Pastor Peterman, on front row (center) in suit and tie, stands in front of Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, surrounded by guest clergy who attended to support and celebrate.
By Hazel Trice Edney
(Trice Edney Wire) – It was on Nov. 24, 2014, when then Howard University student Kevin Lamár Peterman first felt a sermon rise from his belly.
That was the same day that a grand jury decided not to indict a white Ferguson, Missouri police officer, Darren Wilson, in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Mike Brown, an unarmed Black teenager walking down the street in his neighborhood. It was a police killing that sparked historic protests across America; including fiery demonstrations in Ferguson that were met with military force.
Having returned from the uprisings in Ferguson, Peterman was leading a community and student protest on the steps of Howard’s Douglass Hall when the announcement came that Wilson would not be indicted.
“I remember giving a speech that night that I felt turn into a sermon. And it was really social justice that led me to ministry,” Peterman said in a recent interview. “I felt that the best way to advance the cause of Black people in America was through the church and through education. And so that’s kind of how my ministry began.”
A little more than 10 years later, the stirring that Peterman felt that night has now come full circle. On Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, at the age of 32, he was installed pastor of the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, the oldest and most historic Black Baptist congregation in Washington, DC, dating back through enslavement more than 180 years.
Today, as issues of racial justice continue to simmer – and grow – across the nation, the pastoral installation of Peterman and other young men and women in his age group is being viewed as a resurgence of sorts, part of a spiritual uprising of a new generation of civil rights leadership in the Black church.
“What you’re seeing is that there are a number of young Black preachers who are taking over historic Black churches in historic cities, who are doing this work of social justice and also doing the work of social impact while also preaching salvation,” Peterman said. “Every generation of ministers is called to move the thermometer one notch, one pace forward. It’s like a race. The baton has been passed to the next generation to run our leg of the race.”
Among those who have risen to church leadership from coast to coast – during what Peterman describes as the “Black Lives Matter” era is Melech Thomas, who led protests alongside him after the Baltimore police custody death of Freddie Gray. Thomas was installed pastor of Baltimore’s Payne Memorial AME Church earlier this year.
Also, the Rev. Devon Jerome Crawford, pastor of the Third Baptist church in San Francisco, the home church of former Vice President Kamala Harris; the Rev. Art Gordon is pastor of the oldest Black Baptist church in New England, the People’s Baptist church in Boston; the Rev. Malcolm J. Byrd is senior pastor of the Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the oldest Black Church in New York State, founded in 1796; the Rev. Marissa Farrow has been named senior pastor-elect of Baltimore’s Mt. Calvary Church & Ministries; and the Rev. Rodney Carter is pastor of the Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church, the largest Pentecostal congregation in D.C.
“So, you’re seeing a new generation of pastors coming into the pulpit and taking over historic churches and many of us are trying to do the work that was being done 60 years ago, prior to the civil rights movement,” Peterman says. “It’s not a new vision. It’s a continuum. And hopefully, when we die, life in America will be better than it was when we were born.”
Therefore, during the services surrounding Peterman’s installation, it was made clear that his generation will not carry the mantle alone. As they rise to leadership, they join their mentors, their fathers and mothers in ministry who remain alongside them in the preaching of salvation, the battle for social justice, and the sharing of wisdom and experience.
The three services celebrating Peterman as the new pastor included preachers, known nationally for their leadership. Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, senior pastor of the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va, preached a one-night revival. The installation service was led by Rev. Lawrence E. Aker, III, lead pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York; and the events were culminated during a Sunday service preached by the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, senior pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, where Peterman served as a pastoral intern.
Aker, the pastor who ordained Peterman at Cornerstone, where he served as young adult and social justice minister, preached from the scripture, II Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” The title of the message was “A Divine Assignment.”
Peterman listened intently, having been ceremoniously robed by his mother, Mrs. Donna Holley-Nelms. He recounted that he was raised by a “single parent mother and grandmother in Vauxhall, New Jersey with the church as the center of our life.”
Essentially, Aker elaborated that Peterman has been called to preach in a time that has been described as the “fourth industrial revolution,” which, in part, means the world’s rise to 21st century technology; including AI, (artificial intelligence) and that the multi-generational Black church must not be afraid.
Greater Mount Calvary Pastor Rodney Carter, 34, gave a charge to the congregation that appeared strongly in agreement with Aker. “There are some who are going to grieve the past. I want to encourage you to follow the vision. Don’t fight the vessel,” Carter said.
Aker’s message likely heartened Peterman, who, in the pre-installation interview, expressed that the Black church must use maximum technology and social media in order to communicate its Gospel and social justice messages.
“We have to communicate our story. We have to communicate the work that we’re doing at Nineteenth Street. We have to embrace technology one hundred percent. We have to communicate what we’re doing and the work that we’re doing in 21st century ways. Social media for us has been on the back burner,” Peterman said. “The reality is that nobody is looking for or most people under the age of 50 are not looking for something to come in the mail to them. Most people now under the age of 70 want to be online, want to be digitized, want it to be on their phone. We have to embrace multiple platforms. I want people to know that I’m on a mission. I’m on a mission for God. And I am on a mission for my people.”
The fact that Nineteenth Street Baptist is located in the heart of the nation’s capital, is crucial to his national leadership in social justice, Peterman said.
“As goes Washington goes the rest of the country. The country is always looking to Washington, DC for leadership in every industry and in every sector. The same for the church,” he said. “I think the churches across the country are going to be asking the question, ‘What are the churches in the nation’s capital doing to advance the efforts of marginalized people, of Black people, of Brown people?’ So that will be an example for churches throughout the rest of the country.
