Local: People, Local Interest & Connections

Trailblazing Black Women of Washington State

Journalists, suffragists and icons of activism

July 4, 2022

Dr. Dolores Silas was the first Black woman principal in the Tacoma School District and the first Black woman to serve on the Tacoma City Council. “She was also known for her style, especially her hats, claiming she had one for every outfit,” writes the author. (Courtesy Scott Breckinridge family / Reprinted from “Trailblazing Black Women of Washington State” by Marilyn Morgan, The History Press, 2022)

Trailblazing Black Women of Washington State is the new book by historian Marilyn Morgan.Breaking glass ceilings, organizing clubs and making history as the first in their fields, these trailblazing Black women paved the way for new generations.

Maxine Mimms, left, poses with Chassity Holliman-Douglas at a Juneteenth celebration. Mimms was an influential educator in Seattle and Washington D.C. In 1982 she became the first Black woman in the state of Washington to found a four-year college when Evergreen State College’s Tacoma campus opened. She taught at Evergreen, and later served as executive director at the Tacoma branch campus until she retired at age 90. Photo courtesy Legacy Washington Exhibit / Reprinted from “Trailblazing Black Women of Washington State” by Marilyn Morgan, The History Press, 2022)

From Nettie Craig Asberry, founder of the Tacoma NAACP, to Dr. Dolores Silas, now honored by a school bearing her name, these women forged a path amid adversity. Black women were crucial to the war effort, working as Rosies at Boeing during World War II. In the postwar years, Seattle musicians like Edyth Turnham and Her Knights of Syncopation were in high demand.

Fabienne “Fae” Brooks holds a long string of “firsts” in the King County Sheriff’s Department, including being the first Black woman to be a commissioned deputy. She retired as chief of its Criminal Investigation Division. One of her most memorable times was when she became one of the original detectives on the Green River Killer case. She currently consults for organizations around to world to develop policies for unbiased policing. Her husband Herbert retired as a captain for the Seattle Fire Department after 32 years of service. They have four children, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren (Courtesy Fae Brooks / Reprinted from “Trailblazing Black Women of Washington State” by Marilyn Morgan, The History Press, 2022)

These teachers, scientists and politicians served on boards, led protests and fought for civil rights across the state. Join author and historian Marilyn Morgan as she chronicles the incredible lives and contributions of Washington’s Black women.

Marilyn Morgan is an author, historian and photographer living in Seattle. Her published books include “Careers in Criminology” and” Seattle Historic Houses of Worship” She contributed to the “New York Past to Present Photo Tour.” Marilyn earned a BA degree from Virginia State University and a Documentary Production certificate from the University of Washington. She has worked for various media and organizations, including a Fortune 500 company. She loves writing, traveling and photographing the world.

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