Everybody In: Community Activism in the Rainier Valley

We have completed a project researching and documenting the history of community activism in the Rainier Valley. We were interested in tracing the roots of our current community issues and organizations back to the 1970s.

Mikala Woodward and John Hoole dug through information at Municipal Archives, the Seattle Public Library, and in a marvelous collection of documents and slides donated by Rodney Herold, co-founder of SESCO (South End Seattle Community Organization).

They recorded oral history interviews with activists, government officials, and other participants in the events of the era. These interviews, along with any photos and documents they uncover, will be added to the RVHS’s collection for future researchers. 

See stories from this project below:  

• Lessons In Civic Activism: Greenwood Gardens

• A Concrete Problem: SESCO and the Principle of Escalation 

• Schoolyard Standoffs: The Tale of Whitworth Elementary

• How to Build a Bridge

• The Rainier Chamber’s Crime Fighting Spree: Harnessing Social Capital

• “Everybody In” packs it in