He concludes, “We particularly have a great opportunity because we eat at the same restaurants where the lawmakers eat. We are literally in proximity of and can go to the Supreme Court and demonstrate and make our voices known in ways that a congregation in Kentucky or Los Angeles or in Houston or Chicago cannot easily do. So, for us, our proximity to power comes with great responsibility and a privileged burden. Our proximity to power comes with a responsibility to speak truth to power on behalf of everybody else as loud as we can speak it.”
Sherryl: “From where I stand, when core supports to programs like health care, medical insurance, affordable housing, food assistance, home loans and educational aid are bing reduced and or eliminated the message is clear. Survival is on us, and not a shared responsibility of our government and the people. Black people, this hits all minorities hard. So no, I don’t believe the federal government has Black people’s or minority’s best interest at hand. They need to do better.”Michelle: “No, I don’t. And the reason why, especially in the healthcare system, there is a disparity. People of color who have usually less income than the Arcarcas people. There’s a disparity in healthcare system. We get less care, we get, even I’m a breast cancer survivor. I do know people who have had regular insurance, people Caucasians, and then people of color, who have had state aid, they have did a botched on their breasts. They no longer have breast cancer, but their breasts are botched.” And so I do think that there is a disparity. They’re just is. Even Trump says it.Derrick: “Absolutely not. Why? Well, our federal government was built on not having Black people’s best interest in mind in the first place. That’s why they passed laws of labeling us three-fifths of a human. I mean, we knew what it was from jump. We were supposed to get our 40 acres and a mule. Presidents rolled back our benefits, after the country acknowledged that we were not only an integral part of this country’s history, we are the founders, the original founders of this country.There’s no way they’re gonna have our best interest in hand.”Bart “Truthfully, I don’t think they’re doing too much or anything for us. Still struggling. We ain’t getting no help. Either way, goes either side, truthfully, you want to talk about it. to me, we’re worse off than where we were, and it’s only getting worse. And is it going to get any better anytime soon? Not while he’s still in office, Hell, no.”Darnell: “Well, I mean, history tells us, and it keeps repeating itself, we don’t have much of anything, DEI is gone. They are trying to take away civil rights. I mean, they’re dismantling everything that we build, so yeah, no, they do not have our best interest in mind.”Toni: “Democrats and Republican, none of them have Black people’s best interests at heart. What I’m learning about just government at all, they’re the rich, we’re the poor. So my perspective is, we need to change. And I think 2025 is bringing change. Our voices will be heard.”
(Trice Edney Wire) – “Trump’s reasons for boycotting the event are ridiculous, to be polite … The claim that white people are more affected by criminal acts in the country is not only a mistaken belief but also a manufactured lie designed to invoke the emotions of white racists across the globe. The argument that black economic empowerment, affirmative action and other transformative laws are racist is simply an attempt to protect the privilege of white people.” – Sowetan editor Sibongakonke Shoba
Traditionally, each meeting of the Group of Twenty, more commonly known as the G20, ends with the leader of the host country ceremonially handing the gavel to the leader of the next year’s host country.
Not this year.
The United States absence was not just symbolic. In boycotting the summit, the Trump administration has chosen to relinquish our nation’s leadership on global economic and social policy, preferring instead to promote discredited conspiracy theories rooted in racial prejudice.
The boycott is part of an ongoing diplomatic attack on South Africa dating back to Trump’s first term, when he began disseminating baseless claims of widespread killing of white South African farmers and land seizures. The administration has used these lies as a pretext to withdraw financial assistance to South Africa, to give white South Africans priority for refugee status in the U.S., and to boycott the G20 summit that just concluded.
Trump’s confrontation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with misleading and mislabeled racist propaganda in the Oval Office in May was embarrassing. The consequences of the boycott will be far more damaging. As the United States surrenders its role in shaping the global economic future, the vacuum will be filled by nations like China and Russia who are only too happy to see our status and influence diminished.
Africa, home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world, is increasingly central to global growth. Conversations about trade, technology, and climate change rely on these young, dynamic voices and the United States has a responsibility and shared interest in being a part of these conversations.
The Trump administration has clung to the mantra of “America first.” But boycotting the G20 is “America sidelined.” In presenting a false choice between domestic and global concerns, the administration betrays its failure to grasp how the two are intertwined. American jobs depend on trade deals that were negotiated without our input. Our public health depends on agreements forged in our absence.
America cannot lead if we don’t show up. We cannot be a beacon of truth while spreading lies. We cannot promote American ideals if we abdicate our leadership to nations that are hostile to our goals. Walking away from the G20 was an epic failure of leadership. Continuing down this path would be an even greater one.
“I have a problem with the firm because people within it are not from Seattle or this state... This work needs expertise in government policy, local history and community engagement to connect with those impacted the most.”
— Eddie Rye
By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
A state‑funded study on reparations for the descendants of enslaved Africans in Washington is drawing criticism after the Washington State Department of Commerce named a consulting firm as the Apparent Successful Bidder, prompting some Black community leaders to question the firm’s qualifications, its ties to the region, and the process utilized by the state to make good on its promise to conduct the study.
Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, Commerce announced the provisional selection of Truclusion, a Dupont-based consulting firm, to conduct the Charles Mitchell and George Washington Bush Study on Reparative Action. The 2025 legislation authorizing the study calls for a comprehensive examination of historical injustices and their lasting impact on descendants of enslaved Africans living in Washington. The study will examine how state laws and systems affected descendants in economics, education and criminal justice and propose reparative measures. Key deliverables could include proposals for cash payments, policy reforms, state-level investments, and recommendations for reforming harmful laws — all backed by cost‑benefit analyses. The preliminary report is due June 2026 and a final report is expected by June 2027.
