In a park named for the patriarch, his descendants show their strength
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 ELLEN M. BANNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES Men in back, from left: D'Juan Johnson, D'Maine Dugar, Imani Barnett-Osgood, Derek Jones, Eric Barnett, Otis Kelley, Demetrus Dugar. Man and women in the middle, from left: Andre Edwards, Cherie Edwards, Victoria Barnett, Monique McNeil, Karen Jones, Shellyn Dugar, Shirley Batté, Beverly Kelley, Kathi Moss, Helen (Barnett) Smith. Front, from left: Aubryelle McNeil, Lyrik McNeil, Maisha Barnett, Douglas Barnett. |
You sometimes see such family gatherings on nice, sunny days in the park.
But on a recent Saturday morning at Powell Barnett Park in Seattle's Central Area, one of the nicest neighborhood parks in the city, it wasn't all that nice and it sure wasn't sunny. The rain was relentless. There wasn't a soul anywhere. And I started to worry.
Our plan was to photograph descendants of Seattle pioneer and community leader Powell Barnett (1883-1971) in the park that was named in his honor. It recently was renovated, thanks to an effort led by granddaughter Maisha Barnett.
I had phoned her that morning to ask if she and the others would still be there at 11 a.m. It was pouring outside with no break in sight. If they wanted to postpone, it would be perfectly understandable.
"Rain doesn't bother me," Maisha replied matter-of-factly. She said to expect anywhere from 10 to 20 people. The Barnett family settled in Seattle way back in 1906, and obviously had weathered a lot of days like this one over the years.
Still, this was a pretty miserable day. The first Barnett to arrive at the park was Douglas, lugging a waterproof shopping bag stuffed with a large portrait of his father. He said there might be a few no-shows. We waited and talked. Waited some more. It was almost 11.
Finally, a car pulled over. It was Kathi Moss, another granddaughter of Powell Barnett. Great, I thought, once Maisha shows up we'll at least have three people to photograph.
Then at 11, as if guided by some familial time clock, they began streaming into the park from all directions. Four generations in all.
They enjoy such get-togethers. Every summer when Seattle's pioneer African-American families hold their ROOTS (Relatives Of Old Timers) Picnic, many Barnetts attend. In 2005 they won the award for having the biggest family turnout.
Nevertheless, the weather made this one a test, and there was a sense of history being made at the park that wet, dreary day. When it was all over and the faces in the picture were counted, even Maisha seemed pleasantly surprised.
"Wow, we made 21!"
For Powell Barnett's descendants, a rainy day in Seattle is just a walk in the park.
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