Pacific Northwest History
Books and resources about Pacific Northwest history, including Washington state, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska
African Americans & Race Relations in the Pacific Northwest
"Photographic print, portrait of African American, Washington Territory pioneer, George Washington, of Lewis County, Centralia, Washington, with his dog, seated on a stool or chair with horn legs outside the entrance to his home, undated, ca. 1890. He should not be confused with George Washington Bush of Thurston County"
- From the Washington State Historical Society
(click on image to enlarge, cited below)
Featured Websites & Online Collections
Use the links below to find resources online pertaining to the history of African Americans in the Pacific Northwest.
- African Americans - Tacoma Community History ProjectA collection of articles and images from the Oral History Project includes interview content from those who experienced race relations in Tacoma.
- African Americans and Seattle's Civil Rights HistoryA collection of articles and oral histories from the Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project
- African Americans in the Modern NorthwestFrom the Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest
- African Americans in the Washington State LegislatureInformation about African American representation in the state with links to online sources to read more.
- Black Heritage Society of Washington State (BHS)"The archives are representative of Northwest Black history and culture that include genealogical and family papers, legacy collections, business and organization records, and memorabilia such as photographs, postcards, sheet music and trade cards."
- Black Histories, Black Futures"Explore the history, arts and culture of Black experience in the United States" Includes incredible primary sources from an array of places
- Black History - Tacoma History LiveA collection of articles about Black History and notable people and events in the city's history
- Black in OregonAn online exhibit of articles, images, documents, and more - from the Secretary of State archive website
- Black Lives MatterBlack Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.
- Black Oral History CollectionThis collection consists of interviews of "African American pioneers and their descendents throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, from 1972-1974. "
- BlackPast.orgThis is a great resource for information on a wide variety of topics pertaining to African American History, Global African History, current events, and more. Find videos, audio, images, interactive timelines, biographical articles, and more.
- BLK Wins"[BLK WINS] strives to be a direct resource for Black people, specifically Black youth, to discover and identify who we truly are, where we come from, and how we got here. Our aim is to not only educate our current generation, but to also pass this on to our future generations to come..."
- The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection"The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection celebrates the achievements and contributions of Black Americans from 1595 to present times."
- A Look Back At Portland Jazz: When the Joint Was Jumpin'From the Oregon History Project
- Northwest African American MuseumFind resources, events, info about the museum, virtual exhibits, and more.
- Perspectives on African American HistoryFind "descriptions of important but little known events in African American history recalled by those who were witnesses or participants"...
- Redlining in SeattleInformation, images, primary sources, etc - from the Seattle.gov website
- Seattle Chapter of the Black Panther PartyFind more info about the history of Seattle and the party on this website.
- The Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History ProjectA collection at the University of Washington, this project allows you to search essays, photos, maps, films, oral history interviews, and more.
- Seattle Segregation Maps, 1920-2010From the Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project
- Washington State Commission on African American AffairsThe Commission serves as the official state representative of the African American community - find articles, resources, and more.
- Women and Seattle's Civil Rights History"This page is a gateway to the Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project resources for exploring the civil rights activism of women in the Pacific Northwest"
Background Articles
Linked below are some overview articles from online sources like HistoryLink, as well as from the library's collection, such as those found in Gale Ebooks.
- African American History in the American West From BlackPast.org
- Black Americans - HistoryLink search A collection of articles about notable Black Americans in PNW History
- Black Americans - HistoryLink search A collection of articles about notable Black Americans in PNW History
- Black Cowboys in Oregon From the Oregon Encyclopedia
- Black Exclusion Laws in Oregon From the Oregon Encyclopedia
- Charles Mitchell, Slavery, and Washington Territory in 1860 a 2012 article from BlackPast
- George Washington Bush An article about one of the first African Americans in Washington State, titled "Bush, George (1790?-1863)" from HistoryLink.org
- Nettie Craig Asberry An article from HistoryLink - "Nettie Craig Asberry was an extraordinary, early African American resident of Tacoma who was known for her work in fighting racism and in helping to open doors for women"
- Oregon Black Pioneers (organization) From the Oregon Encyclopedia
- Origins of a Civil Rights Movement From the Oregon Encyclopedia
- Redlining in Seattle Information, images, primary sources, etc - from the Seattle.gov website
Popular articles
Featured here are popular source articles from online websites, newspaper, magazine, and more.
