SEATTLE — A group of local business owners is working to connect the Seattle community to the city's history of diversity, through a free multimedia tour and new community space.
The Green Book Seattle Self-Guided tour highlights the diverse businesses that made up a once booming corridor along Seattle’s Jackson Street that operated from the 1920s to the 1960s.
“Black-owned and Black friendly businesses are an important part of what made Seattle the city we live in and it’s important to remember that these businesses were here,” said Karen Toering.
Toering is part of a group of more than a dozen partners who are teaming up to open Black & Tan Hall.
The community space will pay tribute to the Black & Tan clubs that catered to Black and mixed-race customers starting in the 1920s.
“Black & Tan clubs were a thing across the country and certainly here in Seattle,” said Joe Seamons, a partner in Black & Tan Hall.
Seamons said the walking tour provides a peek at some of the area's history in a way that honors the lives and legacies that have been covered up by paint or new construction.
“We have 13 stops and I think the Green Book really shows us that Black history, Asian history, and our Seattle history are all intertwined and it’s important we don’t forget the places and people who paved the way,” said Toering.
Seattle Black & Tan Club operated for almost 50 years at 12th & Jackson and was often where musicians like Ray Charles would play in jam sessions after shows for white audiences across town.
That's just a part of the history you’ll see and hear in the guided multimedia walking tour that’s available for free.
Black & Tan Hall has been under development for years is finishing renovations in their theater space along Rainier Avenue South in Hillman City and is excited about the release of their audio-driven tour.
The app is available on iOS and Android and features the voices of many of the local business leaders behind the project.