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.

Reclaiming the Village: A Black Family & Community Summit is back this Saturday, January 10 at Garfield High School, marking the follow up to the inaugural summit last August. An essential conversation and community-building event, Reclaiming the Village is designed to center Black families, students, and the crucial community-based organizations that support them, all with the goal of strengthening the partnership between the school and the families it serves.

The Seattle City Council held its first meeting of the new term on January 6, 2026, where Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth was elected as Council President for the 2026-2027 term in a 9-0 vote. Council President Pro Tem Dan Strauss nominated Hollingsworth, which was seconded with no opposing nominations. Hollingsworth is the first Black woman to be elected president of the Seattle City Council. 

Erika J. Evans was sworn in as Seattle’s new City Attorney during an oath of office ceremony at City Hall on Monday. Her inauguration marks not only a transition in leadership, but a historic moment as she becomes the first Black person to hold the position in the city. 

MLB All-Star Julio Rodríguez has unveiled the fully renovated baseball complex in his hometown of Loma de Cabrera, Dominican Republic, marking a significant personal investment in the community where he began his career. Funded by a personal investment exceeding $1.3 million, the project introduces the Dominican Republic’s first-ever public astroturf baseball field, transforming the historic site into a modern, multi-sport facility.

Intiman Theatre is hosting an electric theatrical production “SHe Said,” running from Wednesday, January 14 to Sunday, February 1, 2026 at Seattle’s Erickson Theatre. The show is a deeply personal and transformational work written by Seattle’s own vocal dynamo, pianist, and songwriter, Jen Ayers. 

In the ever-evolving landscape of Portland’s creative scene, a new voice is emerging—not through words, but through the evocative, storytelling power of a Canon EOS Rebel T7. Dean Bechard, a 24-year-old photographer and creative director, has spent the last six months transitioning from a long-time hobbyist into one of the city’s most promising professional visual journalists.

Seattle City Hall was at capacity yesterday morning for the inauguration of Mayor Katie B. Wilson. The ceremony, held in the Main Lobby, drew an enthusiastic crowd to witness a transition of leadership that Wilson described as the start of a "new era" for the city.

Yesterday, the steps of Garfield High School were filled with a heavy, collective silence that eventually gave way to a powerful chorus of prayer and purpose. Yesterday should have been Amarr Murphy-Paine’s 19th birthday—a milestone of emerging adulthood. Instead, it served as a poignant 18-month marker since he was taken from a community that still feels the vibration of his absence every single day.

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.

By Besa Gordon - HHHHAAAPPYYYY New Year’s Eve ya’ll. We’re almost out of 2025 just like it’s Almost The Weekend, speaking of which, last weekend on the show Cuddy and I did all NYE events, sooo, if you still need something do tonight, below (and in the video) I have a list of events in Tacoma, Bellevue, Bremerton, and more. 

If Cuddy’s talking New Year’s Eve, you already know it’s options on options. On this week’s Almost The Weekend! Cuddy broke down where the energy will be HIGH as we ring in 2026. From parties to elevated experiences, these picks are all about good vibes, good music, and bringing in the New Year the right way.

Few things compare to the sense and soundness of family. At Converge Media, we’re lucky to have a family of our own, connected through the walls of the Black Media Matters Studio and a shared mission to tell better stories in our community. Before the year ended, we made sure to come together as one, celebrate our accomplishments, sing, dance, take some fly pics thanks to photographer Jordan Somers, and rejoice in each other’s energy and brilliance.

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.

November’s “Scopesgiving” edition of the underground film festival Scope Screenings at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center shone a spotlight on the Pacific Northwest’s creative minds in film. The evening celebrated short-form content, from fashion-forward spec ads to documentary-style commercials and metaphysical comedies, including the trailer for Converge Media’s upcoming documentary “Diamond of Opportunity.”

As we reach the homestretch of 2025, our Converge team will take a much-needed break to hit the ground running in 2026. As we always say at Converge, we’re running a marathon, not a sprint, which means its time to take a deep breath, refocus our energy, and make sure we enter the new year committed to telling the best stories we can.

This week on Back2Besa, host Besa Gordon is closing out the year with something special — Besa’s Favorites, a curated episode highlighting some of the segments, moments, and stories that have meant the most to her along the journey.

This week on Almost The Weekend, hosts Besa Gordon and Curtis Delgado II, aka Cuddy, helped viewers lock in their plans ahead of New Year’s Eve and the arrival of 2026. The episode served as a full NYE guide, offering insight on where to go, how to move, and what to avoid as the year comes to a close.

Converge Media's Omari “The Big O” Salisbury recently joined his brother Chukundi Salisbury Sr. on the Mother's Justice Show on 1150 KKNW to discuss his new show, “The Big O Show,” the legacy of their parents, and the emotional toll of covering the Seattle protests. Chukundi was filling in as host for the show's incredible founder and his mother, Reverend Harriet Walden.

The second annual On the Block Holiday Special creative marketplace recently brought together a community of local artists, vendors, and creatives for a weekend of celebration and fundraising in Seattle. Held at the Quality Flea Center, the event was a coming-together and a vital effort to raise funds for the organization’s year-round programming.