Community land trusts were born from a legacy of people living and working together to build sustainable communities. Join Seattle's newest queer & trans, black/indigenous/people of color housing collective, Queer The Land, as they explore the history of land trusts in Washington State, from housing projects to how land trusts have saved Washington's farmers.
What exactly did Seattle's open housing movement achieve? How were Seattle's neighborhoods transformed in the wake of fair housing legislation? Once hemmed in to the Central District by restrictive covenants, Seattle's African American population was slowly moving southward during the 1970s and 1980s. Learn about the ways in which Seattle's segregated housing patterns were challenged and how the city's racial geography changed in the midst of a housing crisis.
April's Community Conversation deepened our understanding of the opioid epidemic. But the question remains: what can each individual do? During this drop-in evening, local organizations will share resources and present opportunities for addressing the impacts of opioid addiction within our communities.
Photographer Catherine Bassetti captured one-of-a-kind photos and videos of the SR 99 tunnel project, from hundreds of feet up in the air to hundreds of feet underground. Bassetti's images capture the larger-than-life machinery, the rescue and return of the cutterhead, the emergence of Bertha, and the complete disassembly of the tunnel boring machine.
Civil rights and labor activists in the 1960s and 1970s broke down barriers for women and workers of color in the construction industry, opening a pathway to long inaccessible jobs. Join UW Labor Archivist and Labor Archives head Conor Casey to learn how Seattle workers fought for justice on the job through the lens of the historical collections that document this history.
As Seattle undergoes rapid transformation, the Central District reflects many of the challenges neighborhoods across the city face in balancing change with preservation. Join Jill Friedberg from Shelf Life Community Story Project and Madeline Crowley of People of the Central Area & Their Stories to hear how their oral history projects are not only helping to preserve this legacy, but may influence the way in which we imagine our city's future.
Seattle has always been a boom town, shaped as much by the gold rush of the 19th century as by the explosion of the tech industry today. Join editor Cali Kopczick and artist Shelly Leavens as they discuss their anthology Ghosts of Seattle Past, which seeks to reconstruct community hubs lost to growth through essays, interviews, photography, and comics. Bring your own stories of Seattle's long-gone places to be mapped and remembered!
Follow the history of Woodland Park Zoo from its nineteenth-century beginnings as a park carved from the wilderness north of downtown Seattle to its recent role as an international pioneer in zoo design. John Bierlein, author of Historylink's new book Woodland: The Story of the Animals and People of Woodland Park Zoo, will explore changing ideas about the relationship between humans and animals and give a fond look at the zoo's animals and the people who care for them.
Join environmental historian Jennifer Ott and Muckleshoot Indian Tribe historian Warren King George for a panel discussion about the immediate, dramatic changes wrought by connecting Lake Washington and Puget Sound, including replumbing the watershed. Together we will reflect on the long term impact these changes have had on our local environment and people.
Historic theater and performance are experiencing a renaissance, in part due to musicals like Hamilton. This MOHAI History Café panel discussion brings together Zola Mumford, Reference and Instruction Librarian; Tyrone Brown, Artistic Director of Brownbox Theater; and Jane Kaplan, Artistic Director and Owner of Jewelbox Theater to take a closer look at how history impacts theater and performance in Seattle.
The idea that people can solve economic problems by working together is at the heart of the cooperative impulse. In Seattle, that impulse is strong. From coffee shops and breweries to grocery stores and outdoor retailers; Seattle has birthed long-standing and well-known cooperatives of many sizes. Hear from local cooperative leaders, moderated by Webster Walker, who will put today's regional co-ops in historical context, and explore the potential that co-ops hold for addressing current economic, environmental and labor challenges.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people have been visible and politically active in Seattle for generations. Their activism has yielded pioneering civil rights victories. Join Historian Kevin McKenna for an exploration of local LGBTQ activism history as well as lessons this past might have for present and future activist work.