By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
After more than five decades, the ROOTS Family Picnic is taking a brief hiatus to give the organizing committee an opportunity to “reset and reorganize” in order to set the foundation of the event for the future.
According to Paul Mitchell, head of the ROOTS Planning Committee, “The organization behind this beloved event is transitioning to new leadership and is taking a year to reset and reorganize in order to bring many more years of vibrant community-based events.”
Founded in 1972 by Arline and Letcher Yarbrough, the ROOTS Family Picnic began as a small gathering of community members to reconnect with family and friends who were members of many of Seattle’s Black pioneering families.
Over the decades it has grown into an annual event, rich with memories, entertainment, food, and the celebration of Black history and heritage.
“Over the years, ROOTS has become more than just a picnic,” says Mitchell. “It is a powerful symbol of community and cultural pride.”
For members of the African American community, the event represents a unique blend of tradition, family values, cultural pride, achievement, and togetherness. As this chapter closes, ROOTS is a poignant reminder of the power of community and the enduring strength of Black heritage in Seattle.
Mitchell says the ROOTS Family Picnic will return in 2026 with a renewed vision. The picnic, a product of The Breakfast Group, plans to bring in younger generations of Seattle’s Black community while expanding to include other cultural communities such as African immigrants.
“The Breakfast Group is the organization that’s behind the ROOTS picnic, and so we have to get some of the young guys involved so we can plan,” Mitchell said. “We’re going to have a meeting in the middle of August, and that’ll be one of the things we’re going to talk about—how we’re going to do it next year. But we’re definitely having it next year, and I think it’s going to be better.”
“Our goal is to involve young people, and we’re going to try to get some of the African brothers and sisters to come and get involved too,” he added. “Because they tend to want to do their own thing, but I think it is important to get our African brothers and sisters engaged. Basically, it’s a gathering of old timers and their families who’ve been here for years, and we want to invite the young people to get involved so we can have a total community like we used to have.”
Mitchell emphasized that because of gentrification, Seattle’s Black community has been dispersed across the Puget Sound region, from South Seattle as far south as Puyallup. ROOTS aims to bring everyone together, regardless of distance. “We don’t want to lose touch with our Black brothers and sisters,” he said. “This is one of our annual events—50-some years that we’ve been doing this. It’s important that we maintain the integrity. Most of the Black people have moved out of the Central Area, but we need it once a year to at least get us all back together again like we used to.”
“We’re fragmented now, we’re all over the place,” Mitchell continued. “And so, this is one time of year that we can all come back together.”
The ROOTS Family Picnic organization is asking the community for input and suggestions on future celebrations and encourages community members to get involved by joining the new planning committee or volunteering at next year’s event.
“We thank all of the many volunteers who have dedicated time and energy to making each event a fun, family-friendly affair,” Mitchell said. “We also thank all of you in our extended Seattle CD community for coming out and supporting all of these years.”
