First Umoja Festival (1940s)

An annual festival held to celebrate African heritage and Black culture, Umoja Festival has been occurring for over 70 years and is an excellent example of the strong role Seattle’s Central District has played in providing the Black community of the Pacific Northwest with a space to gather and unite around a shared history. The name of the festival has changed several times since it began in the 1940s but it continues to be a popular event and now holds the significance of bringing together a community that has dispersed across the region.