Former state Representative Jesse Wineberry, a primary proponent of the reparations study, says that the Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB) designation is part of a statewide contracting practice designed to account for potential challenges during the protest period. He noted that, based on past experience, the initially announced bidder often changes once the protest process concludes. Under state procurement rules, firms not selected as the ASB have three days to request a debriefing, followed by another three business days to submit a formal protest. Wineberry described this period as a critical safeguard, allowing unselected bidders and their supporters an opportunity to challenge the evaluation process.
Commerce spokesperson Amelia Lamb confirmed no contract has been awarded, and that the ASB designation does not equate to a contract award.
“The designation of an Apparent Successful Bidder is not a contract award, and no contract has been executed,” Lamb said.
Lamb also said the agency must maintain confidentiality to preserve the fairness of the procurement process, and that additional information will become public only after the protest period ends and the procurement is finalized.
According to its website, Truclusion is company that is majority-owned and majority-managed by BIPOC women based in Dupont, Washington. While approximately four of the company’s core staff appear to be African American or of African descent, some community members claim the company lacks strong cultural and regional connections. While the company does appear to be minority-owned, it does not appear to be Black-owned. That assertion, according to critics, raises concerns about whether Truclusion as the ASB truly reflects the communities most directly affected by the study.
Even though it appears that the primary researchers of the firm are Black women, some community members have concerns about their ties or knowledge of the local landscape, because it appears that they may live outside of the state.
“I have a problem with the firm because people within it are not from Seattle or this state,” says long-time community activist Eddie Rye
In addition, Rye claims that two of the consultants have degrees in fields he believes do not align with the historical, genealogical, and policy analysis required for a reparations study.
“This work needs expertise in government policy, local history and community engagement to connect with those impacted the most,” Rye said.
Wineberry echoed the concerns about statutory alignment.
“Do they meet the qualifications the Legislature and governor mandated for a statewide study? From what I can see, they [appear to fall] short,” Wineberry said.
Still, Commerce and the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs (CAAA) insist the selection followed the law. Lamb said the CAAA assembled an independent scoring team to evaluate proposals against the criteria outlined in the solicitation. She said confidentiality and fairness were maintained throughout the bidding and evaluation process.
Supporters of the study maintain the initiative represents a meaningful step toward acknowledging generational harms and exploring reparative justice. The proposed methodology draws on a social determinants of health framework modeled after Healthy People 2030 to assess how historical injustices affect current disparities in health, education, housing and criminal justice. Proponents believe the resulting report could support evidence‑based reparative policies.
Initial funding of $300,000 came through Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5167 (ESSB 5167), sponsored by Bob Hasegawa (D‑Beacon Hill). After the state allocation, The Washington Equity Now Alliance was able to secure additional funding from both King County and Pierce County — $300,000 from King County and $150,000 from Pierce County.
“Our goal was to provide the contractor a robust budget,” said Wineberry. “King County’s unanimous vote added $300,000. Then Pierce County provided another $150,000 after Thanksgiving. That doubled the original allocation.”
In testimony to the Senate Law and Justice Committee, Hasegawa called the study vital for addressing generational inequalities.
“We understand the magnitude of this problem and how generational wealth has been stolen,” Hasegawa said. “This opens the door to a much larger conversation about reparations and ensuring equal opportunities for future generations.”
Despite broad political and financial support, many community leaders remain unsure whether or not the ASB can meet the demands of a thorough, statewide reparations study. Critics argue awarding the ASB to a firm with limited local presence and consultants whose expertise lies outside relevant fields undermines confidence in the study’s legitimacy. This might be a minor point for some, but many activists in the community, who fought very hard to get funding for the study allocated through the state and various local municipalities, feel betrayed by both the process and the system.
For now, the ASB designation represents a tentative but important milestone. The coming months will determine whether the contractor selection stands, whether the contract is finalized, and whether the state’s reparations study can deliver on its ambitious promise of justice and equity. A task that is monumental regardless of the firm that is selected to conduct the study.
Editor’s Note: The Seattle Medium contacted the Department of Commerce prior to press time with additional questions about how long the protest period will last, what happens during and after that period, details on contract amount including county supplements, and what information will be released when procurement is finalized. However, Commerce had not respondedprior to press time.
After a temporary suspension of local elections in 2024 to allow for an internal audit, the Seattle-King County branch of the NAACP has been authorized by the national office to resume full operations. With 2026 on the horizon, branch leaders say they are ready to return to their mission of civil rights advocacy and community engagement.
In 2024, the national headquarters of the NAACP suspended elections for the Seattle branch citing database anomalies that required review. Although the election was halted, the branch itself was not suspended. Existing officers volunteered to stay in place to ensure organizational continuity and transparency while the national office conducted its audit and addressed member concerns.
Following the scheduled election in November 2024, the branch received notice from the national office that the vote had been paused due to what were described as “anomalies in the database.” Officers were asked to remain in their roles during the review process.
“They suspended the election,” said L. Darrell Powell, president of the Seattle-King County NAACP. “Nationals asked us to stay in place as the old administration and provide them some documentation so they could go through and clear up any questions or concerns that members may have had.”
According to Powell, the national office met with the local Executive Committee twice in 2025 to review documentation and discuss next steps.
“They met with us in January and in May, saying thanks for the information,” Powell said. “They have wanted some additional information and then they were going to reestablish another election. So that’s what we’ve been waiting for.”
Earlier this year, the national office confirmed the branch was authorized to continue operations.
