RARE Newsletter – Winter 2026 (Roosevelt Alumni for Racial Equity)
Dulce Finds Belonging through RARE's Connections and Creates it for Others
When you meet Dulce Vasquez, a senior at Garfield High School, the first thing you notice is their calm presence. They aren’t the loudest person in the room or the first to jump into the spotlight—but they’re the person others turn to when they need support, someone to talk to, or just a steady voice they can trust.
Thank You For Your Financial Support!
What a generous community RARE has. The recent Year End Appeal brought together more than 100 supporters who believe in racial equity, student leadership, and meaningful connections across our schools.
Fun Helps; Peer Support Matters More Says Connections Surveys
Over the 2024-2025 school year and into summer 2025, the Connections program collected 362 student exit-ticket surveys after meetups and activities. The data says that activities and meetups do different jobs, and the strongest belonging outcomes come from designing both around peer support.
Connections Featured at Open Discussion – a Recap
Three Connections students, their leader, Amber, a number of former students of Seattle’s Voluntary Racial Transfer Program, as well as others involved in RARE, met for a lively online Open Discussion. One element of common ground: many had stepped out of their comfort zones to do the honorable work of meeting, interacting, and working with others of different backgrounds and experiences.
Remembering Professor Quintard Taylor, 1948-2025
RARE honors recently deceased Quintard Taylor, professor emeritus of the University of Washington and a 2021 Open Discussion special guest. Best known for founding BlackPast.org, an online archive with more than 10,000 entries focusing on African American history, he was also recognized as the preeminent scholar of African Americans in the American West.