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Despite Key Courtroom Fair Housing Victories, HUD Seeks More Cuts

By
Seattle Medium
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Charlene Crowell

By Charlene Crowell

Despite getting slapped down by three courts over this summer, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) still plans to continue its efforts to hobble fair housing investigations and enforcement. In late August, a federal judge warned that Congress – not federal agencies – authorizes and appropriates funding for programs and operations.

Noting on August 26 that “HUD failed to make “a satisfactory explanation for its decision” Judge Myong J. Joun ruled, “It belies credulity to think that five awards alone could broaden and strengthen fair housing work across the nation, and excluding almost all existing fair housing organizations will certainly not strengthen fair housing work. I cannot ignore this disconnect.”   

Judge Joun’s ruling rejected HUD’s attempt to limit grant criteria to only organizations with annual budgets of $5 million or more. That move would have had the effect of shrinking over 100 fair housing organizations to only five nationwide.  

In March 2025, a court ordered HUD to reinstate Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) grants it had terminated for more than 60 organizations. Later in June, yet another court ruled HUD must administer appropriated FHIP funds when the agency refused to disburse FHIP funds for the 2024 fiscal year. 

“When someone is wrongfully turned away from a housing opportunity because they have experienced domestic violence, because of a disability, their gender, or the color of their skin, they don’t call Washington,”, said Lisa Rice, President and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) reacting to the decision. “They call the fair housing organization in their community. HUD tried to shut the doors of the frontline groups who fight housing injustice and today a federal court emphatically said ‘no.’”   

Rice and other housing advocates still worry that this recent courtroom victory will be short-lived, as it only affects funding appropriated through the end of the current fiscal year, September 30.   

For the new fiscal year that begins October first, HUD has already made clear its intent to resume efforts to further diminish fair housing funding.   Its budget request of $68 million for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) would continue recent fair housing cuts, this time by 21 percent. In 2024, Congress provided $86 million to fund FHEO, far below the $153 million needed to fully staff the division. As a result, FHEO now has only a third of the staff it had on January 20, 2025.  

Two other fair housing programs targeted for cuts are the Private Enforcement Initiative, which pays for the investigations and testing that prove discrimination happened, and the Education and Outreach Initiative, that funds efforts to ensure people know they have rights in the first place. 

These and other regressive actions will continue to be legally challenged by NFHA and its consortium of more than 290 private, nonprofit fair housing organizations; state and local civil rights agencies; and individuals throughout the United States. As it works to ensure every neighborhood has the resources people need to thrive and expand equitable housing opportunities for all people and communities, the organization also analyzes housing trends.  

 For example, NFHA’s most recent analysis of fair housing trends found that in 2024:  

 • From 2023 to 2024, housing discrimination complaints based on color increased 26.2 percent. 

• Nationwide, 32,321 housing discrimination complaints were filed one of the highest figures in more than two decades.  

• Nearly 75 percent of all housing discrimination complaints were investigated and filed by community-based local fair housing agencies. 

• 83.56 percent of the year’s complaints were rental related.  

As only 44.7 percent of Blacks owned their homes in 2024, Black families are more likely to become rental victims of racial housing discrimination.    

The irony of these and other still unfolding events is that the agency designated to enforce the nation’s fair housing law is clearly demonstrating its determination to roll back over 60 years of hard-won civil rights.

NFHA’s analysis aptly summarizes why the fight for fair housing must continue: 

“In the U.S., place is inextricably linked to opportunity: where we live determines our access to fresh air, clean water, well-resourced schools, healthcare facilities, reliable transportation, good jobs, quality internet service, and much more. Meanwhile, too many people are stuck in places that impede, rather than promote, their ability to thrive. Millions of Americans struggle under the weight of excessive housing costs, a dearth of affordable housing supply, and a lack of resources and amenities in the communities where they live.”  

What Is One Thing Seattle Public Schools Should Prioritize To Make Students Successful?

