By Trae Holiday - Today was truly inspiring! I had the incredible opportunity to visit the One Vibe Africa offices in Kisumu, the masterminds behind the Madaraka Festival. Let me tell you, this place is amazing! It's a vibrant cultural hub that's making a real difference in the community.

FOX13 Seattle is continuing its strong support of Back2Besa, hosted by Besa Gordon, with the launch of a new ad campaign promoting the FOX Local App. This marks the third major ad campaign in less than a month, following a bus campaign featuring Back2Besa and The Jennifer Hudson Show, and a TV commercial announcing the show's second season.

Written by Besa Gordon - After seeing my good sis, Trae Holiday, do a special on Jubilee and interview some of the cast members, I just knew I had to experience its greatness in person. And let me tell you, Jubilee at the Seattle Opera was a whole shmood.

A few years ago, Takiyah "TDub" Ward aka the Art Queen of Converge, embarked on an incredible journey to Belize with her Converge Media family. This unforgettable experience opened her eyes to the power of art, culture, and sisterhood. From the moment they landed, the energy was electric. Belize, a country bursting with life, captivated Takiyah with its vibrant mix of Maya, Mestizo, Creole, and Garifuna cultures and its breathtaking natural beauty.

By Besa Gordon - As the executive producer of "Facing the Reign", I'm incredibly excited to share Jessa Thomas's remarkable story with you. And let me tell you, this film isn't just about rodeo; it's about breaking barriers, embracing identity, and inspiring others to pursue their dreams, regardless of their background or what they look like.

By Besa Gordon - PDX Hip-Hop Week is officially here, and I’m so excited to be honored this year with the Hip-Hop Wine and Chill with the Radio and TV Personality Trailblazer Award. But that’s not all! Omari Salisbury, CEO and Co-Founder of Converge is getting the Impact Leadership Award.

Back2Besa airs each Saturday at 10:30 pm on FOX 13 Seattle, but if you’re not able to watch FOX 13 Seattle on your TV, we have a few ways for you to tune in live anywhere in the nation with the free FOX Local App.

Written by Besa Gordon - When I launched Back2Besa last year, what was important to me was that one, we uplifted our stories not only from Seattle but all across the region and two, that this show, Back2Besa, was always free and accessible to everyone everywhere, no matter their situation, that way, they can see what I see daily, the beauty, the excellence, and the reliance of our communities across the Pacific Northwest.

Written by: Besa Gordon - Yesterday was officially #OpeningDay for Major League Baseball, and let me tell you, friend. Your girl lived her best life last year. If I were to be really honest, last year has to be my favorite baseball season yet. For starters, I was the official red carpet host for All-Stars in 2023; I took over T-Mobile Park with Bookie Gates from Baseball Beyond Borders to do a whole commercial for the HBCU swingman classic. Speaking of Swingman, I feel for anyone that didn’t make it to that game. To me, this was more than just a match on the field; it was like a full-on reunion in the ballpark. If you were there, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

Seattle-based artists Moses Sun, and barry johnson, recently wrapped up their two-month tandem residency at The Understory. The public exhibit space, situated at the base of the Amazon Spheres, invited Moses and Barry to hold studio hours as part of Amazon's latest efforts to uplift the local arts community. Vivid Matter Collective Co-founder and Queen of Converge Takiyah Ward caught up with the duo to discuss their experience at Understory, their collaborative process, and the reception of their art.

There is a saying at Converge Media that "The uplift is real" and nothing epitomizes this phrase more than the consistent uplift of Black-owned businesses across our region by TraeAnna Holiday and her show The Day with Trae on Converge Media and Besa Gordon and her show Back2Besa on KCPQ FOX13 Seattle. Episode after episode there is a consistent and intentional uplift of Black-owned businesses across our region, especially Black woman-owned businesses.

Going into the New Year, Besa Gordon's Back2Besa is proud to announce renowned Relationship and Love expert Debrena Jackson Gandy as a new show regular. With over 20 years of experience, Gandy is a nationally published best-selling author, keynote speaker, Master Life Coach, and transformational facilitator. As the founder of the Love Academy, she teaches and coaches a new relationships paradigm centered on attracting and sustaining JUICY love relationships and JUICY marriages.

Back2Besa host and nationally syndicated radio host Besa Gordon is set to once again host on the red carpet of the Seattle Sports Star Awards. The annual event brings together the best of the Seattle Sports Scene, and Gordon is quickly becoming a large part of that.

This winter in the Pacific Northwest has brought everything from wind and rain to freezing temperatures and even snow! But just because the weather isn't ideal doesn't mean you can't be warm and fashionable. After Seattle experienced historically low temperatures, Besa turned to her personal stylist, Akia Ronai, for some winter fashion advice.

Join us this week on Back2Besa as we explore some of the most creative and inspiring places and events in Seattle! Vivid Matter Collective co-founder and Queen of Converge Takiyah Ward takes us on a tour of The Understory to discover the incredible art residency of Moses Sun and barry johnson. We also visit Totem Star, where our friends from Ground Zero show us their new studio space in the King Street Station. We relive the Griot Party Experience at Langston Hughes, and get some winter fashion tips from Besa's personal stylist Akia Ronai. Plus Back2Besa contributor TT Frosts takes us to the Commons in Federal Way to learn all about Ena'Vative Hair Studio and their mission.

Back2Besa TV host Besa Gordon very well might be one of the most traveled TV personalities in the Pacific Northwest. Whether it’s planes, trains, or automobiles, in her first 8 months on air Besa has traveled to every corner of the PNW and beyond including Spokane, Portland, Boise, and even Califonia all to bring back the very best stories about the people, places, and things across our region to the FOX 13 Seattle viewing audience.

This week on the Day with Trae, host Trae Holiday sat down and talked to Melany Bell, a Seattle-based poet and writer from the African American Writers' Alliance (AAWA), and Tha Def Chef, a chef focused on giving back to the community through delicious food. Both guests and your host are ambassadors for the Covenant, a collective of anti-racist & anti-bias community organizers whose mission is to uplift the black community locally and globally. One of their main goals is the commitment to ending gun violence.

Pamela Yasutake, a Seattle-raised professional dancer and entertainer, stopped by the Black Media Matters Studio for a one-on-one interview and tap dance lesson with Besa Gordon. During her sit-down with Gordon, Yasutake covers everything from her start in dancing, her renowned dance troupe, the Syncopated Ladies, her troupe's appearances on the Late Show with James Cordon, So You Think You Can Dance, the film Spirited, and more. When Yasutake isn't performing for large audiences, she's instructing tap dancing classes at the Northwest Tap Connection, a dance studio based out of Rainier Valley.

This past weekend, Besa Gordon stopped by the National  Hockey League's United by Hockey Mobile Museum while attending the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic Legacy event. The traveling museum, which started its seven-month tour on October 14, invites fans to learn more about the NHL's future generation, all while checking out hockey memorabilia from various players, interactive videos, virtual reality, and podcast recordings. 

Trae Holiday got her start with Converge Media in the company’s early stages, working alongside Founder Omari Salisbury as a content creator and reporter. Fast forward, and Holiday was the host of the Morning Update Show, a COVID-focused show which morphed into one of Seattle’s leading sources for news and current events.