The Emancipation Day Celebration of 1892
Thirty years after the Proclamation, Seattle's Black community gathered at the municipal court to assert their political power, pride, and the promise of a unified nation.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The colored people of Seattle celebrated the anniversary of the emancipation proclamation by holding an enthusiastic meeting last night in the municipal court room. J. A. Coleman acted as master of ceremonies, and Rev. L. S. Blakeney led in prayer. G. H. Gross, the first speaker, noted: 'We have assembled here tonight to commemorate that great freedom and national right that was bestowed upon us thirty years ago.' He spoke of the Afro-American commitment to the Federal Union and the importance of youth in securing liberty, arguing that justice should be pursued not by spear or shield, but by the power of free speech. C. A. Rideout also addressed the crowd, highlighting the economic progress of Black Americans, noting they owned $500,000,000 in church and school property across the country. Rideout expressed pride in the race's achievements, stating, 'I am glad I belong to a race which can come up through the crust and show other civilized races we are their equals.' At the conclusion of the meeting, those present adjourned to the hall at the corner of Seventh and Cherry streets for dancing.
“I am glad I belong to a race which can come up through the crust and show other civilized races we are their equals.”
This event captures a rare, public moment of early Black civic life in Seattle during the late 19th century, centering on the same downtown core where modern activists still gather. It underscores that Seattle's history of racial justice advocacy is as foundational to the city's identity as its economic boom years.
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