Celebrating 50 Years of the Soul Pole at The Seattle Public Library's Douglass-Truth Branch
release date: April 18, 2023
Join Historic Seattle, the Black Heritage Society of Washington State and The Seattle Public Library at the Douglass-Truth Branch on Saturday, April 29 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Soul Pole at the branch.
The event, “Preserving Neighborhood Character in the Central District: The Soul Pole at 50 Years,” will include a screening of Converge Media’s film “The Legacy of the Soul Pole”; short talks by community leaders and Library staff; and a time for community members to share their stories. It will start outside by the Soul Pole and then move indoors to the branch meeting room. Find out more about the event and register at www.spl.org/SoulPole50. Registration is optional.
The Soul Pole is a 21-foot community-created sculpture that the Black Heritage Society has called “a symbol of tenacity, legacy, and pride that anchors the history of Black people to Seattle’s Central District.” It was carved in the late 1960s from a telephone pole by young members of the Rotary Boys Club to represent 400 years of African American history and injustice. After the Rotary Club gave the Soul Pole to the Library, it was installed on the lawn of the Douglass-Truth Branch on April 24, 1973.
In 2021, after realizing that the Soul Pole’s condition was deteriorating, the Library worked with Artech, Landrieu Conservation and the Black Heritage Society to conserve the historic artwork and gather stories about its origin. The Soul Pole was reinstalled at its historic spot on the Douglass-Truth lawn in April 2022. Later that year, Historic Seattle awarded the Soul Pole its 2022 “Preserving Neighborhood Character” Award.
The 50th anniversary event brings together community members who will speak about the Soul Pole’s history, the role of the community in historic preservation and efforts to amplify the African American Collection at the Douglass-Truth Branch. Speakers include:
- Tom Fay, Chief Librarian of The Seattle Public Library
- Elijah Mu’ied, poet, performance artist, and son of Raqib Mu’ied (formerly Gregory X), the Rotary Club art director who led the project to design and carve the Soul Pole
- royal alley-barnes, interim director of Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture
- Taylor Brooks, the African American Collection librarian at the Douglass-Truth Branch
- A screening of Converge Media’s 10-minute 2022 documentary, “The Legacy of the Soul Pole”
- Stephanie Johnson-Toliver, president at The Black Heritage Society of Washington State
- Taelore Rhoden, director of community engagement at Historic Seattle
Community members will also have a chance to share their stories and memories of the Soul Pole. The event will be followed by a community reception in the meeting room of the Douglass-Truth Branch, with refreshments.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SOUL POLE
The Soul Pole was gifted to the Library in 1972 and installed outside the Yesler Branch Library on April 24, 1973, two years before it was renamed the Douglass-Truth Branch in honor of abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth. Information on the sculpture can be found at www.spl.org/SoulPole.
The Douglass-Truth Branch also has a large collection of African American literature and history, which was established in 1965 through a donation by the local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a national service organization founded by African-American college women. Over 10,000 items are featured, and some items in the collection have been digitized as the Black Culture and History Collection, these materials were added to special collections and renamed as the Seattle African American Ephemera Collection.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Library believes that the power of knowledge improves people's lives. We promote literacy and a love of reading as we bring people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community.
Contact the Library’s Ask Us service by phone at 206-386-4636 or by email or chat at www.spl.org/Ask. Staff are ready to answer questions and direct you to helpful resources and information.
ABOUT THE BLACK HERITAGE SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON STATE
The Black Heritage Society of Washington State was first proposed in 1977 and became incorporated in 1982. Preserving, collecting and sharing the history of African Americans in Washington State are the priorities that shape the BHS mission. BHS collections are a protected resource and public asset that archives the past and present to inform the future. The Society recognizes the importance for documenting the culture and heritage of Black people statewide, and advocates for saving places to uphold the notion that Washington State history is an essential link in the broader narrative that defines the story of our nation.
ABOUT HISTORIC SEATTLE
Historic Seattle believes that historic places provide an essential link to the past, reminding us of who we are and where we came from. To this end, our mission is saving meaningful places to foster lively communities. We pursue this through education, advocacy, and preservation. Our education programs raise awareness of Seattle’s architectural heritage among the public, while we advocate for preservation to policy makers and citizens alike. Historic Seattle is also in the business of acquiring and rehabilitating historic properties through our status as a preservation development authority (founded in 1973). We are also a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation (founded in 1996).