Somali Cultural Center: Nurturing Somali Arts in Seattle

The inaugural event promises a vibrant future for Seattle's Somali arts.

by Nura Ahmed

On a cold rainy Saturday last month, I drove to Angle Lake station for the Somali Cultural Center's first event, "A Day of Celebration, Art and Cultural Exchange," on April 27 held at The Roadhouse, a space located in the station and facilitated by Sound Transit. I settled in before the event started, as families and people of all ages took their seats and greeted one another.

Soon enough, hosts and organizers of the Somali Cultural Center (SCC) Ubah Gardheere and Bilal Salad stepped onto the stage, and the event began.

"The inauguration of the Somali Cultural Center is a landmark event, deeply enriched by the community's enthusiasm and support," Gardheere explained. Bright green and red lighting shone on her and her co-host.

Somali Cultural Center, one of its kind in the PNW, works to uplift Somali artists and culture workers who reside in Seattle and worldwide. It also serves to create avenues for the cultivation and accessibility of the Somali arts of many generations.

Unlike other Somali-populated cities such as Minneapolis, art organizations that primarily work to cultivate Somali arts and empower Somali artists in every medium didn't previously exist in the Seattle area. Somali Cultural Center plans to change that and become a catalyst for Seattle to contribute to the national Somali American art scene.

"My goal is to bridge the divide between the generation of younger and older members of the community so we are able to make Somali art accessible for all," said Abdirahman Yussuf, cofounder of SCC.

As it is customary in Somali culture that our elders bless our efforts, Gardheere and Salad invited an elder to come up on stage to bless the space. Then began a spoken word performance where a young girl shared thoughts on what her motherland means to her.

Next was a panel discussion featuring two well-known Somali artists — Hanad Abdi, a Somali actor who starred in the Apple TV show Little America, and Boyah Farah, the bestselling author of the book America Made Me a Black Man.

Little America is a docuseries on Apple TV that showcases the diversity of American cities, and the episode that Abdi was in showcased the diversity of Somali American communities, specifically the community that resides in Minneapolis. Abdi played the role of a Somali chef working to normalize Somali cuisine at the Minnesota State Fair, which is a dream of his. He plans to unveil a fusion dish that combines both American and Somali cuisine, called camel burgers. The character navigates the complexities of getting all the ingredients he needs in time for the state fair, doubting he can make his dream come true and wondering if he can handle the weight of what all of this means for his community.

America Made Me a Black Man is a memoir written by Farah about the complexities of handling two racialized identities — Farah's Blackness and his immigrant status. The book describes the outright racism he experienced as a Black man in America, especially after surviving hardships in Somalia only to face even worse oppression here.

Salad and Gardheere led the panel by asking questions of the guest speakers about their creative practices and journeys. The questions inspired thoughtful answers reflecting their experiences. One of the questions Salad and Ghardeere asked was, "What inspired you to be an artist, and how did your background help you get to where you are now?"

"Growing up in [Seattle], I hadn't heard of anyone trying to make it big on TV," Abdi said. "I did my fair share of research, and I just knew that to the best of my ability that it would be something that I would be good at. I auditioned for the role in Little America and went through the necessary hoops. Eventually, I became one of the top people they wanted from Seattle."

The mic was then passed to Farah for his answer

"If you make me upset, I'm going to write about you. A lot of people have their vices. For me, my vice has always been my pen. So when America made me upset, I wrote about it. That feeling motivated me so much that I wrote this book in 28 days. My writing for me is a way to show how we can be and do better, not just for me, but for all of us."

Salad and Gardheere continued asking the panelists questions about their creative practice, the journey of how they got to where they are now, and how their art intersects with activism as well as how being one of the first Somali Americans in their respective fields has both challenged and inspired them. The amount of Somali American representation in literature and TV is relatively small, something that motivates both Abdi and Farah to cultivate and excel in their craft.

The event concluded with a shared community meal. A mixture of aromas filled the air as attendees sat down to enjoy their meals amid sweet and tangy smells of Somali rice with goat meat and chicken, appetizers, and sides such as sambusas and salad.

As I mingled, I talked to one person who said, "I grew up with Boyah Farah. He was one of my childhood friends from Somalia. When he mentioned he was coming to Seattle, I had to be here."

"My friend Guleed posted about the event on social media and I was like you know what, I should be here too," another attendee explained.

"We are thrilled to launch the Somali Cultural Center, a place that promises a vibrant future for Somali arts and culture. As we look ahead, we're filled with hope and excitement about the endless possibilities for community engagement, cultural celebration, and the empowerment of voices that have so much to share," Yussuf said in closing.

"This event was beautiful. I am inspired," Salad said.

You can follow Somali Cultural Center on Instagram to stay up-to-date on future pop-up events, including a tentatively scheduled open mic night planned for June.

📸 Featured Image: Bilal Salad, one of the organizers of the Somali Cultural Center's inaugural event. (Photo: Nura Ahmed)