Black Arts/West was Seattle’s first black theatre and functioned as a three component program: theatre, dance, and an art gallery displaying the work of local and national artists. Founded by Douglas Q. Barnett (1931-) in 1969, Black Arts/West evolved out of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and was charged with getting young people involved and learning the necessary skills to survive and flourish in society. Although the group disbanded in 1980, it was an integral part of a movement that created many of the region's professional and semi-professional arts organizations.

In this image, Joe Fields rehearses his lines for the title role in Black Arts/West's production of "The River Niger," playwright Joseph A. Walker's drama about a Black family facing conflict in Harlem. Actors Carl "Rafic Bey'' Taylor and Sugar Bear, seated on the couch, play members of the neighborhood gang.

Caption information source: The Seattle Times, November 9, 1997, page M1
Caption information also derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer staff and attached to the back of the photograph.