Stroll onto the balcony of the Columbia City Theater this month and you’ll be transported to the early 20th century jazz clubs + speakeasies on Jackson Street. Step into a back room and you’ll hear about the rise of Black Power in the 60s from the voices of its Seattle leaders.
This is the experience of Rainier Avenue Radio’s Call to Conscience Black History Month Museum pop-up. Visitors can see a collection of more than a dozen exhibits that share stories of Black achievements and resilience through a local lens.
The pop-up is running through Feb. 29 and you can reserve a guided tour time slot in advance (which we recommend, particularly on the weekends).
What’s on display
The Seattle Black Panthers | Photos, artifacts, and snippets from a forthcoming film explore the founding of the Seattle chapter, the first authorized one outside California. Among the group’s achievements was a free breakfast program for school children.
Nastymix Records | See albums from the Seattle record label co-founded by local legend Sir Mix-a-Lot. On Feb. 16, the museum will host a reunion + live broadcast.
Seattle Steelheads | Check out jerseys and memorabilia from the short-lived West Coast Negro League baseball team that had a lasting legacy.
The Hartsfield Quilt Collection | Among the pop-up’s most powerful pieces are quilts made by enslaved people dating back to the 1850s that contain secret Underground Railroad communications.
The Total Experience Gospel Choir | Founded in 1973, the Seattle-based choir traveled around the world and performed for the likes of presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. The museum’s display includes tribute to the choir’s late director Pastor Patrinell Wright.
Swing by Saturday, Feb. 10 to hear a performance from former members of the gospel choir — and stay tuned for other special guests throughout the month.
