Community

By Dr. Shawn G. Willis LEARNING AND DELIVERY AND DESIGN PROFESSIONAL, WASHINGTON STATE Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. provided our nation with an inspiring and motivational speech that will echo through the ages as long as all people from different backgrounds are not treated equally and indeed offered opportunities based on that simple premise. Rosa…

BY KRISTA R. PÉREZ LEAD CONSULTANT, PÉREZ CONSULTING When asked, Where did you find the time to write a book? I responded with, during the first 6 months of my daughter’s life. There is something about the tension that exists with being needed so much by a fresh out-of-the-womb newborn and the euphoria of just…

BY CARLOS A. ORTIZ SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR, COMMUNITY LEADER, AND FILMMAKER AT ZETA-MAYA ENTERTAINMENT Warning: You may be offended, triggered, or insulted by what follows. Words possess a lot of power, and their usage can yield a tremendous amount of influence and emotion. I remember many moons ago, I read a short story, or it may…

Through collaboration and engagement, we continue our efforts to support diversity, equity, access, and inclusion within organizations and the distribution of resources to communities in need. We look forward to continuing our work through the rest of 2022 and into 2023. At our latest Collaboration for a Cause event on June 24 in Fife, the…

BY MICHAEL JORDAN BUSINESS OPERATIONS SPECIALIST, BLACK COLLECTIVE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUND OUTREACH It’s the enslavement for me… Headlines rang with the announcement, “Walmart apologizes for Juneteenth ice cream flavor after backlash.”  In the same article, CBS News stated, “The Juneteenth ice cream’s packaging urged consumers to ‘share and celebrate African-American culture, emancipation, and enduring…

June is Pride Month, a time when LGBTQ+ communities come together to celebrate the freedom to be who they are. The first Pride events were held in June to commemorate the Stonewall uprising in New York City in June 1969, which helped launch the modern gay rights movement. Today, Pride is a chance to join…

Beautiful Butterfly By B.Lyte Beautiful butterfly come out of your cocoon Spread your wings and fly to the moon The possibilities are endless this universe is infinite Emerge from the shadows and be magnificent Negative energy ain’t a friend to me Love, Lyte, Peace & Positivity I have no enemies but lyfe ain’t always good…

BY JMARIE JOHNSON-KOLA On February 1, 2022, history was made in the City of Puyallup. For the very first time, February was officially proclaimed as Black History Month. Stop! Read that again. For the very first time, February was officially proclaimed as Black History Month. Black History Month first originated as part of an initiative…