Flo Ware (1912-1981)

January 19, 2007

/ Contributed By: Mary Henry

Flo Ware|

Image courtesy Mary T. Henry

Florasina Ware was the quintessential activist, known in Seattle for raising a strong voice on behalf of children, the elderly, and the poor. Dissatisfied with the quality of the Central Area schools attended by most of the city’s black students, she pressed school officials for academic improvements. She also continually called for quality care for the aged and for more employment opportunities for the poor.

Ware represented Seattle in numerous national conferences on programs from Head Start to projects in support of the aged. She was an organizer of the Central Area School Board and Foster Parent Association and spearheaded the Meals on Wheels Program for the elderly. Ware hosted a radio talk show on Seattle station KRAB from 1968 to 1979. She also raised 20 foster children. Ware was a high profile member of the Seattle King County Economic Opportunity Board during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1982, a Seattle park was named in her honor.

Author Profile

Mary Henry

Mary T. Henry is a retired Seattle Public Schools librarian and author ofTribute: Seattle Public Places Named for Black People. She is the African American contributing editor to HistoryLink, the archivist for Epiphany Church and serves on the board of the Seattle Education Foundation. She has served on the board of the Association of King County Historical Organizations and the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board. She was the editor of the Black Heritage Society Newsletter from 1993 to 2003.

Categories:
African American History People

Tags:
20th Century (1900-1999) Gender - Women Political Activists United States - Washington

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CITE THIS ENTRY IN APA FORMAT:

Henry, M. (2007, January 19). Flo Ware (1912-1981). BlackPast.org. https://new.blackpast.org/african-american-history/ware-flo-1912-1981/

Source of the Author's Information:

HistoryLink.org Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History, “Flo Ware,(1912-1981)” (by Mary T. Henry), http://www.historylink.org/