Seattle’s Black community is a key part of the city’s authentic culture and historic roots, a population that should be honored and celebrated year-round. Yet as February marks Black History Month, it’s a great time to bring attention and support to this community, highlighting the significant contributions and narratives of those based here. Local Black culture, art, food, music, business, industry, and beyond are found throughout the destination and offer a lot for both visitors and locals to explore.
From early pioneers like George Washington Bush to education leader Thelma Dewitty to trailblazing journalists like Horace Cayton and the thousands of African Americans who came for work during World War II, the Puget Sound region has greatly benefited from prominent Black figures and a growing Black population. Today, numerous Seattle neighborhoods are still hot spots for Black-owned businesses and arts and culture organizations—including the Central District, Rainier Valley, Mt. Baker, Columbia City, Hillman City, and White Center.
For those interested in attending events, learning about Black heritage, or supporting Black-owned businesses and restaurants, here are just some of the options to honor Black history, in February and beyond:
- The Soul of Seattle returns February 10 with an evening of food, wine, and delicious curations. Created as a fundraiser to help foster relationships and empower the community, the event sheds light on the diverse food and Black-owned businesses within Seattle, raising funds to support vendors as well as a local non-profit that supports youth of color.
- Follow Along with the Travels of Marlie and Anthony Love With a mission to enable travel for all, Seattle-based couple Marlie and Anthony Love launched “Traveling While Black” in 2019, a popular content series that has inspired greater exploration of the region. The series serves as a modern day Greenbook, offering friendly and fun reviews from a Black perspective.
- Enjoy a Cozy Beverage at The Station Leona Moore-Rodriguez is co-owner of The Station, a Black and Latinx-owned community coffee shop located in Beacon Hill. Moore-Rodriguez and her team have created a space that is committed to employing POC and LGBTQIA+ community members.
- Visit WOW Gallery, a top cultural destination in The Pacific Northwest. Veronica Very, founder and visionary of Wonder of Women International and WOW Gallery, is the driving force behind the ‘Dear Sista, I See You’ Healing Art Exhibition at Downtown Seattle’s Pacific Place Mall. As a dynamic speaker, teacher and writer, Very inspires healing from racial and emotional traumas through storytelling and the power of art. WOW Gallery is open Friday-Saturday, 1-7 pm and Sunday, 1–5 pm.
- The Northwest African American Museum (NAAM), located in the historic Colman School building in the Central District, is a great place to visit year-round. This museum is grounded in a mission to “use heritage to heal,” aiming to preserve the connection of people of African descent to their home in the Pacific Northwest.
- Henry Art Gallery presents an exhibit of the work from talented Black artist Hank Willis Thomas titled “LOVERULES”. The exhibit features some of the conceptual artist’s most iconic and well-known artworks across a range of media, investigating diverse themes. There will be an official public opening event on Friday, February 23, 7 pm–9 pm.
- Rainier Avenue Radio has converted the Columbia City Theater during the month of February into the “Call to Conscience Black History Museum,” featuring installations, exhibits, artifacts, interactive activities, and virtual experiences celebrating the achievements of Seattle’s Black and African American community. The pop-up museum is open Tuesdays – Sundays, 11 am–7 pm.
- Bainbridge Island Musuem of Art Through February 13, the museum is featuring the “Black & Boujee” exhibition, highlighting the intersection of Black culture and luxury. It aims to challenge the prevailing Eurocentric notions of luxury and showcase how Black artists, designers, and creators have reimagined what it means to live luxuriously.
- The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) has a special an exhibit entitled “100 Years of Junior League of Seattle: Explore the Northwest Art Project“, featuring Black artists such as Jacob Lawrence and Barbara Earl Thomas.
- The Onyx Fine Arts Collective is the oldest and largest African-descent collective of artists in the Pacific Northwest. Their mission is to educate, inspire, cultivate, and showcase the artwork of artists of African descent from our Pacific Northwest communities.
- BE Great, a Black Excellence Cultural Festival comes to Occidental Square February 16-17. This free two-day event, presented by the Downtown Seattle Association and Metropolitan Improvement District, will bring together Black culture, arts, music, food and more. Enjoy soulful performances and explore Black creativity and community.
- On February 24, join Black Heritage Society of Washington State, the Wing Luke Museum, and the Washington State Jewish Historical Society to hear about their collaboration, “Confronting Hate Together: The Power of Community”. The event is free to attend and will be held at the Microsoft Lakefront Pavilion and Faye G. Allen Grand Atrium from 11 am–2 pm.
- Seattle Opera presents the West Coast Premiere of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X by Pulitzer Prize winner Anthony Davis, February 24 to March 9. This groundbreaking opera explores the life of Malcolm X through a series of biographical vignettes set to a score combining modernism, minimalism, and jazz, and is the first opera written by a Black composer to run on Seattle Opera’s main stage.