Converge On The Road is a series in which Converge Media gets on the roads across the Pacific Northwest highlighting and spotlighting stories about amazing people across our region. Our first stop was the City of Spokane, Washington. Your generous support makes Converge On The Road possible, Thank You! #BlackMediaMatters
JERRALL HAYNES | CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICER
Meet Jerrall Haynes who at the age of 25 won a seat on the Spokane School Board and now seven years later has not only left his mark on Washington State’s second-biggest school district but now at the age of 32 is trailblazing as the City of Spokane’s first-ever Civil Rights Officer. Not too bad for a kid from Summerville, South Carolina that landed in Spokane on a mission for service and a heart for community.
Special thanks to Terrain Spokane for use of their gallery for this interview.
Special thanks to Lisa Gardner - Dir of Communications Spokane City Council
GINGER EWING | TERRAIN SPOKANE
Meet Ginger Ewing, CoFounder and Executive Director of Terrain in Spokane, Washington. Terrain is a pioneering non-profit building community and economic opportunity for the artists, makers, and culture creators of the Inland Northwest. Ginger and a handful of dedicated culture cultivators and innovators have singlehandedly transformed the art ecosystem in Spokane and have created so much demand for art that even artists in Seattle would be jealous at the amount of commerce occurring East of the Mountains. More importantly though, Ginger and the team at Terrain are uplifting artists who have traditionally been overlooked, they are connecting art to people who have never been connected to the scene, and they are bringing equity to the ecosystem all while developing the overall art scene in Spokane.
Special thanks to Terrain Spokane for use of their gallery for this interview.
Special thanks to Lisa Gardner - Dir of Communications Spokane City Council
FRANCES L. SCOTT | LEGENDARY EDUCATOR
A few months ago the City of Spokane made some local history when they named their first public school after a Black woman. This was no ordinary Black woman, Frances L. Scott was a trailblazing educator, activist, lawyer, and force in Spokane for decades.
Scott, who passed away in 2010 and taught her last class 32 years ago was more than an educator, more like an icon.
In 1958 when she started teaching English and German at Spokane’s Rogers High School she was one of the first four Black teachers in Spokane School District
Long before “Representation Matters' ' became a commonplace battle cry in institutions and corporations across the country, Scott knew all too well how powerful her presence was. According to the Spokane Spokesman-Review newspaper - Scott in 1978 said Black teachers were important not as role models for Black students, but also for white students “who need to see Blacks in some roles other than scrubbing floors”
In 1978 at the age of 57, Scott earned her law degree from Gonzaga University and the very next year became the first Black woman lawyer in the City of Spokane.
Even with a law degree in hand she continued to teach at Rogers High School for another decade during the day and worked with community members pro bono at night.
Scott’s professional accomplishments are many including serving as the President of the Spokane Education Association as well as President of the Washington State University Board of Regents.
Special thanks to Lisa Gardner - Dir of Communications Spokane City Council
