Edwin Pratt is, unfortunately, best known for his assassination on Jan. 26, 1969.
But historians and civil rights leaders alike want him to also be remembered for his contributions to the civil rights movement.
Pratt was a civil rights leader in 1960s Seattle who fought to integrate society. After moving to the Seattle area from the South, he led the Seattle Urban League and integrated Shoreline’s very white community by moving himself and his wife, son, and daughter to Shoreline. He was shot and killed in his Shoreline driveway by unknown assailants in 1969. The assassination has never been solved. His assassination was preceded by Malcolm X’s and Martin Luther King’s, and his preceded Fred Hampton’s assassination later that year.
Shoreline College held an event last month to reflect on his life and raise awareness of his work as an activist
Organizers were “overwhelmed” with the turnout that evening of Jan. 29. Some audience members had come far, from Seattle proper, to be there because of how much they valued Pratt’s life’s work.
The guest speakers and select guests, like Larry Gossett, were described as “star-studded” and as “legends” by opening speaker, Ernest B. Johnson. That proved to be true throughout the night. I found out as the event began, Gossett, sat to my left during the event, helped found Seattle’s Black Panther party and is a former King County Council elected representative. Others, like Johnson, the emcee of the night, are former professors of SC. And some are accomplished alumni for their age, like Rashawn Smith and Monique Franklin who spoke.
This event at SC isn’t unprecedented; past events in memorial of Edwin Pratt have usually been celebrated around Jan. 26, the day of his assassination.
It seemed like the goal of the event and future holidays dedicated to Edwin Pratt was to not be a day of mourning, but “remembrance,” as Shoreline Mayor Betsy Robertson said in her proclamation. Or as Johnson put it, the holiday is now a day to “celebrate his martyrdom.”
In addition, the event was well attended in part because the city is planning to open a new memorial park in honor of Pratt this spring or later. As part of the planning process, they had reached out for comments from the public before the event and had a booth open to public comment at the event.
Pratt has many places around the Seattle area named after him or soon to be named after him. In 1976, Edwin T. Pratt Park opened in Seattle; its between 20th Avenue South, East Yesler Way, South Washington Street, and 18th Avenue South. The same year, the Pratt Fine Arts Center opened at 1902 South Main Street. The public preschool, Edwin Pratt Early Learning Center, opened in 2019 thanks in part to Nancy Rawles, a speaker at the event. Finally, The Edwin Pratt Memorial Park in Shoreline at 1341 N 185th Street will open soon.