By
Seattle Medium
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Shiree:
“I believe that the Seattle Public Schools should beef up their security for the kids so they can feel safe going to and coming from school and having a safe space. And two, I believe that the educational system needs to just pour more into the kids, give more time to the kids, the ones that really need it, so they can push through and have excellence at the end and know what to do when they leave there.”
Latoya:
“The top priority should always be safety. You want to make sure that when we are entrusting our kids to go to school, they are going to be safe in a good, healthy, and safe environment to be productive and successful in school. Excellent.”
Ivory:
“I would like this year for kids to be safe, to get home safely and from school safely, because there are so many kids out there that are getting picked up by folks that are not on their rosters. There can be strangers picking your children up from school.”
DJ Roc Phizzle:
“I think the Seattle school system needs to focus on teaching kids economics. Like, how to get a job, how to keep a job, all the things that you’re going to need once you get out of school into the real world. Some of that stuff they don’t teach. They teach you history, math, all the stuff that you apply to it, but they don’t teach you how to do it. Remember how we used to have home ec? We used to have all these different courses back when we were in high school that were teaching us that they don’t have anymore. And that’s what’s missing.”
Denise:
“Accountability. For just, for their education, their safety, and I think a lot of schools, whether it’s Seattle or other districts, don’t take real accountability for making sure our kids are successful in school as far as learning. To me, since I’ve been in Seattle, it’s more of a skip pass. And our kids are suffering from skip passing. And I think that teachers need to learn to teach the kids and make that a priority in schools, so our kids are not skip passing. So, I think the school districts need to start taking accountability for not passing our kids and teaching our kids, and if they’re not able to do certain things to go on to the next grade, don’t move them up. And that also applies to the parents. Don’t let these schools pass your kids if they can’t do that.”
Carl:
“We have to really emphasize the reading aspect of it. They are just pushing our kids through with bits and pieces. It needs to be a comprehensive reading program that makes it fun. Not making it difficult, making it fun. Now the dog is spelled D-A-W-G and stuff like that. Confusing. Get them the core stuff and work with them. Just make reading fun.”

After Major Setback, Emma’s BBQ Is Determined To Keep Its Legacy Alive

By
Seattle Medium
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Emma’s BBQ owner Tess Thomas Anderson, left, and her granddaughter Miceala Thomas, right, who has become her grandmother’s right hand as the family works to rebuild the business and preserve their family legacy.

By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium

There is a certain responsibility that comes with helping carry a family legacy forward. For Miceala Thomas, shouldering that responsibility means working a full-time job during the week before spending her nights and weekends at Emma’s BBQ, handling catering requests, managing social media and helping wherever she is needed. Her grandmother, Tess Thomas Anderson, has spent years building Emma’s BBQ around recipes and traditions passed down through their family. Now, as the business works to recover from a major setback, Thomas and her sisters are doing what they can to make sure that legacy continues.

At 77, Anderson is watching that legacy take shape in the hands of another generation. Thomas has become her grandmother’s right hand, a role she chose out of a desire to learn from Anderson and help preserve what she spent years building.

“I’ve always been someone who is naturally curious and studious. I want to learn as much as I can whenever I can,” said Thomas. “And the love that I have for my grandma, I made it a point to be her right hand on purpose.”

That connection was formed long before Thomas began helping run the family business. As a child, she spent holidays alongside her grandmother, smoking meat on the grill and baking in the kitchen. She also remembers visiting her great-grandmother and spending time at the original Emma’s in Bremerton.

“From the time I was a little girl, I was always in the kitchen with her,” said Thomas. “I can remember many years of Thanksgivings and Christmases where I would be the first one up, and I would come downstairs with her and be out on the grill, smoking meat, getting ready for the meal, or we would be in the back in the kitchen baking.”

“I took so much joy in learning, and so much pride in knowing that I was probably one of the last generations to have had my great-grandmother as who she was in life,” Thomas added.

Anderson’s own connection to food began with her mother, Emma Thomas, an exceptional cook whose recipes and influence extended across generations of the family.

