by Patricia “Chookenshaa” Allen-Dick I was blessed to be raised by my grandmother and to have met my maternal great grandparents in my lifetime. I will never forget my great grandpa’s words “We are the embodiment of United States history. We hold history in our blood.” My family’s story is… [ Keep reading ]
For more than 50 years, the blue Craftsman located at 911 24th Ave in the Central District was home to many different extended family members of Frank and Goldyn Green, who purchased the house in 1951. When Inye Wokoma became the guardian of his family’s estate in 2016, he began… [ Keep reading ]
Chef Kristi Brown rose to culinary fame in the area with her “Seattle Soul” food. She defines the cuisine as “rooted in tradition with innovations based on experiences and influences from Seattle’s lush cultural landscape.” A graduate of Seattle Culinary Academy, Brown started the catering business and culinary brand That… [ Keep reading ]
Roberta Byrd Barr’s career path was anything but a straight line. As an educator, civil rights leader, actor, librarian, and T.V. personality, she awakened the Seattle community to civil rights and social justice issues often overlooked in mainstream media. As a Seattle Public Schools elementary teacher in 1966, she headed… [ Keep reading ]
The term “black and tan” originated in Harlem to identify clubs where patrons of all races were welcome despite segregation laws. The Black & Tan Club in Seattle opened in the early 1920s and operated for nearly five decades. The popular venue was located at 12th and Jackson. Originally named… [ Keep reading ]
When Vickie Williams opened the doors to the first Black-owned bookstore in Washington more than 20 years ago, she had a vision. She envisioned a place where the Black community could gather safely to learn about their heritage and empower each other. Located in Columbia City, Life Enrichment Bookstore (L.E.M.S)… [ Keep reading ]
Since opening in 2007, Tougo Coffee has endured a slew of uphill battles. The shop has survived an economic recession, gentrification, a global pandemic, and a recent robbery-as if running a Mom and Pop coffee shop in a corporate coffee city isn’t hard enough. Through it all, owner Brian Wells… [ Keep reading ]
After failing to find an authentic Philly cheesesteak in the Seattle, Philadelphia native Charles Humphrie opened The Original Philly’s. The restaurant, affectionately know to regulars as simply Philly’s, open its doors in 1995, slinging the iconic meal near 23rd and Union in the Central District. In 2005, Charles and his… [ Keep reading ]
When Martin Luther King Jr. visited Seattle in 1961, he gave a speech at Garfield High School titled “The American Dream.” The address included several lines that would later be woven into his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. King’s only trip to Seattle was made possible because of an… [ Keep reading ]
During the winter of 2013, the topic of conversation for many Seattleites centered around the Seahawks as they marched toward their first championship. When people gathered in the streets of downtown to celebrate the team’s Super Bowl win, six African American men congregated elsewhere to discuss something else occurring in… [ Keep reading ]
