The founder of Hey, Black Seattle! talks about the good — and complicated — realities of building community in the PNW as a person of color.

It can be tough to find a sense of community in Seattle, where it’s rainy most of the year and there’s a notorious social freeze to break through. It can be even harder navigating those barriers if you’re not white.

In the third episode of Northwest Reports Live, which showcases conversations with Seattle changemakers at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival, Kiesha B. Free talked about the good — and complicated — realities of living here.

Free is a speaker, facilitator, emcee, stand-up comedian and former business leader at Time and Microsoft. She also founded Hey, Black Seattle!, an online resource and movement that she created to connect and nurture Seattle’s Black community.

Free shares why she started Hey, Black Seattle!; addresses the myth that there are no Black people here; and weighs in on whether the city’s progressive reputation is well-earned.

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Credits

Producers: Maleeha Syed, Sara Bernard

Story editor: Ryan Famuliner

Executive producer: Sarah Menzies

Production Manager: Adam Brown

Production Engineer: Resti Bagcal

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Northwest Reports Live: Kiesha B. Free