The Langston Hughes Theatre is a Seattle staple and cultural hub that I believe I can confidently say is known by practically every Black person who lives in Seattle. It’s home to all kinds of programming to uplift and support Black creatives and thinkers, and as August came to a close, I had the opportunity to attend the second annual Seattle Black Nerd Festival and show support to a community that has, and will always be, a mainstay in the Seattle cultural tapestry: my fellow Black nerds. 

As I arrived at the corner of 18th and Yesler I heard music billowing from Pratt Park’s covered basketball courts, while a Roronoa Zoro from One Piece cosplayer walked by in front of me, so I decided to head in that direction. Live music and the market fair invited me into the festival, but it was the friends I ran into at the gaming room once I finally got to the theatre that made me stop to take it in. People of all ages were playing card and video games, most dressed as their favorite anime/animated characters; it made it hard not to continue smiling throughout the afternoon.

As yappers do, I realized I was late to the lecture I was hoping to catch — and ran to the auditorium (I spent a lot of my childhood being late to my seat there, so it was muscle memory at this point) and settled in for an hour or so with moderator Jas L. Moultrie’s discussion with writer, educator, and comic creator Tony Weaver, Jr. 

Jas and Tony's discussion wove in and out of topics like education, mental health support for children, and anime references that I caught about 65 percent of the time. But there was a specific comment Tony made that I couldn’t shake well after the lecture. 

“I’m incensed by the idea that an 11-year old is looking into the mirror and not liking what they're seeing.”

All the work and preparation to make an event like this happen boiled down to that point: To see each other is to make seeing ourselves easier. A sense of validation flooded the room, as people audibly responded to themselves and directly to him. Creating “space” for each other is a term that has been reiterated time and time again, but it’s these moments that move through a crowd that make you appreciate just how important it really is. 

Below are some great photos from photographer Mohamed Gabriel, and please don’t forget to join the theatre’s mailing list to keep tabs on their next fest, the Seattle Black Film Festival.