- Black Histories, Black Futures"Explore the history, arts and culture of Black experience in the United States" Includes incredible primary sources from an array of places
- Black History Month 2021: The indelible legacy of Black SeattleitesAn article with linked videos from Take 21, a station with Seattle Channel.org
- The Black Panther Party: Seattle and the NationFrom BlackPast.org
- Employing Racism: Black Miners, the Knights of Labor, and Company Tactics in the Coal Towns of WashingtonAn article from the Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project
- Fighting For Racial Justice In The Pacific Northwest: Lillian Walker And The Long Struggle For Civil RightsA 2009 article from Black Past
- The Harlem Renaissance In The American WestA 2013 article from Black Past
- A history of Seattle's African American community – in picturesA 2018 article from The Guardian
- Mother’s Day Disturbance, 1969A 2009 article from Black Past regarding an event in Tacoma, Washington
- Northwest Black Pioneers: A tributeA 2013 article from BlackPast.org
- Seattle’s First Black Cop Meets a Killer Over CheckersAn article from KUOW, with linked videos, with an excerpt from Horace Cayton, author of "The Long Old Road"
- This Woman Was the First African American Born in TacomaA 2019 article from Grit City Magazine
- Yes, there were black slaves in the Pacific Northwest. Historians are making our region confront itA 2019 article from Crosscut
Scholarly articles
Linked below are articles from scholarly journals, as well as a trade publications
- Blacks and Asians in a White City: Japanese Americans and African Americans in Seattle, 1890-1940An article from the Western Historical Quarterly
- Dred Scott on the Pacific: African Americans, Citizenship, and Subjecthood in the North American WestAn article from the Southern California Quarterly
- George Bush of Tumwater: Founder of the First American Colony on Puget SoundAn article, pdf format, from the Columbia Magazine, from the Washington State Historical Society
- Idaho Ebony: The African American Presence in Idaho State HistoryA 2006 article from The Journal of African American History
- The Jefferson Davis Highway: Contesting the Confederacy in the Pacific NorthwestAn article from the Journal of American Studies
- Oregon's Civil War: The Troubled Legacy of Emancipation in the Pacific NorthwestA 2014 article from Oregon Historical Quarterly
Featured Videos
- "A Really Nice Place to Live" (video)A 13 minute film that " shows the history of housing segregation, and argues that the amplified discontent of Blacks, Asian-Americans, and Whites themselves was what redeemed Seattle from its early transgressions."
- Black History is WA History From Migration to Mark Making George Bush, Jacob Lawrence and the ImpactA 2+hour video from the Tacoma Historical Society
Featured Podcasts
- This pioneer worked the Underground Railroad — and founded Seattle's Black Central DistrictA 7 minute listen (with article) from KUOW
- How a Young Black Family Fought John L. Scott and Changed SeattleA 9 minute listen (with article) from KUOW
- Codeswitch [Podcast]A podcast from NPR (National Public Radio) "Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor. We explore how race affects every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, food and everything in between"
- In Black America"Produced at KUT, In Black America is a long-running, nationally syndicated program dedicated to all facets of the African American experience."
Sources used on this page:
George Washington, Centralia, WA [Photograph]. (1890). Washington State Historical Society. https://www.washingtonhistory.org/
Featured Books & eBooks
Click on the book, or title, below to learn more
Seattle in black and white: The Congress of Racial Equality and the fight for equal opportunity
Also in Print: F899 .S49 N464 2011
Study of racial tension in Tacoma
Located in the Archive
Looking for more on Black history?
Consider the guide linked below for more resources .
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