Syvilla Fort, born on July 3, 1917 in Seattle, Washington, was a professional dancer in the 1930s and early 1940s and prominent dance instructor in New York City for three decades between 1948 and 1975. Her dance style, which combined African, Caribbean, and American rhythms, … Read MoreSyvilla Fort (1917-1975)
Also known as the Negro Musicians’ Union, Local No. 493 was formed in 1913 in Seattle. During this time period, locals across the country, under the banner of the American Musicians Federation (AMF), decided to encourage black musicians to form their own unions rather than … Read MoreNegro Musicians’ Union, Local 493, Seattle
Also called Edythe Turnham and her Knights of Syncopation, the Edythe Turnham Orchestra was a prominent fixture in the Seattle music scene during its “Jazz Age” (1920-1933). It was led by the husband and wife team of Edythe and Floyd Turnham and was one of … Read MoreEdythe Turnham Orchestra
Doc Hamilton, born John Henry Hamilton in 1891, was a famous Seattle prohibition-era club owner. Originally from West Point, Mississippi, he moved to Seattle at the age of 23. Hamilton served in World War I in the famous 92nd infantry division (also known as the … Read MoreJohn Henry “Doc” Hamilton (1891-1942)
In the following account sports historian Charles Kastner describes the Bunion Derby, the 1928 cross country footrace that captured the nation’s attention in the spring of 1928 and the remarkable group of black runners who participated in that event. For a detailed discussion of the … Read MoreThe 1928 Bunion Derby: America’s Brush with Integrated Sports
African American civil rights and political activists in Seattle had been working throughout the early 1960s to integrate and bring equality to the city’s black population. By 1967, however, many blacks in Seattle began to criticize integration and the civil rights movement as a whole … Read MoreCentral Area Committee for Peace and Improvement
The Central Area School Council (CASC) was formed in 1969 at a time when community control of public schools was considered by many local activists as a more effective strategy than school integration in improving the performance of African American students. Activists argued that with … Read MoreCentral Area School Council (1969-1975)
Although racially restricted housing covenants had been banned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1948, various forms of de facto housing segregation kept African Americans relatively isolated spatially in urban areas, including the city of Seattle. Many white homeowners in the years following the Court’s … Read MoreOperation Equity
Trish Millines Dziko is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Technology Access Foundation. A native of New Jersey, Dziko focused on college and ultimately became a first-generation college student. Ms. Dziko also made history by becoming the first woman to be awarded a full … Read MoreTrish Millines Dziko (1957- )
Millie Louise Bown Russell was born in Seattle in 1926 to Augustus and Edith Bown, a Pullman Porter and beautician, respectively. Augustus and Edith Bown met in Chicago, married and relocated to Seattle where Millie was born, one of seven children. Both parents were local … Read MoreMillie Russell (1926-2021)
