This episode of Back2Besa highlights the legacy, creativity, and community rooted inside the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute. From storytelling and healing through dance, to artists being supported on and off the stage, the show brings together powerful moments that reflect why Langston continues to matter. Featuring the Griot Party Experience, Create and Thrive, Seattle’s ballroom scene, Kutt N’ Up’s 20-year legacy, Scope Screenings, and a moving one-woman performance by Lakema Bell.

By Besa Gordon - With Super Bowl Sunday right around the corner, I stopped by Good Day Seattle to help folks lock in the perfect place to watch the big game — while supporting local businesses at the same time. I teamed up with my guy Mark TellsYa, who took viewers on a quick tour of several spots around Seattle.

The Re-Sole 206, Seattle's inaugural sneaker dry cleaner, recently hosted Northwest Credible Messenger (NWCM) youth for "Designing the Path,” a custom sneaker workshop. The Re-Sole 206 founder, Takiyah "T-DUB" Ward, whose state-of-the-art facility specializes in sneaker cleaning, restoration, and customizing, was all about sharing her knowledge with the next generation. 

#ConvergePDX - At Converge, we believe in uplifting Black joy across the entire Pacific Northwest. Recently, that Black joy was on full, commanding display at The Mixer: Making P(OR)tland Home in Portland, Oregon. At our second year covering the event, the community transformed The Evergreen into a sacred space rooted in presence, storytelling, and community, bringing together Black professionals, creatives, and leaders across Portland.

Fresh off their five-year anniversary, Communion Restaurant & Bar in Seattle’s Central District recently welcomed Almost The Weekend! co-host Curtis Delgardo II, aka Cuddy, to try Chef Damon Bomar’s house-made Bloody Mary. When Bomar made an appearance on Almost The Weekend! last year, Delgardo famously expressed his distaste for Bloody Marys, but he accepted the challenge to push his palate to new heights. 

Back2Besa host Besa Gordon recently visited Métier Brewing in the Central District for National Beer Can Appreciation Day on January 24th to chop it up with multi-disciplinary artist Damon Brown, a.k.a. Creative Lou, and Métier Brewing Company owner Rodney Hines. Brown, the visionary behind many of Métier’s iconic cans, is all about representing the stories of Blackness and the soul of Seattle’s Central District.

Yesterday, Besa Gordon stopped by Good Day Seattle on FOX 13 Seattle to talk about a powerful new story highlighting the reach of the Mariners Care Foundation — and how Back2Besa continues to follow stories of opportunity and community well beyond the Emerald City.

Amarr’s Heart Foundation recently concluded its annual blanket, socks, and glove drive, a community-wide effort to honor the late Amarr Murphy-Paine nearing what would have been his 19th birthday last month. The drive, a collaborative effort with Garfield High School, the Garfield Teen Life Center, and the Garfield Community Center, successfully collected supplies for the homeless and disenfranchised in the Seattle area.

If you’re looking for an episode that feels like community, culture, and connection all wrapped into one — this week’s show is absolutely for you. This week’s Back2Besa is one of those lineups that really reflects movement. Not just physically, from city to city, but emotionally too through the people we meet, the stories we carry, and the moments that remind us why community-centered storytelling matters so much.

By Besa Gordon - I recently sat down with DEEL's Director Dwane Chappelle and members of the Rainier Beach Health Clinic team for a conversation that felt personal in every way. We talked about youth mental health — and not in a “buzzword” way, but in a real, honest way… the kind of conversation that can actually change outcomes for young people across Seattle.

Besa Gordon recently paid a visit to Seattle’s Marjorie Restaurant, a beloved Central District favourite, as part of her ongoing Support Black Business campaign. Gordon sat down with owner Donna Moodie, affectionately known to many as Miss Donna, to get a full rundown on the restaurant’s globally-inspired menu and commitment to community hospitality.

The Scope Screenings season finale, dubbed the Met Gala Edition, brought together local creatives last month for a night where fashion and film met at a harmonious crossroads. Held at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute in Seattle’s Central District, the event marked the conclusion of Scope Screenings’ fourth season. 

Communion Restaurant recently marked its milestone fifth anniversary with a glorious celebration focused on gratitude and community. The event was deliberately focused on staff appreciation, a theme near to co-owner Chef Kristi Brown’s heart. The evening was a glamorous affair, styled with a Harlem Renaissance theme, enhanced by a quartet from the Garfield Jazz Band.

Besa Gordon recently joined Good Day Seattle to spotlight the impactful work of Northwest Credible Messenger, a Federal Way–based organization dedicated to supporting youth, young adults, and community members through mentorship, behavioral health, and community-centered programming.

This week’s episode of Back2Besa is one of those that really captures where my head — and my heart — are right now. It’s about intention, staying open, and being willing to experience joy in ways you might not expect.

By Besa Gordon - This week, I had the opportunity to sit down with Erin Mayovsky on Good Day Seattle to talk about where Back2Besa is headed in 2026 — and more importantly, why this work continues to matter to me on such a personal level. When Erin asked me to describe the soul of Back2Besa, the answer came easily. The soul of this show has always been the community.

By Besa Gordon - This week’s episode of Back2Besa is one of those that really made me pause. It’s about reflection, legacy, and the kind of community moments that remind you why the work — and the people — matter.

This week, Back2Besa is serving exactly what viewers have been asking for. After hearing from fans across DMs, comments, and emails, host Besa Gordon brings the Fan Foodie Favorites Edition to life — a full episode spotlighting some of the most-loved food segments ever featured on the show.

Besa Gordon takes a reflective look back at the 2023 V101.1 Holiday Jam at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, revisiting a moment when music, radio, and community collided. More than a concert recap, this segment captures the joy of being fully present—living in the moment with her radio family before realizing how meaningful that time would later become.

Many people who follow Besa Gordon now have never experienced one of her mixers, so here’s the story. She launched the Real Seattle Media Mixer in 2019 to create a space that didn’t quite exist yet — where people in media, especially creatives of color, could come together to ask real questions, share real stories, and build genuine connections.