“I didn’t have Emma’s per se as my dream in life because my mother was such an exceptional cook,” said Anderson. “That’s just something that came on me because I stayed in the kitchen with her so much and so often that I learned those recipes.”

Many of the recipes used at Emma’s BBQ have been passed down for more than 100 years, reaching back to Anderson’s grandmother. When people ask what kind of barbecue they serve, Thomas said the family has a simple answer: “It’s Emma’s style.”

The meats are smoked low and slow for eight to 12 hours, while the restaurant’s barbecue sauce is made from scratch.

“Our sauce, like everything else that comes out of our kitchen, is made from scratch using the same spice blend that has been passed down for generations from my great-great-grandmother, my grandma’s grandma,” said Thomas.

That tradition can be found throughout the menu, from brisket, ribs and chicken to collard greens, yams, peach cobbler and sweet potato pie.

What began as a family cooking tradition eventually grew into Emma’s BBQ. In 2021, the family landed a life-changing opportunity to operate a concession stand inside Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks. For Emma’s, it represented a chance to introduce the family’s food to a much larger audience and grow the business well beyond the walls of its Rainier Avenue restaurant.

“We were there operating inside the stadium for four years,” said Anderson. “It was a wonderful opportunity, and we embraced it each and every day, and we looked at it as a wonderful partnership that could be something that could be long-term.”

Emma’s initially operated one concession stand during football season. After that first season, the family was asked whether it could handle an additional stand for the spring soccer season. For approximately the next three and a half years, Emma’s operated two concession stands inside the stadium.

According to Thomas, the family was eventually informed by those overseeing the stadium concessions that Emma’s was one of the top-performing stands.

“That was the good news,” said Thomas.

The bad news was that Emma’s would no longer be a vendor at the stadium.

The family had been preparing for what they believed would be continued opportunities there. In anticipation of serving as a vendor during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, they had invested between $50,000 and $60,000 in new equipment.

“It was very disappointing to us that we weren’t continuing,” said Anderson. “Especially because of what that does to a business. It makes you have to redefine everything very, very quickly.”

According to the family, losing the stadium business resulted in the loss of approximately 65% of Emma’s revenue at the time.

“It was a tremendous shift, a shift that we almost couldn’t recover from at that time,” said Anderson.

Returning their focus to the brick-and-mortar restaurant meant rebuilding a customer base outside the stadium. Anderson said customers who had discovered Emma’s BBQ at the stadium eventually found their way to the restaurant.

“I’d always explain we were here at Little Emma’s before we were there at Lumen Field,” said Anderson. “And the community wrapped its arms around us as they do to this day in love, because that’s what we try to portray.”

        Currently, Emma’s BBQ is open three days a week as the family works to rebuild and expand its customer base. While Anderson remains deeply involved, Thomas handles responsibilities ranging from catering requests to media, social media and the restaurant’s website, all while working full time as a case manager.

“From Sunday to Thursday, I work as a case manager full-time,” said Thomas. “But I am also doing all of Emma’s catering requests, all of our media. I’m running point with my sisters, trying to organize our three different social media platforms and our website.”

When her workweek is over, Thomas’s work with Emma’s is not.

“I could be dog-tired working a full week full time, and I still come in Friday night, all day Saturday. I always wanted to make her proud, and I wanted to prove to her and give back to her all of the things that she gave to me,” said Thomas. “I think that the best way to show Tess Thomas your love is to be a seen face and to show up. I just want to lighten as much of her load as I can.”

Other family members also help when and where they can, with a focus on making sure the family business and the legacy behind it will be around for another generation.

For Anderson, that legacy extends beyond Emma’s BBQ. Her father, Albert Thomas, worked in the shipyards during the day and built houses at night, helping lay the foundation for generational wealth in Bremerton. Her mother, Emma, created a different kind of inheritance through the recipes and cooking traditions she passed down.

“I hope that my grandchildren and future generations take and carry on the legacy of Albert and Emma Thomas,” said Anderson. “When you see those things and know where they come from, it gives you a sense of being, a sense of purpose, and a sense of belonging.”

