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Church robe made of Kente cloth, worn by Reverend Dr. Samuel B. McKinney, ca. 1970s-1980s
This robe belonged to Rev. Dr. Samuel B. McKinney (1926-2018), author and leading civil rights advocate in Seattle, Washington. He served as pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church, one of the largest and oldest Black churches in the Pacific Northwest, from 1958 to 1998 and again from 2005 to 2008. As a highly visible public figure, McKinney was conscious of the meaning behind his clothing and intentionally forged his identity as an African American leader in Seattle. This robe is made of Kente cloth, a Ghanaian textile which is handwoven in strips. The cloth was then sewn into a robe in Seattle by local seamstress Flo Wells.
ID Number: 2019.105.1
Date: Circa 1970-1990
Creator(s):
Wells, Flo, Designer
Physical Description: 1 Robe; fabric; 56 in.H x 24 in.W
Credit: MOHAI, 2019.105.1