In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the South Seattle Emerald hosted a vibrant community event that highlighted its pivotal role in providing authentic representation and news to the local population. The Emerald has been instrumental in uplifting the voices of South Seattle and addressing the issues that matter most to its residents.

“I mean, with all the legacy media and the disinformation, they push all the different sort of misconceptions of what life is like on the south end, what crime is like, and what the politics are like,” Brett Hamil, Resident Editorial Cartoonist at South Seattle Emerald, said. “It's just amazing to have this media outlet that has roots right on the ground that knows what's happening here and is actually created by people from here.”

The event featured music, food, and a gathering of community members who came together to reflect on the publication's impact over the past decade. Attendees celebrated not just the legacy of the Emerald but also its future, as it continues to combat disinformation and portray the rich diversity of the South Seattle area.

“It's not some, you know, corporate local TV news that's headquartered in some other state,” Hamil said. “This all happens right here, and that's truly a very fragile and beautiful thing to keep alive.”

Through its grassroots approach, the South Seattle Emerald has created a platform that resonates deeply within the community, showcasing the strength and resilience of its residents while inviting a broader audience to engage with their stories.

“A lot of times, mainstream media likes to talk about us. They don't really talk to us,” Mike Davis, Voices Editor at South Seattle Emerald, said. “Publications like The Emerald take that a step further because we are us; we are the community. Most of our contributors are right here in South Seattle. So when we're talking about what happens in the community, we're talking about our neighbors and our family.”

You can visit the Emerald online at SouthSeattleEmerald.com.