Seattle News and Events for Nov. 6 - Dec. 11 2014

The trio Ala Carte made up of singers Pat Johnston, Julie Olsen and Dee performed ‘Live Jazz,’ an event benefiting the Northwest Sickle Cell Collaborative’s annual Sickle Cell Camp for kids living with the disease, Saturday, Nov. 1 at the Green Lake Presbyterian Church.  The concert also featured other local jazz performers like Grace Holden, and James Howard.  The concert helps kids with Sickle Cell attend the camp on Vashon Island for free. Get involved with the Collaborative at www.nwsicklecell.org.

King County 8th Graders Essay Contest on Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The King County Civil Rights Commission invites all 8th grade students throughout the county to participate in the Commission's 16th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Writing Contest and present their ideas on Dr. King's legacy of peace and justice.

All essays must be postmarked by Friday, Nov. 7, 2014 and mailed to: King County Civil Rights Commission, 401 Fifth Ave., Suite 135, Seattle, WA 98104. For more information and full list of rules, contact Paula Harris-White, Department of Executive Services Equity and Social Justice Manager, at 206-263-2444.

The Essay Contest is open to all 8th grade students in King County

Three essays will receive prizes. First, second, and third prize winners will win trophies and a commemorative Dr. King pin.

Participants must submit an essay that focuses on the theme of the County's 28th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, set to take place on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015 in downtown Seattle. This year's theme is:
"So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess myself. I cannot make up my mind — it is made up for me. I cannot live as a democratic citizen, observing the laws I have helped to enact — I can only submit to the edict of others."

For more information go to www.kingcounty.gov/exec/news.

Call for Artists:  Langston Hughes African American Film Festival

The Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute is seeking submissions for the annual Langston Hughes African American Film Festival, which is celebrating its 12th year. The festival, which will run from April 11 to April 19, 2015, is now accepting independent film entries via Without a Box for consideration for the festival.

Genres/subject areas: Films in the following categories will be accepted: narrative, documentary, children/youth, youth-made movies, LGBTQ, experimental, and animation. Filmmakers do not have to be Black, but films must include significant, relevant content involving Black people. The festival is seeking diverse, multifaceted stories and positive images. No fundraising or training films will be considered. Films originating in languages other than English must have English subtitles. Films are reviewed through a jury process; selected films will receive a $50 stipend for screening.

Call for Films deadline: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015.  Enter online via Without a Box: https://www.withoutabox.com

Entry fee: $25 USD

Black Holiday Bazaar

Pacific Northwest Black Collectors Holiday Bazaar is Sunday, Nov. 23. This event is being held at the Lakewood Seward Park Community Club located at 50th South and South Angeline Street, Seattle, Washington  from 1 – 4 p.m. 

Vendors items include, but not limited to:  Black Santa’s (table top and animated),  Black Holiday Figurines, Gingerbread Ornaments, Black tree Ornaments,  Black Angels for table top and Christmas Trees, Black Dolls,  hand knitted scarves, handmade jewelry, Cards, Pictures, Bath Oils, Jams/Jellies and Bakery Items.     

For more information find the Pacific Northwest Black Collectors Club on Facebook.

Langston Hughes Institute Transition Meeting

Two public meetings scheduled to collect feedback as the Langston Institute transitions to non-profit status. The meetings are Wednesday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m., both at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, Grand Rehearsal Hall, 104 17th Ave. S.

These meetings are the first two opportunities for community members to share ideas and offer feedback as the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (LHPAI) transitions from a city-run program to a non-profit organization. A community survey is forthcoming. The public meetings are part of a larger effort that includes a dozen focus groups, crafted to engage nearly 200 people including artists, collaborators, partners, arts leaders, parents and families, teens, current and former staff, local businesses, media and community leaders.

No reservations are necessary to attend. Adult supervision and activities will be provided for children ages 4 - 12.

Find out more at seattle.gov/arts

State Parks Offers ‘Free Day’ Nov. 11

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission announces the final free day of 2014 is Nov. 11 in honor of Veterans Day. Visitors will not be required to display the Discover Pass to visit a state park.

The “free days” are in keeping with legislation that created the Discover Pass, a $30 annual or $10 one-day permit required on state-managed recreation lands managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources. The Discover Pass legislation provided that State Parks could designate up to 12 “free days” when the pass would not be required to visit state parks. The Discover Pass is still required to access WDFW and DNR lands on State Parks free days.

The Discover Pass provides daytime access to parks. Overnight visitors are charged fees for camping and other overnight accommodations, and their daytime access to the park where they are camping is included in the overnight fee. The Discover Pass does not replace the Sno-Park permit requirement for visitors using Sno-Park winter recreation sites.

The Seattle Public Library Presents Richard Blanco's New Memoir Nov. 10

The 2014 Seattle Reads author Richard Blanco will read from his new, full-length memoir about growing up in Miami as the gay son of Cuban immigrants from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10 at the Broadway Performance Hall of Seattle Central College, 1625 Broadway Seattle, 98122. (206-934-3052.)

In Blanco's memoir, "The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood," he explores his coming-of-age in a Cuban immigrant family and his attempts to understand his place in America while grappling with his burgeoning artistic and sexual identities.

Blanco was born in Madrid in 1968 and immigrated as an infant with his Cuban-exile family to the United States. He was raised and educated in Miami, earning a B.S. in civil engineering and a M.F.A. in creative writing from Florida International University. Blanco is practicing civil engineer, writer and poet, and teacher. His book "For All of Us, One Today: An Inaugural Poet’s Journey" was the featured work for the Library’s 2014 Seattle Reads series.

Library events and programs are free and everyone is welcome. Registration is not required. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Parking is available in nearby commercial lots and on the street.

For more information, call the Library at 206-386-4636 or Ask A Librarian.

Washington CAN Social Justice Breakfast

Seats are filling up at Washington CAN!’s annual Social Justice Awards Breakfast,  Nov. 18 at 7:30 a.m.., Seattle Machinists’ Hall, 9125 – 15th  Place S.

This year’s honorees include Molly Neitzel, Chettie McAfee, Betsy Andrews, Josélito Lopez and Bonnie Roberts. Keynote speaker is former New York Times columnist and author, Bob Herbert, currently a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos which combines research, policy, development and advocacy to influence public debate and catalyze progressive change.

More information at www.washingtoncan.org.

Northwest Coast Native American Art  at the Central Library

Burke Museum curators Robin Wright and Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse will discuss and present slides on art made by Northwest Coast Native Americans from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11 at The Seattle Public Library, Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium.

This program will focus on Wright and Bunn-Marcuse's new book, "In the Spirit of the Ancestors: Contemporary Northwest Coast Art at the Burke Museum."

Library events are free and open to the public. Registration is not required. Parking is available in the Central Library garage for $6 after 5 p.m.

For more information, call the Library at 206-386-4636 or Ask a Librarian.

Find more events in the Portland and Seattle areas on The Skanner News Community Calendar