Now, you know I love my crystals, right? Not too long ago, I learned about a Black Women-owned crystal and metaphorical shop in Capital Hill. As often as I’m in the Cap Hill area, I was honestly shocked to learn that it’s been there for three years, and I’m now just learning about it. When I finally stopped by, I was instantly greeted by calm energy, and I felt right at home and even left with some new crystals, candles, incense, bath salts, and more. After taking the items home and reflecting on how good I felt leaving the shop, I just knew I had to feature it on Back2Besa.

Our cameras were there last weekend when N The Kutt Dance Studio in Des Moines, WA closed their doors for the last time.. Over the last two decades N The Kutt and it’s founder Koach T have been a staple in the greater Puget Sound community teaching dance to youth including our very own Besa Gordon and giving young people dance opportunities from across the region to around the world.

Photos: Marvin Patterson

Carlos Imani of the Elite Collective stopped by recently to talk with host Trae Holiday on The Day With Trae about his creative journey from selling prints as a side hustle to becoming Executive Producer of Elite Collective.

Keith G. Prez Asphy, the CEO of Presidential Transportation, made an appearance on The Day With Trae, shedding light on the evolution of his luxury transportation business. What began with a single vintage stretch limousine has since burgeoned into a fleet encompassing an array of limos, SUVs, Sprinters, party buses, and Charter Buses—a transformation that Asphy heralded as bringing more opportunity to his work.

Takiyah "TDUB" Ward, the founder of The Re-Sole 206, sat down with Trae Holiday on The Day With Trae to address her business's recent setback and her proactive measures to overcome it. The Re-Sole 206 is Ward's inaugural storefront, specializing in cleaning, restoring, and customizing footwear, a craft she has passionately honed for over two decades. On March 7, two individuals robbed her business, stealing 26 pairs of customer-owned sneakers.

Recently, in keeping with the theme of powerful women, host Trae Holiday featured Marie T Kidhe, the managing principal at RieImagine Solutions, on The Day With Trae. With a track record as an intrapreneur spanning over six years, Kidhe offered insight into business ownership, collaboration, and what it means to be a leader throughout the segment.

Jenefeness Franke, the Executive Officer of Black Owned Business Excellence (BOBE), recently joined Trae Holiday on "The Day With Trae" to discuss BOBE's collaborations with minority-owned businesses statewide to provide support and elevate them onto a broader platform.

This Wednesday on The Day With Trae, host Trae Holiday welcomed director and co-founder of Acts on Stage Theatre, Isiah Anderson Jr., alongside Moses Masith, one of the stars in Anderson's production, "King X: The Meeting." This theatrical showcase delves into a fictionalized conversation between two iconic figures, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday and Anderson discuss the creative journey behind the play's inception while Masith shares his journey in bringing Dr. King to life on stage.

On Tuesday, January 13, Mayor Bruce Harrell, in collaboration with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) leadership, unveiled a new alliance to bring the NMSDC's Minority Business Economic Forum to Seattle from May 14 to 16, 2024. This event aims to assemble 500 U.S. policymakers, business figures, academics, and community leaders to dismantle obstacles hindering Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) from wholly participating in the U.S. economy. Harrell emphasized Seattle's suitability as the forum's host.

A lifelong creative and graduate of Howard University, Cydney Stephens has been blazing her own trail in the industry for years. The Tacoma native is an accomplished photographer, graphic designer and videographer who’s work continues to showcase her dedication to her craft and the communities she serves.

Recently on The Day with Trae, Logic Amen, an Artist, advocate, writer, and educator, came to the Black Media Matters Studio to talk about the work and history of his organization, the Griot Party. The Griot Party, founded in 2016, is a 'hip hop spoken word storytelling theatre' and collective made up of storytellers and artists focused on community healing, which most recently invited attendees to partake in the 'The Griot Party Experience' at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute this past January. 

Simply Soulful Café's newest location in the Central Area on 23rd and Jackson is the perfect place to go for some good old soul food to help take your mind off of the cold and, at times, gloomy weather here in Seattle. After relocating their restaurant to 23rd and Jackson, the new location offers twice the capacity of their original location in Madison Valley, with an upstairs meeting space, additional seating, and a parking garage.

Trae Holiday sat down with Federal Way-based community leader and author Evan Cook to discuss his work with you in South King County, his impact on the City of Federal Way, and his most recent book 'How My Soul Speaks.'

Trae Holiday sat down with Sam Cho, the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Office of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, and Ollie Garrett, the President and CEO of Tabor 100. Both the City of Seattle and Tabor 100 are core partners in Seattle's Liberty Project, a program and component of Mayor Harrell's Downtown Activation Plan created in 2023 that focuses on aiding local businesses from underrepresented communities, particularly BIPOC, to grow in revenue and expand both business ventures and properties. 

Last week on The Day with Trae, guest host Deaunte Damper sat down with Jessie Howard, the Director of Community Engagement at the Therapy Fund Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit focused on "eliminating barriers to Black healing" and providing mental health services and resources for the Black community, free of charge. Recently, the organization partnered with Pierce County Health Department to provide mental health services for youth who are being directly affected by the Fentanyl crisis. 

Converge Media is proud to have a long-standing relationship with the Black Heritage Society of Washington State. As the leading historians of our community and our stories in the Pacific Northwest, BHS seeks to preserve artifacts and stories of Black history and culture in the state.

Looking for a hairstylist who can keep you looking sharp? Look no further than Ena'Vative Hair Studio! This Black Owned salon, owned by Seattle native Ena Robinson, recently opened in the Federal Way Commons mall and offers a variety of cosmetology services, including hair, nails, and makeup. But that's not all - they also offer a unique training-based structure through their program "Level Up Beauty Bootcamp" by Ena'Vative, which provides essential foundational haircare courses for both licensed and unlicensed students.

Seattle-based artists Moses Sun, and barry johnson, recently wrapped up their two-month tandem residency at The Understory. The public exhibit space, situated at the base of the Amazon Spheres, invited Moses and Barry to hold studio hours as part of Amazon's latest efforts to uplift the local arts community. Vivid Matter Collective Co-founder and Queen of Converge Takiyah Ward caught up with the duo to discuss their experience at Understory, their collaborative process, and the reception of their art.

There is a saying at Converge Media that "The uplift is real" and nothing epitomizes this phrase more than the consistent uplift of Black-owned businesses across our region by TraeAnna Holiday and her show The Day with Trae on Converge Media and Besa Gordon and her show Back2Besa on KCPQ FOX13 Seattle. Episode after episode there is a consistent and intentional uplift of Black-owned businesses across our region, especially Black woman-owned businesses.

Seattle, WA. (Jan. 29, 2024) – Ezell’s Famous Chicken, a fast casual fried chicken restaurant with 16 locations in Washington and one location in Oregon, is proud to celebrate its 40th anniversary this February. Started by one sister and two sets of brothers from East Texas, today founders Lewis Rudd, Darnell Rudd and their sister Faye Stephens are still active in day to day operations, joined by an extended family of about 300 employees. The family-owned and operated business, which serves up chicken, sides and more made fresh from scratch at each location, first opened its doors on February 3rd, 1984 in Seattle’s Central District after waiting six years for initial funding. Since opening it has gained a loyal fan base, made many famous friends, and has established a strong tradition of giving back to the community.