastical, inclusive and FUN universes. Through the genres of science fiction, noir, fantasy, steampunk, horror, and more, we envision a bright universe informed by diverse experiences and perspectives, populated by larger than life characters, where everyone’s story can be told. PFP’s season is supported by 4Culture and the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Unleashed receives support from the Hansberry Project.

Pork Filled Productions is fiscally sponsored by Shunpike, the 501(c)(3) non-profit agency that provides independent arts groups in Washington with the services, resources and opportunities they need to forge their own paths to sustainable success.



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Wisdom of the Drum

Monday, September 28, 2020

Wisdom of the Drum
Wednesday, September 30, 11am-12pm
Register here

Learn about West African drumming, specifically from the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

Using historical fact and knowledge gained from original research from the Ayan (traditional drum society) of Nigeria, Javoen Byrd will incorporate a participatory drum circle facilitation, song and games for this interactive and educational workshop.

Learn more about Javoen's work. The Hawk Foundation

Sponsored by the King County Library System



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Shoreline Schools Black and Brown Families Virtual Town Hall October 12 sponsored by Equity Team

Sunday, September 27, 2020


Shoreline Schools Equity and Family Engagement Department will host a Black and Brown Families Virtual Town Hall webinar on Monday, October 12 from 6:30-7:30 pm.

Although this meeting is open to all, the voices and conversations will be centered for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

Join us to learn more about what has and will be happening in our schools and district to address the needs of our BIPOC students and families. This is also an opportunity for school leaders to hear the needs and concerns of our BIPOC families.

We really want to hear from you, so please share this information with your friends and family.

Register HERE

What is an Equity Team?

The goal of the Equity Team is to promote institutional change within Shoreline Public Schools to better serve our community. Each school and the district office have an Equity Team that provides direction and leadership in culturally relevant professional development, policies and practices. The Equity Team works to provide an equity-focused lens to examine our work and institutionalize change.

Equity Teams support increased capacity building and training on racial equity, anti-racism and culturally relevant practices of all staff, significant improvement in policies, procedures, decision-making processes, allocation and use of resources, community engagement and more. This work is grounded in a mission to support and advocate our families, staff and students who have been historically underserved.



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Indigenous Film Festival Screenings

Wednesday, September 16, 2020


Vision Maker Media is hosting an online, five-week-long celebration of American Indian, Alaska Native and worldwide Indigenous films from August 31 – October 5, 2020.

Check out the film line up HERE and schedule of screenings and discussions HERE.

Renton Library Meaningful Movies chapter will screen three of the films for free. Join us for the online screenings and a discussion after each movie.


Thursday, September 17, 6:30pmClick here to register

Attla tells the gripping but virtually unknown story of George Attla, an Alaska Native dogsled racer who, with one good leg and one outlandish dream, dominated the sport for five decades, becoming a rockstar figure for both Natives and whites.

Thursday, September 24, 6:30pm - Click here to register
Leitis in Waiting is the story of Joey Mataele and the Tonga leitis, an intrepid group of native transgender women fighting a rising tide of religious fundamentalism and intolerance in their South Pacific Kingdom. With unexpected humor and extraordinary access to the Kingdom’s royals and religious leaders, this emotional journey reveals what it means to be different in a society ruled by tradition, and what it takes to be accepted without forsaking who you are.

Thursday, October 1, 6:30pm - Click here to register
And Now We Rise is a portrait of Samuel Johns, a young Athabaskan hip hop artist, founder of the Forget Me Not Facebook Group for displaced people in Alaska, and activist for a cultural renaissance as he heals from his own legacy of historical trauma

This event is also offered on:

Online: Indigenous Film Festival Screenings - Leitis in Waiting
Thursday, September 24, 2020 (6:30PM – 8:30PM)

Online: Indigenous Film Festival Screenings - And Now We Rise
Thursday, October 1, 2020 (6:30PM – 8:30PM)



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Registration open for new class: The African American Experience Through Film

Friday, September 4, 2020

Photo by Denise Jans on unsplash


American films are a powerful medium for producing a collective understanding about our country's past, present, and ever-changing values.

