SEATTLE — February is Black History Month, but have you ever stopped to think, "how much do I really know about Black history?"
A new pop-up museum called "Call to Conscience" at the Columbia City Theater in Seattle is looking to educate people about Seattle's vibrant Black history.
A good story often has a show-and-tell, and for Tony Benton, the founder of "Call to Conscience," February is the perfect opportunity to share what he knows.
"I can gain the interest of communities about the importance of Black history during Black History Month, not so much the rest of the year," Benton said. "I'm not saying that's right, wrong, I'm just saying during Black history month, there's heightened awareness."
Benton said Seattle's Black history is one to be discovered, collected.
"A lot of our history is in attics and treasure chests and backrooms," Benton explained. "And when these elders pass away it's thrown away because there's no recognized infrastructure to keep this history."
The latest U.S. Census shows that Washington's population is only 4.5% Black.
"We're not Atlanta, we're not Chicago, we're not New York," Benton said. "The way that we dealt with repression and oppression and overcame the obstacles is unique to this city and these individuals, and that history isn't really recorded anywhere. It adds context to why we were who we are, and where we are today."
An exhibit about Seattle's Black Panther party at the museum highlights its fight for civil rights, and the important work it did for the community.
"The Free Breakfast Program that was started by the Seattle Black Panther Party--that is now a national institution!" Benton said. "And so making people aware of what we've done, it instills pride for who we are."
Ever heard of the Seattle Steelheads? For two years, our city had a team in the West Coast Negro Baseball League.
As these pieces of history move from treasure chests and into the spotlight, Benton said he hopes the collection will show Black Seattle history as our Seattle history.
"See yourself in this museum, you see your neighbors in this museum and you see the contributions of African Americans to Seattle and Washington and nationally," Benton said.
For more information about "Call to Conscience," and what kinds of exhibits you can expect to see, you can go to calltoconscience.world.
For ticket information and purchasing, you can head over to Eventbrite.
Watch more of KING 5's Facing Race reporting on YouTube: