Civil Rights and Public Consciousness in a Shared Community: Informal Political Education in Seattle’s Central Area, 1965-1968

• In Event: Contested Spaces: Situated Histories of Desegregation

Abstract

From 1965 to 1968, civil rights activists launched informal political education programs to openly address social issues such as interracial conflict and social inequity in Seattle’s largely African American, yet racially and economically diverse Central Area community. Against the back drop of the Black Power Movement in African American communities across the nation, community demographics, the fear of a race riot, and the need to connect with more militant African American youth compelled civil rights activists to launch numerous public forums on a variety social topics that incorporated different political ideologies to mobilize residents against racial discrimination and other social problems. The forums highlight the purpose of informal education for civic engagement among multiple stakeholders in a shared geographical space.

Author

• Aaron Modica, University of Washington