The city with an Afro-Asian mayor, after Norm Rice in the 1990s, after "Big Bill" Grose in the 1890s (back when T.T. Minor was its leading medical practitioner and educator)? Where Clinton OMB chief Franklin Delano Raines grew up? Where Obama's HUD Deputy Ron Sims was County Exec? 2/10
Whose Indian immigrant Rep. Pramila Jayapal chairs the House Progressive Caucus? Where Girmay Zahilay from Sudan chairs the County Council? Where Chinese-American County Exec Gary Locke became Governor? Where Japanese-American Lloyd Hara won 7 elections city-wide or county-wide? 3/10
Whose H.S. jazz bands routinely take top honors at Lincoln Center's Ellington festival? Where Festál celebrates 25 different ethnic heritages around the year, and Seafair a like number of summer neighborhood/community parades & festivals - many packed with ethnic/inter-ethnic flavor. 4/10
The place where I've seen at least 3 black-white couples reach or approach the century mark ... where I knew & outlived Shirley, Trev, Demene, Patricia, Patricia, Willie, Mavis, Ivy, Dennis ... 5/10
My Nuyorican buddy G was enthusing the other day about Seattle vs the Bronx he grew up in (and visits regularly). In NYC, as you say, you can map diversity by neighborhood, by block, even building by building. But as a rule, the ingredients don't interact. 6/10
NYC Hispanics of different national origins don't even interact that much. They are siloed. They know their boundaries, and don't walk and talk with each other, much less with Samoans or Arabs or Koreans. Sez G: "I'm so fortunate to be here, where diverse connections come naturally." 7/10
Per local legend, 98117 is the most diverse ZIP code in the country. Not so - a misstatement by a careless Census official. Last I checked, a couple ZIPs in NYC and one in Hawaii ranked higher per the Bureau's diversity index. 8/10
The Bureau also measures ethnic dispersion. An area can be "diverse" in raw numbers but physically segregated - with Finns next door to Finns and Fijians next door to Fijians. In this department, Seattle rules. (These metrics likely go away - or go underground - during Trump 2.0) 9/10
It is true that Seattle has become less Black in recent years. As waves of folks moved in from other time zones, bidding up housing prices, many Black folks moved south of city limits. 10/10
I know you are trying hard to defend Seattle. Don't try this hard. You left out a few awesome Black athletes that play and live in Seattle! 😊 I think I gave you the impression I hated Seattle? Far from it. I love living here. Do I miss NYC. Fuck yeah. But to compare the two cities would be silly.
My kid loves Jazz. He's a jazz drummer and jams with adults on open mic nights at a Jazz club downtown. The Jazz scene in Seattle is awesome. And we are happy to report, many Black musicians show up to play. Still outnumbered 10-1.
Speaking of Quincy Jones ... the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute's 2025 summer musical (**always** a great show) is The Wiz -- running Fri-Sun at Benaroya symphony hall. www.langstonseattle.org www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...
No shortage of Indians or other Asians here. Love that!
Have not lived in Seattle in the 70s or the 80s or the 90s. Just the last 15 years. And yes, I agree the housing market has made it impossible not only for working Black families to live here, for all minorities.