African American Heritage Guide

WHAT’S INSIDE:
Flo Ware Park,
photo by Holly Taylor
African American Cultural Guide, Second Edition, 2011.
Powell Barnett Park at 352 Martin Luther
King Jr. Way commemorates a pioneering coal
miner and community leader.
MUSEUMS, NEIGHBORHOODS, HERITAGE
SITES, SPECIAL EVENTS AND MORE...
www.visitseattle.org/heritage
For information about public transit serving sites in this guide, please
call 206.553.3000 or visit tripplanner.kingcounty.gov.
In Seattle, stop by the Seattle Visitor Center at the Washington State
Convention Center, on Pike Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, for
a full range of information to enhance your visit.
Visit Seattle Cultural Guides online at visitseattle.org/heritage for updates
and printable guides, as well as additional information on featured
cultural sites. This web site also offers a comprehensive searchable
calendar of cultural events including museums, performances and
festivals.
SEATTLE
CULTURAL GUIDES
The Cultural Guides series was created by the Cultural Tourism Program
of Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, with funding from 4Culture
(King County Lodging Tax) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
The places, events and stories featured in the Cultural Guides are
preserved and shared by dozens of community organizations and small
businesses. Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau thanks them
for their work, and extends a special thanks to the many community
volunteers who reviewed and contributed to this project.
Seattle is proud of its diverse ethnic and cultural heritage, and its
communities continue to value traditions of language, music and
dance, food, arts and crafts, and celebrations that mark seasonal cycles
and commemorate special events. Visitors are invited to experience
these traditions and participate in these events and, in doing so, to see
more of Seattle’s rich cultural dimensions.
Seattle Cultural Guides are a resource for visitors who want to
explore the city’s rich cultural heritage. The guides feature museums
and historic sites, public art works, and attractions that offer an
insider’s view of Seattle’s ethnic communities and unique history.
ABOUT THE CULTURAL GUIDE SERIES
AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE
African American heritage in Washington goes back to the
territorial era, with the arrival of Black pioneers who settled in
both rural and urban areas. In 1845, George W. and Isabella
James Bush and their five sons left Missouri and settled in
south Puget Sound in an area now known as Bush Prairie.
Seattle’s earliest African American resident was Manuel Lopes,
who came originally from Cape Verde and worked in the
Atlantic whaling trade before arriving in Seattle in 1852, where
he worked as a restaurateur and barber. Entrepreneur William
Grose came to Seattle in 1861, establishing a hotel near the
waterfront and later buying a large ranch property above the
Madison Valley east of downtown.
In the 1880s and 1890s, African Americans from the South were
recruited to work in the coal mines of the Pacific Northwest,
in towns such as Roslyn, Newcastle and Franklin. Although
discrimination limited employment for Blacks in many industries
and professions, the region offered opportunities for land
ownership and economic improvement.
www.seattle.gov/parks
Sam Smith Park at 1400 Martin Luther King
Jr. Way S honors the first African American
elected to the Seattle City Council.
Front cover images (clockwise from top left): Pastor Patrinell Wright in Black Nativity,
photo by Chris Bennion courtesy of Intiman Theatre; August Wilson Way, photo by Holly
Taylor; detail from Silhouettes of My People by Patricia Batiste-Brown, courtesy of the
Northwest African American Museum; Jimi Hendrix Memorial, photo David Newman;
Northwest African American Museum, gallery photo by Jack Storms; Young musicians at
the Juneteenth Parade, photo by Jack Storms.
Background image: © Linda Beaumont and Douglas Cooper, King County Courthouse
Rotunda 2005, photo by Spike Mafford, courtesy of Public Art 4Culture
Flo Ware Park at 28th Avenue S and S Jackson
Street is named for a Central Area activist
dedicated to social change.
Content: Past Forward Northwest Cultural Services
Design & Production: Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau
Homer Harris Park at 2401 E Howell Street is
named for a renowned athlete and physician.
Several city parks are named for prominent
African Americans:
In 1961, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his only visit to Seattle,
speaking to an overflow crowd at the national headquarters of the
Fraternal Order of Eagles. The restored building is now home to
A Contemporary Theatre. A bronze bust of Dr. King by sculptor Jeff
Day commemorates King’s visit and is displayed in the Allen Theatre.
www.acttheatre.org
Thelma Dewitty,
photo by Josef Scaylea / Seattle Times
The Thelma Dewitty Theater at the
Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in
West Seattle’s Delridge neighborhood
is named for the first African
American teacher in the Seattle School
District, who began teaching in 1947.
www.youngstownarts.org
The Negro Repertory Company was established in the 1930s as the
African American unit of Seattle’s Federal Theatre Project, and was
based at the Playhouse Theatre in the University District.
Fraternal organizations including the Prince Hall Masons, the Colored
Knights of Pythias and the Black Elks Club have a long history in
the Central Area. The Phyllis Wheatley Branch of the YWCA was
established in 1919 to provide social, educational and employment
support for women, and the Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA
has served the community since 1936.
The Seattle Branch of the National Fede
ral Th
Association for the Advancement of the Black Heeatre Project, pho
to
ritage S
ociety o courtesy of
Colored People (NAACP) was founded
f Wash
ington
in 1913, and is one of the oldest chapters west of
the Mississippi.
Early African American settlers in the Pacific
Northwest included a group of former slaves
who had purchased their freedom in the
1850s and settled on Salt Spring Island in
British Columbia, and George and Mary
Jane Washington who founded the town of
Centerville, WA (now Centralia) in 1875.
