A new era of health and racial equity in King County
Crossposted from Public Health Insider At a recent community celebration, Public Health – Seattle & King County unveiled an ambitious five-year strategic plan aimed at improving the health and well-being of our community. This new roadmap is the culmination of extensive collaboration and input from nearly 100 community and public health system partners, as well as hundreds of Public Health staff members. Informed by the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and underscored by King County’s commitment to equity and the declaration of racism as a public health crisis, the plan charts a course toward a… Read More
Black Women’s Experience Project examines equity at King County
Crossposted from the DES Express The Black/African Women’s Affinity Group, co-chaired by DES’s own Miesha Vaughn, Tort Claims Investigator in Risk Management, and by Ebony Frazier, EIB Manager in the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD), recently released a report with the Wright Resource Group, “An examination of the experiences of Black women employees at King County.” From the Executive Summary: “The purpose of the project is to understand the current state of Black Women employed at King County and to provide recommendations to address possible inequities and promote a healthy… Read More
July is Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Month
July is Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Month, a time to highlight the unique strengths and challenges faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in relation to mental health. Named in honor of Bebe Moore Campbell, a journalist, teacher, author, and mental health advocate, this month is dedicated to continuing her legacy by focusing on the mental health needs and experiences of BIPOC communities. Fear of judgment, cultural beliefs, generational differences, and lack of access to resources often prevent people of color from addressing mental health… Read More
In their own words: Meet the dynamic AANHP Leadership Council
Since its inception, the American Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pasifika (AANHP) Affinity Group has flourished under exceptional leadership: Sung Cho and Stephanie Santos (2019 – 2020), Renee Hosogi and Phoebe Naguit (2020 – 2022), and Helen Potter and Guru Dorje (2023 – 2024). As we transition into a new phase, a collective decision has been made to establish a joint leadership structure known as the AANHP Leadership Council (ALC). This council aims to honor the collective identity of the AANHP community through collaborative leadership. The ALC comprises the following members: Allen Ikua Gomes,… Read More
First-ever Juneteenth flag-raising at King County
Crossposted from the DES Express For the first time ever, King County raised a Pan-African Flag over the Administration Plaza as part of a celebration of Juneteenth – Freedom Day. After a few brief speeches, participants broke into song at the event on June 18, singing the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a hymn written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900. The flag waved proudly over the Plaza through June 19 to commemorate the first Juneteenth celebrations that took place in 1866, a year… Read More
Keeping young minds engaged at annual Youth Academy
By Manny Apostol Jr., Community Engagement Specialist, King County Sheriff’s Office Last week, the King County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the Renton Police Department, the Newcastle Police Department, and the DEA’s Operation Engage, held the second annual Youth Academy, which was an exciting and impactful event. A group of 36 enthusiastic middle schoolers from the Renton School District, ranging from 11 to 14 years old, had the opportunity to engage with public safety professionals from 12 different agencies. The activities offered were both educational and entertaining, encompassing a combat challenge, captivating… Read More
Reducing lead in cookware leads to BRG Innovation Award for Equity, Racial & Social Justice
By Mary Miller, Executive Communications, Office of Performance, Strategy, and Budget A joint team from the Water and Land Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources (DNRP) and Parks and the Environmental Health Division of Public Health – Seattle and King County received the 2023 Best-Run Government (BRG) Innovation Award for Equity, Racial & Social Justice. The project team took significant and decisive action to address the health risks that exposure to lead in aluminum cookware posed to Afghan refugee children – and then broadened new protective measures to help residents… Read More
Ableism and allyship in the workplace
By Karla Lynch, Employment and Community Access Program Manager, Department of Community and Human Services, and Dorian Esper-Taylor, Disability Justice Specialist, Office of Equity, Racial, and Social Justice, Department of Executive Services Disability Pride Month is celebrated each year in July. Disability Pride initially started as a day of celebration in 1990—the year that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. Yet for people with disabilities, navigating a society constructed by and for people without disabilities continues to highlight the presence of ableism and the power of allyship in… Read More
Join Metro for a FABULOUS Pride Parade!
Crossposted from Metro Matters The Seattle Pride Parade is back on Sunday, June 30, and large crowds are expected to attend to honor our LGBTQIA+ community for their 50th year of gathering publicly here as an act of both celebration and collective resistance. We’re encouraging everyone to plan ahead if they are traveling to or around downtown Seattle. Expect congestion and bus reroutes downtown The parade starts at 11 a.m. on Fourth Avenue at Pike Street and travels north to Second Avenue and Denny Way. From about 7 a.m. until about 5 p.m., Fourth Avenue… Read More
Celebrating Pride and the fight for equality
Dear fellow King County employee, This month we celebrate Pride and the fight for equality and equal rights for LGBTQIA+ people, along with the many accomplishments and contributions they have made in our communities here in King County and around the world. It is also a time to reflect on the adversities that LGBTQIA+ people have faced throughout history and their courage in the ongoing struggle against injustice. As you may know, Pride began as a protest against discrimination and police violence, in the form of the Stonewall Uprising in New York… Read More
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