Washington's Black History inspires next generation

SEATTLE - With history, there is always a starting point. 

"When you’re talking about Black History, even in the Pacific Northwest, it always starts with the enslavement of Africans and Black people in Africa," said Jason Turner, education coordinator for the Northwest African-American Museum in Seattle. 

According to Turner, a major part of Black History in Washington starts with a man from Missouri looking to escape racism, George Washington Bush. 

"So in 1844, hoping to get away from all of that, George Washington Bush heads along the Oregon Trail," Turner said.

Bush was a self-made man, Turner said. Eventually ending up in southern Washington state as a fur trader.

"As far as Tumwater and Olympia, he was one of the first people to settle there, period. He is considered one of the first African-Americans to settle in our state," said Turner.

 One of the first Black entrepreneurs was William Gross. He was a man who joined the Navy, traveled around the world and gained wealth during the Gold Rush in California. According to Turner, Gross eventually freed slaves himself, eventually settling in Washington. 

"He became the first Black entrepreneur in Seattle and opened up a hotel and owned a lot of land on Madison, in the Madison Valley," said Turner.

Washington’s Black population experienced a population boom in the 1940s and 50s during World War II. The jobs were here. 

In the 1940s and World War II, Seattle saw a boom in population.

"They started getting employed by Boeing and some of them were working on railroads as porters," Turner said. 

Between 1940-1943, Seattle went from a Black population of 3,700 to 7,000. In other areas like the city of Bremerton, saw an increase from 77 Black residents to 2,000 during that same time period, Turner said. 

RELATED: Black History Month 2022 to celebrate 'Black Health and Wellness'

At around the same time, Seattle’s jazz scene was taking off in the area now known as the Chinatown/International District. Legendary performers like Ray Charles and Quincy Jones performed and were seen here. And one homegrown artist, born and raised in Seattle, gained traction too. 

 "Ernestine Anderson, started off very young and launched her career in the 50s here in Seattle and was produced by Quincy Jones," said Turner. 

 Not just musical artists. One of the great American painters, Jacob Lawrence, became widely known for his paintings of African-American history. Lawrence eventually became a professor at the University of Washington.

"One of the people was Barbara Earl Thomas, who was one of his understudies, and was also one of the first executive directors here at NAAM," said Turner.

And then…

"Of course there’s the iconic Jimi Hendrix," said Turner.

 Born in Seattle in 1942, James Marshall Hendrix, or Jimi, started playing guitar as a teen.

"He grew up right here in the Central area. They grew up kind of poor. His Dad raised him because his mother wasn’t there. But Jimi grew up in the Central area and went to Garfield High School," said Turner.

Despite the rich history, the tech boom that started in the 1980s along with more recent gentrification brought more non-Black residents to the state. 

"And unfortunately, a lot of Black people didn’t see or were able to grasp the opportunity here," said Turner.  

During the 80’s, Washington’s Black population hovered around 10%. According to the latest U.S. Census, it’s now about 4.4%. But Turner, and many others hold out hope that it will change. 

"There are many organizations in the Central Area now that are reclaiming the Central District. There are Black organizations that are reclaiming buildings," said Turner. 

 All in an effort to make history once again.

"Take those lessons to develop opportunities for the future for the Black community," said Turner. 

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