Powell S. Barnett (1883-1971) was a Seattle-based musician, baseball player, civil rights activist, and African American community leader. Born in Indiana, Barnett moved with his family to Roslyn, Washington, in 1889. His father, an ex-slave, was one of many black miners recruited to work in Washington coal mines. As a teenager, Powell also worked in the Roslyn coal mines, and played in a band.

Barnett married Katherine Conna, of the pioneering John N. Conna family, in 1906, and they settled in Seattle. Barnett organized the Leschi Improvement Council and became its first president in 1967, led in organizing the East Madison YMCA and served as chairman of its board, and chaired a committee that revised the Seattle Urban League. A sousaphone player, Barnett was the first black member of the once all-white Seattle Musicians Union, Local 76, and was instrumental in the merger between the black and white musicians' locals into the Musician's Association of Seattle 76-493. He was also a star baseball player and organized a semi-pro baseball Umpires Association in Seattle, serving as executive secretary from 1944 to 1961 and securing affiliation with the National Association of Umpires. In 1967 he was named Seattle-King County's Senior Citizen of the Year for his history of service and contributions to the local community. Powell S. Barnett Park, located on Martin Luther King, Jr., Way between E. Jefferson and E. Alder streets, was named in his honor in 1969.

In this photo, Powell S. Barnett receives the Jackson Street Community Council Man of the Year award.

Caption information source: "Barnett, Powell S. (1883-1971)" by Mary T. Henry, HistoryLink.org Essay 307
Caption information also derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer staff and attached to the back of the photograph.