Larry Gossett
Encyclopedia
Larry Gossett is an American
politician. He is a member of the King County Council
, representing District 2 (portions of Seattle, Washington
). He was first elected in 1993, and served as chair of the Council in 2007.
A native of Seattle, Gossett is a 1963 graduate of Franklin High School; he then attended and graduated from the University of Washington
(U.W.). In 1966-1967, he was a VISTA
volunteer in Harlem
. He initially joined VISTA for the draft deferment
; his time in Harlem politicized and radicalized him. Returning to Seattle, he became a founder of the Black Student Union on the U.W. campus and helped to organize nearly a dozen high school and middle school Black Student Unions throughout Seattle. As a student activist, he was instrumental in bringing about the U.W.'s Educational Opportunity Program minority recruitment program. He graduated from the U.W. in 1970, receiving the university's first-ever degree in African American studies
. Before he had even formally received his B.A.
, he became the first supervisor of the Black Student Division in the university's Office of Minority Affairs. The Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project describes him as having been, in the late 1960s, "one of Seattle’s best known young black radicals."
A former member of SNCC
, he has a long history of community organizing in Seattle. While still working for the U.W., he was involved in the occupation of a former Seattle public school that ultimately became El Centro de la Raza
. His continued involvement in civil disobedience
led to a request from Office Minority Affairs head Samuel E. Kelly that Gossett to "cool it." Eventually, he left his position at the university. After working on the successful 1977 mayoral campaign of Charles Royer
, he served briefly in the Royer administration, but felt that was taking him too far from his activist roots. From April 1979 until December 1993, he was the executive director of Seattle's Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP). He eventually found his way back into electoral politics by way of involvement in Jesse Jackson
's presidential campaigns.
Gossett is married and has three children.
's 1968 funeral; he worked on several political actions with Panther Party members and has said positive things about their legacy, but Gossett says that while he "was closely associated with the party" he never actually joined.
is in the same location that his jail cell was back in 1968 when he was arrested for unlawful assembly during a March 29 sit-in at Franklin High School.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician. He is a member of the King County Council
King County Council
The Metropolitan King County Council, the legislative body of King County, Washington, consists of nine members elected by district. The Council adopts laws, sets policy, and holds final approval over the budget...
, representing District 2 (portions of Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
). He was first elected in 1993, and served as chair of the Council in 2007.
Life
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
(U.W.). In 1966-1967, he was a VISTA
Volunteers in Service to America
VISTA or Volunteers in Service to America is an anti-poverty program created by Lyndon Johnson's Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as the domestic version of the Peace Corps. Initially, the program increased employment opportunities for conscientious people who felt they could contribute tangibly to...
volunteer in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
. He initially joined VISTA for the draft deferment
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
; his time in Harlem politicized and radicalized him. Returning to Seattle, he became a founder of the Black Student Union on the U.W. campus and helped to organize nearly a dozen high school and middle school Black Student Unions throughout Seattle. As a student activist, he was instrumental in bringing about the U.W.'s Educational Opportunity Program minority recruitment program. He graduated from the U.W. in 1970, receiving the university's first-ever degree in African American studies
African American studies
African American studies is a subset of Black studies or Africana studies. It is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to the study of the history, culture, and politics of African Americans...
. Before he had even formally received his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, he became the first supervisor of the Black Student Division in the university's Office of Minority Affairs. The Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project describes him as having been, in the late 1960s, "one of Seattle’s best known young black radicals."
A former member of SNCC
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ' was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. It emerged from a series of student meetings led by Ella Baker held at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina in April 1960...
, he has a long history of community organizing in Seattle. While still working for the U.W., he was involved in the occupation of a former Seattle public school that ultimately became El Centro de la Raza
El Centro de la Raza
El Centro de la Raza in Seattle, Washington, United States, is an educational, cultural, and social service agency, centered in the Latino/Chicano community and headquartered in the former Beacon Hill Elementary School on Seattle's Beacon Hill. It serves a broad range of clients in Seattle, King...
. His continued involvement in civil disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
led to a request from Office Minority Affairs head Samuel E. Kelly that Gossett to "cool it." Eventually, he left his position at the university. After working on the successful 1977 mayoral campaign of Charles Royer
Charles Royer
Charles Royer was the 48th mayor of Seattle, Washington from 1978 to 1990. After serving as mayor of Seattle, Royer became the director of the Harvard Institute of Politics.-Career as a reporter:...
, he served briefly in the Royer administration, but felt that was taking him too far from his activist roots. From April 1979 until December 1993, he was the executive director of Seattle's Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP). He eventually found his way back into electoral politics by way of involvement in Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
's presidential campaigns.
Gossett is married and has three children.
Gossett and the Black Panthers
Several sources state that Gossett was a member of the Black Panthers. By Gossett's own account, he attended the founding meeting of Seattle's Panther chapter, and also attended Panther leader Bobby HuttonBobby Hutton
Bobby James Hutton, or "Lil' Bobby," was the treasurer and first recruit to join the Black Panther Party. He was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1950. When he was three years old his family moved to California after they were visited by nightriders intimidating and threatening blacks in the area...
's 1968 funeral; he worked on several political actions with Panther Party members and has said positive things about their legacy, but Gossett says that while he "was closely associated with the party" he never actually joined.
Trivia
Larry Gossett's office in the King County CourthouseKing County Courthouse
The King County Courthouse is the administrative building housing the judicial branch of King County, Washington government. It is located in downtown Seattle, Washington, just north of Pioneer Square...
is in the same location that his jail cell was back in 1968 when he was arrested for unlawful assembly during a March 29 sit-in at Franklin High School.
External links
- King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, County Council Website
- Larry Gossett, Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project, University of Washington. Includes extensive video interview footage, mostly about the period from 1966 to 1974.