The tradition of the ROOTS family picnic began in the early 1970s, when Arline and Letcher Yarbrough invited to dinner a group of close friends they hadn’t seen in many years. Those who attended agreed to establish more regular get togethers. Word went out to the “Old Timers,” as they called themselves, to come to a reunion at Seward Park. Over 300 people showed up, and the group was given the formal name of ROOTS (Relatives of Old Timers of Seattle), for members of the African American community who were residents prior to 1940, and their friends and relatives.
With few exceptions, the ROOTS family picnic has been held annually, bringing together an average of 1000 people from Seattle’s Black community each year. The picnic also serves as homecoming, with families who have relocated over the years coming back for the event. Attendees enjoy sharing food, listening to music, and visiting and reminiscing with old friends and family. The 2022 ROOTS picnic will mark the event’s 50th anniversary.
This photo shows five people standing together at the 1985 ROOTS family picnic. The man second from right is US District Judge Jack Tanner. Jack Tanner (1919-2006) became the first Black federal judge in the northwest United States when he was appointed to a joint seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in 1978. Born and raised in Tacoma, Tanner served in a segregated unit in the US Army during WWII and later attended the College of Puget Sound and the University of Washington Law School, receiving his JD degree in 1955. Tanner was active in the civil rights movement, serving as regional director of the NAACP from 1957 to 1965. He also supported Native American activists fighting for their treaty rights, and was active in the fishing rights protests in Olympia in 1966.
Caption information source: "ROOTS family picnic," from the The Breakfast Group website, retrieved at http://www.thebreakfastgroup.org/roots-family-picnic Caption information source: Jack Tanner (1919-2006), contributed by Monica J. Benton, BlackPast.org. Retrieved at https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/tanner-judge-jack-1919-2006/
