“If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”

Carter G. Woodson

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The Seattle Griot Project (SGP) represents the realization of a longstanding commitment to establish the Washington State Black Legacy Institute (WSBLI) within the heart of the Black community. WSBLI is not just a static museum exhibit; it is an empowered community initiative. It will house a heritage collection featuring portrait imagery, artifact displays, and digital content, alongside comprehensive multimedia training in photography, film, audio, print, and web media.

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SGP's primary goal is to empower and raise awareness within the Black American community, showcasing their remarkable achievements and providing tools for self-expression through a rich collection of multimedia and oral history resources focused on King County, Washington. In addition to preserving cultural heritage, WSBLI will offer digital and financial literacy programs to equip community members with essential skills for success in the modern world.

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The collaborative efforts of the Washington State Black Legacy Institute and SGP aim to preserve and promote lived Black history across generations and within the community, transforming cultural narratives and presenting the culture, history, and stories of the Black community to all residents, visitors, and future inheritors of this legacy in King County.

 

 “The Seattle Griot Project”.

 

The definition “Griot” has been known to be:

 

A West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, or musician. The Griot is a repository of oral tradition and is often seen as a leader due to their position as an advisor to royal personages.

 

We are building this repository to preserve the accuracy and details of the memories from all historical content to be collected concerning the pacific northwest's black community's evolution, starting from the time of community redlining to present day. Our strategy is gathering by topic file any and all relevant photos, print articles, audio and motion visual media. This effort will result in the building of a comprehensive archive which will be freely available for our future generations of black people and those other community dwellers that will inquire via internet. This repository will be available offering data to understand the resolves of the local businesses, visualize events previously captured and to re-visit cultural and political expos.