Often though, they create a vision of America that fails to capture an honest portrayal of non-white life. 

This online class will examine the counter-narratives of Black filmmakers in the hopes of better understanding how cinema serves as an expression of humanity, and more importantly, a better understanding of the humanity within the African-American community.

Join filmmaker and educator Ben Abel-Bey as you explore fictional narratives, documentaries, and television episodes across multiple themes and genres. 

While some film theory will be discussed, this course is ultimately an examination of American history, society, and culture through the work of filmmakers of color. Films discussed will include Do the Right Thing, The Hate U Give, and more.

Short clips of films and television episodes will be screened and discussed in class, but students are expected to view films outside of class each week as well. Please note that some movie rental fees may apply in addition to the cost of the course.

Fee: $179
Dates: September 28th - November 16th (Mondays)
Time: 6-8 pm
Location: Online via Zoom

Click here to view the full details for this course and register today! 
Questions? Email continuing-ed@shoreline.edu.




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Edmonds roots: New murals by Andy Eccleshall honor Edmonds' indigenous people

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Andy Eccleshall on an accordion lift painting
the top portion of the mural. 

Andy Eccleshall has created murals in Shoreline including Echo in Time at 1st NE and NE 205th, and the street scene on the Drager's building (soon to be demolished).


Edmonds, WA– Before George Brackett’s canoe landed in Edmonds in 1870, members of the Snohomish, Suquamish, Swinomish and Stillaguamish tribes enjoyed the fertile hunting and fishing this land afforded them. A new pair of murals will soon give viewers a glimpse of what a day on Edmonds’ waterfront may have looked like when it was inhabited by the first residents of the region.

Inspired by the epic style of Sydney Laurence (1865-1940), a renowned American Romantic landscape painter, the pair of murals in the alley between Bop’N Burger and The Papery will be painted by Edmonds muralist Andy Eccleshall. Eccleshall collaborated every step of the way -- from concept to final drawings -- with Native American artist and member of the Tulalip tribes, Ty Juvenil.

“When I first learned of the project, I was excited by the idea but recognized it would be essential for it to be a full and open collaboration with members of the Salish community,” Eccleshall said. 
“All matters relating to the depiction of the history and culture of the Salish people would have to be directed by a tribal representative. With the help of Clayton Moss, I reached out to Ty Juvenil, a renowned Tulalip artist, historian and wood carver who was recently commissioned to carve a piece for the entrance of the Edmonds Historical Museum. 
"Ty agreed to be a paid consultant for this project. All matters relating to how the history and culture of the Coast Salish people are represented have been and will continue to be guided and directed by him. I am honored to be able to be a part of this project and to be able to work alongside Ty to see these murals come to fruition.”


With the traditional name of Zu Waq' Sub Waq'Waq' (Lightning Frog), Tulalip tribes’ artist Ty Juvinel has been submerged in his culture for as long as he can remember. Juvenil established his creative outlet at a young age with drawing and as a graffiti artist. Later in life he discovered Coast Salish art and carving. He became a graphic designer for the Tulalip tribes until earning the spot as an Apprentice Carver. Over time, Juvinel has perfected his craft and expanded his artist reach from children's books which he writes and illustrates, to carvings of paddles, masks, house posts, panels and much more.

“Too many times history is written by people who have no care in telling all sides of the story. Fortunately, this mural will be appropriate to the times, and will reflect regional Coast Salish culture. It will depict how it may have looked during this time period and how encampments would have appeared,” Juvenil said. 
“Again, I cannot be more happy that they (Eccleshall and the MPE) took time to set the record straight, and make it appropriate to the Coast Salish peoples.”


The two murals face each other 
across a narrow alley in Edmonds


The two murals will face each other on the Main St. alley between 4th and 5th Avenues in the Edmonds Bowl. The west facing mural will replace “The Brothers” with a much larger scene, looking west towards the Olympic Mountains at sunset with a fishing party out on the water. The east facing mural will depict the beach before Edmonds existed as a town. The slow slope of trees rising up against the sky with a beach camp by the water. This mural will make use of the full height of the building.


