19th and Madison’s Mount Zion is celebrating its 125-year history in Seattle with a year of focus on the church’s dedication to community. Last weekend, the pews were filled in a celebration to honor city and community leaders on Beloved Community Sunday.
“We have come far together, and there is still a lot of work to do. I look forward to continued and new strong partnerships,” Senior Pastor Rev. Aaron Williams said in a statement. “Together, we can move the community forward and possibly become a model for the nation.”
Honorees included Rev. Dr. Samuel B. McKinney who pretty much outdid just about anything you or I can achieve by receiving an award named for him:
In celebration of 125 years of serving the community and being a leader in the fight for civil rights, Mount Zion will honor community leaders and organizations who have been part of their journey to build a more equitable community for all. Honorees include Rev. Dr. Samuel B. McKinney, who will receive the first annual Samuel B. McKinney Beloved Community Lifetime Achievement Award.
McKinney will be among nearly two dozen notable honorees, including Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, Seattle City Council President Tim Burgess, Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole (represented by Deputy Chief Carmen best), Seattle Colleges Chancellor Dr. Jill Wakefield, Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, the Urban League of Seattle, King County and the NAACP.
According to our Re:Take history of the church, Mount Zion was founded in the 1890s, and for its first decade rented a few different spaces downtown. Church members date Mount Zion to 1890 when “a small group of African Americans held prayer services in their homes.”
The church eventually bought its own property and moved to 11th and Union joining another African American — First African Methodist Episcopal (First A.M.E.) at 14th and Pine.
24 years later, Mount Zion moved to its present day home:
Mt. Zion raised their building and added a floor, but they were never happy with the results. Finally in 1920 they bought the larger property we know on the southeast corner of 19th and Madison.
Today, Mount Zion remains one of the largest African American churches in the city. Given the pace of development in the area, it’s probably not surprising to learn the church has been working on a “master plan” for the 19th/Madison property that could one day lead to a new church campus and development. For now, congratulations on 125 years, Mount Zion.
(Images: Alex Garland for CHS)
I WAS A MEMBER OF MT ZION CHURCH WHEN HE FIRST CAME. WE HAD A VIABLE AFRICATOWN / CENTRAL DISTRICT COMMUNITY TEN TIMES THE SIZE OF CHINATOWN??? THE QUALITY OF LEADERSHIP IS DETERMINED BY WHAT COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPES AND GROWS OVER TIME???
“PROOF IS IN THE RESULTS??? AS A CHILD MEMBER OF MT ZION BEFORE HIS “LEADERSHIP MODEL”, IT WAS UNHEARD OF THAT A BLACK CHILD MURDERED ANOTHER BLACK CHILD??? TODAY AFTER HIS MODEL / STYLE OF LEADERSHIP WAS COPIED BY ALL ELECTED NEGROE POLITICIANS, BLACK YOUTH ARE SHOOTING AND KILLING EACH OTHER LIKE A “BLACK PLAGUE”??? THE CELEBRATION OF “UNCLE TOMS (INCLUDING WHITE SUPREMACY COURT JUSTICE CLARENCE “UNCLE” THOMAS) IS THE NORM???
FROM THE UN-UNITED STATES PRESIDENT DOWN, THE CELEBRATED “BLACK ESTABLISHMENT” RELIGIOUS / POLITICAL / MIS-EDUCATED LEADERSHIP, HAS “SOLD OUT” AND FAILED BLACK COMMUNITIES AND FAILED TO DEVEVELOPE COMMUNITY BUILDING INSTITUTIONS??? THE LIBERTY BLACK BANK BUILDING, EMPTY, THE SOIC BUILDING ON 22ND AND JACKSON NOW OWNED BY SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE??? THE SUCCESSFUL SOIC SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM HISTORY. CAMP (CENTRAL AREA MOTIVATION PROGRAM) GONE (NOW “CENTERSTONE” A VIRTUALLY EMPTY SHELL)???