SPECIAL EVENTS & FESTIVALS
Martin Luther King Day
Third Monday in January, Multiple venues
Seattle has one of the largest annual celebrations in the nation, with
workshops, a rally and march. Events honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., for his work toward racial equality and toward economic justice
for all people, for his commitment to nonviolence, and for his stand
against war and militarism. www.mlkseattle.org
Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas
January-May, September-December, Multiple venues
A variety of Black humanities programs on local issues and performing arts
by national artists are offered seasonally. CD Forum also produces “Food
As Art”, an annual gala showcasing Seattle’s top African American chefs
and restaurateurs. www.cdforum.org
Black History Month Events
February, Multiple venues
Numerous events celebrate Black History
Month, including art exhibits, dance
performances, and historical displays.
www.seattle.gov/blackhistory
Two distinct
African American
neighborhoods
developed in Seattle,
in the East Madison
area and the Yesler–
Jackson area, and
these eventually grew
Sunday Picnic, Seattle, ca. 1917.
Courtesy of the Black Heritage Society of Washington State
together to form the
Central District or Central Area, as it is known today. Churches,
fraternal organizations and social clubs established in the late
19th and early 20th centuries continue to serve the community.
Langston Hughes
African American Film Festival
April, Langston Hughes
Performing Arts Center
104 – 17th Avenue S This annual event
showcases films from
independent Black
filmmakers and
works about the
African American
experience.
The festival also
features panel
discussions,
screenplay readings,
and screenings for
youth. The festival committee
presents other programming
during the year.
www.langstonblackfilmfest.org
World War II brought a tremendous increase in the Pacific
Northwest’s African American population, as workers seeking
well-paying jobs in the shipyards and other defense industries
migrated to the region. Seattle’s jazz music scene flourished.
Yesler Terrace became the first racially integrated public housing
in the nation in 1940, and the following decades brought many
“firsts” for Black workers in industry, nursing, teaching and
other fields.
Spirit of West Africa
May, Seattle Center A recent addition to the Festal
roster, this annual festival
celebrates the culture of West
Africa through live music, dance,
art, film, exhibits, fashion show,
family activities and
a marketplace.
www.thionediop.com
In 1967, Sam Smith became the first
African American to serve on the
Seattle City Council, and in 1968 an
open housing ordinance was finally
approved. In recent years, immigrants
from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan
and several West African nations have
established vibrant neighborhoods
on First Hill and in Southeast Seattle,
Sam Smith, Courtesy of MOHAI
Image #1986.5.53800.1
enriching existing communities and
adding new cultural traditions to Seattle’s ethnic heritage.
Sundiata African
American Festival
at Seattle Center.
Jack Storms Photo
Juneteenth Freedom Festival & Parade
June, Edwin T. Pratt Park, 1800 S Main Street
This annual festival commemorates the 1863
Emancipation Proclamation, marking the end of
slavery in America. Enforcement of the proclamation
freed Texas slaves on June 19, 1865, and the date
was celebrated as Juneteenth or Freedom Day.
Seattle’s contemporary festival features a parade,
speakers, poetry readings, food and entertainment.
www.scacc2108.org
Sundiata African American Festival
Juneteenth celebration,
Jack Storms Photo
June, Seattle Center
Part of the annual Festal cultural celebration at Seattle Center, Festival
Sundiata features African and African American cultural traditions including
drumming and dance, all kinds of music, visual art, children’s activities and
a marketplace for imports and crafts. www.festivalsundiata.org
Umoja Family Fest African Heritage Festival & Parade
August, Judkins Park, 2150 S Norman Street
Seattle’s annual African American Seafair celebration entertains and
empowers with a parade, live music, cultural performances, family
activities, basketball tournament, car show and vendors.
www.umojafamilyfest.com
Central Area Community Festival
August, Garfield Community Center, 2323 E Cherry Street
A celebration of the cultural diversity of the community, the festival
features art and cultural exhibits, games, rides, crafts, merchandise, food
and entertainment. www.cacf.com
Earshot Jazz Festival
October and November, Multiple venues
Seattle’s major annual jazz event brings international
jazz giants to town each fall, and presents Seattle’s
finest musicians in a festival setting. Schedule
includes performances, workshops, films, exhibitions
and educational programs. www.earshot.org
Black Nativity
December, Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Avenue
This holiday tradition tells the story of the Nativity,
as written by Harlem Renaissance poet Langston
Hughes. The production features Pastor Patrinell
Wright and her choir of gospel singers, modern and
traditional choreography performed by an ensemble of
dancers, and a live band. www.stgpresents.org
James Carter at Earshot
Jazz Festival. Photo by
The Hansberry Project at ACT Theatre
Year-round, 700 Union Street
Daniel Sheehan
In partnership with ACT Theatre, the Hansberry Project
is a professional Black theatre company dedicated to the
artistic exploration of African American life, history and
culture. www.hansberryproject.org
A scene from Mojo and
the Sayso by Aishah
Rahman, presented as a
piece of the Hansberry
Project at ACT Theatre.
Photo by Chris Bennion
www.seattle.gov/parks
Flo Ware Park,
photo by Holly Taylor
African American Cultural Guide, Second Edition, 2011.
