PRESS ROOM

The Seattle Times launches Under Our Skin video project to foster deeper conversations about race and racism

For Immediate Release — Jun. 17, 2016
Lindsay Taylor, Consumer Marketing Manager

SEATTLE, Wash. — Terms like “racism,” “white privilege” and “politically correct” are often used — and interpreted — in very different ways.  The Seattle Times interviewed 18 people from Western Washington about what these and other phrases mean to them, and is featuring their responses in a video project titled “Under Our Skin: What do we mean when we talk about race?”

On Monday, June 20, The Seattle Times will launch Under Our Skin as part of an effort to deepen public discussion and understanding of race, a subject that has dominated headlines recently in coverage about police shootings, campus protests and the presidential race. The project includes 12 videos that focus on a single word or phrase, with interviewees explaining what those terms mean to them.

“We hope Under Our Skin will inspire more open, thoughtful public conversation about race and the related issues that we often find difficult to talk about,” Managing Editor Jim Simon said.

The Seattle Times invites viewers to share reactions to the project by submitting responses to each video, writing guest essays and/or suggesting ideas for future coverage. The Under Our Skin team will also host a moderated Reddit discussion about the project on Thursday, June 23, at 1 p.m.

Discussions about race, inclusiveness and sensitivity clearly aren’t new.  But we hope the personal reflections and stories from the interviewees — who represent a mix of backgrounds and perspectives — will inspire all of us to think and talk about these issues in a deeper way.

The Under Our Skin team at The Times included more than 13 staff members, including videographers, developers, editors, reporters, photographers and designers.

Get an exclusive sneak peek at the project by watching the introductory video here now. On Monday, this page will be updated to include all the project videos, including short biography videos of all the interviewees.

You can always find award-winning coverage from our news team by visiting seattletimes.com and following us on Facebook and Twitter. For more information on Under Our Skin, email underourskin@seattletimes.com.

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