Recent Events
See the Web Log for information about past events
The Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Communities in Schools (CIS) of Benton-Franklin to raise money. We all recognize under the stress of the pandemic more students might be struggling with the basic needs to stay in school. The Chamber wants to support CIS to empower students to stay in school even during these trying times. Please consider contributing…thank you.
This event has been canceled.
Shari’s Community Dinner Fundraiser
When: Nov 18 at 9:30 PM PST – Nov 26 at 8 PM PST
Hosted by Jess Loflin
Where: Online Event
The Tri-Cities community is partnering with Shari’s to provide meals for local families in need in our community with funding from our amazing Tri-Citians!
Will you help a family in need for Thanksgiving dinner?
Community members or businesses who would like to fund Thanksgiving meals for our community can simply go to the gofundme or contact the head of the event, Jess Loflin at sharisholiday@gmail.com for more information.
Poet Jordan Presents: “Black Excellence”: An Evening with Nikkita “KO” Oliver
When: Friday, November 20 at 7 PM PST – 9 PM PST
Hosted by Jordan Chaney, Celina Mahinalani Garza and 5 others
Where: Online Event
Tickets: ti.to/Poet-Jordan-Presents/black-excellence
Thank you to our sponsors!
Platinum Sponsors –
Communities of Color Coalition
Ted Miller
WholeStory
Gold Sponsors –
Native LifewayCommunity Sponsors –
Karla Camac Carlisle
Erik Ralston
Seema L. Clifasefi
Becky Beardsly
Wendy Veysey
John Roach
Previously, Poet Jordan Presents brought New York Times bestseller Ijeoma Oluo and Academy Award-winning filmmaker T.J. Martin to eastern Washington to talk about their creative and powerful work.
Now, Poet Jordan Presents: “Black Excellence”: An Evening with Nikkita Oliver!
Nikkita Oliver (they/them) is a Seattle-based creative, spoken word artist, community organizer, abolitionist, educator, and attorney. Working at the intersections of arts, law, education, and community organizing, Nikkita strives to create experiences which draw us closer to our humanity and invites us to imagine what we hope to see in the future. Nikkita is the co-executive director of Creative Justice, an arts-based alternative to incarceration and a healing engaged youth-led community-based program.
Also joining the program will be opening notes provided by Reagan Jackson, a dance performance by Serenity Wise, and poetry by Daishaundra Loving-Hearne. Celina Garza with Native Lifeway will provide the land acknowledgement and blessing.
Reagan Jackson is a multi genre writer, artist, activist, and international educator with an abiding love of justice, spirituality, and creating community. She is the Program Director for Young Women Empowered and the cofounder of Blackout Healing. You can learn more about her at reaganjackson.com.
Serenity Wise is a dancer and arts researcher/organizer. In her dance practice, she studies Orixa/Orisha movement from the Afro Brazilian tradition of the Black diaspora. It’s a personal practice that allows her to trace and recover knowledge from her ancestral roots. However, she also believes Black dances to be important to educate and share broadly, as a method of reclamation for Black people whose origins have been marginalized by colonization and racism.
Poet, writer, activist, and choreographer Daishaundra Loving-Hearne is no stranger to the arts or the power of it. She is a Co-CEO of Urban Poets Society and the founder of Black Lives Matter Coalition: Tri-Cities. After spending over 16 years in the arts and working with youth, she has dedicated all of her talents and voice to standing and fighting for equality, equity and victory of our people.
Celina Mahinalani Garza is the Tribal Liaison for the Strong Heart Study serving Native communities in the Phoenix area, specializing in Client Relations and Community Outreach. She is the Founder of Native Lifeway.
When: Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 11 AM PST – 1 PM PST
Hosted by Tri Cities Diversity and Inclusion Council, Black Lives Matter Coalition: Tri-Cities and Revamped Wellness
Where: Online Event
Tickets: via Eventbrite
Keep ya Crown on is an exciting event for Black students to learn skills to manage stress, stay motivated, and walk in their greatness!
TCD&IC has developed a virtual event that is unlike any in the history of Tri Cities. Along with collaborative partners, we have come together to form a dynamic approach to empower, educate, and motivate our Black Children and Teens. As a marginalized community that lacks support and resources, we recognized a great need to help challenge the stigmas of mental health and support the psychological safety of the Black community. Our event will afford an opportunity to address the trauma that the Black Community has experienced and provide emotional coping skills and the overall tools to aid in resiliency.
Our virtual event will have exciting speakers that will help teach you skills to manage stress, recognize your worth, and stand in your greatness! You will also receive a swag bag with goodies that you will use during and after the event. After you participate in our online event your name will be entered into a raffle to receive a cool gift!
YOU MUST ATTEND THE EVENT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE AMAZING RAFFLE!!!
When: Friday, November 13, 2020 at 6 PM PST
Hosted by Tri-City Democrats
Where: Online Event
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81650027613?pwd=cUNOOWcvRHFWUG9NS3Y5QTBRaUx2QT09
Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we’ve succeeded in regaining the White House. This opens the door for us to start work on “what’s next”. We have a lot of damage to repair and we need to redress a lot of injustices that have existed for far too long. So let’s talk about it. What do we need to be pushing for? What new ideas will we need to have enter the conversation?
We’re still forming this event, but we intend it to be very participatory. We’ll have a skeleton to share, but hope to hear ideas from the body.
November 7th, 2020
The West Richland Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to host this year’s Virtual Veterans Day Parade.
Join us on Saturday, November 7th for another year of remembrance and honoring those who served. The Virtual Veterans Day Parade will be available to watch on our website. The Vietnam Memorial Monument Dedication will take place at 11:00am at Flat Top Park. The Drive Thru Chili Feed will starting at 11:30am at the Flat Top Park Pavilion. Donations will go to the Combat Veterans International.
About Scotty Smiley, 2020 Grand Marshall
In 2005, while leading his platoon in Mosul, Iraq, Scotty found himself in front of a suicide car bomber. After the man blew himself up, shrapnel blew through Scotty’s eyes, leaving him blinded and temporarily paralyzed. Though questioning his faith, Scotty made a decision to forgive and rebuild his life and continue to serve in the Army, becoming the first blind active-duty officer in military history. Over his military career, Major (Retired) Smiley received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Badge, Ranger Tab, Airborne Wings and Combat Diver Qualification Badge.
Our segment of the presentation can be seen at 30:09 through 32:38.
When: Saturday, November 7 at 3 PM PST
Where: John Dam Plaza
Hosted by Benton County WA Democrats
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are our President and Vice President Elect!! Let’s breath a sigh of relief for democracy and safely gather together to celebrate!! Hate has no home here! Don’t forget your masks!!!
When: Sunday, November 1 at 3:30 PM PST
Hosted by Elect Justin Raffa Benton County Commissioner
Where: Online with Facebook Live
Join Justin and his campaign leaders as they discuss their experiences campaigning in the era of Covid, and wrap up the long road from the Primary to today!
Benton County Commission Special Meeting
On Thursday, January 14, at 3:00 PM, the Benton County Commission will have a special meeting to consider a resolution on whether Benton County will support and comply with the Governor’s State of Emergency instructions. You may join a live broadcast online or by conference call telephone.
The meeting has been concluded. It was basically a formality to pass the resolution with little discussion and no debate. You can see the text of the resolution below. It accepts that the County cannot supersede the Legislature or Governor. It also asks that the Legislature enact a change to the state code that requires the Legislature to approve any extension of a State of Emergency longer than 30 days.