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Image of Royalty riding on Mardi Gras parade float, Seattle, circa 1954
a2014.49.29_Album02-010-0008-03
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Royalty riding on Mardi Gras parade float, Seattle, circa 1954

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For over 70 years, Seattle’s Black community has a held a summer festival that was part of Seattle's International Festival, now Seafair. The first, in 1952, was called the East Madison/East Union Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras later transformed into the Pacific Northwest Black Community Festival, and in 1997 it became the Umoja Fest African Heritage Festival.

Here, the Mardi Gras queen and her four princesses ride atop the East Madison/East Union float in an early Mardi Gras parade.

Caption information source: “Umoja Fest2021 Brings the Community Together,”South Seattle Emerald, August 11, 2021. Retrieved at
https://southseattleemerald.com/2021/08/11/photo-essay-umoja-fest-2021-brings-the-community-together/
Caption information source: "East Madison/East Union Mardi Gras Festival debuts in Seattle on August 4, 1952" by Peter Blecha, HistoryLink.org Essay 20908
ID Number: 2014.49.092.010.03
Date: Circa 1954
Creator(s): Smith, Albert J., Sr., Photographer
Physical Description: 1 negative : b&w ; 4 x 5 in.
Credit: MOHAI, Al Smith Collection, 2014.49.092.010.03
Copyright: All Rights Reserved
Subjects: Black/African American, Celebrations, Seafair

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