“NAACP Seattle King branch is back and has been directed by the National office to get to work,” said Sheley Secrest, president of the Oregon Alaska State NAACP Conference. “The National Office met with the branch Executive Committee in January of 2025 and again in May 2025 to review concerns and provide guidance. Following the May meeting, the branch was authorized to continue operations.”
Secrest also addressed public confusion regarding the branch’s status.
“The National Office has received reports of miscommunication regarding the branch’s status and leadership, and we want to provide clarity,” said Secrest. “The branch was not suspended, nor has any leadership been suspended at any time.”
Founded in 1913, the Seattle-King County NAACP is the oldest branch west of the Mississippi River and has long played a significant role in the region’s civil rights landscape. The branch was active in challenging racial discrimination in housing and employment during the 1940s and 1950s and helped organize protests and advocacy campaigns throughout the civil rights movement. It was instrumental in the formation of the Seattle Human Rights Commission in 1968 and continues to support police reform, education equity, and economic justice.
“The branch’s mission has not changed and continues to be in accordance with the history of the organization’s mission, the advocacy of basic human rights, and equality in politics, the justice system, education, housing and employment,” said Powell.
Branch leadership is preparing to finalize a strategic plan for 2026, with a planning session scheduled for December. Powell said the focus will be on rebuilding connections with key public institutions following leadership changes across the region.
“Our strategic plan always is approved by our executive committee, we establish things collectively and so that’s what we’re meeting in December to say, OK, look, what did we want our 2026 to look like,” said Powell. “Now this is my perspective before it’s approved and edited by our executive committee, is that with all the changes in the local political environment, superintendent, where education is important to us, the mayor, political process is important to us, that we really need to reestablish ourselves with these new administrations.”
Powell said the branch intends to reconnect with new leadership at Seattle Public Schools, the mayor’s office, and King County government, with legal redress and education remaining top priorities.
Although 2025 was a quieter year, Powell said the branch is eager to return to visible, community-based work.
“I just look forward to 2026, us getting back on track,” said Powell. “We were very active in 2024, less active in 2025, and looking forward to us being more active and back in the community in 2026.”
This article is part of “On Borrowed Time” a series by Anissa Durham that examines the people, policies, and systems that hurt or help Black patients in need of an organ transplant.
Every day across the country, people renew or apply for driver’s licenses. Toward the end of the form sits a deceptively simple question: Are you willing to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor?
For 40-year-old Tamika Smith, the answer is obvious: no.
“I have my yearly, I get my checkups, I stay on top of my preventative care, but I don’t trust them,” she says of the medical system. “I don’t care what the race of the doctor is, I don’t trust them.”
Her refusal to become an organ donor comes from her personal experience. And to understand her answer, you have to understand what the medical system has already taken from her.
The Making of Mistrust
By the time she turned 34, Smith had spent most of her life in pain — and being told by doctors that her pain wasn’t real.
On Jan. 31, 2019 — her birthday — the New Orleans native wasn’t out celebrating. She was vomiting in the bathroom, doubled over from pelvic pain, and unable to speak due to a crippling headache.
Smith spent about three weeks of every month like this, which left her unable to eat, sleep, or go to work. Her teenage son, Daniel, had grown up placing cold compresses on her forehead and preparing hot herbal tea — a child caring for a parent the medical system refused to take seriously.
For more than a decade, Smith tried to get answers. She kept meticulous notes in a black binder, along with photos, videos, and audio clips. Appointment after appointment, Smith shared her evidence. Appointment after appointment, she was dismissed.
Tamika Smith flips through the binder where she has collected all the documents related to her chronic illness for years, including list of symptoms and medications. In Avondale, Louisiana on Saturday August 30, 2025. Credit: Camille Farrah Lenain for Word In Black
Doctors tested her for sexually transmitted infections, put her on various forms of birth control, suggested a hysterectomy, and floated the idea that pregnancy might “cure” her. When nothing helped, they told her it was all in her head.
But the pain had been going on since she was a child.
“I would get so weak, I would get so dizzy,” she says. Smith often missed as much as two weeks of school at a time. Her mother, Rita, kept evidence of her illnesses so that Smith wouldn’t be considered truant, which would have landed them in family or juvenile court.
Rita had endometriosis, a condition that causes the uterine lining to grow outside of the uterus, and endometrial cancer in her 20s. Still, doctors insisted Smith was too young to have the same condition.
Nine gynecologists later, the diagnosis finally arrived: endometriosis. And a year after that, she was diagnosed with lupus.
“I’ve never had a relationship with a man where somebody just dogged me out and dragged me through the mud or left me on the highway. I’ve dealt with that in the health care system,” the now 40-year-old says. “What women say about how men treat them, it’s the same with the health care system. It’s toxic.”
Smith realized she had been a victim of medical gaslighting and dismissal of care. And that realization, she says, drives her choice when she sees that organ donation question on the DMV form. Her mistrust — of doctors and medical institutions — is personal. But it’s also widely shared.
Tamika Smith poses for a portrait in her home in Avondale, Louisiana, on Saturday August 30, 2025. Credit: Camille Farrah Lenain for Word In Black
Can You Blame Them?
In a Verywell Black Health Experience survey, Black and white Americans use health care at nearly identical rates, but the quality of those experiences varies significantly. Of Black patients who reported experiencing racism while seeking health care, 52% said it happened during the appointment itself.
In September and October, Word In Black’s Insights & Research Division surveyed 1,588 Black adults on their views on organ donation and transplantation. 57.6% of respondents said they do not believe Black patients are treated with the same respect and dignity as other transplant patients.
Dr. Christa Mahlobo, director of the Insights & Research Division, cautions that although the responses provide “valuable insight into how Black Americans think and feel about organ donation and transplantation,” they aren’t nationally representative. “The survey was distributed through Word In Black’s publisher network and related partners, and participation was voluntary.”
