Book Review: ’Winners Take All, The Elite Charade of Changing the World’

Hot off the press

Seattle City Council honors vendor Sharon Jones with a proclamation

by Tim Harris | May 22nd, 2019

Director's Corner | Timothy Harris, founding director

Sharon Jones would have loved the May 20 meeting of the full Seattle City Council.

As the session began, Council President Bruce Harrell suspended the rules of order so that Councilmember Lisa Herbold could say a few words in honor of the late Real Change vendor Sharon Jones, and read a proclamation into the official record:

A Proclamation Honoring the Life of Sharon Jones

Whereas, Sharon Jones was born in Shreveport, Louisiana into an Air Force family; and

Medical Examiner Report: Homeless community deaths up nearly 15 percent

by Ashley Archibald | May 22nd, 2019

The number of deaths of people presumed homeless investigated by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office jumped by nearly 15 percent to 194 in 2018, marking the fourth consecutive year that the number has grown.

Thirty-eight percent of the deaths were due to natural causes such as cardiovascular or respiratory illness, slightly more than the 32 percent of deaths attributed to drug overdoses.

Reporter’s Notebook: Yes in my backyard

by Ashley Archibald | May 22nd, 2019

YIMBYs rejoice — the city of Seattle is one step closer to saying yes to letting you build in your backyard.

Deputy Hearing Examiner Barbara Dykes Ehrlichman decided that the city’s investigation into the environmental impacts of attached (ADU) and detached accessory dwelling units (DADU) was sufficient, putting to rest an appeal brought by the Queen Anne Community Council in October of 2018.

Life, Death and Dignity: Robert Fuller planned every detail of his wedding — and his death soon after

by Ashley Archibald | May 22nd, 2019

Part one of a three part special report

For the last hours of his 75 years on Earth, Robert Fuller was married to a man who he loved.

“I anoint you,” said Nancy Rebecca, a nurse, clairvoyant and sometime wedding officiant, “Mr. Robert and Mr. Reese Baxter-Fuller.”

The kindness of strangers: thoughts on Jewish identity and the idea of community

by Matt Kanter | May 22nd, 2019

COMMENTARY

As Jews, we are taught to welcome the stranger as Abraham did the angels and to remember that we, too, were strangers wandering the wilderness. We are taught many of our values in simplified words or phrases, like Tzedakah (Justice), G’milut Chasidim (Acts of Loving Kindness) and Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World). But we don’t always see these ideas in practice.

In my childhood, I witnessed these values in action.

Stale cookies and unsolicited conversations

by Oscar Rosales Castaneda | May 22nd, 2019

Real Change columnist

I joined peers from the UW School of Social Work on May 3 to counter-demonstrate an “Affirmative-Action Bake Sale.” We collectively decided to show our presence, not so much to directly engage but to observe and be present for anyone in need of a sympathetic ear or a space to process their thoughts. The event was, after all, a cheap stunt meant to antagonize and dehumanize.

Unbroken by Bars: Art exhibition brings awareness to the challenges women face when they’ve been imprisoned

by Lisa Edge | May 15th, 2019

The latest show at Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) Gallery in Pioneer Square goes beyond the archetypal exhibit. “(Our Love Is) Unbroken by Bars” blurs the lines between compelling art, data and advocacy. Each component blends into a moving experience. Visitors are introduced to five women who have rebuilt their lives after serving time in prison. Three of them gave birth while behind bars and each is shown in photographs in loving embraces with their children. The touching moments convey the bond between the mother and child pairs.

Review: ’Nina Simone: Four Women’ hones in on the nuance of being a Black woman in America

by Lisa Edge | May 15th, 2019

Play written by Christina Ham, Directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton

On opening night of “Nina Simone: Four Women,” nearly every seat in the theater was filled with eager audience members. They were not shy in expressing their pleasure along with vocalizing words of approval. “Four Women” is a drama mixed with humor. The synopsis reads, in part, “through storytelling, debate and music, ‘Nina Simone: Four Women’ immerses us in the complex harmony of protest.

The Power of Believing

by Tim Harris | May 15th, 2019

With your support, Zack Tutwiler found somewhere to belong

After 25 years of publication, Real Change remains unique among Seattle newspapers.

Not just because we’re the largest independent weekly newspaper still standing. Or because — unlike most print publications — our circulation and readership are still growing.

Our continued relevance comes down to this: At a time when the public dialogue on homelessness has gone more than a little toxic, Real Change is a place where people like Zack Tutwiler — who have struggled all their lives — can find acceptance and community.

What happened to the comment section?

by Real Change Newsroom | April 17th, 2019

In the last month we received a number of vile comments on our articles. They were not productive and didn't advance the conversation. We understand readers have strong opinions about the various issues we cover but the last thing we want is for our website to become a platform for abuse, the advancement of harmful stereotypes and attacks on marginalized populations.

