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 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 throughout the year:
- The Northwest African American Museum (NAAM), located in the historic Colman School building in the Central District, (2300 South Massachusetts Street, Seattle) is a great place to visit year-round. Special exhibit this month is Coloring Outside the Lines, a celebration of creativity, resilience and the trailblazing spirit in Black communities. NAAM 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.
- Call to Conscience Black History Museum features installations, exhibits, artifacts, interactive activities, and virtual experiences celebrating the achievements of Seattle’s Black and African American community. The pop-up museum at Columbia City Theater (4916 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle) is open 11 am–7 pm. Tuesdays–Sundays in February.
- Victor Luckerson: A Scheme to Forget, a Demand to Remember Author Victor Luckerson is interested in untold—or worse, hidden—histories, specifically the century-long battle to remember the Tulsa Race Massacre. Despite being wiped from official records and history textbooks, Luckerson outlines the ways Black Tulsans have kept this event remembered through oral histories, legal battles, and the Black press. 6:30 pm Wednesday, February 26, at Town Hall Seattle (1119 8th Ave, Seattle).
- 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. Located in Pacific Place Shopping Center (600 Pine St., Seattle, 3rd Floor).