Vivian Caver (1928-2021) was a civil rights activist from Seattle. She was born in Tennessee and grew up in Washington. While a student at the University of Washington, Caver worked for the Seattle Urban League as it fought to integrate department store workforces in Seattle. In the 1960s, she set up race relations councils in white neighborhoods to make housing available to racial minorities. The councils petitioned the city to investigate claims of housing discrimination. In 1968, Caver was hired to work at Seattle’s newly established Human Rights Commission. She was promoted to assistant director in 1970 and to director in 1975. Caver was administrator of the Girl Scouts of Western Washington from 1981-1993. In 1994-1995, she served in the Washington House of Representatives in the 37th District, Position 2.

This image shows Vivian Caver in 1980, announcing that she would leave her position with Seattle's Department of Human Rights. Caver left when the Human Rights department was consolidated with the Office of Women’s Rights.

Caption information source: “Vivan Leona Caver (1928-2021)”, by Phyllis Fletcher for BlackPast, retrieved from https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/caver-vivian-leona-1928/.
Caption information source: “City Rights Director Bows Out,” Seatle Post-Intelligencer, February 16, 1980, page A7.