AKCHO - Association of King County Historical Organizations

Dylan High                                                                                               FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/22/2025
Association of King County Historical Organizations
info@akcho.org
www.akcho.org                                                                                               

Association of King County Historical Organizations Announces Winners of 2024 & 2025 Awards

SEATTLE, WA — The Association of King County Historical Organizations (AKCHO) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 43rd Annual AKCHO Awards. The annual AKCHO Awards honor people, projects, and organizations who have done outstanding work to promote, preserve, and share history and heritage in King County.

The awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday, October 28th at the Washington Black Legacy Institute. To learn more about the AKCHO Awards and past recipients, visit the AKCHO website at http://www.akcho.org/awards/. The AKCHO Awards are generously funded by 4Culture.

2024 AKCHO Award Recipients:

  • The Charles Payton Award for Heritage Advocacy
    Awardee: King County Reparations Project (https://kingcountyrp.org/)
    “The King County Reparations Project takes viewers on an emotional journey through the Central District and South End, once the pulsating core of African American life in the Pacific Northwest, now a testament to the scars of urban upheaval. Produced at Cascade PBS, this documentary is the first chapter in a series dedicated to capturing the stories of Black individuals who have seen their homes, businesses, and cultural landmarks vanish.”

  • Excellence in Public Programming
    Awardee: History of Theatre: About, By, For, and Near | by Reginald Andre՛ Jackson | directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton (https://www.acttheatre.org/2023-season/history-of-theatre/)
    ACT Contemporary Theatre in co-production with The Hansberry Project
    “Travel back in time – 200 years, to be precise – with your host, Sister Blacknall, and meet the Black theatre artists of America’s history, who have returned to ensure that this time, they will be remembered. Reginald André Jackson’s wildly original play challenges the stories we’ve been told about who makes theatre and who it is for; creating a spellbinding evening that is both illuminating and inspiring. History Of Theatre: About, By, For, and Near takes audiences on a journey from 1820 to the mid-1930s, through the lens of a contemporary artist making their way in our very own Seattle theatre scene. Witness the forgotten impact of The Rabbit’s Foot founder Pat Chapelle, who created the first all-Black touring vaudeville troupe in 1900, the boundary-breaking actors Ira Aldridge and Rose McClendon, as well as members of Seattle’s own Negro Repertory Company.”

  • The Virginia Marie Folkins Award
    Awardee: Highline Heritage Museum, launch of Our Highline Voices Radio Show with Nancy Salguero McKay and Reminiscing in Our History Radio Show with Roger Price (https://highlinemuseum.org/our-highline-voices-radio-station/)
    “Our Highline Voices airs interviews from the Highline community and the region, connecting with each other. Reminiscing in Our History brings local and personal stories from our Highline Community.”

  • The Innovation Award (NEW)
    Awardee: Shoreline Historical Museum’s Miyawaki Urban Forest History Project (https://shorelinehistoricalmuseum.org/exhibits-to-see/miyawaki-forest/about-the-miyawaki-urban-forest-history-project/) 
    “A Miyawaki urban forest is a small forest that can be planted in urban spaces. They can be as small as two parking spots. They are planted in such a way, that they grow 10 times faster and 30 times denser than a traditional planted forest.  Because of the way they are planted, there is no use of pesticides and in three years the forest will be self-sustaining, not needing watering or weeding. Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese botanist, is the inspiration for this method of planting.” 
    “The Miyawaki Urban Forest History Project is a project that began in 2022. Community members were tasked with coming up with an idea to utilize the empty field on the Museum grounds.”

  • The Future of Heritage Award
    Awardee: Vashon Heritage Museum, La Chispa Fiesta exhibit, (http://vashonheritage.xyz/exhibition/la-chispa-fiesta/) McMurray Middle School project and the McMurray La Chispa Club 
    “A McMurray Middle School Art Project.
    Life is hard for Latino Youth, but we feel like our true selves in our Family Fiesta.
    Our delicious food comes from the hard work of the Latino Farm Workers in the fields. Mi Abuela Hortencia is cooking tamales, tinga, and guacamole for the Fiesta, and my tio Chava brought his taco truck.
    Music is a big part of our culture. When I sing, and dance I feel confident, proud and free!
    Art designed and created by McMurray La Chispa youth. The project planning began in October 2023 and was completed July 2023. A collaboration with McMurray La Chispa Club, Muralist Mentor Rafa Diaz, Nidia Sahagun (Vashon School District), and Belinda Olvera-Jovanovich (Vashon Youth and Family Services).”

2025 AKCHO Award Recipients:

This year’s awardees are all being awarded AKCHO’s Board Award in recognition of this year’s projects and awardees that represented community collaboration, extraordinary achievements of volunteers and students, and the contributions of our region’s community archives.

  • Students of Dr. Marissa Winmill’s Kent-Meridian High School class, We Are America: Kent
  • “We Are America is a student-authored storytelling project from Dr. Marissa Winmill’s Multi-Lingual Education (MLE) classroom at Kent-Meridian High School. Written by recently arrived immigrant and refugee students, this collection of personal narratives explores identity, belonging, and resilience through the lens of lived experience. Each story offers a powerful window into the courage and complexity of navigating a new country while honoring one’s cultural roots.
    By centering multilingual voices, We Are America enriches our collective understanding of history and heritage, reminding us that inclusive storytelling is essential to building empathy, civic dialogue, and community connection. This project affirms that every student’s story matters—and that our historical record is stronger when it reflects the diversity of those who shape it.”
  • Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple, Betsuin Arson Restoration Project (https://seattlebetsuin.org/fire)
  • EchoX, Story Gathering: Workshop (https://echox.org/story-gathering-workshop)
    “The Story Gathering Workshop (SGW) provides an opportunity for high school students to explore their own culture through digital storytelling, while encouraging inter-cultural community understanding. By sharing these stories, both at an in-person showcase and on our website, students gained a heightened understanding of the digital content creation process, improved confidence in writing and self-expression, and have published materials for college and job applications.”
  • Black Genealogy Research Group of Seattle, “Every Family Has a Story…Discover Yours” (https://www.seattlebgrg.org)
    “The Black Genealogy Research Group of Seattle (BGRG) designed, developed and delivered a multi-generational project over two years that encouraged Black families in King County to discover their roots, tell their stories and renew their positive family traditions. They inspired Black families in our region to begin or continue their genealogy journeys, grow their skills in research and storytelling, and learn about familial archiving.”
  • Highline Heritage Museum, Highline Heritage Partnership Agreement (https://highlinemuseum.org)
    PARTNERS: Port of Seattle, Highline School District, Highline College, Cities of Burien, Normandy Park, and SeaTac. 
    “The Highline area encompasses the same territory as the Highline School District, which spans several cities and entities. This agreement intends to unite these communities and work together as one. This partnership represents the collaboration between the Museum and community partners in the Highline area, aiming to host events, provide community space, preserve historical records and artifacts, design exhibits, promote economic development, foster tourism, and empower residents to share their stories.”

Since its founding in 1977, AKCHO has been a nexus for professionals and volunteers in the heritage and historic preservation field in King County. AKCHO works to support history, heritage, and historic preservation work throughout the county through advocacy, professional development, and providing a central network for information and resources for history doers of all kinds. AKCHO has promoted outstanding work in the King County heritage field with its annual AKCHO Awards since 1983.

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