Front cover images (clockwise from top left): Pastor Patrinell Wright in Black Nativity,
photo by Chris Bennion courtesy of Intiman Theatre; August Wilson Way, photo by Holly
Taylor; detail from Silhouettes of My People by Patricia Batiste-Brown, courtesy of the
Northwest African American Museum; Jimi Hendrix Memorial, photo David Newman;
Northwest African American Museum, gallery photo by Jack Storms; Young musicians at
the Juneteenth Parade, photo by Jack Storms.
Background image: © Linda Beaumont and Douglas Cooper, King County Courthouse
Rotunda 2005, photo by Spike Mafford, courtesy of Public Art 4Culture
Powell Barnett Park at 352 Martin Luther
King Jr. Way commemorates a pioneering coal
miner and community leader.
Flo Ware Park at 28th Avenue S and S Jackson
Street is named for a Central Area activist
dedicated to social change.
Content: Past Forward Northwest Cultural Services
Design & Production: Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau
Homer Harris Park at 2401 E Howell Street is
named for a renowned athlete and physician.
Several city parks are named for prominent
African Americans:
In 1961, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his only visit to Seattle,
speaking to an overflow crowd at the national headquarters of the
Fraternal Order of Eagles. The restored building is now home to
A Contemporary Theatre. A bronze bust of Dr. King by sculptor Jeff
Day commemorates King’s visit and is displayed in the Allen Theatre.
www.acttheatre.org
The Thelma Dewitty Theater at the
Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in
West Seattle’s Delridge neighborhood
is named for the first African
American teacher in the Seattle School
District, who began teaching in 1947.
www.youngstownarts.org
The Negro Repertory Company was established in the 1930s as the
African American unit of Seattle’s Federal Theatre Project, and was
based at the Playhouse Theatre in the University District.
Fraternal organizations including the Prince Hall Masons, the Colored
Knights of Pythias and the Black Elks Club have a long history in
the Central Area. The Phyllis Wheatley Branch of the YWCA was
established in 1919 to provide social, educational and employment
support for women, and the Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA
has served the community since 1936.
The Seattle Branch of the National Fede
ral Th
Association for the Advancement of the Black eatre Project,
p
H
e
ri
ta
ge Soc hoto courtesy
iety of
Colored People (NAACP) was founded
Washin of
gton
in 1913, and is one of the oldest chapters west of
the Mississippi.
Early African American settlers in the Pacific
Northwest included a group of former slaves
who had purchased their freedom in the
1850s and settled on Salt Spring Island in
British Columbia, and George and Mary
Jane Washington who founded the town of
Centerville, WA (now Centralia) in 1875.
www.visitseattle.org/heritage
For information about public transit serving sites in this guide, please
call 206.553.3000 or visit tripplanner.kingcounty.gov.
In Seattle, stop by the Seattle Visitor Center at the Washington State
Convention Center, on Pike Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, for
a full range of information to enhance your visit.
Visit Seattle Cultural Guides online at visitseattle.org/heritage for updates
and printable guides, as well as additional information on featured
cultural sites. This web site also offers a comprehensive searchable
calendar of cultural events including museums, performances and
festivals.
CULTURAL GUIDES
SEATTLE
The Cultural Guides series was created by the Cultural Tourism Program
of Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, with funding from 4Culture
(King County Lodging Tax) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
The places, events and stories featured in the Cultural Guides are
preserved and shared by dozens of community organizations and small
businesses. Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau thanks them
for their work, and extends a special thanks to the many community
volunteers who reviewed and contributed to this project.
Seattle is proud of its diverse ethnic and cultural heritage, and its
communities continue to value traditions of language, music and
dance, food, arts and crafts, and celebrations that mark seasonal cycles
and commemorate special events. Visitors are invited to experience
these traditions and participate in these events and, in doing so, to see
more of Seattle’s rich cultural dimensions.
Seattle Cultural Guides are a resource for visitors who want to
explore the city’s rich cultural heritage. The guides feature museums
and historic sites, public art works, and attractions that offer an
insider’s view of Seattle’s ethnic communities and unique history.
ABOUT THE CULTURAL GUIDE SERIES
AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE
In the 1880s and 1890s, African Americans from the South were
recruited to work in the coal mines of the Pacific Northwest,
in towns such as Roslyn, Newcastle and Franklin. Although
discrimination limited employment for Blacks in many industries
and professions, the region offered opportunities for land
ownership and economic improvement.
Two distinct
African American
neighborhoods
developed in Seattle,
in the East Madison
area and the Yesler–
Jackson area, and
these eventually grew
Sunday Picnic, Seattle, ca. 1917.
Courtesy of the Black Heritage Society of Washington State
together to form the
Central District or Central Area, as it is known today. Churches,
fraternal organizations and social clubs established in the late
19th and early 20th centuries continue to serve the community.
World War II brought a tremendous increase in the Pacific
Northwest’s African American population, as workers seeking
well-paying jobs in the shipyards and other defense industries
migrated to the region. Seattle’s jazz music scene flourished.
Yesler Terrace became the first racially integrated public housing
in the nation in 1940, and the following decades brought many
“firsts” for Black workers in industry, nursing, teaching and
other fields.
In 1967, Sam Smith became the first
African American to serve on the
Seattle City Council, and in 1968 an
open housing ordinance was finally
approved. In recent years, immigrants
from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan
and several West African nations have
established vibrant neighborhoods
on First Hill and in Southeast Seattle,
Sam Smith, Courtesy of MOHAI
Image #1986.5.53800.1
enriching existing communities and
adding new cultural traditions to Seattle’s ethnic heritage.