For Thomas, carrying that legacy forward means accepting the demands that come with sustaining a family business.

“Anytime you make the decision to go into business for yourself, and you want for it to be successful, and you want for it to be sustainable,” said Thomas. “It is super busy, but you have to lock in.”

For a family whose story has been passed from Albert and Emma Thomas to their daughter, and now to their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, keeping Emma’s BBQ alive is about more than recovering what was lost at the stadium. It is about preserving what generations of the family worked to build and creating something that can be carried forward by those who come next.

Emma’s BBQ is a participating restaurant in the Pack The House campaign, a 10-week community initiative presented by The Seattle Medium, the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle and Byrd Barr Place to encourage the community to intentionally support local Black-owned restaurants. For more information about the campaign, participating restaurants and weekly schedule, visit PackTheHouseSeattle.com.

Pack The House Campaign Enters Second Week Following Strong Community Response

By
Seattle Medium
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Emma’s BBQ

The Seattle Medium’s Pack The House campaign is entering its second week following a strong response from community members who showed up to support the campaign’s first featured restaurant, Island Soul in Columbia City.

The Seattle Medium, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle and Byrd Barr Place launched the 10-week campaign to encourage the community to intentionally support local Black-owned restaurants. Each week, the campaign highlights a different restaurant and encourages residents to dine in, order directly and, most importantly, come back.

Theo Martin, owner of Island Soul, said the response during the campaign’s opening week was encouraging.

“The customers have been great. The people have been great, and the feedback has been very positive. I’m excited and I hope people keep coming back for more,” said Martin.

Organizers thanked community members who helped give the campaign a successful start by patronizing Island Soul and spreading the word about the effort.

This week, the spotlight shifts to Emma’s BBQ in Hillman City, a multigenerational family business built around recipes and cooking traditions that have been passed down for more than 100 years.

After recently losing a significant source of revenue, Emma’s is working to rebuild and expand its customer base, making this week’s community support particularly meaningful for the family-owned restaurant.

As Pack The House moves into its second week, organizers hope the momentum continues at Emma’s and throughout the remainder of the campaign.

Show up. Spend money. Come back.

See more information about the campaign and this week’s featured restaurant on Pages 4A and 5A.

2026 Black Butterfly Awards To Honor Women Who Help Make Seattle’s Black Community Strong

By
Seattle Medium
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2025 Black Butterfly Awards honorees left to right, Erin Jones, Tamica Gant, Shannon Horton, Dallas Rene Richardson, Besa Gordon, Rev. Dr. Linda Smith, Monika Mathew, Noni Irvin, Dan Vonique Bletson Reed, Devon Love accepting for Daphne Pie. Image courtesy of Carl Copeland
Generating Everlit Embed

By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium

Following the death of his mother, Charles Tatum Jr. began thinking about the women who had helped hold Seattle’s Black community together, and how many of them didn’t receive recognition for their contributions while they were alive.

That reflection eventually led Tatum and longtime Seattle community leader Carl Copeland to create the Black Butterfly Awards, an annual celebration honoring Black women whose work in education, health care, mentorship, culture and community service has shaped generations of Seattle residents.

This year’s Black Butterfly Awards will be held Sept. 26 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute in Seattle. The ceremony will recognize women from across the community, including special lifetime achievement awards for Gertrude Peoples and Charlotte Grady.

For Tatum, an artist and peer counselor educator, the origins of the awards remain deeply personal. Growing up near 29th Avenue and East Charles Street in Seattle’s Central District, he watched his mother, Jo Evelyn Tatum, make an impact on families around her without seeking attention for what she did.

A former teacher who later worked as a cook and seamstress, Jo Evelyn Tatum sewed clothes for neighborhood children so they could attend school with dignity. She connected her family to community institutions including the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute and Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic and used her connections to support her husband’s construction business.

“My mother was very shy, she didn’t want recognition, she just wanted to make sure it got done,” Tatum reflected.

