Before you go to the play, get smart HistoryLink.org Recommended Reading The earth-shaking events portrayed in All the Way and The Great Society, by playwright Robert Schenkkan, all had local repercussions. Before you see the plays at the Seattle Repertory Theatre, get smart! Enrich your playgoing experience by visiting HistoryLink.org, the free online encyclopedia of Washington state history. HistoryLink is full of the social, political, and economic history that shaped the local experience during this tumultuous time. From the left: World s Fair Commission Chairman Edward E. Carlson, World s Fair President Joe Gandy, U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, Washington State Governor Al Rosellini, Bishop Lewis, and John Glenn attending an event on the Century 21 Exposition grounds, Seattle, 1962. University of Washington Libraries. Special Collections Division. Order # SEA3135 HistoryLink
HistoryLink.org recommended reading for All the Way and The Great Society, plays by Robert Schenkkan 2 People s Histories Memoirs, reminiscences, contemporary accounts, reprints of older historical accounts, commentary on and interpretation of current and historical events, and expressions of personal opinion Timeline Essays A specific event in the continuum of Washington state history. Madrona Memories, Part 1: Essay 3030, Madrona Memories, Part 2 Civil Rights and Civil Unrest: Essay 3105, Madrona Memories, Part 3 Central Area Council: Essay 3103 Carol Richman moved with her family to the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle in 1961. She was a member of the Central Area Community Council (Madrona and the Central Area are contiguous) and in this People s History recalls the civil rights movement and civil unrest in Madrona during the 1960s and 1970s and offers a reminiscence of and reflection on the Council in the 1960s. Other voices which join Carol Richman as co-rememberers are Mary Kenny, Sheila Bodemer, Reva K. Twersky, Judge John Darrah, Richard Boerner, and Diana Glenn. Phyllis Lamphere Oral History, Part 1 Growing Up, Getting Involved, Creating Change: Essay 10630 Lamphere recounts some of the important events of her extraordinary life and career as a politician and public servant and provides an inside look at the workings of local government. This first segment of the oral history covers her early years, her initial involvement in civic affairs, her 1967 election to the Seattle City Council and the resulting fundamental reforms achieved during her tenure, and her efforts to address complex problems through cooperation among local governments. On passing the open-housing ordinance Phyllis commented: one of the old timers finally swung over and voted with us, and when that happened, another one stormed out of the council chamber and said, This is the darkest day in Seattle s history. Martin Luther King Jr. arrives for his sole Seattle visit on November 8, 1961: Essay 673 On November 8, 1961, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), the great civil rights leader, arrives for his first and only visit to Seattle. He speaks at the University of Washington and at Temple de Hirsch on Thursday, November 9, and at Garfield High School and the Eagles Auditorium on Friday, November 10, 1961. A reception follows at Plymouth Congregational Church. First sit-in of the civil rights movement in Seattle occurs on July 1, 1963: Essay 3161 On July 1, 1963, 35 young people stage the first sit-in of the civil rights movement in Seattle in the offices of Mayor Gordon S. Clinton. They are protesting the composition of a 12-member human rights commission proposed by Clinton. They occupy the mayor s offices for 24 hours before leaving. There are no incidents and no arrests. A handbill was circulated, reading in part: As citizens of Seattle and members of the Central District Youth Club, we feel humiliated by the slow process of the City of Seattle to adopt open housing. We are past the stage of patience, we also are past the stage of committees and sub committees. We want open housing today. Seattle votes down open housing on March 10, 1964: Essay 3154 On March 10, 1964, Seattle voters reject an Open Housing referendum to end racial discrimination in home sales and rentals by nearly two to one.