“I am excited to begin work on this project. I hope when completed it will invite people to stop and think about the vast history of this place,” Eccleshall said. “That the history is not only represented by the city we now love, but in the water, the mountains, the wildlife, the nature and the culture which has called this place home forever.”


Artist Andy Eccleshall on the lift and
donor John Osberg standing below


The murals are of made possible this year due in large part to a donation from Edmonds resident John Osberg, who wants to see the Coastal Native American tribes who originally called the area home recognized and honored. The remainder of the costs were covered by a grant from Edmonds Downtown Alliance (Ed!) and money raised by Art Walk Edmonds.


“I’m happy to see this project finally come to fruition, and that the indigenous people of this region are finally recognized in artwork,” Osberg said.


The process to put up a mural is a long and arduous one. Mural Project Edmonds is committed to installing murals that will stand the test of time. This means themes and locations are thoroughly vetted to enhance their surroundings. Then the muralist is chosen based on their style and experience. The artists hired must have a proven track record with outdoor mural experience, must use high-quality paint or other materials that will withstand outdoor exposure, and must adhere to the City’s strict permitting codes.

Eccleshall works his way down the wall
applying the first layer of paint


This pair of murals have been in the works for over 18 months. It took countless volunteer hours to bring it to fruition -- from scouting locations, to consulting with the artist and tribal members, to contracting workers to repair damaged walls, to submitting permit applications, and more.

“This mural was probably our most ambitious to date. While we were able to dial in the design and muralist fairly easily due to Mr. Osberg’s specific wishes after input from a tribal representative, finding a location proved to be more of a challenge. 
"Add to the fact that the two buildings that face the alley have two different owners, and that one of the walls required repair work before a mural could be painted… we’re talking about dozens of hours of volunteer work,” said Denise Cole, owner of Cole Gallery and MPE committee chairperson.

Mural Project Edmonds (MPE), a committee of Art Walk Edmonds, has been responsible for new murals in downtown Edmonds for the past few years. The overall goal of the new MPE is to bring professional-level, well-planned artistry to our community and to fit appropriately into the chosen space.

Usually, to pay for these endeavors, MPE uses funds raised by Art Walk Edmonds’ Summer Wine Walks, as well as donations and sponsorships by building owners and businesses. This year’s Wine Walks -- Art Walk Edmonds’ only fundraisers -- have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, putting next year’s MPE plans in jeopardy.

Anyone interested in donating to the Art Walk Edmonds can do so HERE
  
Companies or entities interested in sponsoring a new mural should contact Art Walk Edmonds at info@artwalkedmonds.com

--Photos from Art Walk Edmonds

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Voices in the Forest: Site-Specific Poetry in Shoreline Brings Poems in Six Languages to Your Smartphone

Sunday, August 9, 2020

Poetry in the natural landscape
Photo courtesy City of Shoreline

Just as poets from the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907) would write poems about famous landmarks that had previously been visited by poets in the past, Shoreline’s newly completed site-specific poetry project Voices in the Forest offers layers of interpretation orbiting the same location.

The project’s goals include bringing artists, especially artists of color, into the regional and global conversation as primary interpreters of landscape.

After several years of development and planning, the exhibition is open for both in-person (socially distanced) visits as well as armchair listening from home.

The City coordinated with its translation services (Language Link) to create versions in Somali, Tagalog, and Korean; participating poets also provided Spanish and Vietnamese. In the field, a QR code brings up the poems that can be listened to on a smartphone. 

Paramount Open Space
Photo courtesy City of Shoreline


The site can also be explored from home. With 12 poets and 40 poems, there’s enough material to enjoy for hours. The poems reference specific locations while exploring nature and the challenges of the current moment.

Poets (50% artists of color) include nominees for the State’s Book Award, Stranger Genius Grant, and recipients of the Seattle Mayors Arts Award: Kristin Alexander, Kilam Tel Aviv, Anne Beffel, Janée J. Baugher, Eileen Walsh Duncan, Mercedes Lawry, Saab Lofton, James B. Moore, Hop Nguyen, Jorge Enrique Gonzalez Pacheco, Shin Yu Pai, and Raul Sanchez.