After her death, Tatum began thinking not only about his mother’s contributions, but about the many Black women whose work sustained families and neighborhoods without formal recognition.

Drawing on his background as an artist, Tatum initially envisioned a visual art piece paying tribute to the resilience and beauty of Black women. He eventually connected with Copeland, a retired banker, coach and community leader, to develop the idea into an event that could recognize women while they were still able to receive that recognition themselves.

“I talked to Carl about what could I do to actually bring recognition to this and to show the importance of the Black woman and her role in our community from the beginning of time,” Tatum explained. “She’s our first educator and our last educator. [It’s about] giving her just a small recognition saying that we see you, that we recognize you, and that we honor you and giving her that right now while she’s here.”

For Copeland, the idea resonated with his own upbringing in Seattle’s historically Black Central District. Growing up near 26th Avenue and East Jackson Street, Copeland remembers a neighborhood in which women played an important role in looking after children and families beyond their own households.

“When they talk about raising, ‘it takes a village,’ it all comes back from that,” Copeland shared.

He recalled women sitting on front porches and making sure neighborhood children had sandwiches after school, as well as community figures such as May Campbell and Loretta Woot, whom he credited with helping establish early Black cultural institutions, including the Local Number 8 Singers Hall. Copeland also pointed to Blanche Lavizzo and her work serving Black families at a time when racial discrimination restricted access to medical care.

Those memories helped shape the purpose of the Black Butterfly Awards, with Tatum and Copeland viewing the recognition as a way to acknowledge women whose contributions have often taken place outside the spotlight.

The butterfly itself was chosen as a symbol of evolution, growth and transformation, reflecting the organizers’ view of generations of Black women whose roles in families and communities have continued to evolve.

Copeland said recognizing those women during their lifetimes remains central to the awards.

“Any real Black man is aware of how powerful Black women have been in our lives. My motivation is getting it out there now where they can get their flowers.”

This year’s honorees include Charita Tatum, Josephine Howell, Daphne Cross, Toni Harrell, Vivian Phillips, Olympia Edwards, Denise Bouldin, Devon Love, Trina Hall, Shaunyce Omar, Whitney Nelson, Ebonee Heller, Marvina Kemp, Laquetha Bell and Ze’lla Adams. Gertrude Peoples and Charlotte Grady will receive special lifetime achievement awards.

Barbara Laners, a local attorney and longtime Seattle media personality who recently died, has also been added to this year’s honorees and will be recognized posthumously.

Laners was known for her years as host of Community Potpourri on radio stations KRIZ, KYIZ and KZIZ, where her work helped bring Black community issues and culture to local audiences.

Peoples has long been recognized for her work supporting and mentoring student-athletes at the University of Washington.

The awards also recognize the contributions of health care workers and grassroots advocates serving Black residents, reflecting the organizers’ broader emphasis on women working in education, health, culture, mentorship and community service.

As Seattle’s Black community has become more geographically dispersed, Tatum and Copeland say the awards also provide an opportunity for people to come together and recognize those who have helped preserve the community’s history and culture.

“In this day and age, I think we’ve begun to lose our identity of who we give recognition to and who we actually see in our communities as nurturers, as role players, as guardians of our culture,” Tatum stated. “It is them. From the beginning to the end, it is them who exemplified the best mannerism. We need her to be at her best, and the only way to do that is to honor her in the smallest to the greatest way.”

For Copeland, honoring those contributions is also about making sure younger generations of Black women can see examples of women continuing to make a difference in their communities.

“I think it’s very, very important that we give these women their recognition, while they can enjoy it. This award and these women receiving this can motivate younger Black women to get involved and know that there’s people out there that look like them that are still movers and shakers in the community.”

High School Football Week One Scores & Highlights

By
Seattle Medium
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O’Dea 56, Roosevelt 28

The defending 3A state champion O’Dea Fighting Irish opened the season with a 56-28 win over Roosevelt behind an explosive rushing attack. J’Shaun Wilson led the way with 229 yards and three touchdowns on just nine carries, while Max Speller added 57 yards and two touchdowns on three carries. O’Dea rushed for 419 yards on 27 attempts, averaging 15.5 yards per carry.

