Honor Olympia’s Black history and cultural contributions! “Read the Park: We Were Here Before the State” at Rebecca Howard Park Saturday, July 19th, 2025 11am-3pm is a free celebration of Black storytelling, legacy, and cultural resistance, survival and sovereignty through literature, live performance, food, and community engagement. The event will feature a Black author showcase provided by Timberland Regional Library, live readings and performances by local Black authors, poets, storytellers, & Elders, and Black-owned food vendors from Thurston County. The gathering honors the Black presence in Olympia—not only as a historical fact but as a living, breathing part of the city’s cultural and civic landscape.
