Preserving the history of Black communities has largely been done through passed-down traditions of storytelling, also known as the griot tradition. Griot, in West African culture, is a profession that involves training primarily in the art of listening, poetry, and music. Young griots in training sit at the feet of elders and listen to the stories that portray the history of their people and often learn to translate these histories into song. Griots hold the responsibility for keeping the stories of their tribes and families alive.
This tradition is often assigned as a hereditary rite of passage. While its formality among descendants of African tribes now residing in the Americas has diminished, there are still many ways in which our histories are recorded, archived, and passed down.
In fact, the mission of the Black Heritage Society of Washington State (BHS) is a commitment to the acquisition, preservation, and sharing of archived collections relating to the history and legacy of Black people from across Washington State.
As president of BHS, Stephanie Johnson-Toliver, a Seattle native, is at the helm of this organization and the chief steward of its mission. She is a Black history griot of our time and in our midst.
Johnson-Toliver is largely a behind-the-scenes kind of person whose depth of heritage-keeping work can go unnoticed or be considered minor, mostly because she is not one to boast or shout about how she has led the way in efforts to identify and honor the long and vast history of Black Seattle.
It was just a couple of weeks ago, as I was driving on 23rd Avenue, that I noticed a smallish insignia on the street sign. Upon closer examination, I saw that the small space on the corner of the street sign held very important information. It said Central District, inside the replicated redline – a map of the area into which Black people were required to reside until restrictive covenants were lifted in the late 1960s. This is part of the work carried out by the Historic Central Area Arts and Cultural District, co-led by Johnson-Toliver and Sharon Williams.
Another effort toward Black history preservation to which Stephanie is dedicated is the preservation of the history of Seattle’s Black Panther Party chapter. In 2018, the chapter celebrated its 50th anniversary, and Stephanie was heavily involved in developing an accompanying chapter exhibit that was mounted at the Northwest African American Museum.
Exactly who is this woman, and how did she become so dedicated to the preservation of Black history and people in the Pacific Northwest and Washington State? Here are a few clues:
Stephanie Johnson-Toliver is a fourth-generation Seattleite. Her grandparents migrated to the area from Arkansas and Louisiana, seeking a better life and greater opportunities, and had heard that the Pacific Northwest was a great place to be. Unlike the overt racism that existed in the Jim Crow South, Seattle offered an escape, that is until the realities of covert racism settled in. Covert racism was embedded in real estate and bank lending practices that prohibited many from purchasing property and saddled others into predatory loans. One story Stephanie wishes she knew was how her grandfather was able to purchase a piece of property on Beacon Hill and later sell it. She is well aware, however, of the story of how her mother could not purchase property even though she had a good job at The Boeing Company, and instead, her mother’s brother had to purchase and quitclaim the property to his sister.
Stephanie didn’t grow up directly in the Central District but spent a lot of time with her grandparents, who resided on 25th and Howell, where sculptor James Washington, Jr., and his wife Janie resided across the street. This was a time when young Black people across the city tended to come into regular contact with one another through events like talent shows, community parades, and summer bus excursions. Of her grandparent’s residence in the Central District, Stephanie recalls that they were eager to sell their property and move out of the redlined area.
As we talked, we remembered together how our tribe at one time sought desperately to escape the label and the reality of the covert racism in this city that was indicated by the restrictions around where a Black person could live. We agree that we understand this conundrum even if it is hard to reconcile at times, particularly now when so much has been lost.
In her youth, Stephanie tried her hand at the accordion, a highly untraditional instrument of Black culture, to say the least, and even joined the synchronized swimming team in her youth. However, her mark on both Black history and developing curators of our history lasts well beyond her extracurricular experimentation!
Stephanie on the 1963 synchronized swimming team. Courtesy of Stephanie Johnson-Toliver.