Roosevelt found success through the air, with quarterback Rece Shewey throwing for 323 yards and three touchdowns. Owen Poort had 10 receptions for 248 yards and two touchdowns, while Lleyton Cross added a 70-yard touchdown reception. Despite Roosevelt’s big plays, O’Dea’s rushing attack proved too much to overcome as the Irish pulled away in the second half.

Ingraham 25, Franklin 14

Ingraham pulled away from Franklin for a 25-14 season-opening victory Saturday at the Southeast Athletic Complex. The Rams’ rushing attack led the way, with Mac Faw rushing for 123 yards on just eight carries and Logan Rudell adding 78 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Franklin led 14-13 at halftime, but Ingraham took control in the second half behind a blocked kick and two fourth-quarter interceptions.

 Franklin was led by Corde Frazier, who had 75 yards on five carries, and Henry Moore with 73 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Tyrique Galloway added a 2-yard touchdown run, while Frazier also provided a spark with a 46-yard punt return. Ingraham’s Diego Preciado and Harem Wolde each intercepted a Franklin pass in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory.

Eastside Catholic 47, West Seattle 12

Eastside Catholic jumped out to a 19-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back, defeating West Seattle 47-12. Eastside added 14 points in the second quarter, followed by seven points in each of the final two quarters. West Seattle scored six points in the second quarter and seven in the fourth.

West Seattle quarterback Carlos Patino threw for 134 yards, rushed for 45 yards on 11 carries, and scored one touchdown. Savion Ware added 58 rushing yards and scored West Seattle’s other touchdown.

Rainier Beach 41, Bishop Blanchet 19

Rainier Beach built an early lead and pulled away in the second half to defeat Bishop Blanchet 41-19. Rainier Beach scored eight points in each of the first two quarters, followed by 12 in the third and 13 in the fourth. Bishop Blanchet scored all 19 of its points in the second half, with 12 in the third quarter and seven in the fourth.

Ballard 23, Lincoln (Seattle) 6

Ballard opened the 2026-27 Metro League football season with a 23-6 victory over Lincoln, while making Seattle Public Schools history in the process. The Beavers became the first Seattle Public School in history to have 100% of their varsity roster wear guardian caps during a league game. Ballard’s defensive effort helped secure the win as the team started the season with a statement both on and off the field.

Other Scores:

Lindbergh 26, Garfield 6

Seattle Prep 30, Chief Sealth 0

Lakeside (Seattle) 63, Nathan Hale 0

Washington Voters Urged To Check Registration, Addresses Ahead Of Nov. 3 Election

By
Seattle Medium
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By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium

With Washington’s Nov. 3 general election approaching, King County election officials are urging voters to check their registration, confirm their current address and understand key deadlines before ballots are mailed in October.

According to Halei Watkins, communications manager for King County Elections, one of the most important steps voters can take is verifying their registration information.

“The first and most important thing for voters to do right now at this point in time is make sure that they are registered to vote and that they’re registered to vote, importantly, at their current address,” Watkins emphasized.

To register to vote in Washington, a person must be a U.S. citizen, a legal resident of Washington state, at least 18 years old by the time they vote and have lived at their Washington residential address for at least 30 days immediately before the election in which they vote. State law also includes eligibility requirements related to felony convictions and court orders affecting voting rights.

For the Nov. 3 general election, Oct. 26 is the deadline to register or update a registration online or by mail. After Oct. 26, eligible voters can still register or update their information in person at a King County vote center through 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Understanding the difference between a residential address and a mailing address is also important. A voter’s residential address determines the precinct, local races and ballot measures that appear on the ballot, while the mailing address determines where the ballot is delivered.

The distinction can be particularly important for college students, people temporarily living away from home and voters experiencing housing instability. King County Elections can mail a ballot to a temporary address for voters who will be away from home during the election.

For people without a permanent home, Watkins said not having a traditional residential address does not prevent an otherwise eligible person from registering.