Recommended reading on HistoryLink.org for All the Way and The Great Society, plays by Robert Schenkkan 3 Timeline Essays President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964: Essay 1282 On the evening of July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Bill into law. The act strengthens the present law prohibiting racial discrimination at the polls, in hotels, restaurants, theaters, schools, libraries, swimming pools, etc., and by employers and union halls. The law covers discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, and religion. Discrimination on the basis of sex is prohibited in only the employment section of the act. This essay includes the text of the Seattle Post- Intelligencer editorial on the Civil Rights Act. Economic Opportunity Act, which enables tribes to receive federal funds directly, becomes law on August 20, 1964: Essay 7090 On August 20, 1964, the Economic Opportunity Act, which enables tribes to receive federal funding directly, becomes law. The Act, the centerpiece of President Lyndon Johnson s War on Poverty, enables various branches of the government to fund the tribes on an equal basis with counties and states. Protesters march in Seattle s first major demonstration against the war in Vietnam on October 16, 1965: Essay 4179 On October 16, 1965, between 350 and 400 citizens marched in downtown Seattle to protest the escalating U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. This first major local demonstration against the war was organized by Seattle Committee to End the War in Vietnam (SCEWV) and the University of Washington chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). Demonstrators marched under police escort down 4th Avenue from the Federal Courthouse at Spring Street to a noon rally at Westlake Mall, where scuffles broke out with hostile spectators. Richard Nixon calls for a truth offensive during a speech in Seattle on February 7, 1966: Essay 10105 On February 7, 1966, Richard Nixon (1913-1994) calls for a truth offensive during a speech at the King County Republican Lincoln Day dinner held at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. He is referring to alleged failures of the then-current administration of President Lyndon Johnson (1908-1973) to fully inform the American public of significant issues connected with the Vietnam War. Stokely Carmichael speaks to 4,000 at Seattle s Garfield High School on April 19, 1967: Essay 3715 On April 19, 1967, Stokely Carmichael (1941-1998) speaks to an audience of 4,000 at Seattle s Garfield High School. Carmichael is chairman of the civil rights organization SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), and the originator of the slogan black power. His talk urging blacks to come together and to throw off the shackles imposed by white honkies has a momentous effect on the outlook of many Seattleites. Reformers Phyllis Lamphere, Tim Hill, and Sam Smith take seats on Seattle City Council on December 4, 1967: Essay 10381 On December 4, 1967, three reformers Phyllis Lamphere (b. 1922), Tim Hill (b. 1936), and Sam Smith (1922-1995) take their seats on the Seattle City Council after election wins the previous November. Sam Smith, a former state legislator, is the first African American elected to the council. Phyllis Lamphere becomes one of two women members, with incumbent Myrtle Edwards (1894-1969). Lamphere and Tim Hill are both backed by the reformist group Choose an Effective City Council (CHECC). Their swearing-in ceremony marks a revolution on the council and represents a rebuke of the city s conservative, business-dominated leadership (Crowley). These three new council members will proceed to lay the groundwork for significant reform on a number of issues, including open housing and open government.