Thelma Dewitty,
photo by Josef Scaylea / Seattle Times
MUSEUMS, NEIGHBORHOODS, HERITAGE
SITES, SPECIAL EVENTS AND MORE...
Seattle’s earliest African American resident was Manuel Lopes,
who came originally from Cape Verde and worked in the
Atlantic whaling trade before arriving in Seattle in 1852, where
he worked as a restaurateur and barber. Entrepreneur William
Grose came to Seattle in 1861, establishing a hotel near the
waterfront and later buying a large ranch property above the
Madison Valley east of downtown.
Sam Smith Park at 1400 Martin Luther King
Jr. Way S honors the first African American
elected to the Seattle City Council.
WHAT’S INSIDE:
African American heritage in Washington goes back to the
territorial era, with the arrival of Black pioneers who settled in
both rural and urban areas. In 1845, George W. and Isabella
James Bush and their five sons left Missouri and settled in
south Puget Sound in an area now known as Bush Prairie.
SPECIAL EVENTS & FESTIVALS
Martin Luther King Day
Third Monday in January, Multiple venues
Seattle has one of the largest annual celebrations in the nation, with
workshops, a rally and march. Events honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., for his work toward racial equality and toward economic justice
for all people, for his commitment to nonviolence, and for his stand
against war and militarism. www.mlkseattle.org
Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas
January-May, September-December, Multiple venues
A variety of Black humanities programs on local issues and performing arts
by national artists are offered seasonally. CD Forum also produces “Food
As Art”, an annual gala showcasing Seattle’s top African American chefs
and restaurateurs. www.cdforum.org
Black History Month Events
February, Multiple venues
Numerous events celebrate Black History
Month, including art exhibits, dance
performances, and historical displays.
www.seattle.gov/blackhistory
Langston Hughes
African American Film Festival
April, Langston Hughes
Performing Arts Center
104 – 17th Avenue S This annual event
showcases films from
independent Black
filmmakers and
works about the
African American
experience.
The festival also
features panel
discussions,
screenplay readings,
and screenings for
youth. The festival committee
presents other programming
during the year.
www.langstonblackfilmfest.org
Spirit of West Africa
May, Seattle Center A recent addition to the Festal
roster, this annual festival
celebrates the culture of West
Africa through live music, dance,
art, film, exhibits, fashion show,
family activities and
a marketplace.
www.thionediop.com
Sundiata African
American Festival
at Seattle Center.
Jack Storms Photo
A scene from Mojo and
the Sayso by Aishah
Rahman, presented as a
piece of the Hansberry
Project at ACT Theatre.
Photo by Chris Bennion
Juneteenth Freedom Festival & Parade
June, Edwin T. Pratt Park, 1800 S Main Street
This annual festival commemorates the 1863
Emancipation Proclamation, marking the end of
slavery in America. Enforcement of the proclamation
freed Texas slaves on June 19, 1865, and the date
was celebrated as Juneteenth or Freedom Day.
Seattle’s contemporary festival features a parade,
speakers, poetry readings, food and entertainment.
www.scacc2108.org
Sundiata African American Festival
Juneteenth celebration,
Jack Storms Photo
June, Seattle Center
Part of the annual Festal cultural celebration at Seattle Center, Festival
Sundiata features African and African American cultural traditions including
drumming and dance, all kinds of music, visual art, children’s activities and
a marketplace for imports and crafts. www.festivalsundiata.org
Umoja Family Fest African Heritage Festival & Parade
August, Judkins Park, 2150 S Norman Street
Seattle’s annual African American Seafair celebration entertains and
empowers with a parade, live music, cultural performances, family
activities, basketball tournament, car show and vendors.
www.umojafamilyfest.com
Central Area Community Festival
August, Garfield Community Center, 2323 E Cherry Street
A celebration of the cultural diversity of the community, the festival
features art and cultural exhibits, games, rides, crafts, merchandise, food
and entertainment. www.cacf.com
Earshot Jazz Festival
October and November, Multiple venues
Seattle’s major annual jazz event brings international
jazz giants to town each fall, and presents Seattle’s
finest musicians in a festival setting. Schedule
includes performances, workshops, films, exhibitions
and educational programs. www.earshot.org
Black Nativity
December, Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Avenue
This holiday tradition tells the story of the Nativity,
as written by Harlem Renaissance poet Langston
Hughes. The production features Pastor Patrinell
Wright and her choir of gospel singers, modern and
traditional choreography performed by an ensemble of
dancers, and a live band. www.stgpresents.org
The Hansberry Project at ACT Theatre
Year-round, 700 Union Street
In partnership with ACT Theatre, the Hansberry Project
is a professional Black theatre company dedicated to the
artistic exploration of African American life, history and
culture. www.hansberryproject.org
James Carter at Earshot
Jazz Festival. Photo by
Daniel Sheehan
WHAT’S INSIDE:
Flo Ware Park,
photo by Holly Taylor
African American Cultural Guide, Second Edition, 2011.
Powell Barnett Park at 352 Martin Luther
King Jr. Way commemorates a pioneering coal
miner and community leader.
MUSEUMS, NEIGHBORHOODS, HERITAGE
SITES, SPECIAL EVENTS AND MORE...
www.visitseattle.org/heritage
For information about public transit serving sites in this guide, please
call 206.553.3000 or visit tripplanner.kingcounty.gov.
In Seattle, stop by the Seattle Visitor Center at the Washington State
Convention Center, on Pike Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, for
a full range of information to enhance your visit.
