Black History Today: Tracie Holiday-Robinson, continually filling her community with love and light

Black History Today, created by Marcus Harden in honor of Black History Month, pays tribute to the living legacy of Black history in our community and beyond and recognizes the people shaping the future.
Presented in collaboration with the South Seattle Emerald.

“As Black women, we’re always given these seemingly devastating experiences — experiences that could absolutely break us. But what the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls the butterfly. What we do as Black women is take the worst situations and create from that point.”

— Viola Davis

By Marcus Harden

We all know and love those people in our lives who’s sheer presence transforms whatever space we’re in. You can enter a place and know immediately that they are there, and when they walk into a room, they change its chemistry for the greater good. These people typically embody a zeal and appetite for life that informs, illuminates and inspires.

Tracie Holiday-Robinson is “those people,” as the kids would say nowadays, and so much more. Words fall short of her impact; the verbs, nouns and adjectives used to describe her here could never truly capture the experience that is her presence.

Tracie Holiday-Robinson to many is a local legend. A fixture in the Central District of Seattle, she proudly represents being an alumnus of Garfield High School and later the University of Washington. Her roots in the Pacific Northwest community are deep.

She has lived a life of humble service through her various roles within education and social services. Her job titles have been numerous — Family Support Worker, Assistant Principal, Intervention Services Manager — yet all of them fall short of the name, “Ms. Tracie,” that has come to mean so much to so many. Her contributions to and for families is legendary. In her time at Madrona K-8, she was a mother/auntie/sister/friend to all, walking alongside students and communities to make sure all of their needs were met. From early in the morning until late in the evening, Ms. Tracie was there.

What makes her gift most beautiful is that she does it all with a smile. With never a negative word or emotion or moment, she exudes a positivity and authentic enthusiasm for not just her life, but for everyone else’s life, and it inspires you to do more, yes, but more importantly to be more than you had thought possible. The joy Ms. Tracie takes in this work, in this life, fills the world with light. The only time that joy has been matched — or dare I say surpassed — is when it comes to the joy Ms. Tracie has experienced in being a wife, a proud mother, a daughter and maybe an even prouder grandmother to her family.

Tracie Holiday-Robinson is the infectious personality and presence we all deserve and need. She’s the cure for any ailment, she makes spaces better, she makes community stronger and she truly makes a difference by simply just being herself. For these reasons and so many more, Ms. Tracie is Black History Today!