Washington for Black Lives

03/04/2025

Dear Washington for Black Lives Family,

As I step away from my role in this coalition, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for each of you. The past year and a half working alongside this team has been an incredible journey—one filled with passion, commitment, and the unwavering pursuit of justice for Black communities across Washington State.

This work has been more than policy and advocacy; it has been about collective power, about holding space for our people, and about showing up for one another in ways that transcend politics. You all have been a source of inspiration, strength, and solidarity, and I carry the lessons and relationships built here with me always.

Though I am stepping back from this space, the fight for progressive Black policy does not end here. I have no doubt that our paths will continue to cross in the struggle for Black liberation. Our work is not just necessary—it is vital, and it will persist because of the brilliance, resilience, and love that each of you pour into it every day.

This is not a goodbye, but a “see you soon”. I look forward to continuing this fight alongside you in whatever ways our journeys align. Please don’t hesitate to reach out, and know that I will always be in community with you.

With love and gratitude,

Chelsea McElroy
💜

02/12/2025

We are following

Thank you to the Houston Family for telling their story and highlighting the need to restore rightful ownership ✊🏾

12/06/2024

Join Us Next Saturday to help build and drive change for LGBTQIA+ BIPOC liberation and justice.

🗓 Date: Saturday, December 14, 2024
🕒 Time: 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
📍 Location: Burien Public Library - 400 SW 152nd St. Burien WA 98166

Free In-person and Live-streaming
Amazing Food and Drink provided
Masks Required and provided

Ramp access and stairs into the entrance, free parking, and the bus line.
Your voice matters. Join us and be part of the movement!

Register here: https://bit.ly/ReportOUT

11/19/2024

Free Hot Showers

Hours of Operations
9:00am to 4:30pm

Free hot showers available at the following locations:
157 Roy St (Near Seattle Center)
7 Days/Week
2901 27th Ave S - 7 Days/Week
Conveniently located across from the Mount
Baker Light Rail Station &
Mount Baker Station Park & Ride

Shower Hotline
(206) 386-1030

11/13/2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 13, 2024

NAACP Elects New Leadership for Tacoma Branch

Reverend Malando Redeemer Named President, Joined by Lyle Quasim as 1st Vice President, Margaret Gilbert as 2nd Vice President, and Noemi Cagatin-Porter as 3rd Vice President

Tacoma, WA – The Tacoma Branch of the NAACP proudly announces the election of its new leadership team, with Reverend Malando Redeemer as President. Reverend Redeemer, a lifelong NAACP member, has served in various roles since childhood, including as President and Director of the Youth Council and as 3rd Vice President of the Branch. His election as one of the youngest Branch Presidents in the nation underscores his commitment to social justice and community advocacy.

Joining Reverend Redeemer are Lyle Quasim as 1st Vice President, Margaret Gilbert as 2nd Vice President, and Noemi Cagatin-Porter as 3rd Vice President, along with a newly appointed executive committee. Together, they form a powerful and dedicated team focused on advancing the mission of the NAACP in Tacoma.

As an associate minister and Youth and Young Adult Pastor at Tacoma’s Shiloh Baptist Church, Reverend Redeemer combines his ministry role with extensive experience as a community organizer, labor organizer, and former candidate for public office. His diverse background provides him with a deep understanding of the issues facing our community, especially communities of color. This foundation equips him to address the core issues of the NAACP and develop impactful programs and objectives.

Under his leadership, the Tacoma Branch NAACP will prioritize the development of initiatives that strengthen the organization's core objectives and create meaningful change. These initiatives will focus on civil rights, economic opportunity, education, and police reform.

Reverend Redeemer's approach emphasizes empowering committees such as Legal Redress, Political Action, and Economic Development to expand resources, deepen community engagement, and advance social equity across Tacoma.

“I am honored to lead the Tacoma Branch NAACP alongside such a talented and committed team,” said Reverend Redeemer. “The NAACP has been a foundation in my life, and I am excited to work with our members to build bridges across generations, make Tacoma more equitable, and drive positive change. Together, we will advance justice, equality, and opportunity for all.”

The Tacoma Branch NAACP invites the community to join us in welcoming Reverend Redeemer and the new officers as we continue our shared pursuit of equity and justice for all.



