Partner Uplift: The Black Heritage Society of Washington State
Converge Media is proud to have a long-standing relationship with the Black Heritage Society of Washington State. As the leading historians of our community and our stories in the Pacific Northwest, BHS seeks to preserve artifacts and stories of Black history and culture in the state. Over the years, we’ve had the honor of creating a variety of memorable pieces with BHS and BHS President Stephanie Johnson-Toliver. Ahead of Black History Month, revisit some of our favorites below.
The partnership with The Black Heritage Society is one of the first things visitors to the #BlackMediaMatters Studios notice. The studio’s centerpiece is a photo wall displaying the photos of legendary photographer Al Smith, one of Seattle’s first Black photographers and a leading documentarian of Black history in the Emerald City. His photos bring the stories of the past to life, and it was through partnership with BHS that we secured the rights to use and display them on each broadcast.
We took a look at Smith’s work in the very first edition of Throwback Thursday, a recurring show hosted by BHS President Stephanie Johnson-Toliver. Over the years, Toliver has examined a variety of topics, showcasing the vibrant history and culture present all around Seattle. You can take a look at other #TBT episodes here.
“Working with Converge Media has been such a great experience,” Johnson-Toliver said. “The commitment to storytelling and preserving our past is wonderful and very important to our future.”
We’ve also had the privilege of opening up the BHS archives and highlighting unique artifacts and stories that are present throughout. Last year, we showcased 28 pieces - one for each day of Black History Month. This insightful deep dive into the BHS collections showcased the rich Black history present in Washington State and brought up stories and memories both new and old.
You can take a look at all of last year’s Black History Month features here.
The Black Heritage Society’s impact has also been present on a variety of our broadcast entities, with Johnson-Toliver appearing across our platforms and guests like baseball historian David Eskanzi appearing on our MLB All-Star Week Takeover alongside SJT.
You can see one of Johnson-Toliver’s appearances alongside Trae Holiday on the Morning Update Show below.
The work being done by the Black Heritage Society is truly inspiring and impactful, and over the past five decades they have continued to grow in scope and noteriety. We are proud to partner with them on a variety of projects and look forward to continuing to highlight our State’s Black History. You can find out more and support BHS here.
