Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Edwin Pratt, January 26, 1969

On a cold and snowy day on January 26, 1969, Edwin T. Pratt of the Seattle Urban League was shot and killed at his home on 17916 1st Avenue NE in the Shoreline neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. In less than five years upon being initially hired as a Community Relations Secretary at the Seattle Urban League he had been promoted as the Executive Director and a popular civil rights leader who was not afraid to challenge the status quo. Under his strong leadership and guidance the Seattle Urban League had grown from a small and struggling staff of 5 to that of 25 and many initiatives had taken place such as negotiations for more African-American enrollment at the University of Washington and better programs and services for African-American youth. His murder remains unsolved.