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
Honoring Juneteenth with stories of community impact that move toward Black liberation
King County Executive Dow Constantine emailed all county employees on Wednesday, June 19, in recognition of Juneteenth and its profound historical and cultural significance for our nation. Juneteenth recognizes the end of legal slavery in America, commemorating June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed people who were still enslaved that slavery had ended more than two years prior. In his email Executive Constantine shared a new video highlighting the incredible work of four organizations that actively confronts the root causes of structural racism. “I recently had the… Read More
Seattle Pride Parade on June 30 and 2024 King County Pride shirts are now available for purchase
March with your King County co-workers, friends, and families in the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, June 30. Plan to meet at King County’s staging area at Fourth Avenue between Seneca and Spring from 11:15-11:45 a.m. Once the King County contingent gets moving at 12:10 p.m., it takes about two hours to get to the end of the parade route. There will be fun swag for folks attending the parade as well as water for the contingent and a spot on the Metro Pride Bus in case anyone needs to rest. Additionally,… Read More
Employee News 