Black History Today: Trent and Ericka Pollard, leading with love

Black History Today: Trent and Ericka Pollard, leading with love

Black History Today, created by Marcus Harden in celebration of Black History Month, pays tribute to the living legacy of Black history in our community and beyond, and recognizes the people like Trent and Ericka Pollard who are shaping the future.

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Black History Today: Baionne Coleman, courageous educator and school leader

Black History Today: Baionne Coleman, courageous educator and school leader

Black History Today, created by Marcus Harden in honor of Black History Month, pays tribute to the living legacy of Black history in our community and beyond, and recognizes the people like Baionne Coleman who are shaping the future.

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Black History Today: Cal Bonner, a true artist blazing his own trail

Black History Today: Cal Bonner, a true artist blazing his own trail

This post is part of an ongoing Black History Month series written by Marcus Harden, a truly unsung hero of South Seattle, as he honors the living legacy of Black history in his community and beyond, and recognizes the people who are shaping the future.

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Why I won't be playing fantasy football this fall for the first time in almost 30 years

Why I won't be playing fantasy football this fall for the first time in almost 30 years

I’m about to turn 37 years old, and I’ve been playing fantasy football for almost 30 years. It is a bit crazy, but it’s true: I helped organize my first fantasy football league in 1990 as a fourth-grader in Fargo, ND.

But here we are in the spring of 2018, and fantasy football is suddenly unexpectedly interesting to me. I care again! I specifically want to quit.

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Black History Today: Rev. David Hardy, Sr., an everyday neighborhood hero

Black History Today: Rev. David Hardy, Sr., an everyday neighborhood hero

I deeply believe that your life has to be a reflection of your values and beliefs. That’s truly the only “legacy” we have. It's what living every day is about.

One of the idols who exemplified and taught me that powerful lesson was Rev. David Hardy, Sr.

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Am I just acting like a sad-sack Vikings fan by not yanking my kids out of Seattle Public Schools?

Am I just acting like a sad-sack Vikings fan by not yanking my kids out of Seattle Public Schools?

This isn’t easy to admit right now, so I’m just going to come out and say it:

I’m a Vikings fan.

It’s true.

I’ve loved the Vikings all my life. When I was in 8th grade, I wore a Cris Carter jersey to school every Monday and Thursday pretty much all year long. I would have worn it even more if I wasn’t so sure that the wrong people would notice and harass me for wearing the same shirt every day.

I found that purple No. 80 jersey in a box in my parents’ basement in Iowa when we visited after Christmas a few weeks back, and I brought it home to Seattle along with my “lucky” purple Vikings socks. I was wearing the full ensemble yesterday for the first time in almost 20 years as I watched the Vikes get blown out by the Eagles 38-7 in the NFC Championship Game.

It was a genuine heartbreaker.

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