Courtesy: Comptroller File 244098. Comptroller Files, 1802-01. Seattle Municipal Archives

After a series of examples of public protest such as a sit-in and marches through the years 1961 to 1963, the city council finally sent the opening housing ordinance to voters on March 10^th, 1964 where it was defeated by a landslide. The next for years, the civil rights movement fought the battle at a national level, with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King’s and other leaders spreading hope through out the country.

“Finally, on April 19, 1968, three weeks after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., an open housing ordinance was passed unanimously by the City Council, with an emergency clause to make it effective immediately. It was signed by the Mayor the same day.” (Seattle Municipal Archives)

Today, when we remember Martin Luther King, Jr., we can reflect on the effects his work produced in our own community.

While Slog has been busily indexing a list of inauguration parties in Seattle, those of us over at Metblogs have been quietly coming up with our own list of celebrations surrounding Obama’s swearing-in tomorrow. Here’s the list of events that us Metbloggers are hoping to check out tomorrow:

- Paramount Theatre will be opening its doors at 7 a.m. for a free showing of the inauguration on the big screen. Concessions to be sold include “Malia Scones with Bright Cherries and Almond Crunch,” “Banana-bama Bread,” and “Sasha’s Carroty Goodness Muffins” from Dahlia Bakery. KOMO 4 and the Seattle Theatre Group are co-hosting.

- Aster Coffee Lounge is playing the inauguration on a big-screen TV, while serving red, white and blue waffles (strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream) and mimosas, according to MyBallard (#).

- 88 Keys in Pioneer Square will have a brunch buffet for $10.90 starting at 8 a.m. (doors open at 7 a.m.), as well as AM1090 and Lee Callahan on hand to ring in the new presidency.

- Every single Starbucks with a flat-screen TV will be showing the inauguration live. The locations are listed in an attachment at the bottom of this post.

- King Cobra is throwing an inauguration party tomorrow starting at 4 p.m.

- At The Corson Building in Georgetown, $25 will get you a party with wood fired pizzas and oysters. 6 p.m.

- The Obama Ball is being thrown at the Armory complete with big band, soul food, and “keynote speakers.” Casual or formal, the ball costs $22 for individuals, $44 for couples, free for children, and begins at 6 p.m.

- Happy hour at Moe goes until 8 p.m., and then there’s the FuturObama 3D Inauguration Bash at Sole Repair, with Johnny Fever, among others, DJing, starting at 9 p.m.

- Rebar is having a Return To Camelot inauguration ball with Ade and Nick Garrison and Sylvia O’Stayformore starting at 8 p.m., $10 or $5 if you’re in formal wear.

- High Dive in Fremont will be having an Inauguration Celebration featuring RA Scion from Common Market with Vunt Foom Vunt Foom, with Diztortion and I-Adjust 10th and Commerce starting at 8 p.m. $6 cover.

- Three Imaginary Girls is throwing an Inauguration Celebration with H is for Hellgate, Friday Mile, Benjamin Bear and Ed Wang at Chop Suey starting at 8 p.m. Cover is $7 and the event is 21+.

- Or, you could take a cue from one Metblogger, and break out that magnum-sized bottle of champagne that you’ve been saving. :)

Let us know which event you’re heading to, and we’ll add it to the list!

Today, Capitol Hill is synonymous with diversity and acceptance. On
November 4th, 2008, we banded together in celebration of the election
of our first African American president. A drag queen sang God Bless
America from the Neighbours rooftop as people of all colors, creeds,
and sexual orientations wept with joy in the streets below. Many had
become one, our community unified by a “change you can believe in”.
This is the Capitol Hill and the Seattle we are familiar with.

Unfortunately, the history of Seattle’s Capitol Hill is not quite as
uplifting. On the website Segregated Seattle, one finds a deeper look
into our city’s sordid past of racially restrictive property and
neighborhood covenants, real estate and job lockouts for African and
Asian Americans, as well acts of violence on their homes.

The Capitol Hill Times briefly courts the subject of race in their article “Barack Obama: from Capitol Hill to Capitol Hill”by commenting on the likelihood Ann Dunham “came across many social
prejudices in the predominantly all-white campus” when in reality,
just three years previous to her move to Seattle, a mixed-race couple
Ray and Marion West, found a cross burning outside their house U-
District home. CHT continues “[p]erhaps Ann Obama felt more at ease in
the diverse neighborhood of Capitol Hill”. It’s doubtful she had much
of a choice.

Map of residential patterns for African Americans in 1960 from Segregated Seattle.