Visit Seattle Cultural Guides online at visitseattle.org/heritage for updates
and printable guides, as well as additional information on featured
cultural sites. This web site also offers a comprehensive searchable
calendar of cultural events including museums, performances and
festivals.
SEATTLE
CULTURAL GUIDES
The Cultural Guides series was created by the Cultural Tourism Program
of Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, with funding from 4Culture
(King County Lodging Tax) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
The places, events and stories featured in the Cultural Guides are
preserved and shared by dozens of community organizations and small
businesses. Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau thanks them
for their work, and extends a special thanks to the many community
volunteers who reviewed and contributed to this project.
Seattle is proud of its diverse ethnic and cultural heritage, and its
communities continue to value traditions of language, music and
dance, food, arts and crafts, and celebrations that mark seasonal cycles
and commemorate special events. Visitors are invited to experience
these traditions and participate in these events and, in doing so, to see
more of Seattle’s rich cultural dimensions.
Seattle Cultural Guides are a resource for visitors who want to
explore the city’s rich cultural heritage. The guides feature museums
and historic sites, public art works, and attractions that offer an
insider’s view of Seattle’s ethnic communities and unique history.
ABOUT THE CULTURAL GUIDE SERIES
AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE
African American heritage in Washington goes back to the
territorial era, with the arrival of Black pioneers who settled in
both rural and urban areas. In 1845, George W. and Isabella
James Bush and their five sons left Missouri and settled in
south Puget Sound in an area now known as Bush Prairie.
Seattle’s earliest African American resident was Manuel Lopes,
who came originally from Cape Verde and worked in the
Atlantic whaling trade before arriving in Seattle in 1852, where
he worked as a restaurateur and barber. Entrepreneur William
Grose came to Seattle in 1861, establishing a hotel near the
waterfront and later buying a large ranch property above the
Madison Valley east of downtown.
In the 1880s and 1890s, African Americans from the South were
recruited to work in the coal mines of the Pacific Northwest,
in towns such as Roslyn, Newcastle and Franklin. Although
discrimination limited employment for Blacks in many industries
and professions, the region offered opportunities for land
ownership and economic improvement.
www.seattle.gov/parks
Sam Smith Park at 1400 Martin Luther King
Jr. Way S honors the first African American
elected to the Seattle City Council.
Front cover images (clockwise from top left): Pastor Patrinell Wright in Black Nativity,
photo by Chris Bennion courtesy of Intiman Theatre; August Wilson Way, photo by Holly
Taylor; detail from Silhouettes of My People by Patricia Batiste-Brown, courtesy of the
Northwest African American Museum; Jimi Hendrix Memorial, photo David Newman;
Northwest African American Museum, gallery photo by Jack Storms; Young musicians at
the Juneteenth Parade, photo by Jack Storms.
Background image: © Linda Beaumont and Douglas Cooper, King County Courthouse
Rotunda 2005, photo by Spike Mafford, courtesy of Public Art 4Culture
Flo Ware Park at 28th Avenue S and S Jackson
Street is named for a Central Area activist
dedicated to social change.
Content: Past Forward Northwest Cultural Services
Design & Production: Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau
Homer Harris Park at 2401 E Howell Street is
named for a renowned athlete and physician.
Several city parks are named for prominent
African Americans:
In 1961, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his only visit to Seattle,
speaking to an overflow crowd at the national headquarters of the
Fraternal Order of Eagles. The restored building is now home to
A Contemporary Theatre. A bronze bust of Dr. King by sculptor Jeff
Day commemorates King’s visit and is displayed in the Allen Theatre.
www.acttheatre.org
Thelma Dewitty,
photo by Josef Scaylea / Seattle Times
The Thelma Dewitty Theater at the
Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in
West Seattle’s Delridge neighborhood
is named for the first African
American teacher in the Seattle School
District, who began teaching in 1947.
www.youngstownarts.org
The Negro Repertory Company was established in the 1930s as the
African American unit of Seattle’s Federal Theatre Project, and was
based at the Playhouse Theatre in the University District.
Fraternal organizations including the Prince Hall Masons, the Colored
Knights of Pythias and the Black Elks Club have a long history in
the Central Area. The Phyllis Wheatley Branch of the YWCA was
established in 1919 to provide social, educational and employment
support for women, and the Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA
has served the community since 1936.
The Seattle Branch of the National Fede
ral Th
Association for the Advancement of the Black Heeatre Project, pho
to
ritage S
ociety o courtesy of
Colored People (NAACP) was founded
f Wash
ington
in 1913, and is one of the oldest chapters west of
the Mississippi.
Early African American settlers in the Pacific
Northwest included a group of former slaves
who had purchased their freedom in the
1850s and settled on Salt Spring Island in
British Columbia, and George and Mary
Jane Washington who founded the town of
Centerville, WA (now Centralia) in 1875.
SPECIAL EVENTS & FESTIVALS
Martin Luther King Day
Third Monday in January, Multiple venues
Seattle has one of the largest annual celebrations in the nation, with
workshops, a rally and march. Events honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., for his work toward racial equality and toward economic justice
for all people, for his commitment to nonviolence, and for his stand
against war and militarism. www.mlkseattle.org
Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas
January-May, September-December, Multiple venues
A variety of Black humanities programs on local issues and performing arts
by national artists are offered seasonally. CD Forum also produces “Food
As Art”, an annual gala showcasing Seattle’s top African American chefs
and restaurateurs. www.cdforum.org
Black History Month Events
February, Multiple venues
Numerous events celebrate Black History
Month, including art exhibits, dance
performances, and historical displays.
www.seattle.gov/blackhistory
Two distinct
African American
neighborhoods
developed in Seattle,
in the East Madison
area and the Yesler–
Jackson area, and
these eventually grew
Sunday Picnic, Seattle, ca. 1917.
