• Visit
    • Museum Accessibility
    • Community Access
    • Group Visits and Tours
    • Programs
      • History Café
      • MOHAI Mercantile Literary Series
      • First Thursday
      • Denny Lecture
      • Al Young Educator of the Year
      • Everyday Heroes
    • MOHAI Mercantile
    • Gourmondo at MOHAI
  • Exhibits
  • Events
  • Collections and Research
    • Collections Search
    • Themed Collections
    • Research Library
    • Image Ordering
    • Donate an Artifact
    • Curator’s Fellowship
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Membership at MOHAI
    • Gift Memberships
    • Corporate Support
  • Education
    • Field Trips
      • Self-Guided School Year Explorations
      • Creating Our Community
      • Cracking the History Code: Salish Stories
      • Cracking the History Code: Settling Around the Sound
      • Hands on History
      • Self-Guided Summer Field Trips
      • Homeschool Group
    • Portable Museum Program
    • Scholarships
    • Education FAQ
    • Primary Source Analysis
    • Online Curricula
    • Teen Programs
    • Idea Lab
    • Discovery Packs
    • Summer Camps
  • About
    • Annual Reports
    • The MOHAI Blog
    • Contact MOHAI
    • Opportunities
    • Leadership
    • Private Events
  • Donate
  • Tickets
  • Membership
HomeCollections and ResearchCollections Search

Collections Search

Explore stories in Northwest history through highlights from MOHAI’s collections. Search by keyword below or browse the entire online collection by entering the asterisk symbol (*). Filter your search by type of materials.

Download lower resolution images directly from an item page. MOHAI offers high-resolution digital reproductions of photographs and other materials from our collections for personal and professional use.

We have many more items in our collections and not everything you see online is on view at the museum. We have additional materials online at the University of Washington’s Digital Collections.

MOHAI Statement on Harmful Content

Search by Collection

Not finding what you are looking for?
Ask the MOHAI Collections Staff

770 results for: Activism

Share:
Image of Cesar Chavez speaking at Garfield High School, December 19, 1969
Photograph

Cesar Chavez speaking at Garfield High School, December 19, 1969

Cesar Estrada Chávez (1927-1993) was a Mexican-American labor leader, community organizer, businessman, and civil rights activist. He co-founded, with Dolores Huerta, the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), which later merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) to become the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union. Chavez advocated for the use of direct but nonviolent actions, such as pickets and…
ID Number:2000.107.243.07.01
Date:1969
Image of Cesar Chavez speaking at press conference, Seattle, December 3, 1985
Photograph

Cesar Chavez speaking at press conference, Seattle, December 3, 1985

Cesar Estrada Chávez (1927-1993) was a Mexican-American labor leader, community organizer, businessman, and civil rights activist. He co-founded, with Dolores Huerta, the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), which later merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) to become the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union. Chavez advocated for the use of direct but nonviolent actions, such as pickets and…
ID Number:2000.107.243.07.02
Date:1985
Image of Protesters blocking I-5 after Rodney King verdict, Seattle, May 1, 1992
Photograph

Protesters blocking I-5 after Rodney King verdict, Seattle, May 1, 1992

In this image, Washington State Patrol troopers meet protesters blocking the northbound lanes of Interstate 5, just north of downtown Seattle. About 200 peaceful demonstrators blocked traffic for two hours to protest the acquittal of four white Los Angeles Police Department officers charged with using excessive force in the March 3, 1991 arrest of African-American taxi driver Rodney King (1965-2012).…
ID Number:2000.107.246.04.03
Date:1992
Image of Supporters of Gulf War on Washington State Capitol steps, Olympia, January 23, 1991
Photograph

Supporters of Gulf War on Washington State Capitol steps, Olympia, January 23, 1991

On January 23, 1991, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) held a noontime rally on the steps of the Capitol Building in Olympia. About 200 persons gathered to show their support for the US troops serving in the Middle East. Among those listening to a VFW speaker at the rally are the four women shown in this photo: from left,…
ID Number:2000.107.246.04.04
Date:1991
Image of Aaron Dixon, with bodyguards, speaking at rally at HUB Ballroom, Seattle, April 4, 1969
Photograph

