Unsettled Territory: Community Grows From Seattle's Civil Rights Movement

In Seattle’s welcoming Beacon Hill neighborhood, El Centro de la Raza, the "Center for People of All Races," has functioned as a vibrant community hub for over fifty years. Amidst the organizing fervor of the 1970s, and in response to funding cuts to a beloved English as a Second Language program, activists from Seattle's growing Latino community and a diverse network of supporters staged a peaceful three-month occupation in the abandoned Beacon Hill School building with the dream of converting the space into a center for mutual aid and cultural exchange. Hear from Co-founder and Executive Director Estela Ortega about how the building became a catalyst for change. Next door, visit The Station coffee shop to hear from co-owner Luis Rodriguez about how he found welcome at El Centro de la Raza as a teenager and went on to start his own community space. Today, El Centro de la Raza continues to unite and empower people across Seattle.