Courtesy of the Black Heritage Society of Washington State
together to form the
Central District or Central Area, as it is known today. Churches,
fraternal organizations and social clubs established in the late
19th and early 20th centuries continue to serve the community.
Langston Hughes
African American Film Festival
April, Langston Hughes
Performing Arts Center
104 – 17th Avenue S This annual event
showcases films from
independent Black
filmmakers and
works about the
African American
experience.
The festival also
features panel
discussions,
screenplay readings,
and screenings for
youth. The festival committee
presents other programming
during the year.
www.langstonblackfilmfest.org
World War II brought a tremendous increase in the Pacific
Northwest’s African American population, as workers seeking
well-paying jobs in the shipyards and other defense industries
migrated to the region. Seattle’s jazz music scene flourished.
Yesler Terrace became the first racially integrated public housing
in the nation in 1940, and the following decades brought many
“firsts” for Black workers in industry, nursing, teaching and
other fields.
Spirit of West Africa
May, Seattle Center A recent addition to the Festal
roster, this annual festival
celebrates the culture of West
Africa through live music, dance,
art, film, exhibits, fashion show,
family activities and
a marketplace.
www.thionediop.com
In 1967, Sam Smith became the first
African American to serve on the
Seattle City Council, and in 1968 an
open housing ordinance was finally
approved. In recent years, immigrants
from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan
and several West African nations have
established vibrant neighborhoods
on First Hill and in Southeast Seattle,
Sam Smith, Courtesy of MOHAI
Image #1986.5.53800.1
enriching existing communities and
adding new cultural traditions to Seattle’s ethnic heritage.
Sundiata African
American Festival
at Seattle Center.
Jack Storms Photo
Juneteenth Freedom Festival & Parade
June, Edwin T. Pratt Park, 1800 S Main Street
This annual festival commemorates the 1863
Emancipation Proclamation, marking the end of
slavery in America. Enforcement of the proclamation
freed Texas slaves on June 19, 1865, and the date
was celebrated as Juneteenth or Freedom Day.
Seattle’s contemporary festival features a parade,
speakers, poetry readings, food and entertainment.
www.scacc2108.org
Sundiata African American Festival
Juneteenth celebration,
Jack Storms Photo
June, Seattle Center
Part of the annual Festal cultural celebration at Seattle Center, Festival
Sundiata features African and African American cultural traditions including
drumming and dance, all kinds of music, visual art, children’s activities and
a marketplace for imports and crafts. www.festivalsundiata.org
Umoja Family Fest African Heritage Festival & Parade
August, Judkins Park, 2150 S Norman Street
Seattle’s annual African American Seafair celebration entertains and
empowers with a parade, live music, cultural performances, family
activities, basketball tournament, car show and vendors.
www.umojafamilyfest.com
Central Area Community Festival
August, Garfield Community Center, 2323 E Cherry Street
A celebration of the cultural diversity of the community, the festival
features art and cultural exhibits, games, rides, crafts, merchandise, food
and entertainment. www.cacf.com
Earshot Jazz Festival
October and November, Multiple venues
Seattle’s major annual jazz event brings international
jazz giants to town each fall, and presents Seattle’s
finest musicians in a festival setting. Schedule
includes performances, workshops, films, exhibitions
and educational programs. www.earshot.org
Black Nativity
December, Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Avenue
This holiday tradition tells the story of the Nativity,
as written by Harlem Renaissance poet Langston
Hughes. The production features Pastor Patrinell
Wright and her choir of gospel singers, modern and
traditional choreography performed by an ensemble of
dancers, and a live band. www.stgpresents.org
James Carter at Earshot
Jazz Festival. Photo by
The Hansberry Project at ACT Theatre
Year-round, 700 Union Street
Daniel Sheehan
In partnership with ACT Theatre, the Hansberry Project
is a professional Black theatre company dedicated to the
artistic exploration of African American life, history and
culture. www.hansberryproject.org
A scene from Mojo and
the Sayso by Aishah
Rahman, presented as a
piece of the Hansberry
Project at ACT Theatre.
Photo by Chris Bennion
Northwest African American Museum
2300 S Massachusetts Street, 206.518.6000
The historic Colman School is home to this museum, which
explores the history, culture and art of African Americans in the
Pacific Northwest. NAAM features exhibits and public programs,
and serves as a community gathering place for events. Adjacent to
the museum is Jimi Hendrix Park, honoring the musician’s legacy.
www.naamnw.org
Courtesy of Anthony Powell
King County Courthouse
516 Third Avenue, 206.296.0135
In 1986, the King County Council
voted to change the namesake
of King County to commemorate
the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., rather than William Rufus
DeVane King (Vice President
under Franklin Pierce), for whom © Linda Beaumont & Douglas Cooper, King
the county was originally named County Courthouse Rotunda 2005.
