Sunday morning Besa Gordon of Converge Media and Avery Barnes of Taswira joined Tanzania’s Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Natural Resources & Tourism Dr Hassan Abbas, the CEO of Tanzania’s Tourism Board Mr. Damasi Mfugale, Country Coordinator and GM of African Lyon FC Rahim Zamunda Kangezi, and the Seahawks Partnership Development Director Luke Grothkopp on a walking tour of the Pioneer Square neighborhood as they visited our Black Media Matters studio and African Art Gallery TASWIRA. The tour started at our headquarters on 1st Avenue then continued south through Occidental Park for Seattle Sounders pre-match festivities and then to Taswira located on Occidental Ave South right next to Lumen Field.

“It was truly amazing to be in a space like that and around the minister, and hearing him speak about Tanzania was inspirational,” Gordon said.

At Taswira, Barnes showcased the art and streetwear she has for sale and on display while explaining the work she’s been doing with women and girls in Kenya.

“It was so refreshing to see such influential figures come together in support of African countries,” Barnes said. “This gives me a lot of faith for our city as a whole as we celebrate together in building a fully inclusive and diverse environment in Seattle.”

Converge Media Founder Omari Salisbury was honored to play host to the delegates and is excited about what the future holds.

“We’re very honored to have the delegation from the delegation visit the Black Media Matters studio. Personally, I worked in that part of the continet with Cloud Media Group for many years and I learned everything I know over there. We hope to be able to continue and build partnerships between the nation of Tanzania and Converge Media,” Salisbury said.

The delegation is in the city as part of a new advertising and marketing deal with the Seahawks, Sounders and Trail Blazers which was announced on Saturday.

Photos by Seattle photographer Jordan Somers and Mat Bermudez on behalf of Converge Media.

About Tanzania

Tanzania is known for it’s natural wonders including Mount Kilimanjaro (the worlds largest free-standing mountain at over 19,000 feet), Lake Victoria (the third largest in the world), the Island of Zanzibar, Safaris in the Ngorogoro Crater and more. The country also has a population of over 59 million people and is home to over 120 ethnic groups, each with its own unique culture and language. The official language is Swahili, although English is also widely spoken. The country's capital city is Dodoma, but its largest city is Dar es Salaam.

Tanzania has a rich cultural heritage, with traditional music and dance playing an important role in daily life. The country is also known for its artistic traditions, including sculpture, painting, and weaving. Tanzania is home to several national parks and wildlife reserves, including the Serengeti National Park, which is famous for its annual wildebeest migration.