SODO Buzzes with Black Joy: “Ladies First” and Vibe Bingo Light Up the Night at HBCU Seattle Series Prefunk
VIDEO: Watch highlights from the Take Me Out to the Quad - An HBCU Vibe Bingo Experience. (Back2Besa - Converge Media / FOX 13 Seattle)
By Omari Salisbury
Seattle, WA – Victory Hall in SODO was electric last Thursday as the “Ladies First Marketplace” and the unique “Take Me Out to the Quad - An HBCU Vibe Bingo Experience” took center stage, creating a vibrant celebration of Black women-owned businesses and community fellowship. This event, part of the larger HBCU Seattle Series presented by Baseball Beyond Borders, featured a three-game matchup between Seattle University and Coppin State University (HBCU) Baseball teams, focused on empowering entrepreneurs and fostering a lively, culturally rich atmosphere and letting the Coppin State University Blad Eagles know they were welcome in the Emerald City.
Ladies First: Celebrating Black Women-Owned Businesses
The “Ladies First Marketplace” kicked off the night, showcasing an impressive array of 15 Black women-owned businesses. Jazz from Seattle, who curated the marketplace, emphasized the importance of such events: “Events like this are super important to highlight and uplift black-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, and highlighting the things that they sell, letting them know that you don’t have to go to big box stores to get these items that you can support right within your community, and keep the black dollars circulating within our community.” The marketplace offered a diverse range of products, from holistic items to African garments, creating a bustling hub of commerce and connection. Vendors included How We Met Apothecary, Mudda Succulent Designs, Noir Lux Candles, Cree8tions, D's Craft Room Creations, LLC, Cr8tyffs, Its Poppin, AfricanPrintakeover, Soul Chains, Melanated Minis, Infinity Jones, Nefertiti Holistic, Lizzie Lou's, Tejah Shea Butter, and Black Martha Crafts.
Marie Kidhe, managing member and owner of RieImagine Solutions, LLC, described the event as “celebrating a movement.” She noted, “We are celebrating Black people coming together to welcome Coppin State University as we bring the HBCU Seattle Series to full fruition,” while also highlighting the “15 phenomenal female, Black-owned businesses that are providing an amazing array of wares and tears and all the brilliance in between.” Kidhe’s words underscored the dual purpose of the evening: supporting entrepreneurs and building community.
Deaunte Damper, host of “We Live in Color” on Converge Media, was impressed by the variety. “I mean, from shea butter to oils to jewelry. I mean, everything is here,” he said. “Above all else, I just love seeing my beautiful black women celebrate themselves in black business.” He also noted the presence of “black brilliance” and the feeling of culture.
Patrice Norwood, owner and designer of Muddas Succulent Designs, shared her experience as a vendor. “I feel happiness. I feel like I'm at home. I see us in here,” she said. “You know, just representation of small black businesses.” Norwood also mentioned her DIY succulent designs, adding, “So you come and you pick out your vessel, you pick out your plant, and then you get to go home with all of the materials to make your plant a home.”
Besa Gordon, host of Back2Besa on FOX13 Seattle and FOX SOUL, captured the overall vibe, saying, “All this amazing blackness just dripping from the walls. Like, honestly y'all this is a really, really dope day to come out, be in the city and be in community.” She also highlighted the variety of offerings, from candles and shea butter to crystals and customizable cups, noting, “There’s something up in here for everybody.”
Vibe Bingo: An HBCU Celebration
Later in the evening, the energy shifted to “Vibe Bingo,” an HBCU-themed twist on the classic game. Jazz from Seattle mentioned, “Tonight, I’m most looking forward to handing out prizes. We have signed Ken Griffey Jr. jerseys, bobble heads, and different prizes from some vendors. So I’m excited for people to win at bingo, enjoy themselves and have a good time.” The event was not just about winning prizes but also about creating a space for joy, laughter, and connection. Besa Gordon likened the vibe to the HBCU Swingman Classic, noting, “We almost felt like…this was something that we would never have again, a vibe that we would just be missing in Seattle, because we need that here, right?”
The Swingman Classic: A Catalyst
Almost everyone that was spoken to said that seeing the success of the HBCU Swingman Classic played a huge role in seeing what was possible in Seattle by connecting baseball, HBCUs, and community. The inaugural HBCU Swingman Classic occurred during the 2023 MLB All-Star Week at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. This event showcased 50 baseball student-athletes from Division-I HBCU programs, providing them a national stage. Bookie Gates, founder of Baseball Beyond Borders, noted that the Swingman Classic was a catalyst, giving visibility to HBCU student-athletes and inspiring local youth. “That moment was one that I think we all came to recognize and felt the excitement to see historically black college and university ballplayers in our city and to be able to showcase their talents in the Northwest,” he reflected.
Bookie Gates also spoke on the “true collective impact model” of the event, bringing together the women’s marketplace, Vibe Bingo, and the HBCU Seattle Series. He emphasized the goal of strengthening the pipeline to HBCU programs and the importance of community support. “Baseball Beyond Borders is truly special because of its love for community. The work that we do cannot be done without community,” he stated.
Cemel Ford, board president of Baseball Beyond Borders, discussed the baseball series between Seattle U and Coppin State. He emphasized the importance of bringing HBCU talent to the West Coast and providing access to baseball for inner-city youth. “We want to bring that same thing to Seattle year after year, because we love us. We want to be want to showcase us,” he said.
Nova Newcomer, CEO of the Mariners Care Foundation, noted the event’s connection to the HBCU Swingman Classic, saying it aimed to “bring back some of that energy and that vibe.” She emphasized the importance of community coming together to celebrate young Black ball players. “Baseball is for the community, and baseball does its work best when everybody’s involved, and everybody’s in there, cheering everybody on,” she added.
A Night of Community and Celebration
The “Ladies First Marketplace” and “Vibe Bingo” event were integral to the HBCU Seattle Series, adding a layer of cultural richness and community engagement. As Jazz from Seattle stated, “It’s super important for events like this to happen to let people know that we are in Seattle. We don’t have a huge black community out here. We are not big in population but big in heart, so pull up and come see us.” The evening successfully showcased the vibrant Black community in Seattle and the power of supporting Black-owned businesses.
The event at Victory Hall was a success, bringing people together to celebrate Black culture, entrepreneurship, and the spirit of fellowship, all within the context of baseball and the larger HBCU Seattle Series. It was a night filled with Black joy, community fellowship, and a shared excitement for the future of HBCU baseball in the Northwest.