As a result, respondents “skew older, more female, and higher SES — in terms of education and income — than the broader U.S. Black adult population,” Mahlobo says. Essentially, the survey data reflects the “perspectives of older, more engaged, or more health-aware readers” who are more likely to have an advanced degree and earn over $100,000.
But Lillie Williamson, an assistant professor of communication science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, argues that framing mistrust solely through the lens of historical harm lets modern medicine off the hook.
“If we continue, in 2025, to point to that, it allows people to situate it as a historical event. Like ‘Oh, we’ve come so far, that would never happen today,’” Williamson says. “Yes, there is that event, but it’s also a constellation of things.”
Williamson co-authored a report on Black Americans’ general perceptions of organ donation that details how participants in focus groups cited the usual concerns about registering as a donor: a lack of knowledge on the issue, negative personal experiences with donation, and bodily integrity.
But one barrier to registration outweighed all others: mistrust.
In her research, mistrust is more about the real-life experiences Black people have had, and it’s often a response to oppression and marginalization. The same institutions that surveil, arrest, and neglect Black Americans are often the same ones they’re expected to trust in a medical crisis. For example, in June 2020, a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd when he held his knee to Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, even as Floyd should have been given medical care when he said he couldn’t breathe.
“The medical system is just one of many institutions that were not built for persistently marginalized communities, and particularly Black communities,” Williamson says. “That’s where the government piece comes in. It’s why we know there’s a relationship between police violence and medical mistrust. Things spill over across systems because they’re reminders of the ways in which these systems were not built for [us].”
Where Does the Onus Lie to Rebuild Trust?
It’s not uncommon to hear Americans of all races and ethnicities say they don’t trust the organ donation system. But the stakes for Black Americans are uniquely high. They have higher-than-average rates of chronic diseases that often lead to the transplant waiting list, like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.
Despite making up only 13% of the population, Black Americans account for roughly 30% of people waiting for a kidney.
Needing a kidney — or knowing someone who needs one — doesn’t magically make mistrust go away, though. In particular, many Black folks believe that doctors will not work as hard to save a Black person’s life if they are a registered organ donor and in the hospital in critical condition.
Dr. Anthony Watkins, surgical director of the kidney and pancreas transplant program at Tampa General Hospital, has heard this myth throughout his entire career. Although organ procurement organizations, transplant recipients, and transplant surgeons have been fighting this belief for years, it persists.
Dr. Anthony Watkins, surgical director of the kidney and pancreas transplant program at Tampa General Hospital, photographed on September 24, 2025. Credit: Anissa Durham for Word In Black
As a physician of color, Watkins has been very intentional about educating his patients: visiting churches and dialysis centers, and helping non-Black colleagues address the misinformation and mistrust in the Black community.
“The burden lies on everyone,” he says.
That includes medical organizations, organ procurement organizations, physicians, and hospitals. It also requires addressing systemic inequities that contribute to mistrust and making targeted efforts to increase diversity in the health care workforce.
“The challenge is that health care systems are a microcosm of America. To address the health care issue, you have to address the societal issues,” Watkins says. “It’s very complicated. But it’s something we can never stop working towards improving and rectifying.”
The Faces Behind the Fear
Justin Paige, a 31-year-old who goes by “Cut,” says his hesitation around organ donation comes from a preference for holistic practices over traditional Western medicine.
Justin “Cut” Paige, 31, photographed on Saturday, Aug. 2 at The Well at Oxon Run, a community garden and wellness space he helps manage for DC Greens in Southeast Washington, D.C., the city’s predominantly Black, working-class sector. Credit: Joseph Williams for Word In Black
Paige, an artist and co-owner of a seeded watermelon company, says his work is based on healing wounds within and generational trauma. Through his healing journey, he began to step away from America’s health care system. He read about instances of malpractice, the booming business of pharmaceutical companies, and the ways Black bodies have been mistreated.
“They kind of push it in our face that they don’t care about us,” Paige says. “So, from the research I’ve done this far, it urges me not to be connected to [organ donation].”
It’s not just about the harm the U.S. health care system has inflicted on Black people, he says. It’s about the cumulative effect of systemic racism and the experiences that come with it: the lack of fresh produce, redlining, the quality of school lunches, overpolicing — in short, the “weathering” effects of racism-related stress. When asked if there’s a way to heal these longstanding wounds, he says an apology and the complete reconstruction of these systems would need to happen.
Can You Move Past Mistrust?
Kelsey Russell, 25, knows the myths about organ donation, but they haven’t stopped her from being a registered organ donor. The full-time social media literacy influencer and podcast host of Kronikled, spends her days teaching people how to vet information. The health care system has its issues, she says, but it’s not fair to let misinformation diminish the advancements in medical research and medicine.
Kelsey Russell, a social media literacy influencer and podcast host photographed at home, alongside a stack of magazines and newspapers. September 16, 2025 in Harlem, New York City. Credit: Anissa Durham for Word In Black
“You might know somebody who may need an organ donation one day,” she says.
Russell’s father donated a kidney to his brother 20 years ago, an experience that shaped her views on organ donation. And she encourages people to ask appropriate sources — like a primary care physician, living donor, or transplant recipient.
“If you’re already thinking that’s something ‘I don’t believe in or I don’t trust that’ you could miss out on the opportunity to save somebody’s life. Or for someone to save your life,” she says.
Mistrust of the health care system doesn’t form overnight.