Having been the recipient of a scholarship to Whitman College, Stephanie desired to be more embedded in the Black history that was unfolding at the University of Washington and returned to Seattle to be ensconced with history-makers like Larry Gossett, Roberto Maestas, Dr. Samuel Kelly, Gertrude Peoples, and others. She landed at the U of W Office of Minority Affairs and found a community of Black educators and Black love. She would later find herself seeking employment with the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation and laughs when telling the story of how she showed up in her 3-piece suit only to be notified that her work gear would consist mostly of a raincoat and boots. She was assigned to the Volunteer Park Conservatory, where she honed her skills as a horticulturist. These skills would prove immensely useful during her time working on the development of the Jimi Hendrix Park adjacent to the Northwest African American Museum.
At the U of W, Stephanie studied and obtained a certificate in museum studies. This would lead her to complete her practicum at the Northwest African American Museum, where she worked alongside Brian Carter and Barbara Earl Thomas. At her Parks job, it was Barbara’s father who led a Parks crew and took Stephanie under his wing. Of her museum experience, she notes that it was one of those full-circle moments when she got to work with the daughter of her mentor. At NAAM, Stephanie developed young curator curriculums and found another sweet spot for expressing her joy for working in community. When development of the Jimi Hendrix Park was underway, Stephanie again brought her vast knowledge of horticulture to bear. The park is a haven for butterfly gardens, which pay homage to Jimi Hendrix’s love of butterflies. In the park, you can also find Paulownia trees that bear flowers in Jimi’s favorite color, purple. The Paulownia is a fast-growing hardwood tree also used for the making of guitars.
Having grown up in a family and community where the rich history of Black people was evident on a daily basis, Stephanie was enamored by the work being done by the Black Heritage Society to preserve this rich history. The organization was founded in 1977 in the home of historian Esther Mumford. Stephanie’s calling to this organization was amplified once she visited the archive, and she described that experience as the point when she knew there was “no getting out of that rabbit hole.” Her involvement dates back to right around the time that the Northwest African American Museum was opening in 2008. Stephanie has been leading the Black Heritage Society for the past six years.
When Stephanie describes some of what is contained in the BHS archives and collection, it’s easy to understand how one with any inkling of an interest in Northwest Black history might become hooked. When asked about the kinds of things held by the organization, Stephanie shared some of the following examples:
BHS is currently working toward accessioning the collection of Judge Charles Z. Smith, a Washington State Supreme Court Judge from 1988 to 2002. Smith also served as a prosecutor in the Jimmy Hoffa case alongside Bobby Kennedy. Some of the redacted pages from that case are included in the collection, along with photographs, portraits, various artifacts from his life, and some of the numerous awards he received.
The Jonathan Moore collection includes items collected and saved by his mom, such as the cap he wore when recording, elementary school drawings, and personal journals.
For the past 40 years, the Black Heritage Society has maintained a relationship with the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI). Stephanie credits the foresight of creating that relationship to the founders for understanding the importance of creating protected space for a deep archive that dates back to the 1880s. The space is climate controlled – an essential element for preserving artifacts, and when I asked Stephanie what most excites her about the coming year for the organization, she pointed to the advent of digitization and the necessity for such in order to increase public access. “Digitization work is top of mind. We’re working with the Black Spatial History project with Wa Na Wari for community collective archiving.” Johnson-Toliver also iterated the fact that when large institutions “collect our history, they tend to sit on it and don’t share our history.“
During this year, Stephanie is excited about the expansion goals for the Black Heritage Society. She cites a focus on skills diverse board recruitment as well as new relationships with the Smithsonian African American Museum of History and Culture and the Washington State Black Legacy Institute. Advocacy toward recognition of Black Heritage sites is also on the agenda.
“So what does someone with such an active life and so deeply committed to community do to care for self?” I asked and was relieved to hear that routines include surrounding herself with people who encourage her to engage in self-care, gardening and walking in nature, camping with girlfriends at least 3 times yearly, reading, playing bridge, and quilting.
More than a modern-day griot, Stephanie Johnson-Toliver holds up the sky in support of Black history collection, activation, and preservation.
You can learn more about the Black Heritage Society of Washington State here.
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