A Story of Resilience
First known as the Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP), our original purpose endures to this day: helping people move from poverty to self-sufficiency in Seattle and building the political strength and economic wealth of the Black community statewide.
First known as the Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP), our original purpose endures to this day: helping people move from poverty to self-sufficiency in Seattle and building the political strength and economic wealth of the Black community statewide.
Byrd Barr Place Timeline
Roberta Byrd Barr
In 2018, our organization became Byrd Barr Place, named in honor of legendary Seattle civil rights leader Roberta Byrd Barr.
Ms. Roberta was a community leader, an educator and a journalist. She was a powerful advocate, standing up for what is right and elevating the voices of the Black community and the poor.
When Seattle teachers boycotted and demanded desegregation in 1966, Ms. Roberta was in the ranks and headed a Freedom School — a temporary, free school for African Americans — at the YMCA. In 1973, she became principal of Lincoln High School — both the first woman and the first African American — to hold such a position in Seattle Public Schools.
Honoring a Legacy
Ms. Roberta was a well-known and engaged member of the community. From 1965 to 1972, she moderated the weekly television program Face to Face, which featured provocative discussions on topics including race, desegregation, education and welfare. She also wrote for CAMP’s monthly newsletter, Trumpet, which kept the community up to date about issues and programs of importance to them.
We share Ms. Roberta’s commitment to community, fairness and opportunity. As Byrd Barr Place, we seek to honor her legacy by continuing to challenge intolerance and injustice as we work to build an equitable future for all.
Photos courtesy of University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, SOC18088