Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 7141 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98136
Sunday, February 8th, 10:30 am
Black History Month Celebration with Marcus Harrison Green

Black history is not a sidebar to American history. It is one of its central threads. From freedom struggles and faith traditions to labor movements, art, and community care, Black people have continually shaped the moral, political, and spiritual landscape of this country. To engage Black history honestly is to better understand America itself, and to glimpse the possibilities of who we might yet become.

In this sermon honoring Black History Month, local journalist Marcus Harrison Green will reflect on the stories, lessons, and questions that feel most urgent in this season of life. Drawing from national and local histories, he explores how Black communities have imagined and practiced forms of solidarity, resilience, and love under conditions not of their choosing. These histories offer more than remembrance; they offer instruction.

In perilous times, when fear is normalized, truth is contested, and the bonds of community are strained, Black history invites all of us into deeper responsibility. It challenges us to reckon with injustice, to expand our understanding of belonging, and to recommit to the unfinished work of building Beloved Community. This is not history meant only to be honored, but history meant to be learned from, wrestled with, and carried forward together.

Marcus’ bio: Marcus Harrison Green is a storyteller, truth-seeker, and advocate for narratives that reflect the full depth of marginalized communities. As the publisher of Hinton Publishing, Founder of the South Seattle Emerald, a columnist for The Stranger, and the cohost of the In The Meanwhile podcast, he has dedicated his life to reshaping the way stories are told about Black and brown communities. Born and raised in South Seattle, Marcus grew up witnessing the power and the harm of one-dimensional storytelling. He saw how communities like his were flattened into stereotypes, their voices lost in the margins.

After an unfulfilling stint in the investment world, he walked away from corporate life with a renewed sense of purpose: to amplify the voices too often neglected and tell stories with the nuance, complexity, and humanity they deserve. That mission led him to found the South Seattle Emerald, a platform committed to journalism that is unapologetically community centered. As an award-winning journalist, Marcus has earned recognition for his fearless reporting and commitment to justice. He was named the Seattle Human Rights Commission’s “Individual Human Rights Leader” of 2020 and honored as the Northwest African American Museum’s inaugural James Baldwin Fellow in 2022. Through his writing and leadership, Marcus continues to challenge dominant narratives, uplift the voices of his people, and push journalism toward a more just and authentic future.