2023 marks the 10th Anniversary of Families of Color Seattle (FOCS)! Together, we have built a vibrant community of families of color and cultivated a vision of children born into a loving community that is racially and economically just.
Our September Park Day at Jefferson Park Community Center will be extra special! Stop by from 10 am to 2 pm for:
A chance to reconnect with FOCS families and friends.
This will be an indoor-outdoor event so come by rain or shine!
The event is FREE to all FOCS families. We always welcome any donations in support of our work together.
As an organization created by and for BIPOC families that is 100% BIPOC-staffed, Black-led, and Black and Native-governed, we are thrilled to celebrate such an incredible milestone!
We are thrilled to announce our Sponsors for FOCS' 10th Anniversary Park Day Celebration!
Thank you to FOCS Families and Community Partners who joined and connected with us at:
August Park Day
Samish Island Adventure Camp
Taking B(l)ack Pride
Gates Discovery Center Partner Days
Microsoft Build Event
August Park Day
Our August Park Day took place at Judkins Park. Every summer, we host family park days in the North, South, East, and West end of Seattle. Park Days are an opportunity for families to connect, play games, and get to know FOCS staff. FOCS families provide valuable input to our Programs team to ensure that we continue to offer future programming that meets the needs of our community!
This Summer, FOCS collaborated with The Bronze Chapter to offer Samish Island Family Adventure Camp, an all-inclusive, three-night, all-age, all-gender camp like no other! Nestled within the breathtaking Samish Island Campground and Retreat Center, the adventure camp was designed to provide historically underrepresented people of color with an enriching summer experience, led by Black and Brown leaders.
Thanks to our FOCS supporters, we were able to sponsor 5 families to attend for free! Funding also supported programming for the land acknowledgment, nature walk, weaving, and canoeing adventure. A total of 65 people attended this year!
Taking B(l)ack Pride
FOCS' Community Engagement and Advocacy Manager, Abbie, shared resources and information about FOCS at Taking B(l)ack Pride.
Taking B(l)ack Pride is a collective created to empower the BIPOC transgender, queer, and gender diverse communities to take charge of the ways we own our joy, grief, healing, anger, celebration, pride, and expression of culture and community. Taking B(l)ack Pride creates opportunities for our community to collectively and intimately take part in celebration of the complexities of BIPOC QT experiences and culture. Learn more at: www.takingblackpride.org.
Gates Discovery Center Partner Days
FOCS Staff Christine, Sarah, and Abbie (left to right) attended Gates Discovery Center Partner Days. Nonprofits were invited to table at the Designing Motherhood exhibit and share resources with families in attendance.
The Designing Motherhood exhibit examines the evolution of rights and societal norms connected to contraception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences over the last 150 years, highlighting that birth—and the culture that surrounds it—impacts every living person. Learn more and attend this free exhibit at: www.discovergates.org/exhibition/designingmotherhood/
Microsoft Build Event
FOCS Executive Director, Christine Tang, participated in a groundbreaking event to advocate for racially inclusive technology, along with community partners including Community Passageways, Brotherhood Crusade, and The Residency.
This event brought together eminent civil rights organizations including The Withers Collection, The Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, and The Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute. It was an honor to be in community space with the legacy of civil rights families that have been doing intergenerational, decades-long, and brave work to document and fight for racial justice.
FOCS has been offering parent groups centering joy and liberation since 2013. Our goal is to support parents of color to feel safer, heard, and confident.
FOCS Parent Groups are facilitated by parents themselves. Facilitators have lived experience specific to the group and must attend training to learn our curriculum. FOCS curriculum includes dialogue on racism, identity, and the tools to best support raising strong and compassionate children of color.
We meet children and families where they are, which is why our parent groups are both age-based (such as newborns, waddlers, and multi-age), and grouped by affinity. Our Affinity Groups are specific to racial and gender identity, including Black Moms, Native Families, Waddlers (Latinx), Queer & Trans Families of Color (QTFOCS), and Single Moms of Color. These groups are offered based on the availability of Parent Group Facilitators and community needs.
Are you interested in attending a group not being offered? Use our registration form to indicate your interest in future groups!
Fiestas Patrias commemorates the independence of Latin American countries, many of which celebrate their national Independence Day in September. This festival is a celebration of Latinos: our culture, our art, our music, our food, our dances, and many other traditions that have accumulated over the centuries.
FOCS Staff invites you to learn more about the complexities of this holiday and the many terms that people may identify with or refuse to identify with.
Learn more through the following staff picked articles:
Your donation helps foster community amongst BIPOC Parents in the Seattle area and ensures that we can continue to offer parent groups and family programming free of charge to families of color.
Thank you for supporting BIPOC family connections and community building!
