Black History Month 2021
National African American (Black) History Month: February 2021
To commemorate and celebrate the contributions to our nation made by people of African descent, American historian Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week (then called “Negro History Week”) nearly a century ago. The event was first celebrated during the second week of February 1926, selected because it coincides with the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and abolitionist/writer Frederick Douglass (February 14). That week would continue to be set aside for the event until 1976 when, as part of the nation’s bicentennial, it was expanded to a month. Since then, U.S. presidents have proclaimed February as National African American History Month.
Civil rights movement in Seattle
Seattle’s unique civil rights history challenges the way Pacific Northwesterners think about race, civil rights, and the Puget Sound region. For most of its history, Seattle was a segregated city, as committed to white supremacy as any location in America. People of color were excluded from most jobs, most neighborhoods, and many stores, restaurants, and other commercial establishments. As in other western states, the system of severe racial discrimination in Seattle targeted not just African Americans but also Native Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, people of Mexican ancestry, and also, at times, Jews.
The civil rights movement in Seattle started well before the celebrated struggles in the South in the 1950s and 1960s. They relied not only on African American activists, but also Filipino Americans, Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, Jewish Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. They also depended on support from the labor movement in the Puget Sound region. From the 1910s through the 1970s, Seattle’s labor and civil rights were linked in complicated ways, with some unions and radical organizations providing critical support to struggles for racial justice, while others stood in the way.
The following resources provide more information about the civil rights movement in Seattle:
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The Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project at the University of Washington brings to life the vital history of Seattle’s civil rights movements. You can view this unique collection that includes video histories, personal biographies, rare photographs, personal biographies, documents, and historical data. The project is a collaboration between community groups, UW faculty, and students.
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This Civil Rights Timeline from the Seattle Municipal Archives lists significant events in the U.S. civil rights movement from May 1948 through April 1968 and includes concurrent events in Seattle.
Resources
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Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture – https://nmaahc.si.edu/
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Black Heritage Society of Washington State – http://www.bhswa.org/wordpress/
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Northwest African American Museum – https://www.naamnw.org/
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Schomburg Center – https://www.nypl.org/about/locations/schomburg/digital-schomburg
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org – https://www.blackpast.org/
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26 Black Americans You Don’t Know But Should – https://www.oprahmag.com/life/g25954127/african-american-historical-figures/?slide=1