Dr. Quintard Taylor Jr., the Scott and Dorothy Bullitt Professor of American History at the University of Washington and the creator of the Web site blackpast.org, will give a lecture on the history of African Americans in Washington State, including black pioneers George Bush and George Washington. The free presentation, entitled "Seeking Freedom on the Puget Sound: Early African American History in Washington," will be held at the Olympia Timberland Library on Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m.

Taylor has more than 30 years of teaching experience in African American history and specifically African Americans in the American West. He has authored two books, "In Search of the Racial Frontier: African Americans in the American West, 1528-1990" and "The Forging of A Black Community: Seattle’s Central District from 1870 through the Civil Rights Era." His most recent projects include a new two-volume reader in 19th and 20th Century African American history and the forthcoming "Dr. Sam: The Autobiography of Dr. Samuel Kelly, Soldier, Educator and Advocate."

Taylor directs BlackPast.org, an online reference center that makes available a wealth of materials on African American history. Due to the depth and breadth of the resources it provides, the site dubs itself the "Google" of African American history.

For more information on the presentation, call the Olympia Timberland Library at 360-352-0595.　

Revised 04/21/08