Recommended reading on HistoryLink.org for All the Way and The Great Society, plays by Robert Schenkkan 4 Timeline Essays College and high school students sit-in at Seattle s Franklin High on March 29, 1968: Essay 1378 On March 29, 1968, University of Washington Black Students Union members Aaron Dixon and Larry Gossett, local SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) head Carl Miller, and high school student Trolice Flavors are arrested during a sitin at Seattle s Franklin High School. The protest is over Flavors expulsion. Seattle City Council approves open housing ordinance on April 19, 1968: Essay 1384 On April 19, 1968, the Seattle City Council unanimously approves a strong open housing ordinance with an emergency clause to take immediate effect. Although the council is deeply divided on the issue of open housing, unrest in more than 100 U.S. cities following the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) motivates the members to act together to maintain racial peace. Citizens numbering 2,000 march in protest of Vietnam War on April 26, 1968: Essay 1387 On April 26, 1968, 2,000 citizens march peacefully against the Vietnam War. The march begins at the King County Court House in downtown Seattle and ends at Seattle Center. Black Student Union stages sit-in at University of Washington on May 20, 1968: Essay 1454 On May 20, 1968, the University of Washington Black Student Union stages a four-hour sit-in at the UW Administration building. The sit-in results in a UW commitment to double black enrollment, to increase financial aid, and to introduce Black Studies courses. Riots erupt in Seattle s Central Area after Franklin High protestors are sentenced on July 1, 1968: Essay 1515 On July 1, 1968, Judge James Dore sentences Aaron Dixon, Larry Gossett, and Carl Miller to six months in jail for unlawful assembly during a March 29th sit-in at Franklin High School, triggering riots in Seattle s Central Area. Several hundred young African Americans gather at Garfield High School for a protest rally, which degenerates into rock throwing. Seattle Police give an order to disperse and arrest six persons during five hours of unrest. Mass arrests follow disturbances in Seattle s Central Area on July 31, 1968: Essay 3307 On July 31, 1968, 69 persons are arrested in Seattle during a Central Area melee and Mayor J.D. Dorm Braman (1901-1980) promises that mass arrests will continue. The rioting is the aftermath of the arrest of Black Panthers Aaron Dixon and Curtis Harris for being in the same room with a stolen typewriter (following a police raid of the Black Panther office). The Seattle-King County Bar Association protests the mass arrests and intercedes to win the freedom of most suspects. Rumors prompt armed Black Panthers to visit Rainier Beach High School on September 6, 1968: Essay 2293 On September 6, 1968, approximately 25 members of the Black Panther Party, half with firearms, visit Rainier Beach Junior-Senior High School following news reports and rumors that white students have been beating African American students. The men seek assurances that their black brethren (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) would not be molested. They leave after meeting with principal Donald S. Means. Seattle School District introduces textbook stressing the role of racial minorities in American history on September 23, 1968: Essay 3590 On September 23, 1968, the Seattle School District introduces, The Role of Racial Minorities in the United States. The book aims to correct general ignorance about how people of color participated in and contributed to American Society.
Recommended reading on HistoryLink.org for All the Way and The Great Society, plays by Robert Schenkkan 5 Cyberpedias In-depth discussions of place, events, and people CAMP, Central Area Motivation Program (Seattle): Essay 9243 Seattle s Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP) is the oldest surviving independent agency originating during the War on Poverty era (in 1964) and was the first community-inspired program in the country to receive funding. Its mission has been to reduce the impact of poverty with all of its related problems. Through many programs and services, CAMP still (2009) assists in improving the lot of the poor by providing food and shelter; offering education for at-risk students; employment and training for the unemployed and underemployed; and heating homes during the colder months. Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Seattle Chapter: Essay 9879 The Seattle Chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality was a powerful force in the city s civil rights movement during the 1960s, spearheading efforts to bring to public attention the inequalities black people suffered in housing, employment, and education. In 1960, Seattle s black population was mostly confined to housing in the Central Area, studying in segregated public schools and were prevented from working in public positions such as grocery and department store clerks. The organization was successful in opening job opportunities and in calling attention to other forms of discrimination. Gayton, Gary David (b. 1933): Essay 3714 Gary David Gayton is a prominent Seattle lawyer and businessman. His distinguished legal career began with an appointment by Robert Kennedy as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. As a lawyer he prosecuted and won numerous notable cases involving the civil rights of African Americans, Native Americans, and women. In 1966, he was invited to be one of five delegates from Washington state to attend President Johnson s To Fulfill Three Rights -- the first White House Civil Rights Conference. He has also served on numerous civic boards and commissions. Hundley, Walter R. (1929-2002): Essay 3173 Walter R. Hundley, minister, sociologist, civil rights worker, and administrator, served Seattle in a number of important offices including Superintendent of Parks and Recreation, Director of Management and Budget, Director of Central Area Motivation Project, and Director of the Seattle Model City Program. He retired from public service in 1988 and died in 2002 after a long illness. Jackson, Henry M. Scoop (1912-1983): Essay 5516 Henry M. (Scoop) Jackson was one of the most successful and powerful politicians in the history of Washington state. At 28, Jackson entered the United States Congress as its youngest member. He remained there the rest of his life, serving under nine presidents. Jackson never lost an election in Washington, winning six terms in the House of Representatives and six in the Senate, often by record margins. Jackson was the quintessential Cold War liberal. He was an outspoken and influential advocate of increased military spending and a hard line against the Soviet Union, while supporting social welfare programs, civil rights, and the labor movement. Together with Warren G. Magnuson (1905-1989), with whom he served in the Senate for 28 years, Jackson used his legislative skill and seniority to win the state unprecedented influence in the nation s capital. Johnson, Charles V. (b. 1928): Essay 8610 Charles Vernon Johnson, retired presiding judge of King County Superior Court, played an influential role in Seattle s civil rights struggle during the 1960s and has spent almost 40 years in a leadership role with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), serving as president of the local branch, president of the Pacific Northwest Region, and member of the national executive board.
