Following disturbing bodycam video, Seattle's South Asian leaders ask: 'Is that what they think of us?' This weekend, protesters marched through South Lake Union, demanding accountability for Jaahnavi Kandula’s death. Kandula was struck and killed by a Seattle Police car in January. The renewed outrage comes after body camera video was released earlier this month showing a police union leader joking about Kandula’s death, saying “she had limited value.” This footage has led to public outrage and members of the South Asian community in Seattle met with Mayor Bruce Harrell and Police Chief Adrian Diaz over the weekend. Libby Denkmann Play AudioListen 14 mins
Police response time to Wing Luke Museum 911 calls raises questions about priorities The Wing Luke Museum in Seattle’s Chinatown International District is closed today. The museum’s staff are still assessing the damage and trying to make sense of racist vandalism that occurred on Thursday evening, when a man with a sledge hammer smashed windows and said hateful things about Chinese people. Libby Denkmann Play AudioListen 26 mins
Outrage mounts over Seattle police bodycam that shows cop laughing about fatality While Seattle officials apologized and the Indian Consulate called for a federal investigation, public outrage is mounting in Seattle over video footage that appears to show high-ranking police laughing and joking about a fatal accident that killed a 23-year-old Indian graduate student. Stephen Howie
Advocates challenge the suspension of prisoner-led cultural groups at Stafford Creek Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez
Bellevue’s first Asian American superintendent reflects on his family’s 120-year US journey Despite budget cuts and change, Kelly Aramaki, Bellevue's first Asian American superintendent, has an ambitious vision for the place he grew up. Sami West Play AudioListen 5 mins
Cannabis: You can buy it, so why can’t you grow it? ACLU of Washington political director Alison Holcomb details the history of the ban and its rationale. Kim Malcolm Play AudioListen 5 mins
Voting Rights in the Yakima Valley — Redrawing the 15th Legislative District Soundside host Libby Denkmann sits down with USC Professor Christian Grose to talk about the recent ruling about the 15th Legislative District map in WA State, and the legal reasons why it needs to be redrawn. Libby Denkmann Play AudioListen 23 mins
From Civil Rights to campus change: Black student activism in Washington state Seattle isn't widely recognized as an epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement. But through the mid 20th-century, individuals and organizations were making national waves in a fight for recognition and equality. Those actions percolated to university life in Seattle and Pullman. The foundation of Black Studies came from the efforts of Black Students and Black Student Unions to create a space for talking about history, organizing, and black power. Libby Denkmann Play AudioListen 24 mins
Fake tombstone and Trump flag renew questions about Seattle police culture The mother of a man who died in an encounter with Seattle police said she hopes the city will “get to the bottom” of why a fake tombstone with his name turned up in a recently released bodycam video. Meanwhile the city’s Community Police Commission says SPD Chief Adrian Diaz has agreed to attend the group’s meeting next Wednesday to answer questions about the 2021 video, which showed the tombstone and a Trump 2020 banner in a police break room. Amy Radil Play AudioListen 2 mins
Opening doors for BIPOC home buyers Seattle area home prices are back up after a slump last year. And high costs are a barrier for many potential buyers. People from marginalized backgrounds face additional challenges in expensive housing markets like King County. Windermere’s Samantha Enos is here to talk about what’s out there to help BIPOC buyers get into the market. Jennie Cecil Moore Play AudioListen 14 mins