Photo: Spike Mafford, Public Art 4Culture
in 1852. In the main lobby, a
terrazzo and marble floor design titled Truth Crushed To The
Earth Will Rise Again celebrates the 1963 March on Washington.
www.4culture.org/publicart
Jimi Hendrix Statue
Broadway Avenue E and E Pine Street
A life-size bronze sculpture called “The
Electric Lady Studio Guitar” by artist Daryl
Smith depicts Jimi Hendrix playing a
Fender Stratocaster.
Seattle Art Museum
1300 First Avenue, 206.654.3100
The Gwendolyn Knight and Jacob Lawrence
Gallery honors the legacy of these two renowned
artists, and features contemporary artists of
color. One of the great figurative painters of the
20th century, Lawrence joined the University
of Washington School of Art faculty in 1971,
and completed many of his later works such as
the “Builder’s Series” while living and teaching
in Seattle. SAM also has an outstanding African
art collection curated by Pam McClusky.
www.seattleartmuseum.org
EMP Museum
325 Fifth Avenue N at Seattle Center, 206.770.2700
Exhibits highlight African Americans and their contributions to
music and science fiction, including Jimi Hendrix: An Evolution
of Sound, and Sound and Vision: Artists Tell their Stories, an
exhibit with oral histories from music, pop culture and science
fiction greats. www.empmuseum.org
Photo by Holly Taylor
Courtesy of the Black Heritage Society of Washington State
Columbia City Landmark District
Rainier Avenue S between S
Alaska Street and S Hudson Street
Columbia City was established in
the 1890s when the Rainier Avenue
streetcar line was extended south
from downtown Seattle. Housing
developments such as Holly Park
and Rainier Vista constructed nearby in the 1940s increased the
neighborhood’s ethnic diversity. African American entrepreneurs played
key roles in Columbia City’s preservation as a landmark district and its
revitalization. A seasonal farmers market and the first Friday BeatWalk,
ethnic restaurants, art galleries, the Rainier Valley Cultural Center and
the Rainier Valley Historical Society all contribute to the area’s vitality.
www.columbiacityseattle.com
The Museum of Flight
9404 East Marginal Way S,
206.764.5720
Long-term exhibit The Boeing
Story includes experiences of
African American men and women
workers in Seattle during the World
War II era. The Personal Courage
Wing features the story of the
Tuskegee Airmen, the U.S. Army’s
first African American pilots, who
flew in combat in Italy during WWII.
www.museumofflight.org
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and Park
2200 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Sculptor Robert Kelly created the park’s
black granite monument, which was inspired
by King’s “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop”
speech given in Memphis the day before he
was assassinated in 1968.
www.seattle.gov/parks
Jimi Hendrix Memorial
Greenwood Memorial Park
350 Monroe Avenue NE, Renton 425.255.1511
Musician Jimi Hendrix grew up in Seattle’s Central Area,
achieving international fame in the 1960s. Following his
untimely death, his family created a memorial that has
been visited by millions of fans from around the world.
Located approximately 40 minutes southeast of Seattle.
www.jimihendrixmemorial.com
Several small commercial districts developed in the late 19th
century along streetcar routes, and many historic landmarks
from that era tell the stories of African American community
history. The oldest Black church in the Seattle, the First African
Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, was established in 1886,
and the historic sanctuary at 1522 – 14th Avenue was built in
1912. Mt. Zion Baptist Church was organized in 1894, and the
congregation met in many locations before building the Africaninspired sanctuary at 1634 – 19th Avenue in 1975.
Although the region’s African American population is no longer
confined to the Central Area by discriminatory housing policies,
the neighborhood retains a strong connection to Black history
and culture, and remnants of its heyday can be found in the
stories told in restaurants, salons and other establishments
catering to the Black community.
Seattle’s Music Map provides an insider’s guide to
local music history. www.seattle.gov/music/map
WWII “Rosies” courtesy of The Museum of Flight
The Central District or Central Area has historically been the
heart of Seattle’s African American community, and this multicultural neighborhood also has connections to Jewish and Asian
heritage. East of downtown, the neighborhood encompasses
the area between E Madison Street and Interstate 90.
Other neighborhood landmarks include cultural institutions
linked to African American heritage. The Pratt Fine Arts Center
at 1902 S Main Street, and the adjacent Edwin T. Pratt Park
are named in honor of the slain civil rights leader who served
as Executive Director of the Seattle Urban League from 1961
to 1969. The Douglass – Truth Library at 2300 E Yesler Way,
honoring abolition leaders Frederick Douglass and Sojourner
Truth, holds a significant collection of African American literature
and history. Several private residences associated with Seattle’s
African American pioneers and community leaders remain part
of the neighborhood, and many of the Heritage Sites featured in
this guide are located in the Central Area.
Venues such as Tula’s, the New Orleans and
Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley carry on the tradition of those
early clubs. More at www.seattlejazzscene.com
Washington Foundation
Washington Hall
153 – 14th Avenue, 206.316.7613
This historic venue hosted artists such as Duke
Ellington, Count Basie and Billie Holiday, and
served as a public dance hall. Built by the
Danish Brotherhood, and long owned by the
Sons of Haiti, Washington Hall is currently
being restored by Historic Seattle, and it
serves as an event space. Across the street,
the Squire Park P-Patch fence incorporates
displays about neighborhood music history.
www.washingtonhall.org
Seattle Repertory Theatre
155 Mercer Street, Seattle Center,
206.443.2222
Playwright August Wilson presents
an unparalleled vision of African
American life in his ten-play Century
Cycle. Several of these plays were
written while Wilson resided in
Seattle during the last 15 years of Photo by Chris Bennion
his life, where he worked closely with the Seattle Repertory Theatre.