“What we tell folks is kind of where you lay your head at night most frequently, what you consider your home base that’s what we’re going to take as your residential address if you don’t have a permanent home of your own,” Watkins explained, noting that landmarks, shelters, or intersections can be used for unhoused voters.

Voters who move close to Election Day should update their information as soon as possible. Those who lose or damage a ballot or ballot envelope can request or download a replacement.

King County is scheduled to mail ballots Oct. 14, with ballot drop boxes opening Oct. 15. Additional vote centers are scheduled to open Oct. 31.

Voters can return their ballots by mail, at an official ballot drop box or in person at a vote center. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than Nov. 3.

For voters who want to avoid relying on mail delivery, official King County ballot drop boxes provide another option. Ballots placed in a drop box must be deposited by 8 p.m. on Election Day. King County has expanded its drop-box network to 90 locations this year and plans to have 100 locations available by the November general election.

Voters should also pay attention to the signature on their ballot return envelope. Trained King County Elections staff compare each signature with signatures in the voter’s registration record. If a signature does not appear to match, a second staff member reviews it before the ballot is challenged.

Missing or mismatched signatures can be resolved by submitting a signature resolution form. King County Elections mails a letter and form to affected voters and may also notify them by phone or email when contact information is available. Voters signed up for ballot alerts can receive a text notification.

King County is scheduled to certify election results Nov. 24. Signature resolution forms must be received by King County Elections by 4:30 p.m. the day before certification.

Voters can track their ballot through King County Elections’ My Voter Information service. King County Elections can also be reached at 206-296-VOTE (8683).

The election preparations come amid a dispute between Washington officials and the Trump administration over federal actions involving mail voting and election administration. Washington has challenged federal efforts to impose new requirements on ballot mail, and a federal court has blocked the U.S. Postal Service’s final rule from taking effect for the Nov. 3 election. Washington’s vote-by-mail system remains in effect.

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs has also criticized a Department of Homeland Security announcement that it plans voter-fraud investigations in Washington and eight other states.

“I learned about the Department of Homeland Security’s ‘voter fraud investigation surge’ through the media, just like everyone else,” Secretary Hobbs stated. “It’s troubling that Homeland Security is wasting taxpayer dollars investigating a phenomenon we know to be false. Incidents of voter fraud are incredibly rare. In Washington state, there were just five cases between 2008 and 2025, out of 90 million ballots cast during that time. This is another attempt by the federal government to cause chaos and confusion ahead of the midterms.”

Hobbs and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown have also issued guidance to county election administrators outlining state and federal authority over elections and providing direction for interactions with federal personnel.

“This year, it is clear that Washington election officials must be prepared to handle inquiries and interactions with the federal administration, on top of the significant work it takes to administer a secure and accurate election. Supporting county election partners’ preparedness is one of my top priorities. That includes making sure they have clear, practical guidance when questions arise.”

Despite the federal dispute, registered Washington voters will continue to receive ballots by mail for the Nov. 3 election and can return them through the mail, at an official ballot drop box or at a vote center.

For voters, Watkins said preparation comes down to deciding when and how they will complete and return their ballot.

“A vote plan can be very simple, and it can be as simple as just thinking through, ‘OK, I’m going to get my ballot and then I’m going to vote that same weekend,’” Watkins advised. “Thinking through those actual micro-actions is really helpful to folks actually taking that step to vote. Your vote is your voice in this democracy, and elections are about community. It’s important that we all show up for each other.”

Greater Mount Baker Missionary Baptist Church Celebrates Pastoral Anniversary

By
Seattle Medium
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Greater Mount Baker Missionary Baptist Church will celebrate the third pastoral anniversary of Pastor Demetrius and First Lady Cristi Devers with three special services Sept. 11 and 13 at the church, 2425 S. Jackson St. in Seattle.

The anniversary celebration, themed “The Work Continues” and based on Philippians 1:6, will begin this Friday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. with the Rev. Dr. Robert L. Manaway of Tabernacle Baptist Church.

