The Seattle Public Library To Celebrate 50 Years of ‘Douglass-Truth’ Branch
On Saturday, Dec. 13, The Seattle Public Library’s Douglass-Truth Branch invites all of Seattle to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its community-chosen name. A half-century ago, the Central District came together to rename its library to reflect its community, marking a moment for the Black community in Seattle.
Although the library opened in 1914 at Yesler Way and 23rd Ave., it was not known as the Douglass-Truth Branch until 1975, when the Central District community renamed it to honor two prominent Black abolitionists, Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth. The name affirmed the branch’s connection to the Central District community and neighborhood.
“Please join us to learn about and honor the rich community histories of the Douglass-Truth Branch and to collectively dream about its future,” said Brian Den-Hartog Lindsey, curator of the branch’s African-American Collection.
The celebration, to be held on Saturday, Dec. 13, from noon to 5 p.m., will be presented in partnership with the Delta Upsilon chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority (AKA-DUO) and the Black Heritage Society of Washington State. All-ages activities include a performance from the Garfield Jazz Quartet, branch history tours, and a presentation about the African American collection, which started with a donation from AKA-DUO in 1965.
You can also enjoy refreshments and opportunities to build community and envision Douglass-Truth's next 50 years and beyond. Find more information on the Library’s event calendar. A schedule will also be posted at the Douglass-Truth Branch. Registration is not required.
The History of the Douglass-Truth Branch
The Henry L. Yesler Memorial Library opened on September 15, 1914, the first Seattle Public Library building funded by the city. It was named after Yesler to recognize his early efforts to start a library in Seattle.
The Central District experienced many demographic transitions in its first decades. By the 1960s, the majority of the Library’s users were African American, but the Library was slow to adapt to the changing community. Leaders of the Delta Upsilon chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha -- Ruth Marie Brown, Roberta Byrd Barr, and Dr. Millie Russell -- partnered with branch librarian James Welch to increase the branch’s relevance to the community. In 1965, AKA-DUO donated books to launch the African American Collection.
Dr. Russell also worked with the Black Friends of the Yesler Library, AKA-DUO and other community groups to gather support for renaming the branch. In 1975, a ballot was distributed to neighborhood residents, listing 10 names of notable African Americans. Abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth tied for first place. In a letter to Seattle Mayor Wesley Uhlmann, Dr. Russell described it as the culmination of an “eight-year effort to rename the Central Area library to a name which would instill a deep oneness and response in our library.”
On Dec. 5, 1975, Mayor Uhlmann issued a proclamation to officially change the name, and a two-day celebration was held at the branch.
"As a hub of accessible knowledge for all people, the Douglass-Truth Branch Library embodies the history and legacy of the Central District,” said Stephanie Johnson-Toliver, president of the Black Heritage Society of Washington State. “A passionate group called the Black Friends of Yesler Library led the charge to rename the branch to represent the tenacity of community. This action of civic engagement is the history and service that the Black Heritage Society of Washington State recognizes as the power of community."
The African American Collection has become one of the largest collections of African American literature and history on the West Coast, with 10,000
Find out more at the Library’s Douglass-Truth Branch history page, and at our digitized Special Collections pages.
About The Seattle Public Library
The Seattle Public Library believes that the power of knowledge improves people's lives. With 27 locations and a Mobile Services unit, a digital and physical collection of 2.9 million items, and thousands of programs a year, we bring people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and empower community.
Contact the Library’s Ask Us service by phone at 206-386-4636 or by email or chat at spl.org/Ask. Staff are ready to answer questions and direct you to helpful resources and information. Find out more about our future plans at www.spl.org/StrategicPlan.
Schedule of events at the Douglass-Truth renaming celebration
Noon to 12:30 p.m.: Douglass-Truth Branch History Tours
12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.: Branch History Tour Follow-Up Q & A
1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: Creative Engagement Program for all ages
3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Garfield Jazz Quartet performance
4:15 p.m. to 5 p.m.: African American Collection Presentation & Tour, with Brian Den Hartog-Lindsey, African American Collection Curator/Librarian; Sean Lanksbury, Director of Special Collections; plus community partners from Black Heritage Society of Washington State, and Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Upsilon Omega Chapter