Mr. Wilson made his acting debut at the Rep in his 2003 one-man
show How I Learned What I Learned, and an art installation outside
the theater commemorates Wilson’s long connection to the Rep.
www.seattlerep.org
CENTRAL DISTRICT
Jackson Street
from 1st Avenue to 23rd Avenue
Seattle’s jazz scene thrived from the 1920s to the
1960s at clubs such as the Black & Tan and the
Blue Note, where members of Local 493, the
Negro Musicians’ Union, played to packed houses
night after night. Ray Charles, Ernestine Anderson
and Quincy Jones got their start in Seattle’s music
scene, as well as Floyd Standifer, Patti Bown,
Buddy Catlett and other distinguished musicians
known locally and nationally. A sign at 12th Avenue
and S Jackson Street, today the center of the Little
Saigon neighborhood, commemorates Seattle’s
jazz history.
Ernestine Anderson, courtesy
of the Black Heritage Society
of Washington State
James & Janie Washington Foundation
1816 – 26th Avenue, 206.709.4241
Renowned sculptor and painter James W.
Washington Jr. came to the Seattle area
in the 1940s and became associated with
the Northwest School of visual artists.
The Foundation celebrates Washington’s
lifetime works,
and shares his
vision of universal
spirituality through the interpretation of
his artwork, and preservation of his studio,
home and garden. Tours are available by
appointment. Washington’s public art can
also be viewed at several locations in Seattle.
www.jameswashington.org
Courtesy of the James & Janie
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center
104 – 17th Avenue S, 206.684.4757
Named in honor of an acclaimed poet
of the Harlem Renaissance, this former
synagogue serves as a cultural arts center,
offering classes and hosting a variety of
community arts events including dance,
music, theater and the African American
Film Festival. Following a renovation, the
Center reopens in 2012.
www.seattle.gov/parks/centers/langston.htm
Photo by David Newman
Jacob Lawrence “The Studio”,
courtesy of Seattle Art Museum
Langston Hughes
Performing Arts Center
Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI)
2700 – 24th Avenue East, 206.324.1126
Late 2012: Lake Union Park,
860 Terry Avenue N
MOHAI’s
permanent
exhibits
feature
African American stories and experiences
from throughout the city’s 150-year history, Courtesy of Black Heritage Society of
including profiles of Black pioneers, artists Washington State
and defense workers. In 2012, the museum
relocates to Seattle’s Lake Union Park. The Black Heritage Society of
Washington’s collection of photographs and archival materials are
housed with MOHAI, and can be viewed by appointment.
www.seattlehistory.org and www.blackheritagewa.org
Photo by Holly Taylor
SEATTLE HERITAGE SITES
Northwest African American Museum. Photo: Jack Storms
Fort Lawton Historic District, Discovery Park
3801 Discovery Park Boulevard, 206.386.4236
This former army base served as a point
of embarkation during World War II, but its
connection to African American heritage goes
back to the early 20th century. Starting in 1909,
the base was home to the 25th Infantry Regiment,
one of four all-Black regiments in the U.S. military.
These were known as “Buffalo Soldiers,” a name
conferred to the troops by Native Americans of
the Great Plains.
www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/
discoverypark/history.htm
ATTRACTIONS MAP
C
Community history is preserved and exhibited by the Black Historical
Society of Kitsap County at 1204 Park Avenue, 360.479.3608, open by
appointment. www.kitsapblackhistory.org
K
M
Washington State History Museum
1911 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma 888.238.4373
Stories of African Americans in Washington are woven into exhibits on
the state’s mining industry, early settlement, wartime economy and civil
rights. www.washingtonhistory.org
K
B
F
LEGEND
A. Columbia City Landmark District
B. EMP Museum
C. Fort Lawton
D. King County Courthouse
E. James & Janie Washington
Foundation
F. Jimi Hendrix Statue
G. Jackson Street
H. Langston Hughes Performing
Arts Center
I. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
J. The Museum of Flight
K.MOHAI
L. NW African American Museum
M.Seattle Repertory Theatre
N.Seattle Art Museum
O. Washington Hall
Puget Sound Navy Museum
251 First Street, Bremerton 360.479.7447
An hour west of Seattle by ferry,
Bremerton is home to the Puget Sound
Navy Museum and the adjacent Naval
Shipyard, the Pacific Northwest’s largest
ship repair facility. During World War I
and II, thousands of people came from all
over the country to work in the shipyards,
including many African American men Courtesy of the Puget Sound
and women, and many Black sailors Navy Museum
and enlisted men were stationed at nearby military facilities.
www.pugetsoundnavymuseum.org
N D
E
O H
G
L
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A
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Roslyn Historic District
First Street & Pennsylvania Avenue
This mining town 1.5 hours east of
Seattle played a pivotal role in the
region’s ethnic history in 1891, when
more than one hundred African
American miners left the southern
U.S. and traveled to Roslyn, where
they had unknowingly been recruited
to work as strike breakers for the
Ellensburg Public Library Photo
Northern Pacific Coal Company.
Some of the Black miners left quickly for other destinations, but many
stayed with their families and established strong connections in the
community, and Roslyn was the first town in Washington State to elect
a Black mayor. Well-preserved commercial and residential districts are
walkable, and the historic Mount Olivet African American cemetery is
part of a complex of historic cemeteries. www.cleelumroslyn.org