Today is Labor Day, and we're taking a moment to look back at the struggles and victories of working people who organized for change this past year.

Part I of this series focused on the historical aspect of how women of color are silenced. Hearing the voices of women of color means having them participate in all aspects of society, valuing their contributions. In this final part of our two-part series, we explore modern day silencing of women of color in American society and suggest ways to bring their voices forward into the conversation.

A local advocacy group is working to overcome the barriers to voting faced by people experiencing homelessness. New laws passed in Olympia after pressure from advocates are also making it easier to become a voter in Washington State.

Every year kids from all over the world celebrate their birthday. Family Village Issaquah (FVI) works to make birthdays special with the birthday bags program. This program is special to FVI because of the dedication of two volunteers. We would like to highlight these volunteers, Abby and Susan, for their amazing work with YWCA.

This week we shine a light on recent books by women of color.

The King County Lodging Tax has raised $180 million this past year, and that money should go to urgently-needed affordable housing, rather than stadium maintenance. Our communities need relief from sky-high home prices and rising rents.