Williamson, the medical mistrust researcher, says when Black people have negative health experiences in clinical settings, they often turn to online sources, family, friends, and elders in the community. The problem is, this is where misinformation can take root. For example, the idea that doctors will prematurely declare someone dead to “harvest their organs” shows up in television shows and movies and is commonly spread by word of mouth.
The fact is, it’s not true.
Here’s why: less than 1% of people die in a way that would qualify them as deceased organ donors. And the health care team that declares someone brain dead is not the same team that would prepare someone for donation.
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, a federal law, requires hospitals to provide emergency medical services and stabilizing treatment to anyone who enters the emergency room — meaning, it’s unlikely emergency medical teams would immediately know whether a patient is a registered donor when the priority is to stabilize them. And every registered donor can select which organs they are willing to donate.
And Williamson pushes back on the idea that it’s impossible to change someone’s beliefs on organ donation.
“It’s possible to hold mistrust and still do things with it,” she says. “Just because people are mistrustful doesn’t mean they won’t ever donate their organs. It’s not a stopping point.”
A Body at its Limits
In March 2021, Smith was getting her hair braided when she felt her legs giving out. She got up from the stylist’s chair and nearly fell. That morning, she promised her son Daniel she would pick him up from work. The plan was to go home and watch movies together. That’s when she felt her left leg dragging.
“I knew something was taking place, but I was in denial. I was in a fight-or-flight mode,” she says through tears. “My son. I’m a single Black mom. I gotta make it.”
Tamika Smith and her son Daniel Smith in her house in Avondale, Louisiana, on Saturday August 30, 2025. Credit: Camille Farrah Lenain for Word In Black
Tamika picked her son up and drove to her parents’ house. She barely made it inside. Her mom called 911. Three paramedics came and activated a stroke protocol. When she arrived at the hospital, doctors started the countdown. Patients typically have about 4.5 hours before brain damage occurs.
But it wasn’t a stroke. It was her recently diagnosed autoimmune disease, lupus, whose symptoms mirror endometriosis.
Tamika spent the next several months in and out of the hospital. Her mobility deteriorated. She couldn’t hold her head upright. Then came tremors and chronic headaches. A few weeks later, she caught a viral infection after taking an immunosuppressive medication.
“I was told I had less than six months to live,” she says.
Then, in August 2021, she had another near-death experience from an allergic reaction to a different medication. At home, she needed to use a wheelchair and a shower chair. Eventually, she reached a breaking point and decided to get off all medication. Instead, she incorporated ginger, turmeric, and medicinal herbs into her diet. Mushrooms for brain health. She ate sea moss gel, known for its anti-inflammatory properties, and stuck to a strictly alkaline vegan diet.
Tamika Smith switched to natural herbal medicine. In Avondale, Louisiana on Saturday August 30, 2025. Credit: Camille Farrah Lenain for Word In Black
“All these things have truly traumatized me,” she says. “I tread very lightly in the health care system. I don’t have this codependency mindset that they’re going to heal me.”
Tamika Smith and her mother, Rita Smith, work on a vision board during a monthly community support group she organizes for those affected with chronic illness. On Saturday August 31 2025, the group focused on healing and trauma led by Dr Ken in the Wesbank Regional Library in Harvey Louisiana. Credit: Camille Farrah Lenain for Word In Black
(L-R): Dr. Quinton Morris, Executive Director and Founder of Key to Change and Johnaye Kendrick, GRAMMY Award-winning artist.
By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Recently, Key to Change, a nonprofit organization that makes world-class music instruction accessible to young people from underserved communities, named GRAMMY Award-winning artist Johnaye Kendrick as its new Composer-in-Residence for the 2026–2027 academic year.
“I am thrilled to return to my roots with this role. Many people don’t know that the violin was my first love; it’s where my journey with music began. Playing the violin taught me about connection, self-expression, and the power of storytelling through sound,” said Kendrick. “It also opened doors to experiencing other cultures through travel, shaping my perspective as an artist. I am excited to create in this space again, reconnecting with the instrument that first inspired me, and sharing that passion with the Key to Change community.”
Over her career, Kendrick has worked closely with many leading jazz musicians, including Terence Blanchard, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Danilo Perez, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Brian Blade. She’s also been featured with the Ellis Marsalis Quartet and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra.
During her residency, Kendrick will compose original works for students studying both the violin and viola, giving young musicians the unique opportunity to learn and perform music written specifically for them.
Dr. Quinton Morris, Executive Director and Founder of Key to Change, said that Kendrick’s selection for their next Composer-in-Residence at Key to Change is a big win for the organization and its students.
“Having a composer of Johnaye’s artistic brilliance working directly with our students is transformational,” said Morris. “You are not really taught, especially Black kids, how to play serious music. And so, this is an opportunity for them to celebrate their heritage through their music that is being written for them by a serious Black woman composer and musician,” Morris said.
“Johnaye is a two-time GRAMMY Award winner. She is multi-talented, a singer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist. She is a strong Black woman and a mother,” continued Morris. “We demonstrate our values of helping advance and support underserved youth by the people we bring in to work with our students, and Johnaye is an absolute highest level of evidence of that.”
Kendrick was drawn to this role because she is deeply inspired by the next generation of musicians, and it fuels her own artistic growth to work alongside them.
“What drew me most to this role is the chance to collaborate with these talented, energetic, and creative artists. I find so much inspiration in their passion and fresh perspectives,” Kendrick said. “I truly believe that as I share my knowledge and experiences with them, I will also grow and learn in return. It is a beautiful exchange that fuels creativity and connection.”
Kendrick is also the Chair and Professor of Music at Seattle University’s Cornish College of the Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Western Michigan University, a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from Loyola University, and an Artist Diploma from the prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, and believes the residency aligns with her extensive background.
