Girl (10) Honors Civil Rights Hero
The life and death of Edwin T. Pratt was largely forgotten in Shoreline, Washington until 10 year old Sarah discovered a small memorial to him after a soccer game in 2016.
Pratt was a Black civil rights leader and Executive Director of the Seattle Urban League. He championed fair housing, school desegregation, and job opportunities. In 1969, at the age of 38, Edwin Pratt was assassinated on the doorstep of his Shoreline, WA home while his wife and young daughter were inside.
Sarah soon discovered that most people in the Seattle area had never even heard of Edwin Pratt so she set out to change that. She spent over 15 months working tirelessly to convince the Shoreline School Board to name a school building in his honor.
She encountered countless hurdles and obstacles along the way, but Sarah persisted through it all. She went door to door and online with a petition and gathered over 2,000 signatures. Sarah served on committees and gave presentations to classrooms, PTAs, community groups, and churches, educating them about Edwin Pratt.
She met with city and district leaders and spoke at multiple school board meetings. She built a coalition of community supporters and on May 21, 2018 the Shoreline School Board voted unanimously to name its new children’s center The Edwin Pratt Early Learning Center.
Now 10 year old Sarah needs your help with funding to:
· Assist Edwin Pratt’s family with travel/housing costs to attend the dedication of the new school building in 2019.
· Contribute toward the commissioning of an artist of color to create a memorial for the new building so that future generations will know of this local hero.
· Continue her efforts to educate others about the life and death of Edwin Pratt and to inspire other young people to speak up and speak out for social justice causes.
Please share this link and thank you so much for your consideration in helping Sarah!
*While Sarah will be determining the use of these funds, because she is a minor, this GoFundMe page is posted, managed, and withdrawals will be made in her behalf by Sarah's parents.
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Pratt was a Black civil rights leader and Executive Director of the Seattle Urban League. He championed fair housing, school desegregation, and job opportunities. In 1969, at the age of 38, Edwin Pratt was assassinated on the doorstep of his Shoreline, WA home while his wife and young daughter were inside.
Sarah soon discovered that most people in the Seattle area had never even heard of Edwin Pratt so she set out to change that. She spent over 15 months working tirelessly to convince the Shoreline School Board to name a school building in his honor.
She encountered countless hurdles and obstacles along the way, but Sarah persisted through it all. She went door to door and online with a petition and gathered over 2,000 signatures. Sarah served on committees and gave presentations to classrooms, PTAs, community groups, and churches, educating them about Edwin Pratt.
She met with city and district leaders and spoke at multiple school board meetings. She built a coalition of community supporters and on May 21, 2018 the Shoreline School Board voted unanimously to name its new children’s center The Edwin Pratt Early Learning Center.
Now 10 year old Sarah needs your help with funding to:
· Assist Edwin Pratt’s family with travel/housing costs to attend the dedication of the new school building in 2019.
· Contribute toward the commissioning of an artist of color to create a memorial for the new building so that future generations will know of this local hero.
· Continue her efforts to educate others about the life and death of Edwin Pratt and to inspire other young people to speak up and speak out for social justice causes.
Please share this link and thank you so much for your consideration in helping Sarah!
*While Sarah will be determining the use of these funds, because she is a minor, this GoFundMe page is posted, managed, and withdrawals will be made in her behalf by Sarah's parents.
Over the summer Sarah continued her efforts to remember the life of Edwin T. Pratt by speaking at local venues including a local multicultural event, a nearby church event, and a women's political activist group at a Seattle retirement home. To cap it all off, over Labor Day Weekend, she met Edwin Pratt's daughter for the very first time!
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