As we reevaluate next steps we have removed all of the comments from our website.

Real Change

Dramatic reversal in count numbers raises questions

by Ashley Archibald | May 8th, 2019

For the first time in seven years, the number of people tallied in King County’s annual point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness dropped, and no one is precisely sure why.

The decreases were dramatic — the total count went down by 8 percent overall, from 12,112 to 11,199, with the largest change in the number of people sleeping unsheltered — 17 percent. The count of people sleeping in shelters went up by 3 percent.
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Artist Patricia Halsell moves her opening statement from the courtroom to the canvas

by Lisa Edge | May 8th, 2019

Artist Patricia Halsell surrounds herself with things that bring her joy — both inside and outside. In her Seattle home there’s an abundance of books, a piano and greenery. Her comfortable living space puts guests at ease and you may be able to catch a quick glance of her cat Fuzz. But Halsell’s paintings encourage viewers to step outside, slow down and appreciate the quiet beauty that surrounds us. She believes we’re all stewards of the land, and rather than mine it for resources to the point of depletion, she sees nature as a garden that needs tending.
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The Middle Ground by Sam Day 5/8/19

by Sam Day | May 8th, 2019

Contact Sam Day at sam@samday.com
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Sex-positive spirituality

by John Helmiere | May 8th, 2019

Real Change columnist

One of the books from the Bible is a hot, heavy, erotic love poem called “Song of Solomon.” Since the poet uses veiled sexual metaphors such as “the vineyard is in blossom,” many religious leaders have claimed that the poem is simply about the tender love between God and humanity. But this argument breaks down in chapter five, when the man in the poem puts his “hand” through a “hole” and the woman’s insides “groan” and she “opens” for him.
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Real Change

We can revive with a 17 percent reduction in the 12-tone musical scale

by Dr. Wes Browning | May 8th, 2019

Real Change columnist

Oh, boy. All Home King County, the organization that arranged for the point-in-time count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless people in King County one night in January, has put out a press release about the results.

And now I will complain.
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Pressing pause on celebrating the 2019 homeless count numbers

by Tim Harris | May 8th, 2019

Director's Corner | Timothy Harris, founding director

There’s an adage about cons that goes like this: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” After the 2019 Count Us In numbers were released last week — amid spring weather and more than three months after the actual point-in-time count — the good news of a 17 percent drop in unsheltered homelessness was met with understandable skepticism.

Coming on the heels of last year’s 15 percent increase in people without shelter, that large of a reversal just one year later is tough to believe.
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Real Change

Remembering Robert Sawyer: A gold miner and history buff who preferred his coffee blonde

by Ashley Archibald | May 8th, 2019

Real Change vendor Robert Sawyer died from bladder cancer on Sunday, April 28. He was 73.

Sawyer became a Real Change vendor in 2002 after a life spent mining gold in various places including the Snoqualmie Pass and as a member of the Air Force. Gold mining was both his job and his hobby until the work dried up and he found Real Change.

He sold the paper near the Safeway grocery store near 23rd Avenue and East Madison Street.
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Homeless polling highlights compassion

by Ashley Archibald | May 8th, 2019

Despite skewed perceptions, most are willing to pay for solutions

Homeless advocates are unifying around a series of talking points in an attempt to shift the conversation around homelessness in Seattle.

A “Messaging and Tools” document informed by a poll of Seattle and King County residents conducted in April that showed that many locals have inaccurate perceptions about who is homeless in the region and why, but that many want to embrace compassionate solutions.
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Real Change

Reporter’s Notebook: May Day, new life for Lichton Springs

by Ashley Archibald | May 8th, 2019

May Day, and no riots

Another May Day has come and gone peacefully in Seattle, a city that gained a bit of a reputation for sometimes-destructive acts and law enforcement’s hard crackdowns on previous markings of the workers’ day.

The march, organized by El Comité and the May 1st Action Coalition, began at Judkins Park at 1 p.m. and meandered down to Capitol Hill, through the downtown, circled around the Amazon Spheres then onto Seventh and Stewart where it ended with a rally at the federal courthouse. Marchers were championing immigrants’ and workers’ rights.
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Real Change

Book Review: ’Winners Take All, The Elite Charade of Changing the World’

by Joe Martin | May 8th, 2019

Author Anand Giridharadas holds the ulra-rich accountable for all that they extract from society before they become philanthropic

In 1889, opulent industrialist Andrew Carnegie penned the foundation statement of the modern philanthropic movement. Known as “The Gospel of Wealth,” Carnegie made known his aversion to leaving large sums to one’s descendants. Neither was he inclined to dole out charity directly to the needy. He urged that it was those who, like himself, had amassed great fortunes — not a democratically elected government — who were best suited to determine how vast amounts of money should be disbursed.
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