“This residency beautifully aligns with my passion for education and artistic leadership. As an educator, I am deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians, helping them find their unique voices and empowering them to tell their stories through music,” said Kendrick. “As an artistic leader, I strive to create spaces where collaboration and creativity thrive. This residency with Key to Change offers a unique opportunity to bring those values together; mentoring young artists while also engaging in meaningful artistic exploration that inspires both the students and me.”
Morris said that he wants to broaden the range of artists his students engage with and says that he is committed to building a musical library that shows classical music is far more diverse than many people believe.
“Classical music is infused with multicultural, multi-generational, interdisciplinary genres of music that can be included,” said Morris. “You are going to hear some Black influences of different parts of the African diaspora infused in the music, which will give not only our Black students but all students at Key to Change an opportunity to experience what real Black music is through a classical lens.”
During the residency, Kendrick hopes that the students discover how multifaceted they truly are.
“Through working on music written specifically for them, I want them to see the depth of their creativity, the range of their abilities, and the unique perspectives they bring to their craft,” Kendrick said. “Music has a way of revealing hidden strengths and untapped potential, and I hope this experience helps them embrace the many layers of who they are, not just as musicians, but as individuals.”
L. Darrell Powell, president of the Seattle-King County NAACP.
By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
A nationwide grassroots campaign calling for an economic boycott during the holiday shopping season recently concluded, but organizers say the effort marks only the beginning of broader civic engagement. Known as Blackout the System, the campaign encouraged Americans to pause their spending and labor from November 25 through December 2 to protest economic inequality, corporate greed, and political inaction.
Timed to coincide with Thanksgiving weekend, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the campaign urged participants to avoid shopping at major retailers, refrain from nonessential spending, and abstain from working or traveling where possible. Supporters were encouraged instead to support small, local, and Black-owned businesses to keep economic power within their communities.
Organizers described the campaign as a peaceful, large-scale protest aimed at exposing how consumer culture and corporate consolidation exploit working families, particularly during the holiday season. They also pointed to the ongoing federal government shutdown, which disrupted programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and caused delayed benefits for many low-income households nationwide.
Supporters, including national news personality Joy Reid, said the timing of the boycott was intentional and aimed at highlighting how working families and low-income households disproportionately shoulder the burden of corporate greed and government inaction.
“A general strike, meaning not just an individual boycott against Home Depot or Target, but just stop spending money,” said Reid. “This is an idea that has gathered steam among a lot of people in the activist space.”
In Seattle, Black community leaders and local organizations helped spread the word, urging residents to be intentional with their spending throughout the holiday season. Former state Rep. Dawn Mason said the campaign functioned not only as a form of protest, but also as an educational tool for future generations of activists.
“From November 25 to December 2, our collective silence in spending became a thunderous voice,” said Mason. “The Blackout is not just about withholding dollars; it is a show of economic power and teaching our children that resistance matters.”
What began as a hashtag in 2020 has since evolved into a broader movement. Blackout the System was launched as a digital organizing network with the goal of “promoting solidarity across race, class, and culture.” In the years since, it has become a national campaign aligning with other advocacy groups to challenge corporate power and systemic inequality.
According to its website, the coalition’s aim is to use “collective economic action to pressure both policymakers and corporations.”
While short-term economic boycotts can face logistical challenges and may not always produce immediate financial impact, organizers argue the value lies in long-term movement building and raising public awareness. Participation alone, they say, signals a growing economic consciousness and a willingness to resist systems of injustice.
In Seattle, organizations like the Seattle-King County NAACP expressed alignment with the campaign’s goals. Though not formally affiliated, the branch’s leadership said it welcomed discussions on how local communities can take part in such efforts.
“I would be interested in pushing it,” said L. Darrell Powell, president of the Seattle-King County NAACP. “Economic development we know is a core to a lot of change. We do have an economic development team, but how that takes place locally, I’m not sure, because again, I would advocate for pushing that through our executive committee that we’d be a part of that.”
The movement also encouraged participants to use the blackout period for civic education, community organizing, or volunteering rather than holiday shopping. Organizers framed the boycott as part of a larger protest against issues such as wage stagnation, corporate monopoly, and political dysfunction.
Mason said the action resonated with a deep history of collective protest in Black communities.
“The choices we make this week align with our history,” said Mason. “The Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, and other actions in unity demonstrated we can shift economies, awaken our conscience, and gain voluntary respect.”
“Stand together and create history,” Mason added. “Be a part of a unifying moment.”
Though the official boycott period has ended, organizers and supporters continue to call on communities to be intentional with their spending and to sustain support for Black-owned and local businesses throughout the year.
The Seattle Public Library will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the renaming of the Douglass-Truth Branch with a community-wide event on Saturday, December 13, from noon to 5 p.m. Highlights of the event include branch history tours, a creative engagement activity for all ages, a live performance by the Garfield Jazz Quartet, and a presentation and guided tour of the branch’s African American Collection, one of the largest of its kind on the West Coast.
Located in the Central District, the Douglass-Truth Branch was renamed in 1975 to honor abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth. The anniversary celebration invites all Seattle residents to reflect on the branch’s history and its significance as a cultural and educational hub rooted in the Black legacy of the neighborhood.
“I would love for the community to see how vibrant our branch is because we have people from all walks of life,” said Brian Den-Hartog Lindsey, curator of the African American Collection. “I want people to be introduced to the African American collection, the reason being that many people are unaware that we have the largest collection on the West Coast. I encourage people to come in and spend some time in it because there are a lot of amazing things that you can just get lost in.”
