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.

“We Live In Color” returns for Season 4 this Thursday. This year, we're taking our mission to the next level with the Seattle Gay News (SGN) Community Brief. In partnership with Seattle Gay News, one of the country's longest-running LGBTQIA+ publications, “We Live In Color” is set to make a greater impact and forge more meaningful community connections than ever before.

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.

Converge Media joins the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and newsrooms across the nation in expressing our profound outrage at today’s federal arrest of three-time Emmy-winning independent journalist Georgia Fort and veteran journalist Don Lemon. These arrests, directed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, represent a chilling escalation in the criminalization of newsgathering—particularly for Black journalists who provide essential, front-line reporting for marginalized communities.

As a crucial part on Converge Media’s upcoming documentary “Diamond Of Opportunity” about the Mariners Care Foundation, videographer and producer Mat Bermudez journeyed to Anchorage, Alaska, to document the grand opening of a new indoor baseball and softball facility. What he discovered far exceeded the boundaries of a typical sports story: it was an emotional account of community revitalization, accessibility, and representation. 

After nearly one month representing the city-wide Position 9, Seattle City Councilmember Dionne Foster discussed her focus on affordable housing for Black families and homeowners, tackling homelessness, and protecting Seattleites from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

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.

The United States Basketball League (USBL) is making a triumphant return for its 2026 season, marking its 40th anniversary and kicking off games in March, 2026. Anchoring the revival on the West Coast are the Seattle Super Hawks, one of eight dynamic teams ready to compete. For aspiring players, the road to the 2026 USBL season starts this weekend at the Pacific Northwest Combine this Saturday, January 31st.

The annual tax season can be daunting, but The Seattle Public Library (SPL) is stepping up to make the process easier. Starting this week, the Library is offering free, in-person tax preparation services across 11 of its locations, thanks to crucial collaborations with the United Way of King County (UWKC) and AARP.

The Big O recently sat down with Appollonia Washington, co-owner of A 4 Apple Learning Center and Today’s Central, to discuss her 36-year legacy of serving the youth in the Central District.

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.

In alignment with a growing demand for fat acceptance, Fat Con, the West Coast's largest fat convention, recently returned under the theme of “Fat Defiance” at The Triple Door in Downtown Seattle. The third-annual Fat Con stood as a necessary beacon of empowerment and resilience, actively pushing back against a society increasingly obsessed with weight loss.

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.

Takiyah “T-DUB” Ward recently unveiled a new canvas in her portfolio: a custom-painted hockey stick for the Seattle Torrent. Designed specifically for the Torrent’s Black History Celebration Unity Game earlier this month at Climate Pledge Arena, this stunning piece was a gift to the Black Girl Hockey Club that will be independently auctioned off to drive increased access, representation, and belonging for Black women and girls in hockey. 

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. 

The 2026 HBCU Seattle Series returns to the Northwest this March, led by Baseball Beyond Borders (BBB). The weekend brings Jackson State University baseball to Seattle University from March 6–8, 2026, marking a historic moment for Black collegiate sports visibility in the Pacific Northwest. What began with the 2023 HBCU Swingman Classic has evolved into a homegrown movement to build pipelines, shift narratives, and prove that representation on the field changes what youth believe is possible.

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.

#ConvergeMediaPresents - We recently expanded our storytelling horizons into Seattle’s cannabis culture when LUVN Social Club hosted an infused Game Night at a private loft in Interbay. Spearheaded by Chef Unika of LUVN Kitchn in partnership with Seattle Sluggers and Magnus Premium, the Game Night fused gourmet cannabis-infused cuisine, community, and friendly competition.  

In a media landscape often cluttered with noise, misinformation, and homogenized narratives, the role of independent Black media has never been more critical. For generations, Black-owned press has served as a lifeline—a trusted source of information, a platform for authentic storytelling, and a powerful instrument for social justice. Today, as communities face renewed challenges and a constant battle for equitable representation, outlets like Converge Media are proving that Black media isn't just an alternative; it's an essential pillar of our democracy and community well-being.