This week on Back2Besa, host Besa Gordon is tapping all the way into baseball season and what it really means for the city of Seattle—on and off the field.

The Seattle hair community recently converged for an energetic display of artistry and innovation at the 12th Annual Reign of Style Hair Show and Competition. The event brought together local stylists, barbers, cosmetology schools, beauty entrepreneurs, and more for a day of live competition and creative expression at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall.

This week on Back2Besa, we’re tapping into creativity in a whole different way. From Seattle to Spokane, this episode is all about how art shows up in our communities — not just as something to look at, but something you feel, experience, and connect through.

Focused on building friendship and fitness through the sport of double dutch, the organization Double Dutch Divas is a luminary of joy, creating spaces for kids and families to heal and move together. Not only is it a youth enrichment initiative, but also a force for community, confidence, and connection.

Black excellence and good vibes swarmed the Black Media Matters Studio last month when Couture Cocktails and Hunter in the Cup hosted a special Cocktails and Charcuterie Night. The event served as an intimate celebration of Black History Month, successfully combining high-end mixology and culinary art.

The second annual Black History Month Market and Celebration, held recently at The Practice Facility in Tigard, Oregon, was an energizing showcase of Black commerce, culture, and community in the Pacific Northwest. Organized by Converge Media producer Juma Blaq, the event was a deliberate effort to shine a light on Black excellence in an area often overlooked.

This week on Back2Besa hosted by Besa Gordon, we’re celebrating women who are doing incredible things across the Pacific Northwest. From art and wellness to fitness, wine, and beauty, this episode shines a light on women who are building businesses, creating community spaces, and opening doors for others.

By Besa Gordon - Seattle weather has been doing whatever Seattle weather wants to do these days… raining, windy, gray sky and just a little bit disrespectful to those of us that want to be outside.

The 12th annual Reign of Style Hair Show & Competition recently electrified Seattle Center, reaffirming its status as the Northwest’s premier event for the beauty industry. With Back2Besa host Besa Gordon in attendance, this spectacular day brought together a galaxy of talent for a celebration of artistry, community, and friendly competition. 

Artist, entrepreneur, and mother Jonarra Swanson recently unveiled her first solo exhibition in years, titled "Paintbrush Legacy," at Gallery AXIS in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. This collection features a series of never-before-seen pieces that delve into themes of self-determination, resilience, and the power of creating one’s own destiny.

Another weekend means another episode of Back2Besa hosted by Besa Gordon, and this week we’re tapping into community, creativity, and the people who continue to show up and make a difference across the Pacific Northwest.

By Besa Gordon - March is Women’s History Month, and during my latest appearance on Good Day Seattle, I wanted to take a moment to highlight something a little different.

Unapologetic Black excellence defined the energy of the 2nd Annual Black History Month Market & Celebration in Tigard, Oregon, centering unity, culture, and commerce in the greater Portland area.

Boon Boona Coffee recently achieved another major milestone with the grand opening of its newest location at the Waterfront Park Overlook in Downtown Seattle. The event marked an expansion of Boon Boona’s footprint across the region, which already includes locations in Renton, Capitol Hill, University District, and Redmond. 

Friends, family, and members of the Brothers United In Leadership Development (BUILD206) recently gathered at Acts on Stage in White Center, Washington to celebrate videographer and storyteller Darryl Glover’s 58th birthday with a roast and fundraiser for his health funds. 

What happens when classic culinary training meets the rich, soulful flavors of the Black diaspora? You get Pizza by Ruffin, Washington State’s first Black-owned pizzeria and a bonafide phenomenon in Seattle’s South Lake Union. 

This week on Back2Besa, we’re tapping into stories that remind us just how powerful it is to show up — for our youth, for our community, and for the people who continue to pour into others in meaningful ways.

This week, Back2Besa host Besa Gordon stopped by Good Day Seattle, where she joined Lauren Donovan, who was filling in for Erin Mayovsky, to preview one of the show’s standout stories — the grand opening of Boon Boona Coffee on the waterfront.

This week’s episode of Back2Besa centers community—what it looks like, how it’s built, and why showing up for one another matters now more than ever. From conversations around youth mental health to moments of celebration, creativity, and legacy, the stories in this episode highlight the many ways people across Seattle continue to connect and care.

By Besa Gordon - Growing up, I spent a lot of time at teen health centers—not because something was “wrong” with me, but because I needed a safe place to talk, process, and breathe. Middle school and high school were the first times I learned what it meant to ask for help, sit with a counselor, and use mental health support as a tool instead of something to fear. Looking back, that access shaped the way I move through life today.