Although the branch first opened in 1914 at East Yesler Way and 23rd Avenue, it did not take on its current name until the community voted in 1975 to rename it in tribute to two of the most influential figures in the abolitionist movement. The decision cemented the branch’s connection to the Central District and its Black community.
Stephanie Johnson-Toliver, president of the Black Heritage Society of Washington State (BHS), said the Central District today is experiencing a cultural resurgence, and the Douglass-Truth Branch continues to play a key role in that momentum.
“That is what I absolutely love about the Central District. I am a fourth-generation Seattleite and have seen a lot of transitions here,” said Tolliver. “The power of the community right now is really rising to where the voices are being heard all around, not only about our social justice, but in terms of education, equality, and affordable housing. The Douglass-Truth Branch creates character within the community, and they are the hubs of the community. All people who reside within the Central District can feel some sort of emergence of this return to acknowledgement and rootedness of the Black legacy within the Central District.”
The event is being presented in partnership with the Delta Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Black Heritage Society of Washington State — two longtime supporters of the branch and its mission. The African American Collection, which began in 1965 with a donation from the sorority, has since evolved into a nationally recognized archive of Black literature, history, and culture.
“At one point in the mid to late 60s, they were thinking about shutting the library down because they didn’t see any use for it,” said Den Hartog-Lindsey. “And AKA-DUO was like no, we are not going to close the branch; they are a beacon of our community, and we will do whatever it takes to keep it open. So that is when the donated funding started to support the African American collection. James Welsh was actually the pioneer of helping get that collection started, working hand in hand with the AKA-DUO.”
Over the years, BHS has partnered with the Douglass-Truth Branch, helping to preserve and uplift the rich Black legacy of the Central District.
“The library has always been that hub and symbol of libraries within the Central District community,” said Johnson-Toliver. “At BHS, it is definitely one of those historic sites within Seattle that we uphold all the time, and our relationship with the team at the library is pretty much robust at this time.”
Johnson-Toliver believes that preserving and uplifting the stories behind the branch’s history is essential — not only to highlight the rich Black heritage of the Central District, but also to ensure younger generations can see people who look like them in leadership roles.
“When young Black kids can see leadership within the library, particularly Black librarians, that is huge,” said Johnson-Toliver. “One of the things we would like to promote and increase within our collections is the stories of Black librarians.”
As the Central District continues to evolve, Den Hartog-Lindsey said they plan to ensure the collection remains relevant, accessible, and reflective of the community by increasing promotion and devoting more effort to giving the collection the exposure it truly deserves.
“We just did a 4-hour photo shoot where we staged some of the items from the collection, and we are going to start promoting it on the SPL website,” Den Hartog-Lindsey said. “One of my goals for 2026 is to refresh the collection and make it a bit more robust.”
Looking ahead, Johnson-Toliver stressed the importance of safeguarding the Black history at the branch, especially during a time when she sees efforts by the current administration to diminish or limit the teaching of Black history.
“It is a hot topic right now, with the talk of banned books. The most important thing that comes to mind for me is the accessibility of the library. We are not putting things on the shelf that we think should or shouldn’t be there; we leave it up to the people to pull and read whatever they would like to read,” Johnson-Toliver said. “In futuristic movies, you always see libraries still standing, and so my vision is that libraries will remain and stand long beyond all of us.”
Families with young children on Medicaid will have access to free dental care during a clinic hosted December 6 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Skyway Resource Center, 12610 76th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98178. The event is part of King County’s Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program, which helps ensure that children receive early and regular dental care to prevent serious oral health problems.
The ABCD program focuses on children ages five and under who are enrolled in Apple Health. It emphasizes the nationally recommended “First Tooth, First Birthday, First Dental Exam” approach to pediatric dental care. Participating dentists receive specialized training and certification in treating very young children, helping to prevent early tooth decay and teaching families how to care for their children’s oral health.
“ABCD is for children 5 and under who are on Medicaid. First tooth, first birthdate, first dental examination,” said Daphne Pie, Regional Health Administrator for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “If you have a child on Apple Health and is under the age 5, we can schedule them with a pediatric dentist who specializes in oral health for children. We can also provide a dental provider list for children under 18.”
Children may qualify for the ABCD program if they are five or younger—or up to age 12 with a Developmental Disabilities Administration indicator—and are enrolled in Medicaid or have a ProviderOne service card. The program matches families with dentists based on location, availability, and language preferences. It also helps coordinate transportation and interpreter services when needed.
In addition to children’s services, Public Health – Seattle & King County offers the King County Adult Dental Program (KCADP), which provides care to adults who are ineligible for Apple Health due to citizenship status. Adults must have a current dental issue, such as pain or swelling, to qualify. Services are delivered through mobile clinics or private dental offices in Renton, Tukwila, or Seattle.
“Client must have a current dental issue like pain or swelling,” said Pie. “Once the client is enrolled, they will get services at a mobile event or a private dentist in Renton, Tukwila or Seattle.”
County health officials emphasized that these services are long-standing and not connected to any recent political changes. The ABCD program began in the mid-1990s, and the adult program launched in 2022 following action by the King County Council. Both programs are supported through a combination of Medicaid, state, and local funding.
“Neither program is a response to current politics,” Pie explained. “The Adult Dental Program was founded in 2022 thanks to action from King County Council, and the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (‘ABCD’) Program was launched originally in the mid-1990’s. The programs are supported through a mix of funding from Medicaid and local and state funding.”
Benefits of the ABCD program include up to three fluoride varnish applications per year, two family oral hygiene instruction consultations annually, and help connecting with appropriate providers.
To check eligibility or schedule an appointment, call 1-800-756-5437 or email abcd@kingcounty.gov.