Aaron Dixon, with bodyguards, speaking at rally at HUB Ballroom, Seattle, April 4, 1969

Aaron Dixon was born in Chicago, and grew up in Seattle's Central Area. His father worked at Boeing, and both parents taught Aaron and his brothers the importance of fighting for social justice. As a college student at the University of Washington (UW), Dixon played a key role in the formation of the Black Student Union (BSU) and the Seattle…
ID Number:2000.107.246.07.02
Date:1969
Image of Seattle Black Panther Party members at press conference, Seattle, July 1, 1968
Photograph

Seattle Black Panther Party members at press conference, Seattle, July 1, 1968

The Black Panther Party for Self Defense established its Seattle chapter in the spring of 1968, after Aaron Dixon, Elmer Dixon, Anthony Ware, Garry Owens and several other future Panthers attended a memorial service in San Francisco for 17 year-old Bobby Hutton, who had been killed in a shootout with local police. While in Oakland, the Seattle youth met BPP…
ID Number:2000.107.246.07.03
Date:1968
Image of Rich Walsh, founder and director of the Resource Center for the Handicapped, Bothell, December 1986
Photograph

Rich Walsh, founder and director of the Resource Center for the Handicapped, Bothell, December 1986

In 1977, Richard “Rich” Walsh suffered a serious automobile accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. He moved to the University of Washington Medical Center for major rehabilitation and found his life’s calling. Seeing other young, paralyzed people sent to nursing homes for the rest of their lives, Walsh decided there had to be a better way. He…
ID Number:2000.107.289.02.01
Date:1986
Image of State Representative Mike Ross being arrested at UCWA protest, June 7, 1972
Photograph

State Representative Mike Ross being arrested at UCWA protest, June 7, 1972

A 1970 federal court order established minority hiring percentages for construction unions. Two years later, the United Construction Workers Association (UCWA), a minority group, protested Seattle’s ongoing non-compliance with the order. In early June, they closed down a number of construction sites around Seattle. Despite a temporary restraining order from the King County Superior Court, UCWA members gathered June 7…
ID Number:2000.107.19720608.2.05
Date:1972
Image of UCWA leaders at head of  march at Seattle Central Community College, June 7, 1972
Photograph

UCWA leaders at head of march at Seattle Central Community College, June 7, 1972

A 1970 federal court order established minority hiring percentages for construction unions. Two years later, the United Construction Workers Association (UCWA), a minority group, protested Seattle’s ongoing non-compliance with the order. In early June, they closed down a number of construction sites around Seattle. Despite a temporary restraining order from the King County Superior Court, UCWA members gathered June 7…
ID Number:2000.107.19720608.2.31
Date:1972
Image of Tyree Scott being arrested at UCWA protest at Seattle Central Community College, June 7, 1972
Photograph

Tyree Scott being arrested at UCWA protest at Seattle Central Community College, June 7, 1972

A 1970 federal court order established minority hiring percentages for construction unions. Two years later, the United Construction Workers Association (UCWA), a minority group, protested Seattle’s ongoing non-compliance with the order. In early June, they closed down a number of construction sites around Seattle. Despite a temporary restraining order from the King County Superior Court, UCWA members gathered on June…
ID Number:2000.107.19720608.2.36
Date:1972
Previous 1 … 49 50 51 52 53 … 77 Next

Land Acknowledgement

MOHAI stands on the historic and contemporary lands and shores of the Duwamish, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, and other Coast Salish Nations. We acknowledge the forced displacement of Native Communities from this land while honoring the endurance of the Duwamish people who still live here.
Address: 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA, 98109
Phone: 206 324 1126
  • Plan a Visit
  • Directions and Parking
  • Accessibility
  • Group Tours
  • About

Sign up to Receive our Newsletter

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright 2026, Museum of History & Industry. All Rights Reserved