East Pasco was home to a vibrant African American community. New film relives those times

A project to identify neighborhood landmarks in east Pasco that are associated with the community’s African American heritage has led to the production of a 26-minute movie.

The African-American Experience in Pasco documents some of the significant sites and people in the community’s population, going back to the 1940s with the World War II Manhattan Project.

The project was started in early 2018 with grants from both the Washington state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and the National Park Service.

Tonight, the city and the project coordinators will give a report on the outcome of the initial historic property survey.

The video was prepared as a match for the survey, and features interviews with “members of Pasco’s African American community at significant sites in east Pasco that are central to the deep history of African Americans in the Tri-Cities,” city officials said in a news release.

The public is encouraged to attend the presentation, to both learn about the sites that are mentioned in the movie and to watch it.

It starts at 6 p.m. at the Kurtzman Park Mini-Station, 331 S Wehe Ave.

“As the population ages and we lose the sites associated with the period when east Pasco was home to a vibrant African American community, recognizing this history through place becomes critical,” said Tanya Bowers, producer of the program and member of the city’s Planning Commission.

“Members of the local nonprofit organization, African-American Community, Cultural & Educational Society, first identified places which were a part of the African American experience in Pasco, and then others in the community expounded upon that list,” she continued.

Bowers said oral histories were videotaped at various locations capturing east Pasco residents’ contributions to the city, the region and the nation. Most of that started during World War II and the Cold War, she added.

Lori Larson, a student volunteer editor of the film, told the city it was a privilege to participate on the project.

“Being able to learn about such an important local history from those who can still remember the struggle and have experienced the cultural changes was eye-opening,” Larson said. “There was a wealth of stories from amazing individuals. I hope that their narratives continue to impact others.”

For those who cannot make the public presentation, the movie is on the City of Pasco’s YouTube channel, and is running on PSC-TV Channel 191 on Charter/Spectrum cable in Pasco and Richland.

People can visit www.pasco-wa.gov/psctvschedule for the programming schedule.

This story was originally published September 27, 2019 at 12:54 PM.