This Friday is Juneteenth, a day Black Americans celebrate the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday coincides this year with a wealth of exhibitions and community projects in the area that honor the legacy of the Seattle Black Panther Party, which fought for the liberation of Black people during the late 1960s.
< And on that tip, just down the street at Arte Noir, the new-ish exhibit Central District Legacy: Black. Power. Black Panthers (through Aug. 2) showcases the impact of the Seattle Black Panther Party (the first chapter outside California) and the role of the Central District in that history. The exhibition features works reflecting on the Black Panthers’ legacy by contemporary artists like Charles Conner, Tony Toney, Thaddeus Hunnicutt, Tasanee Durrett, Ed-Lamarr Petion and others.
< Over in Skyway, Black Panther Park opened in late April, thanks to a team effort between Nurturing Roots, King County Parks and Stone Soup Gardens. Its main point of focus is a giant community garden — a nod to the Black Panthers’ free breakfast program — with raised herb and medicinal beds, a central gathering area and a lending library available to all. There are also a ton of murals by local Black artists like Al-Baseer Holly, Ari Glass, and Cristina Martinez…