Discover the stories that built our community
History
The Central District became the center of African American life within Seattle in 1890 when William Grose built his home on the 12 acres of land he purchased from Henry Yesler. Discriminatory policies, such as housing covenants, forced Blacks who had migrated to Seattle from the South to buy and live in the Central District.
Undeterred from these occurrences, they built a community alongside the Italian, Jewish, Japanese and Filipino residents, and contributed to much of the cultural and social development we see in the city today.
That very community has become the "Soul of Seattle", cultivating greatness to the likes of the Jackson Street Jazz Legacy, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Ernestine Anderson, and Jimi Hendrix; while fostering the changes occurring with the civil rights movement and the budding hip-hop culture.
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The 1980's and 90's brought a large migration of Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Somalian residents, adding new layers of flavor and cultural richness to the Central District. Many Blacks also sought residence in South Seattle and South King County.
Today, the Central District remains the home to a myriad of businesses run by the African diaspora including cuisine from the South, the Caribbean, Chad, Ethiopia, Morocco, Mali, and more. These things, coupled with the rich history of the residing Black community, have made Africatown-Central District a unique place with distinctive narratives.
