Washington State Historical Society plan 2 virtual events for Black History Month
The Washington State Historical Society’s efforts to make the celebration of Black History a year-round venture will include two free online lectures in the month of February when Black History is celebrated nationally.
“African American history in the state of Washington is extensive, abundant, and empowering,” LaNesha DeBardelaben, executive director of Northwest African American Museum, said in a statement.
“The remarkable legacies of Black luminaries George Bush and Jacob Lawrence, in particular, are full of inspiration. Their achievements and creativity have made our state a better and more beautiful place for all.”
Here’s what the historical society has planned.
A History of Hip Hop in Seattle
Details: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4. Virtual event via Facebook Live @HistoryMuseum. Free. Suitable for all ages.
Daudi Abe will talk about the development and influence of Seattle’s hip hop and rapper culture. Abe is a graduate of University of Washington and a professor at Seattle Central College who wrote “Emerald Street: A History of Hip Hop in Seattle.” Participants will be able to ask Abe questions via the Facebook comments function.
George Bush, Jacob Lawrence, and the impact of Black pioneers
Details: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. Virtual event via Facebook Live @HistoryMuseum. Free. Suitable for all ages.
Tune in for conversations between Jason Turner, museum educator at the Northwest African American Museum; Gwen Whiting, lead exhibitions curator at the historical society; Leslie King-Hammond, a Jacob Lawrence scholar and founding director of the Center for Race and Culture at the Maryland Institute College of Art; and Beth Turner, author of “Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle.“
Lawrence was one of the first nationally recognized Black artists. He taught at the UW and lived much of his life in Seattle. His works are held in prestigious museums worldwide.
George Bush was the first Black pioneer to settle in what is now Washington, the Tumwater area, and his migration is the subject of a series of paintings by Lawrence, which were commissioned by the state of Washington and held in the Washington State Historical Society’s collections.
The Washington State Historical Society embarked on its Washington Black History Project after it received state funding in 2020to research, explore, share and celebrate the history of Black Washingtonians. WSHS convened an advisory committee to lead the process, and together they have developed a scope of work and objectives.
Among the projects, a new monument will be installed on the Capitol Campus in Olympia to commemorate George Bush and his son Owen Bush. A bronze plaque on a granite pedestal will be placed near the World War II monument. The Bush monument will face a tree grown from root stock from Bush Prairie, near Tumwater; the tree grew from stock that Bush carried with him from his home in Missouri.
For more information on these events and other things involving the WSHS, go to the Washington State Historical Society’s website..
This story was originally published February 3, 2021 at 5:45 AM.
