Written by Besa Gordon - Recently, Monika C. Matthews from QueenCare, a health and wellness shop in the Central District that I highlighted back in August has opened up a spa called The Spa House in Columbia City. WOOT WOOT! I remember when Monkia told me about her plans to open this spa; she said it had been years in the making, and I'm so happy for her that it's finally here.

Meet Converge Media’s longest-tenured host. Julia Jessie began her journey to becoming the host of Clap Back Culture over a decade ago, when she first met Converge Media Founder Omari Salisbury.

Seattle City Council President Debora Juarez was recently honored by Coast Salish Tribal and Indigenous community leaders for her years of public service. The celebration was hosted by the Muckleshoot, Lower Elwha Klallam, Lummi, Jamestown S’Klallam and Suquamish Tribal Nations, Washington Indian Gaming Association, Seattle Indian Health Board, and Huy, and held at the Kraken Community Iceplex – a facility that Juarez successfully advocated be developed in her neighborhood of North Seattle’s District 5.

Today, the Tubman Center for Health & Freedom announced it has purchased the future site of a transformative health center that will serve 8,000 patients seeking care designed to meet the needs of marginalized communities, such as Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA+ people.

With over 1000 people through the door on Saturday, the Seattle Opera’s Black Artist Market was a clear example of when intention meets purpose with the outcome being business success for the 30 Black businesses that participated while at the same time bringing a sense of belonging and welcoming for many in Seattle’s Black community in attendance whom for the majority of them was their first time inside Tagney Jones Hall and their first interaction with the Seattle Opera.

Reflecting on what happened at Holiday Jam, I'm reminded as to why I love being in radio. Jumping on stage and making thousands of people scream is such a wild and energizing feeling. The first time I did it, I instantly knew what artists meant when they said there's nothing like performing on stage and feeling the energy of the crowd. It's a vibe I wish I could bottle up for when I'm having a bad day and need a pick-me-up.

Have you heard of Teatro Zinzanni, the world-famous circus dinner theater from right here in Seattle? Recently, we visited one of their rehearsals to talk with Seattle's Tiffany Wilson, also known as Madam Z, about her first year at Teartro, a song she wrote that is now part of the show, how she got into music, and more.

Last Thursday, our TraeAnna Holiday attended the opening night of Black Nativity presented by the Intiman Theater at the Broadway Performance Hall. After a decade-long hiatus, the return of Black Nativity has been one of the most highly anticipated productions this holiday season in Seattle’s Black community and beyond. The musical written by Langston Hughes was a tradition in the Emerald City for years and was anchored by the late Pat Wright, who was the founder of the Total Experience Gospel Choir, as well as the late Rev. Dr. Samuel B. McKinney, who was the pastor at Seattle’s Mout Zion Baptist Church for 40 years.

Written By Besa Gordon - It's almost time for Back2Besa on FOX 13 Seattle! As usual, on Thursday, I headed over to FOX 13 to preview what would be on Back2Besa this week, and this week I got to catch up with my bill and preview my interview with Paul Wight, formally known as the Big Show where he gave radio legend Danny Bonaduce his flowers (in case you missed it, yesterday was Danny's last day on air as he decided to retire.)

Written by Besa Gordon: Recently, I headed to West Seattle for the HBCU drink competition, where eight different bartenders came together to compete and see who could make the best Old Fashioned using Uncle Nearest Whiskey. For those that don't know, the whiskey is named after the formerly enslaved man, Nathan "Nearest" Green, who taught a young Jack Daniel the craft of distilling. As of 2023, eight brand variants have been produced. According to the IWSR, Uncle Nearest is the fastest-growing whiskey brand in the United States and is recognized as the most successful black-owned distillery in the world.

The Seattle Kraken collected their second consecutive victory, and second on a six-game homestand, as they delivered a blowout victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Seattle's 4th line brought the fight once again, and the Kraken handled business against a bruised Chicago team.

Today, we revisit Finding Go: The Story of Adé Hogue. This film took the Converge Production crew across the country, from Asheville, North Carolina to Chicago, Illinois.

Northwest Tap Connection held their biannual fundraisers “Hard Times Require Furious Dancing,” at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute on December 8th and 9th. The sold-out shows featured performances by current and past students, instructors, a group of roller skaters, and a singer. In addition to the performances, audience members could check out an exhibit featuring photos, art, and artifacts “designed to educate the observers about the Black experience of music, song, and dance.”

Take in some of the main takeaways from the Seattle Kraken win over the Florida Panthers that helped Seattle snap their 8-game losing streak!

The Seattle Kraken, playing the 4th game of a 6 game homestand, finally snapped their 8-game losing streak. Seattle was able to limit Florida's dangerous chances, got big production from their fourth line, and saw goaltender Joey Daccord record his first NHL shutout in the victory.

While the Winter Classic itself will be a massive experience on it's own as our Seattle Kraken host the Las Vegas Golden Knights, there are plenty of events leading into gameday that fans can participate in to get into the spirit of a historic contest!

Written by Besa Gordon - It's Nutcracker season for the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and you already know I had to pull up and give you a behind-the-scenes look at how it all goes down before and during the show at MaCaw Hall. In case you missed this weekend's episode of Back2Besa on FOX 13 Seattle (btw if you missed it, you deff missed a lot), in this segment, we met with the youth that are part of the show, we went down to the orchestra pit, we went to their dressing rooms to see the dancers getting their makeup done, plus we even went to the side stage and saw dancers coming on and off the stage.

When Circling Seattle Sports host Charles Hamaker first entered the Black Media Matters Studio in the Winter of 2021, he was wide-eyed with anticipation and wonder at the resources available to him.

The Kraken saw their losing streak push to eight-games, as a strong effort and some golden opportunities on the power play ultimately didn't translate into results as Seattle was shutout in their home barn by a very beatable Wild team.

The Seattle Kraken were able to comeback from a two-goal deficit and took a lead in the third period, but Tampa Bay ultimately take advantage of Seattle's inability to add to their lead or regain it and the Lightning won in overtime.