Driving Change From the Ground Up: Kwabi Amoah-Forson’s Vision for Media and Humanitarianism
Kicking off PNW Influencer & Creator week on The Pop-Up!, host The Big O welcomed Tacoma-based humanitarian, producer, and creator Kwabi Amoah-Forson, who pulled back the curtain on his life's mission and The Tacoma Show.
Broadcast from the Black Media Matter Studios, their conversation captured Amoah-Forson's evolution from a disillusioned graduate student to a community leader utilizing media, aviation, and grassroots campaigns to ignite a new wave of social consciousness.
The Blueprint of a Humanitarian
Amoah-Forson prefaced the conversation by defining his foundational identity.
“A humanitarian is one who seeks the betterment of all people," he said. "So, no matter where you come from, your race, color, or creed, I'm out here helping people... If you're struggling with food, clothes, and shelter, I'm out here trying to help you. I want to help people. And so, that's my full-time job.”
His journey began in 2017 while attending the City University of Seattle. Feeling unfulfilled and watching his grades slip, he sought guidance from an old academic adviser who told him to stop complaining and forced him to reevaluate his path.
“He said I need to ask myself this one simple question," Amoah-Forson said. "I need to ask myself, who do I want to be and not what do I want to be? ... What are the principles you want to embody as a human being? Once you figure that out, everything will follow after.”
Taking that advice to heart, he realized his greatest joy came from seeing underrepresented communities unite, a concept he equates directly with peace and humanitarianism. By 2019, he purchased a 1988 Mitsubishi van, famously dubbed The Peace Bus, which became a physical vehicle for his community activism.
“I say [The Peace Bus] is the greatest vehicle of all time, not because it looks cool, but because I'm utilizing something to help others," he said.
Merging Media and Social Issues: The Tacoma Show
Amoah-Forson is actively expanding his platform into television as the writer, producer, and star of The Tacoma Show, celebrated as Tacoma's first actual TV sitcom. Inspired by the film Marty Supreme, The Office, and Family Matters, the show aims to command viewer attention while subtly integrating pressing social issues such as poverty and homelessness.
“So many people are doing good work, no one knows about it," Amoah-Forson said of the nonprofit sector. "The idea of The Tacoma Show is to shine light on issues going on without hitting you over the head with it, having it be subtle so that you're going to watch something but learn something.”
The production relies heavily on regional talent, having already drawn thousands of applicants to casting calls. As production advances, Amoah-Forson revealed that new casting opportunities continue to emerge, including an upcoming call tailored for youth actors.
Restoring Dignity Through Community Action
Beyond the screen, Amoah-Forson’s humanitarian portfolio features the "All Youth Can Eat" summer feeding program. Developed over the past five summers, the initiative partners with restaurants across Tacoma and Seattle to provide free meals to youth and college students aged 18 to 24. The impact is massive; the program successfully fed 5,500 youth over the course of a single summer.
For Amoah-Forson, the structure of the program is rooted in preserving human dignity.
"It's something about a kid going to a restaurant—a kid who may not have a means towards going to a restaurant because of their financial situation of their family—and they can go to a restaurant and roll their shoulders back and sit down and have a waiter or waitress come and present them their food. It's dignifying. It's humanizing,” he said.
Reclaiming the Sky and Honoring Ancestry
Constantly seeking innovative mediums for advocacy, Amoah-Forson earned his pilot's license last year to launch My Thoughts at 5,000 Feet, an Instagram series where he broadcasts community discussions from mid-air.
“It was the dream before The Peace Bus," he said. "I had a dream of having my own plane and utilizing aviation to bring awareness.”
When asked how he views his influence on Black culture and his broader purpose as a modern creator, Amoah-Forson focused on authenticity, duty, and lineage.
“I just want to be myself," he said. "My ancestors were in chains. The things that I'm doing, they could never imagine in their wildest dreams. And I'm living it right now. If they could see me now, they'd have no choice but to be proud.”
Learn more about The Peace Bus at thepeacebus.org
Donate to All Youth Can Eat 2026 here.
To stay updated on The Tacoma Show and other projects, give Kwabi a follow on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Stay tuned for more updates on The Pop-Up! on all Converge platforms.
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