Recommended reading on HistoryLink.org for All the Way and The Great Society, plays by Robert Schenkkan 6 Cyberpedia Magnuson, Warren G. (1905-1989): Essay 5569 Warren G. Magnuson represented Washington in the United States Senate longer than anyone else and used his seniority and persuasive skills to enact legislation that profoundly affected many aspects of American life. After serving in the state legislature, as King County Prosecutor, and in the U.S. House of Representatives, he was elected to the Senate in 1944, serving six terms (36 years) before his 1980 defeat. Magnuson was close to Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973). They were friends and allies from the time they served together on the House Naval Affairs Committee. Even after Johnson became president, Magnuson addressed him as Lyndon, and Johnson took time from his presidential duties to be Magnuson s best man at his 1964 wedding. Magnuson led the way for major increases in federal funding for health care and research. Before Ralph Nader was a national figure, Magnuson initiated the public interest revolution in Congress with groundbreaking consumer protection legislation. Magnuson and Henry M. Scoop Jackson (1912-1983) served together in the Senate from 1952 until 1980, using their legislative skill and seniority to win Washington an unprecedented share of federal funds. McKinney, Samuel Berry (b. 1926): Essay 152 Reverend Samuel Berry McKinney served as pastor of Seattle s Mount Zion Baptist Church from 1958 until his retirement in 1998 and provided the longest continuous pastorship in the history of the church, which is located at 19th Avenue and E Madison Street. He was a civil rights leader as well as a minister and did much to shape the conscience of Seattle. NAACP, Seattle Branch: Essay 695 The Seattle Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded on October 23, 1913, and became the first of the national civil rights organizations to be established in the city. The 1960s and 1970s were rife with movement and change brought on in part by the efforts of the NAACP. They fought for open housing, desegregation of Seattle schools, and equal employment for African Americans. During the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the branch was kept busy in court defending all the people who had been jailed in the marches and had created disturbances on the University of Washington campus and at other sites in the city while protesting discrimination. Pratt, Edwin T. (1930-1969): Essay 3162 Edwin T. Pratt was the Executive Director of the Seattle Urban League, a member of the Central Area Civil Rights Organization, and a leader in the struggle for integrated housing and education in Seattle. On January 26, 1969, he was shot and killed by an unknown assailant. For further information about the investigation into his death, check out related Timeline Essay 4142. Smith, Sam (1922-1995): Type Sam Smith in the search box Sam Smith was the first black person to be elected to the Seattle City Council and the second black State Legislator from King County. He has been credited with helping to bridge the political and cultural gap between the white and black communities. Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle: Essay 8470 The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, formerly the Seattle Urban League, is a community-based social service organization dedicated to improving the lives of African Americans, other people of color, and the poor. Its programs and services have focused on housing, education, employment, and health and welfare. Most of its financial support is from the United Way of King County with additional funds from membership dues, contributions, government and private sources.