The site features the poems as well as maps to guide visitors to parks like Hamlin, North City, and Paramount Open Space. The poems rotate every 4-6 weeks, and the overall run is expected to last through 2021.

The project was made possible through a grant from the Washington State Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.




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In person outdoor summer camp at North Seattle French School

Friday, August 7, 2020


IN-PERSON OUTDOOR SUMMER CAMP AT NORTH SEATTLE FRENCH SCHOOL
Age 3-6

Week 1 - Traveling to Peru - 8/17 - 8/21
Week 2 - Traveling to Egypt - 8/24 - 8/28

Hours: MORNING ONLY 8:30am. to 12:30pm

No French required

Location: 
Shoreline Center, 18560 1st Ave NE Shoreline, Wing F
Outdoor Camp (rain or shine) - Small group (8 children maximum)


More information: click here or contact Zoe: Zoe.zitzka@northseattlefrenchschool.com




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900 marchers support Shoreline teen in Stand With Us Shoreline demonstration

Monday, July 27, 2020

Flanked by the Bike Brigade, Kailyn Jordan (in red bandana) leads the march
Photo by Steven H. Robinson


By Diane Hettrick

Kailyn, a Black youth activist and third generation Shoreline resident, was recently the target of a hate crime by a close neighbor. 

Kailyn was exercising her first amendment right of free speech in protest of a blue lives matter flag that a neighbor had mounted, not realizing that to Kailyn and numerous other Black and brown people, represents racism, fear and brutality.

900 supporters stood with Kailyn
Photo by Mike Remarcke


That neighbor removed the flag. 

But while Kailyn was standing in the street with her bicycle and her protest sign another neighbor swerved their car toward Kailyn, as if to hit her, then followed with threats to lynch and shoot her.

Kailyn stood alone when the incident happened but she is no longer alone.
Kailyn speaking to the crowd
Photo by Steven H. Robinson


900 people stood with her on Saturday, July 25, 2020. First gathering at Paramount School Park to make signs and speeches. Then to march seven blocks down the street so Kailyn could stand in the same place where she was accosted, but this time enveloped by supporters.

Members of the Shoreline Black Students Union
l-r: Fal Iyoab, Kayla Palmore, Elijah Johnson, Mikayla Weary, Eternity
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Stand with us to support not just Kailyn but all Black and brown youths and let your presence and support against racism be known. 
Stand with us to let your neighbors know that racist voices will be drowned out and racist acts will be met with positive and supportive action. 
Stand with us so that Black Lives Matter sign in your yard is not just a performative gesture but your commitment to showing up and standing up for our Black and brown neighbors. 
Stand with us so we know that when you see something, you will say something and do something to ensure the safety of all Black and brown Shoreline residents.

There was a purposeful pause near the location of the incident so the impact of community support would not go unnoticed, then marchers returned to the park.

Native Americans drumming
Photo by Mike Remarcke


There were so many marchers that the street was filled for the seven blocks of the route. People waved handmade signs. A group of Native Americans drummed. Somewhere in the crowd was the Shoreline Wall of Moms. The Seattle Bike Brigade. There were a lot of families. And all the colors of the human rainbow.

Marchers filled the seven blocks of the route
Photo by Steven H. Robinson


They were all there for the same reason - in solidarity with a young teen, to help her begin to heal from a traumatic experience.

Kailyn refuses to stay silent and she has become even more empowered through this. 

Kailyn Jordan
Photo by Steven H. Robinson




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Book review by Aarene Storms: They called us enemy

Sunday, July 5, 2020

They Called Us Enemy  by George Takei  (graphic novel)

One day on the drive to work, I heard a segment on the news about the state of California finally apologizing for its role in the incarceration of Japanese and Japanese-American citizens during WWII.

When I got to work, this book was on my desk.

Actor/author/activist George Takei tells his own story of freedom and incarceration in this beautifully-executed graphic novel.

From their home in Los Angeles, the Takeis were transported first to Arkansas, then to the Tule Lake internment center.

