JANUARY 2023
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The stories behind the names
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MP’s Mary Henry releases second book of Seattle’s notable Black figures
By Jessica Keller Madison Park Times editor
When Madison Park resident Mary Henry wrote her first book more than 20 years ago, “Tribute: Seattle Public Places Named for Black People,” it featured 22 sites and the people for whom they were named. Her latest book, “Tributes: Black People Whose Names Grace Seattle Sites,” released in January by HistoryLink, has more than double that number — more than 50. As someone who has experienced racism and has done her own work to combat it in Seattle, that pleases her for many reasons. “Maybe the city and the parks department are beginning to recognize that Black people do contribute to this community in many different ways,” Henry said. Henry, a retired librarian, said she was inspired to write her first book because of her work at South Shore Middle School. At the time, she used to quiz students, specifically Black students, about places named for Black historical figures. She would have them match the identity of a person with the site, she said, but more often than not, they couldn’t do it, she said. “I’ve always been fascinated by the fact these bridges, these streets, these buildings and these parks, they had all these names, and you don’t know who they are,” she said. After she retired, she put that knowledge into print, focusing on Seattle locations. More than 20 years later, she was compelled to update her book to reflect the growing number of Black people and places being recognized. She is just as determined that these people are not remembered only for the places named after them. “When you pass by these buildings, do you know who these people are? No,” Henry said. CHANGE IN EMPHASIS Henry said while her first book mostly focused on the places named for the people, this book
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Photo by Jessica Keller Madison Park resident and author Mary Henry, left, and her daughter-in-law and illustrator Marilyn Hasson Henry stand with Mary Henry’s recently released book, ‘Tributes: Black People Whose Names Grace Seattle Sites,’ which is the follow up to ‘Tribute: Seattle Public Places Named for Black People.’ The book can be purchased at local book stores and from Amazon.
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