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE LARRY GOSSETT / TONY ORANGE LED “CENTRAL AREA SCHOOL COUNCIL” (BOTH “SOLD OUT” / COMPROMISED CAMP DIRECTORS) ??? WHAT HAPPENED TO CAPDA (CENTRAL AREA PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY) WHICH HAD A AFRICATOWN / CENTRAL DISTRICT COMMUNITY ELECTED BOARD??? VIRTUALLY LILY WHITE CAPITOL HILL HOUSING PROGRAM (PAM BANKSTER ON BOARD) IS NOW TRYING TO TAKE OVER “NON-PROFIT” HOUSING IN AFRICATOWN’ WHILE PUSHING THEIR GENTRIFICATION / BLACK ETHNIC CLEANSING ( DESTROY HISTORIC LIBERTY BANK BUILDING COMING FIGHT) DOWNTOWN DEVELOPERS AGENDA???
THE FIGHT TO DEVELOPE A WORLD CLASS AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER CONSISTANT WITH THE EL CENTRO DE LA RAZA / DAYBREAK STAR MODELS, CONTINUES TO FIGHT THE “BLACK ESTABLISHMENT” ATTEMPT TO PROMOTE 36 CONDOS AS “AFFORDABLE HOUSING” AT THE WHITE OWNED AND CONTROLLED “URBAN LEAGUE VILLAGE??? YES, TO HELL WITH EFFECTIVE BLACK YOUTH CULTURAL PROGRAMING SPACE???
NOW, BACK TO T CELEBRATING “BLACK ESTABLISHMENT” LEADERSHIP. THE URBAN LEAGUE AND CEO PAM “DOWNTOWN” BANKSTER (RACIST POLICE GUILD’S CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL) IS ALSO THE DARLING OF THE “DOWNTOWN ESTABLISHMENT’S GENTRIFICATION / BLACK ETHNIC CLEANSING STRATEGY??? URBAN LEAGUE CEO JAMES “GUNSLINGER” KELLY WHO INFAMOUSLY SNITCHED ON HIMSELF AND PLEADED GUILTY TO UNLAWFULLY “FLASHING” A LOADED AUTOMATIC GUN ON AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY YOUTH ORGANIZER INSIDE RAINIER BEACH HIGH SCHOOL,WAS HIRED BY AND IS NOW “GUNSLINGING FOR THE CITY OF SEATTLE??? URBAN LEAGUE CEO PAM “DOWNTOWN BANKSTER (THE POLICE GUILD’S PROUD DARLING MAMMY) AND KELLY (A MACHINE GUN KELLY WANNABE) SIMPLY EXCHANGED POSITIONS??? YES JUST A CONTINUATION OF THE ORGANIZED CRIME RICO RACKETEERING BUSINESS AS USUAL???
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE “BLACK RELIGIOUS / AND ITS URBAN LEAGUE FRONT ARE ABOUT, JUST GOOGLE URBAN LEAGUE WATCH SITE??? FOR SURE HE / THEY ARE MASTER MAGICIANS FOR EVERYYHING THEY TOUCHED HAS DISAPPEARED EXCEPT THE CHURCH(S). YES, BISHOP JOHN HURST ADAMS AND REV. CHIP MURRAY WERE RUN OUT OF TOWN TO BIGGER AND BETTER SUCESSFUL INSTITUTION BUILDING RIGHT HERE ON EARTH???
Omari Tahir-Garrett, VIETNAM VETERAN (1967), PRISONER OF WAR (1968 AND AGAIN 2002-20004), WORLD TRAVELER, HISTORY / ANTI-APARTHEID / ANTI- COLONIAL SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER, AND CANDIDATE FOR SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL
WEBSITE: OmariforCityCouncil
WEBSITE: AFRICATOWN / CHINATOWN NEWS DIGEST
WEBSITE; prison2president