The celebration will continue Sunday, Sept. 13, with Pastor Curtis Q. Taylor of Seattle Word of God Church speaking during the 10:30 a.m. service. Pastor Joseph S. Bowman IV of Integrity Life Church will speak during the 3 p.m. service.

The services will commemorate Pastor Devers’ third anniversary as pastor of Greater Mount Baker Missionary Baptist Church.

Walmart Settlement Returns Nearly $120,000 To More Than 400 Seattle Workers

By
Seattle Medium
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Should Black America keep shopping at Walmart when it seems Walmart might have forgotten who helps keep its lights on? Credit: (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Credit: (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

According to the Seattle Office of Labor Standards, more than 400 Seattle gig workers will receive nearly $120,000 in back payments following a settlement with Walmart Inc. over alleged violations of the city’s App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance.

The Office of Labor Standards announced Sept. 8 that Walmart Inc., doing business as Spark Delivery, agreed to pay $119,528.29 to 413 affected workers and an additional $2,455.52 to the City of Seattle to resolve the investigation.

OLS alleged that Walmart failed to provide workers with minimum payments required for offers, information about offers before workers accepted them, electronic receipts within 24 hours, weekly receipts and notices informing workers of their rights under the ordinance.

“Thanks to app-based workers coming forward with complaints, the OLS enforcement team was able to investigate and uncover multiple violations of the minimum payment law. By resolving this investigation with Walmart, OLS continues to hold companies accountable when they fail to comply with Seattle labor laws,” said OLS Director Steven Marchese.

Seattle’s App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance establishes minimum compensation requirements for certain app-based workers and requires covered companies to provide workers with information about offers and records showing how they were paid. The requirements are intended to provide workers with greater transparency about their earnings and the terms of work offered through app-based platforms.

During the period covered by the investigation, Walmart had more than 400 workers in Seattle and thousands of workers worldwide, according to information released with the settlement.

Danielle Alvarado, executive director of Fair Work Center/Working Washington, said the settlement highlights the importance of both compensation and transparency requirements for app-based workers.

“This settlement with one of the world’s largest multinational corporations underscores why app-based workers fought so hard to win transparency protections. As a result of worker organizing, Seattle’s ordinance requires apps to provide workers with all the pay they are owed and, just as crucially, the records to verify that pay is accurate. We are proud to live in a city that demonstrates its commitment to invest the public resources needed to enforce workers’ rights and hold corporations accountable,” said Alvarado.

Gig worker Bridgette Smallbeck-Poehler said she chose to come forward because she believed something was wrong with how workers were being compensated. She said the costs associated with gig work, including using personal vehicles and covering expenses, make proper compensation particularly important.

“Gig workers deserve to be treated fairly and paid for the work they do. We use our own vehicles, cover our own expenses, and dedicate our time to getting the job done, yet too often the compensation doesn’t reflect that reality. As a single mother, every dollar matters, and standing up for what is right is not always easy. I chose to speak up because I believed something was wrong, and the Office of Labor Standards listened. Their investigation showed that workers’ voices matter and that [companies] must be held accountable. I hope this outcome encourages other gig workers to know they are not powerless. When we stand up for ourselves, we can create meaningful change,” said Smallbeck-Poehler.

The settlement resolves the allegations identified by OLS and provides payments to the 413 workers affected by the investigation.

Podcast: Pack The House Campaign Rallies Support For Black-Owned Restaurants & Coffee Shops In Seattle

By
Seattle Medium
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This Rhythm & News Podcast episode introduces “Pack the House,” a 10-week campaign launched by The Seattle Medium, the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, and Byrd Barr Place to encourage community support for Black-owned restaurants in the greater Seattle area, which face rising costs for food, labor, utilities, and rent.

Chris B. Bennett interviews Dr. Angela Griffin, CEO of Byrd Barr Place, and Michelle Merriweather, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, about the initiative’s goals and the broader role Black-owned restaurants play in creating jobs and sustaining community connections.

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