History

Celebrate Juneteenth with Atlantic Street Center

June 18 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Atlantic Street Center will once again host one of the region’s longest-running Juneteenth celebrations, honoring culture, community, and the ongoing fight for justice.

Held at Rainier Beach Community Center on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, from 5 to 8 p.m., this family-friendly event will feature local artisans, food trucks, community organizations, and performances that celebrate African American and Black history in the United States.

Through music, food, and education, the event offers space to reflect on the legacy of Juneteenth and the enduring strength of the Black community.

Learn more: https://atlanticstreetcenter.org/juneteenth/

24th Annual Juneteenth Celebration at Rainier Beach Community Center - Wednesday, June 18 from 5-8pm.

Rainier Beach Community Center

8825 Rainier Ave S
Seattle, Washington 98118 + Google Map
206-386-1925
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Event Website

Related Events

CMFA Black History Month Networking Dinner

February 24 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

We are excited to invite you to join us for the Committee on Minority Faculty Advancement (CMFA) Black History Month Networking dinner on Monday 2/24/25. This dinner will be a time to gather as a community and share a meal from Pizza by Ruffin. 

Please RSVP by 2/14/2025! We will share a more detailed agenda in the coming weeks.

CMFA Black History Month Networking Dinner

UW Waterfront Activities Center

3710 Montlake Blvd. NE
Seattle, Washington 98195 United States + Google Map

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Today, we honor Transgender Day of Remembrance, a solemn day dedicated to commemorating the lives of transgender individuals who have been lost to systemic violence, discrimination, and injustice. Each name we remember represents not just a person whose life was tragically cut short, but a powerful reminder of the urgent need to protect the human rights and healthcare access of transgender and gender-diverse individuals—especially the right to gender-affirming care.

While today is a time for reflection and remembrance, it is also a call to action. We must recognize the profound resilience and strength of the transgender community, particularly Indigenous, Black, and Brown transgender individuals, who have been at the forefront of the fight for trans rights and justice. These individuals have long been leaders in advocating for equality, access to care, and the dignity of all people, despite facing compounded violence and marginalization.

As we reflect on their lives and the ongoing struggles they face, let us renew our commitment to creating an environment that is not only inclusive, but actively protective of all transgender and gender-diverse people. This means fighting to safeguard access to gender-affirming care, advocating for policies that protect human dignity, and standing against any attempt to roll back rights and protections.

Let us honor those we have lost by continuing the fight for a future where every person can live authentically, without fear or discrimination.

On Racism: A New Standard For Publishing On Racial Health Inequities

Rhea W Boyd, Edwin G Lindo, Lachelle D Weeks, Monica R McLemore

From Health Affairs Forefront: …despite racism’s alarming impact on health and the wealth of scholarship that outlines its ill effects, preeminent scholars and the journals that publish them routinely fail to interrogate racism as a critical driver of racial health inequities. As a consequence, the bar to publish on racial health inequities has become exceedingly low. Read the full article here.

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/racism-new-standard-publishing-racial-health-inequities

What Día de Muertos Can Teach Us About Healthy Grieving

Despite the universality of death, many of us are not very comfortable with it — or with the grieving process.

“The dominant culture in the US does not want to focus on sorrow and loss, grief, illness, aging or death. People who are grieving frequently report receiving messages that they need to ‘move on,’ achieve ‘closure’ or ‘get over it’ more than they are invited to continue sharing the story of their loss,” says Taryn Lindhorst, director of the Center for Oncology and Palliative Care Social Work at the University of Washington School of Social Work.

Read more on the Right As Rain Blog.

Learning critical Black history can change white perspectives on racism in health care

From UCLA:

Two-thirds of white Americans believe that Black Americans do not experience racism or racial inequities in health care.
UCLA psychologists exposed white study participants to the well-documented history of medical-related mistreatment of Black Americans.
Subsequently, white participants were more likely to adopt a new perspective and support policies aimed at reducing racial disparities in health care.

https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/learning-black-history-can-change-perspectives-on-health

Meet the Office of Healthcare Equity Peer Trainers

From the UW Medicine Huddle:

In 2019, the Office of Healthcare Equity (OHCE) began providing antiracism training, with the goal of reaching every member of the UW Medicine community.

By bringing together subject matter experts in five core equity, diversity and inclusion areas, the small team rolled out training first to leadership groups and then to teams, departments and offices across the system.

“It quickly became apparent that to reach the whole UW Medicine community, we needed more trainers,” says Lee Davis, lead trainer for OHCE.

Read the full article!
Meet the Office of Healthcare Equity Peer Trainers

Hispanic Heritage Month

Theme for 2022

From the UW Medicine Huddle: This year’s theme is: “Unidos (United): Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.” The theme recognizes that communities and this country are stronger when we make sure all voices are welcomed and represented. It also recognizes and celebrates the vast diversity and different perspectives within Hispanic and Latinx communities.

Read more at https://huddle.uwmedicine.org/hispanic-heritage-month/

“Lucky Medicine: Memoirs of a Black pediatric urologist”

Dr. Lester Thompson, a retired pediatric urologist and one of the first Black practitioners in the Pacific Northwest, offers an inspiring, personal look at Black student life at Indiana University in the early 1960s in his book. As a graduate of Indiana University School of Medicine, Dr. Thompson shares valuable insights that make this book a must-read for those interested in the medical field, particularly young people of color and aspiring Black medical professionals. Read more

Asian American History, Shared Through Graphic Novels

From UW College of Arts & Sciences: “That’s the greatest thing about the comic novella format,” Eckelberg says. “We can now portray these characters in the correct and appropriate environment that they deserve to be in.” He worked with several of the same illustrators and anticipates the comic novella version of Gum Saan to Golden Spike will be published this spring.

Read the original article: https://artsci.washington.edu/news/2023-03/asian-american-history-shared-through-graphic-novels