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What happens when Black Lives Matter gets too white?
Marcus Green, editor of the South Seattle Emerald writes about the dissatisfaction he’s felt with recent Black Lives Matter marches in Seattle. At what point does white participation begin to dilute the effectiveness of protest, Green wonders: “the issue of white people showing up to march is subordinate to what’s actually facing the black community: black survival. It is a very real concern in a city where more and more black residents are moving to Kent, Des Moines, and other areas of South King County.”
Confronting gentrification and displacement in Cascadia
Once-vibrant black communities like Portland’s Albina neighborhood are being displaced by rising housing costs and scarcity of affordable housing. A new documentary, Priced Out looks at how gentrification affects communities of color in Vanport. In addition, the Seattle Globalist talks to community leaders in Seattle’s International District to see how the neighborhood is coping with major changes brought on by economic boom. Meanwhile, Seattle and Portland continue to top lists of fastest-growing housing prices in the nation.
Marshall Islanders deal with fallout health problems
People from the Marshall Islands have been dealing with chronic health problems as a result radioactive fallout from US nuclear tests in the 1950s. It turns out that Spokane, WA is home to one of the largest communities of Marshall Islanders in the US. A fascinating report at the Inlander describes how public health officials are struggling to find insurance for some sufferers, since Marshall Islanders don’t qualify for Medicaid.
Sea Stars recovering, bees returning to burned areas
Amid all the negative climate change stories, there are a few glimmers of good news. A new study shows sea stars on the Cascadia coast are recovering after a mysterious die-off in 2013-2014. And a report at OPB notes that areas burned in record-breaking fires in Oregon this year are an ideal habitat for bees, which have recently been in decline.
A French illustrator’s fresh work in Vancouver
I’m a big fan of Vancouver art blogger Jeff Hamada’s website Booooooom! and he recently offers a collection of illustrations from French-born artist Marion Bordeyne, who lives and works in British Columbia. Bordeyne does nice work, whether it’s sketching bookish girls or Wonder Woman.
An interview with Seattle novelist Anca Szilagyi
Seattle writer Anca Szilagy, who’s got a debut novel out–Daughters of the Air– talks to Propeller about what went into creating this slightly mythical story of a young woman whose family fled to the US from Agentina’s dirty war in the 1980s. Szilagyi will have a story in the first issue of Cascadia Magazine, so stay tuned here…
That’s the all news and arts coverage that’s fit to print today from Cascadia. –Andrew Engelson Photo credit: Illustration by Marion Bordeyne,