Experiences during and after the war are shown in sparse text and evocative drawings.

Recommended reading for all Americans.



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Third Place Books children’s book buyer shares open letter and petition on diversity in publishing

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Rene Holderman at Third Place Books

Rene Holderman, Head Children’s Book Buyer at Third Place Books, has penned an open letter to publishers demanding an improvement in diversity and transparency in Children’s Literature, and has launched an online petition to call for booksellers to consciously stock children’s books by BIPOC (Black and Indigenous People of Color) authors.

“I am writing,” Holderman says in her letter, “to express my frustration at how the publishing industry has chosen to handle the lack of diversity in children’s literature.”

In the letter, Holderman, who has worked in children’s books for over 20 years, explains that publishers have responded to a demand for diverse children’s books in part by publishing books featuring diverse characters, but written by white authors.

This practice, she notes, is especially prevalent in the categories of illustrated books, and Graded and Early Chapter Books.

“My frustration stems not only from a severe lack of these particular books,” Holderman writes, “but from the consistent release of Black stories from white authors and white illustrators in the last few years. I would perhaps not be so discouraged if these attempts at diversity did not feel so deceptive...  
"The fact that the book jacket does not make this information blatantly apparent indicates that the publishers are disingenuous in their contributions to true literary diversity.” 

Citing a recent survey published in School Library Journal, which found that the book industry remains 70% white and that no significant improvements in industry diversity have been made since 2015, she writes

“it is crucial to pay BIPOC authors and illustrators for authentic representations of their experiences and communities. We can't keep allowing the publishing industry to profit off of Blackness while saying "Black Lives Matter" if they refuse to make significant strides to actually hire Black creators.”

As Children’s Book Buyer, Holderman is responsible for selecting the titles carried in Third Place Books’ Children’s section. She says that she is committed to prioritizing new titles by BIPOC authors and illustrators in her ordering, and she is urging other booksellers to follow suit.

Holderman’s petition, which was published on Change.org on Friday, June 26, demands that publishers match this effort by making concrete efforts to publish and highlight more books by BIPOC creators.

“I want the children's publishing industry to acknowledge their lack of honest Black representation,” Holderman says, “and going forward [I want publishing] to be transparent about who the author is. Most importantly, children's publishing needs to make a conscious effort to hire and promote Own Voices authors and illustrators.”

Read Holderman’s letter in full, and sign the petition HERE




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Message of solidarity threatened at Center for Human Services


By Beratta Gomillion, Executive Director of Center for Human Services

Last week a Center for Human Services (CHS) staff member was confronted by a man who was attempting to put a note on our front door at 17018 15th Ave NE Shoreline

Our staff member experienced this person as rude, angry, and aggressive. He was reacting to the posting we put up on our sign outside of that office. It says: “Black Lives Matter.”

This man said to our employee, “You should research it before you put something like that up.” He left his note with our employee; it said “"Take your race baiting black lives matter propaganda sings (sp – meaning “signs”) down or I will!!! All lives matter BLM is a HATE group!" 
In a separate incident, which may or may not be related to the first incident, our sign was changed to read “Al Lives Matter,” and the letters that were taken down were no longer there (I think that is theft).

While we did not put the message on the sign to offend anyone or to insight rage, apparently, it did so. 

I will not apologize for this. We will not be intimidated by bullies or people grounded in ignorance and intolerance. We have done our research and we are appalled at the normalization of racism and intolerance. 

Yes, all lives do matter, but as a result of recent brutality and murders of black people, now is a logical time to emphasize and elevate black lives. Even if the recent tragedies had not occurred, we must accept the fact that black people have systematically been targeted for demise since the beginning of our nation, as if their existence did not matter. This must change. 

CHS wants to be a part of a society that does not accept violence, dismantles the school-to-prison pipeline, and treats everyone with dignity and respect – a society where peace and justice prevail.

CHS is trying to build our capacity to understand and confront racism, starting with our own agency. We have changed our sign back to “Black Lives Matter” and hope that people who disagree will do so in a non-destructive manner. Some issues are just worth speaking out about.



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