Podcast | How rising intolerance impacted a prominent Black Seattle family
Horace Cayton Sr. found success and opportunity in late 19th century Seattle. Then an ugly new era changed the city and his family's fortunes.
Members of the Cayton-Revels family pose for a portrait on the front porch of their Seattle home, c. 1904. From left: Ruth, Emma, Susie Revels Cayton holding Horace Jr., and Horace Cayton Sr. standing above Madge. (Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature/Chicago Public Library)
When Horace Cayton Sr. moved out of the Jim Crow South in the late 19th century, it appeared that the young man had found a new kind of freedom and opportunity in Seattle.
A member of the city's then-small African American population, Cayton started a widely read publication, The Seattle Republican, and with his wife, Suzie Sumner Revels, found considerable success.
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Then, in the early 20th century, the forces of segregation and bigotry became much more prevalent in the city, erecting racial barriers and leading to financial ruin for the Cayton-Revels family.
Knute Berger touched on this history in a recent episode of his Mossback’s Northwest video series, but there is much more to discuss.
For this episode of the Mossback podcast, Berger and co-host Sara Bernard retrace the history of the family and discuss how the late-arriving influence of the Confederacy helped transform Seattle into a less tolerant place.
Before listening, we suggest you watch the original Mossback's Northwest episode about the Cayton-Revels family here.
