By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
For Deaunte Damper, community isn’t simply where people live. It’s something people build by showing up for one another every day.
That philosophy has guided Damper’s work across public health, HIV advocacy, gun violence prevention, overdose prevention and community organizing, earning him recognition during The Seattle Medium’s inaugural Best of the Best Northwest Readers’ Choice Awards, where readers selected him as Best Community Advocate (Health) while also naming him runner-up for Best Community Activist and Best Emerging Community Leader.
The honors also come during a milestone year for Damper, who was selected as a grand marshal for the Seattle Pride Parade, an honor that carried deep personal meaning as someone who has dedicated his life to uplifting Black and LGBTQ+ communities.
“What it symbolized is that Black people should always be prioritized. They try to understudy us, when the reality of it is, there are so many subjects in the LGBTQ+ community that they may not look like they should be prioritized, but it’s a prioritization for our community,” said Damper. “Being able to have my community lead the parade was so monumental, because I think there’s some misconception. They don’t think that we’re in alignment on things. I had gay and straight folks be my community, my allies, and I think there’s just this big misconception about how our community looks at things.”
For Damper, visibility is about much more than representation. It is about ensuring Black voices, particularly Black queer voices, are centered in conversations that have too often overlooked them.
“I think representation is extremely important because we can always organize in the back, but prioritization is always something that we have to take last place for. I feel like even in Seattle, they need to go back to the blueprint for civil rights,” said Damper. “How are we still doing these things today? In order for us to go forward, put us back in and prioritize us in the forefront.”
That belief inspired one of the projects Damper is most passionate about: Living Color, his partnership with Converge Media that highlights the stories and experiences of Black LGBTQ+ people throughout the region.
“I can’t pick just one greatest accomplishment in my work, because all of it has been a priority for me, and I am proud of everything that I do,” said Damper. “I think that if I had to pick something that I’m most proud of, it would definitely have to do with Living Color with Converge Media. That is my life. Gun violence and all of those things are great, but none of it prioritized the stories of Black queer people in this region.”
“For us to reach 100 episodes, I have 100 queer stories that now won’t go untold,” said Damper.
Although Living Color has become one of his signature projects, Damper sees all of his work as connected through a common purpose: improving the health and well-being of the communities he serves.
That commitment extends to his work in gun violence prevention, where he collaborates with community organizations, survivors and King County on prevention, intervention, stabilization and restoration efforts.
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“We’ve been working hands-on coordination efforts in prevention, intervention, stabilization and restoration efforts in this region to reduce the disease of gun violence, and we have done it. It is such a team’s job, but the reality of it is to be able to work alongside amazing people with reducing this disease has been a big part of my life’s work,” said Damper. “We’ve been able to launch a youth ambassador program, and we created the first ever fathers impacted by violence group that’s housed at the county and I am very proud of that work.”
His commitment to that work is deeply personal.
Damper grew up in Seattle’s Rainier Beach neighborhood, where he experienced firsthand the devastating effects of gun violence and loss.
“I grew up in Rainier Beach. I’ve lost more people on that corner than you can count. Sometimes it’s just an eerie feeling walking through there because I can hear, see, and feel those faces walking around,” said Damper. “But it’s great to know that I’m working with great organizations. I feel like what I’m doing is the bridge between government, community-led organizations, and community.”
Those experiences continue to shape how Damper approaches every aspect of his work.
“I think my lived experience is what brings it there. I’ve been formerly incarcerated. There was a point in time when I was living in a trailer and stealing in life. There were points in time when I watched HIV/AIDS plague my community,” said Damper. “I lost friends through overdose, and I’ve seen people be impacted by disparities and watched how other counterparts besides our community were getting the resources.”
“So, that lived experience keeps me humble, and honestly, it helps,” added Damper. “It makes me be a stronger bridge.”
That perspective also drives his efforts to improve health outcomes for Black and LGBTQ+ communities, whether through expanding access to mental health resources or advocating for overdose prevention.
“I would say mental health is everything. It’s not just one space,” said Damper. “It is continuing to work with the Therapy Fund to push for more visibility for Black and Brown folks to get access to therapy, and it is being able to prioritize the lived experience of LGBTQ+ folks through Living Color.”
Despite the growing recognition his work continues to receive, Damper remains uncomfortable being described as a leader.
“I don’t like when people call me a leader, because that means I’m walking ahead. I believe that I’m a part of a community compass that helps guide other community folks, and I think that we all have that compass inside of us,” said Damper. “Sometimes we try to say that the community is gone. Community is not just a place where we live; it’s also within us, and I hope that community can remember that. Let people see the community inside of you, and I want the community to know that I am accessible.”
For Damper, community has never been about recognition or titles. It is about showing up, building bridges and making sure others feel seen, heard and supported. That philosophy has shaped every chapter of his work, and it is ultimately what readers recognized when they selected him as one of the region’s most impactful community advocates.
To see the full list of winners visit bestofthebestnw.com
