ROOTS Voices Project

ROOTS Voices is an audio/visual project that records the stories and history of African Americans who are life long residents or relocated individuals driven by the pushes and pulls of the Great Migration to the Northwest. The project was first developed in 2013 as a collaboration between the Black Heritage Society and the NW ROOTS Committee with support from a City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Matching Grant.

The inspiration and venue for ROOTS Voices is the annual gathering of Relatives Of Old-Timers (ROOTS) Family Picnic in Seattle, WA.  African American families with strong Northwest ties come together to celebrate friendships, honor the past, and to acknowledge and award community achievements.  The event is held annually on the first Sunday in September.  Location and details are shared widely three months prior.
Sample ROOTS Voices interview:

For more information on the ROOTS Voices project, send inquiries to:
blackheritagesocietywa@gmail.com