We Are Also in Bondage Here: Black Women in the Washington Civil Rights Movement

The Olympia Timberland Library and the League of Women Voters of Thurston County are thrilled to welcome Quin’Nita Cobbins-Modica to the library for this special Humanities Washington presentation. The dominant narrative about Washington State is that it’s an “exceptional” place rather than a microcosm of the larger U.S. society. How do Black women’s stories challenge this understanding? What are the long-standing systemic inequalities in the state? When the 1960s ushered in a wave of political ferment in Washington State, Black women were the driving force behind civil rights campaigns to dismantle statewide racial segregation and discriminatory practices. This talk examines their collective leadership efforts and activist work, which resulted in significant legislative changes and profoundly impacted the state’s residents. By centering Black women’s experiences and sacrifices, we can learn valuable lessons about the past and its relevance to ongoing contemporary social and political issues.