Harold Booker’s Early Life and Federal Way Race Relations in the Early 1960s

In 1933, Harold Booker was born in Spring, Texas, a “tiny town about 25 miles north of Houston.” He received his undergraduate education at Wiley College of Marshall, Texas, an all-black institution endowed by the Methodist Church; he moved to Washington State and received his master’s degree in organic chemistry at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1955. He spent 7.5 years in the US Army Reserves. In 1956, the same year he first settled in south King County, he married Verda, who eventually became a first grade teacher in the Highline School District. His son, Harold Jr. was born in June 1958 and another, Brad, came along in January 1960. He obtained employment as a chemist at Boeing’s Auburn facility and, by the early 1960s, began to explore the possibility of buying a home in Federal Way in order to be closer to his workplace.2

Federal Way real estate agents in the early 1960s had a general policy of not selling houses to African Americans. Booker’s fellow civil rights activist and Federal Way resident, John Metcalf, remembered that this policy was usually not overtly expressed. Black persons inquiring about homes were usually met with such tactics as being told that the house was already sold (even though it was still for sale). Metcalf suggested that there were some Federal Way real estate agents willing to sell to black people. However, these agents did not wish to stir up fear among Federal Way whites that an increased black presence in their neighborhoods would cause lower property values.3

Faced with the obstructive tactics of real estate agents, the Booker family was initially unable to buy a house in Federal Way. Booker’s close white friend and Boeing company colleague, Vic Weber, provided a solution. Weber deeded the Booker family land he owned overlooking Steel Lake and convinced a builder to agree to construct a house. The Booker family moved into this house (at the 30200 block of 20th Avenue South) in December 1962. At that time, Booker remembers that there was one other black family in Federal Way living “somewhere near Military Road.” He does not remember their names or much about them, except that they kept to themselves and did not join the civil rights endeavors that Booker threw himself into as a Federal Way resident.4

According to Booker, Weber was soon swamped with inquiries from local racist real estate agents demanding to know if he realized that he was helping an African American family settle in Federal Way. Weber told them that he was well aware of what he was doing.5

Metcalf later remembered that “I think a cross was even burned on” the Bookers’ front lawn after they moved to Federal Way. However, Booker says he remembers no cross burning incident. The act of overt racism that most stuck with him, he says, was that directed at his kindergarten-age son, Harold Jr. Classmates chased Harold Jr. around the playground of his school—Booker believes it may have been Woodmont Elementary School, but isn’t completely sure—screaming “nigger” at him. Fleeing his attackers, Harold Jr. fell and received an enormous cut on his head. According to Booker, when hearing about the incident, he immediately approached the school’s principal. The principal implied that he was reluctant to deal with the racism and said “Mr. Booker, we already have enough problems here.” However, the next day, Booker accompanied his son to school and asked that Harold Jr. point out his tormentors so that school authorities could punish them. Booker’s pressure worked: the school authorities mobilized to take corrective action. Within a few months, the school’s faculty was undergoing sensitivity training to help deal with black (and possibly other non-white) students. The teachers were well-intentioned, Booker remembers, they simply needed help in dealing with a situation they hadn’t experienced before. Booker remembers that many of the parents of the white students were sympathetic towards his family. The sympathetic ones included the parents of the perpetrators of the racism towards Harold Jr. “They were as shocked as we were” that their children expressed such vile hatred.6

As far as a general assessment of the treatment of his family by the white residents of Federal Way, Booker has a substantially positive memory. The number of sympathetic people was such that Federal Way’s white racists generally felt uncomfortable expressing their views about the Bookers to other white Federal Way residents. Booker remembers hearing about one incident at a cocktail party in the Marine Hills neighborhood. One white patron at the party referred to Booker and his wife Verda as “niggers.” Another white attendee objected saying “Do not say that; Harold and Verda are friends of mine.” The argument escalated into a physical altercation which required police intervention.7