Excited to announce that youth-led radio station, Ground Zero Radio, will be joining us once a month right here on Back2Besa! Their goal is to connect local communities, amplify youth voices, and inspire new leaders. This week, Lucia Flores-Wiseman brings us a story about Totem Star, a new studio near the King Street Station that's FREE and open for youth ages 14-25. It's amazing to see a space where money isn't a barrier for young musicians to make their music.

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.

The 2024 Seattle Black Film Festival is set to illuminate the cultural landscape of Seattle, showcasing a powerful array of cinematic works that celebrate the richness of Black storytelling, culture, and experiences.

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. 

Remember those fun P.E. days in elementary school when Double Dutch was the highlight of the class? Well, for those of us who miss those days, let us introduce you to Seattle's Double Dutch Divas! Founded in 2021 by Angie Mosley during the pandemic, Double Dutch Divas is a fantastic way to get out of the house, get in a good workout, and learn all about the sport of Double Dutch.

A respected voice in Seattle’s journalism community, Brian Callanan brings his expertise and in-depth of coverage of Seattle legislative issues to Converge Media through his show Seattle News, Views, and Brews every Wednesday night.

This past Thursday on The Day with Trae, host Trae Holiday sat down with Jonathan Batista, the principal dancer of the Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB). Batista and Holiday discuss his role as Prince Erik for a second time in PNB’s show “Swan Lake,” his career, and the importance of representation in ballet. Batista is the first principal black dancer at the Pacific Northwest Ballet, founded over 50 years ago. 

Last week on The Day with Trae, guest host Deaunte Damper sat down with Seattle-based poet and author Darryl Foto to discuss his career and showcase Foto's poetry in a live studio performance. Foto also talked about his work at A Space Inside, where he hosts Poetry and Sip, a spoken word and poetry open mic held on the last Friday of every month.

Last week on The Day with Trae, guest host Deaunte Damper sat down with Eleuthera Lisch, the Director of the King County Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention. In this episode, Damper and Lisch discuss the current state of gun violence within the United States and what actions are being implemented to deter it.

The Vera Project is a safe space for creative youth now in its 23rd year. The nonprofit concert venue, screen print shop, recording studio, and art gallery is dedicated to fostering personal and community transformation through collaborative, youth-driven engagement in music and art.

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. 

Last week on The Day with Trae, guest host Deaunte Damper sat down with Kisa Dupe, the recent recipient of the 2024 Miss Washington HBCU teen title. In this episode, Dupe tells Damper about her experience participating in the Miss HBCU Teen pageant, a program and competition focused on providing scholarships and resources to high school girls of color who intend to attend an HBCU. Dupe was recently accepted into Spelman College.

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.

The Griot Party Experience recognizes the legacy of Black Copper Brown and indigenous people in the Central District of Seattle and honors their contributions through hip-hop, spoken-word storytelling theater. On January 13th, the event, produced by Logic Amen, celebrated 50 years of hip-hop in Seattle and provided a platform for people to share their stories and reaffirm their humanity at Langston Hughes. The energy on stage was electric and made braving the cold weather worth it!

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.

The morning of January 31st, 2024 saw the Seattle Storm trade away veteran Kia Nurse and the 4th overall pick in this years WNBA draft for a 2026 1st rounder from the Los Angeles Sparks. Why would Seattle do this?

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.