Tacoma siblings produce YouTube channel that aims to change views of Black history
Aaron Pratt learned about slavery when he was in grade school and beat a schoolmate in a race to the playground tire swing.
“I was on the tire swing, doing my thing, getting dizzy, and he’s like, ‘Well, that’s OK because your people were my slaves,’” Pratt said. “That’s how I learned about slavery.”
Pratt, a 27-year-old Black man, spoke to his mom about the brief exchange at the playground. Although he does not remember his entire conversation with her, he said he remembers feeling shameful in the end.
“If I would have just been taught (slavery) in a different way, I wouldn’t have felt how I felt for so many years,” Pratt said.
Pratt is one of the co-founders of BLK WINS, a YouTube channel that teaches Black history through a different lens. People are often taught the tragedies Black people face rather than their triumphs, Pratt said. BLK WINS wants to change that.
BLK WINS’ upcoming episode, which will showcase Black history in Tacoma, will be shown alongside the Kinsey African American Art and History Collection at the Tacoma Art Museum starting July 31.
“We want to show the other side of history,” Pratt said. “We’re here to change the narrative and to present that new narrative to young people so that we have some sort of historical foundation that we can be proud of.”
Jazmyn Pratt, 30, is Aaron’s sister and co-founder of BLK WINS. She said she knew Black history was present in Tacoma but did not know much about it. BLK WINS’ episode will showcase some of the “game changers” who are around to this day, like Metro Parks board commissioner Aaron Pointer.
“Just to know how rich of a Black history this city has and to know the Tacoma Hilltop was kind of the base (for) a lot of history here — that was something I was really pleasantly surprised to find out,” Jazmyn Pratt said.
The concept of BLK WINS emerged last summer when protests and demonstrations occurred due to the death of George Floyd, Aaron Pratt said. The Pratt siblings and two acquaintances teamed up to form the YouTube channel.
“We just wanted to do more,” Aaron Pratt said. “I don’t want to invalidate going to protest because it’s 100 percent necessary and just showing up is 100 percent necessary, but we … just wanted to do more.”
BLK WINS’ first official episode, which has about 3,600 views, showcased Tulsa’s Black Wall Street. Jazmyn Pratt said learning more about Black Wall Street made her acknowledge not only the sadness and terror but also the strength and resilience the community had during that time.
The Black Wall Street episode consists of voice overs, in-person and virtual interviews, as well as illustrations and historical images of people and places. The episode is close to 16 minutes long — Aaron Pratt said they hope to produce episodes shorter than 15 minutes in the future.
Over time, BLK WINS gained financial support from local organizations and members of the community, including Alma Mater Tacoma, a community-based organization in downtown.
Lisa Fruichantie is the executive director of Alma Mater Tacoma. Fruichantie, who grew up as an Indigenous woman, said she understands why representation matters.
“As a mom and as an auntie of a little Black boy, I want them to see themselves represented not just based on the historical trauma but really see them being uplifted,” Fruichantie said.
Within the next couple of years, Jazmyn Pratt said she hopes BLK WINS will reach a point where it is nationally recognized. She hopes their work would continue to reach people who want to learn about Black history.
“I really want people to take us seriously and know that this is something that is from our heart,” Jazmyn Pratt said. “I might not be able to see the world that I want to change, but I want to be able to make my mark.”
The Pratt siblings are both born and raised in Tacoma. Jazmyn Pratt graduated from University of Washington Tacoma in 2012. Aaron Pratt graduated from Tacoma Community College in 2016.