Tacoma Branch NAACP

[www.253naacp.org]

(https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561616978224)

10/31/2024

You know what is scary? Not turning in your ballot on time! 👻 🎃

Don't ghost the vote! Return your ballot while you are out doing spooky things this evening. You can use one of our 51 drop boxes or pop your ballot in the mail. No stamp required! Voting now ensures that you can skip those scary long lines on election day. Drop box locations: https://bit.ly/3SBYNQC

Have a happy and safe Halloween, and thanks for being a Pierce County Voter!

10/26/2024

🚨🚨🚨🚨VOTE NO🚨🚨🚨🚨

A millionaire hedge fund manager from California named Brian Heywood put four initiatives on Washington state ballots this fall, and we need to reject all four. These initiatives would pollute the air we breathe, cut billions from childcare and public education, drive up energy bills, and force more women to do unpaid labor as caregivers for our family members in need.

Heywood spent $6 million of his own money on paid signature gatherers to get these initiatives on the ballot. He wants to give himself and his super-rich friends a massive tax cut and shift the bill to middle- and lower-income families like us.

✔️ Initiative 2066 would attack energy efficiency programs: increasing our energy bills, repealing important customer rebates, and stopping communities from making decisions that work best for us.

✔️Initiative 2109 would repeal our state’s capital gains tax, giving a tax break to the wealthiest 0.2% of Washingtonians while slashing $2.2 billion from our state’s budgets for childcare and public education.

✔️ Initiative 2117 would allow more pollution across Washington state, threatening our air, waterways and health, and it would slash funding for our state’s transportation plan, putting roads and bridges at risk, cutting transit services and leaving us with more traffic.

✔️ Initiative 2124 would cause more people, mostly women, to leave their jobs to provide unpaid care for loved ones by bankrupting Washington’s long term health care program that 3.9 million working Washingtonians will rely on.

These initiatives will cut taxes for big corporations and the wealthy at the expense of hard-working Washington families. Make sure to vote NO on all four statewide initiatives when you fill out and return your ballot by November 5th.

10/21/2024

09/09/2024

We are grateful for the insights of the Spokane NAACP one of our member orgs.

Every year, representatives from the Spokane branch of the NAACP are chosen to participate in the national convention. The Convention brings together NAACP branches nationwide to pass resolutions that set essential policies and programs for the coming year. The 2024 convention, held in Las Vegas, Ne...

08/05/2024

On 07/16/2024 in Spokane, Washington, Washington for Black Lives hosted what would have been a candidate debate for the Attorney General Race. 2 of the 3 Attorney General candidates arrived at the Carl Maxey Center and promptly began the work of helping set out chairs, greeting and talking to folks as they entered. Nick Brown and Manka Dhingra truly embody servant leaders. After a brief tour from the new Executive Director, Jillisa Winkler, we were ready to get into some real discussions as a candidate forum.

Tackling the topics of criminal justice reform, public safety, police accountability, judicial transparency and the opioid crisis both candidates leaned on their strengths and past experience. We want to highlight Senator Dhingra’s past work in the creation of the 40-hour crisis intervention training for law enforcement. Nick Brown stood out in his plan to make the AG’s office more accessible and welcoming to the communities and explained where AG offices can be found throughout the state. Both candidates expressed similar views on ground level interventions to support local municipalities in tackling the opioid crisis and continuing the work that AG Ferguson has been engaging in for the past decade. The biggest takeaway from the forum is that both Democratic candidates will undoubtedly keep Washington moving in the right direction. If Senator Dhingra is elected she will be Washington State’s first immigrant-American and woman of color AG. If Nick Brown is elected he will be Washington State’s first Black-American AG.

The candidate forum enjoyed a catered meal from Indigenous Eats and special guest Spokane’s first Black woman City Council President Betsy Wilkerson. Members of Spokane County Young Democrats were in attendance. Washington Community Alliance’s Executive Director Kamau Chege kicked off the event with a warm welcome. The event was moderated by Washington for Black Lives’ Statewide Coordinator Chelsea McElroy and founding member Jacquelyn Harris who operated People Empowerment and Renewal Services in Pierce County.

Washington for Black Lives’ mission is to empower, engage and unite Black-led organizations in the policies that shape the lives of Black Washingtonians. This work is supported through the tireless efforts of our member organizations; A huge shout out to the Carl Maxey Center, Spokane’s NAACP and the Spokane Ministerial Alliance for creating opportunities to host an event of this magnitude in their community.