Florestine “Flo” Ware (1912-1981) was a tireless activist who fought for 30 years for the rights of children, the poor, and the aged, particularly in Seattle’s Black community. Within a few years after she moved to Seattle in 1946, Ware was agitating for improvements to Central Area public schools, for better healthcare for elderly people, and for employment opportunities for the poor. Ware was also a foster parent, raising 20 foster children, and serving as chair of the Washington State Foster Parent Association. She was involved in organizing the Central Area School Board and the Meals on Wheels program for the elderly, and she served on the Seattle King County Economic Opportunity Board. Flo Ware represented Seattle at numerous national conferences dealing with children, racial discrimination, nutrition and health, education, and the aged. She served on innumerable local and national boards, and received dozens of awards for her community work. From 1968 to 1979, Ware also hosted a talk show called “What’s Going Down” on KRAB radio. A park at S. Jackson Street and 28th Avenue S. was named in her honor in 1982.

In August 1976, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer published an interview with Flo Ware featuring the photograph shown here, calling her "one of the most formidable and outspoken activists in Seattle." Ware discussed her work over the previous 20 years, her experiences with racism, and what motivates her. Summing up her life's work thus far, she said that she learned that "people in control are afraid to move. They keep the status quo. People are afraid to challenge the government and the powerful, but anything I wanted challenged, I challenged myself."

Caption information source: “Florestine Ware, Noted Activist,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 21, 1981, p. 36.
Caption information source: Ware, Flo (1912-1981) by Mary Henry, HistoryLink.org Essay 1145
Caption information source: "Struggling for Social Justice" by R. Hardesty, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 30, 1976, p.8.