We Live In Color Set To Make Triumphant Return to the Converge Media Network on May 2nd
Host Deaunte Damper is set to bring his show We Live In Color back to the airwaves of Seattle and beyond. After a hiatus, the energetic and engaging host is coming home with a new set, new guests, new graphics and more as he builds a home for Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community to share their stories and perspectives. It’s a return which has been a long time coming for the community leader, and he’s excited to share this new chapter with the city.
"I'm excited and inspired. Converge has already covered a lot of things that are happening in our community. It's only right that We Live in Color come back for season two,” Damper said. “We already have it set. We are ready to have more hard-hitting conversations about our intersections. We have some specials coming up towards the end of the year, and I'm excited to see what else we can put out."
The show will feature a renewed focus on highlighting the voices of those making a difference in the LGBTQ+ community, with initial guests set to include Reverend Jermell Witherspoon and Randy Ford of the Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas. Damper says guests will come from a wide swath of the community, and bring a level of authenticity and connection that he hopes will spark conversation and allow audience members to feel seen.
"Some of these guests are more than just people in the community. These are people that I have cried on the phone with. We survived the pandemic with. We've cried over youth being bullied. We've watched community members die of the stigmas of HIV, health disparities, and overdoses in our communities,” Damper said.
A look at some of the interviews Damper is set to have on the show during season 2 (Photos by Seattle photographers Jordan Somers and Susan Fried)
He added the importance of having a Queer Black voice on the airwaves, saying that he hopes the show can work to break stigmas and combat rising tides of hate.
“The majority of the homeless youth in this nation are Black LGBTQ kids. Black trans women are being killed daily but are not highlighted in the news channels. Black LGBTQ community members are being incarcerated with no spaces, no areas, food, or safety and end up getting bullied or beaten up,” Damper said. “This show is important because of the stigma and racism in our communities.”
Returning viewers will notice a renewed focus on both production value and information. With the show taking place in Converge’s #BlackMediaMatters Studio, guests and viewers alike can expect a high-quality, broadcast-first approach which will bring the voices on the show straight into the homes of those watching.
"It is important to highlight what the Emmy award-winning Converge has done,” Damper said. “We have always been able to uplift community members. It is a part of our legacy. We are interviewing people who are a part of the liberation movement. We are speaking for all Black and Brown folks, and highlighting our Black LGBTQ community members."
Damper hopes viewers tune in and come away with a call to action. He says he calls on those who watch the show, whether members of the LGBTQ+ community or allies, to truly live in color and combat the stigmas facing those around us.
“Most of the people that we know who are LGBTQIA and who have been a part of our legacy for years die without us getting their stories,” Damper said. “We Live In Color is a call to action."
Season 2 of We Live In Color Premieres on May 2nd at 8 pm - Tune in on all Converge Media platforms
You can watch past episodes of We Live In Color by clicking here
