Oh, What a Night! RARE’s 5th Anniversary Celebration

Cece Chan / October 12, 2025

In a beautifully decorated and purposeful venue filled to capacity, supporters joyously gathered for RARE’s 5^th Anniversary Celebration at the Northwest African American Museum.

The evening brought together RARE’s past and current Board and committee members, students, educators, alumni, and community partners whose voices, leadership, and creativity have made RARE what it is today.

“…. it was wonderful to be together in person after all the years of meeting on Zoom.” – Allan Bergano, RARE Board member

The festive event, filled with long awaited in-person greetings, featured NAAM exhibit tours, dinner, an ice-breaker bingo with prizes, a smooth, savvy DJ, and a short program MC’d by RARE Board member Jessamyn Reichmann and Film Outreach Coordinator Cece Chan.

“The program was particularly great: a combination of focus on mission and values, communicating what we do, recognizing our partners, and doing all that in an entertaining and non-stuffy way.” – Bruce Williams, RARE Board member

Williams also complimented the spotlight on youth at the event.

Recipients of RARE’s annual James A. Davis Jr. Scholarship awards were well represented. Read JAD recipients Aurora’s and Yuena’s reflections

Other youth in attendance:

Connections Crew members – In collaboration with Urban League Metro Seattle, RARE’s Connections Program supports Garfield and Roosevelt High Schools in building more inclusive and connected school communities. A newly released Connections video made its debut during the program.

Washington State NAACP Youth Council members from several Seattle area high schools – The NAACP-YC students regularly collaborate with RARE as panelists for discussions following documentary film screenings and other racial equity advocacy events.

RHS alums Allan Bergano, Tony Allison and Joe Hunter, Jr., all founding Board members, shared heartfelt, yet concise, accolades about the first five years of RARE.

All noted the impact of committed volunteers and donors actuating RARE’s success. Hunter, RARE’s Chair, emphasized that relationships are the backbone of the organization.

Keynote speaker Leah Scott, a 2021 Roosevelt grad and inaugural RARE scholarship recipient, spoke about her journey of growth, resilience, and community. Her inspirational message highlighted the importance of mentorship and the continued work toward educational equity and belonging.

Attendees, several who traveled from out of state, arrived with the hope of learning about and celebrating the accomplishments of RARE’s initial five years. They were not disappointed as there is much to praise! (JAD Scholarship, Connections, Documentary, Open Discussions, advocacy, collaborations with community partners and more!)

Speakers also noted the work still to be done, encouraging support of RARE’s continued journey toward racial equity in the coming years.

We are excited for the next five years of RARE’s story and impact!

A hearty thank you to RARE’s 5^th Anniversary planning committee who worked diligently to bring this celebration to life: Steve Fisher, Dr. Bea Butler, Allynn Ruth, Michelle Fields, Cece Chan, Jessamyn Reichmann, Pris Kloess, Joe Hunter Jr., Not in photo: Alex Wheeler