Louise McKinney (1930-2012) was a Seattle educator, civil rights advocate, and business owner. She was also the wife of Rev. Dr. Samuel Berry McKinney, pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church. Louise McKinney wore this suit for an event with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he visited Seattle in 1961. King and Samuel McKinney had been classmates at Morehouse College, and it was at Samuel McKinney’s invitation that King visited Seattle. The suit was purchased in Seattle at Best’s Apparel. The skirt is a simple, straight style but the jacket shows some intricate craftsmanship. From the front, the jacket has a straight, boxy shape, typical of early 1960s fashion. But the back has extra fabric which is gathered elegantly into the lower edge of the jacket. That lower edge has a curved shape and is decorated with a faux bow.