If you grew up in Seattle’s Central District, it probably seems like the Soul Pole — a 21-foot artwork that stands tall on the lawn of the Douglass-Truth Branch at 23rd and E. Yesler — has always been been there.
In fact, the sculpture, has stood there for (almost) exactly 50 years. Carved in the late 1960s from a telephone pole by young members of the Rotary Boys Club to represent 400 years of African American history and injustice, the Soul Pole was given to the branch and then installed on April 24, 1973.
Over the decades that passed, which saw so many momentous changes in the neighborhood, city and world, the Soul Pole became, as the Black Heritage Society of Washington has said, “a symbol of tenacity, legacy, and pride that anchors the history of Black people to Seattle’s Central District.”
You can learn more about the Soul Pole’s history and legacy at a 50th anniversary celebration at the Douglass-Truth Branch this Saturday, April 29 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Titled “Preserving Neighborhood Character in the Central District: The Soul Pole at 50 Years,” the event brings together community members who will speak about the Soul Pole’s history; its recent conservation process, which won an award from Historic Seattle in 2022; the role of the community in historic preservation; and efforts to amplify the African American Collection at the Douglass-Truth Branch. Speakers include:
- Tom Fay, Chief Librarian of The Seattle Public Library
- Elijah Mu’ied, poet, performance artist known on the mic as 6 Deep The Messenger and son of Raqib Mu’ied (formerly Gregory X), who led the Soul Pole project as art director for the Seattle Rotary Boys Club
- royal alley-barnes, interim director of Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture
- Taylor Brooks, the African American Collection librarian at the Douglass-Truth Branch
- Stephanie Johnson-Toliver, president at The Black Heritage Society of Washington State
- Taelore Rhoden, director of community engagement at Historic Seattle
The program will start outside by the Soul Pole and then move inside to the branch’s meeting room. Community members will also have a chance to share their stories and memories at the event. Feel free to stay and enjoy refreshments at the reception that follows.
Find more information on the Soul Pole at www.spl.org/SoulPole.
Shelf Talk 