The Seattle Mariners and Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle are celebrating the contributions of African Americans to the Northwest community on Sunday, July 30, during a pregame ceremony before the Mariners take on the New York Mets (1:10pm start).
A special online-only ticket offer is available at Mariners.com/AfricanAmerican. Each ticket purchased through the offer comes with a special Mariners cap that features the number 42, in tribute to Jackie Robinson, who "broke baseball's color barrier" 70 years ago this season. A portion of each ticket sold through this special online-only offer will benefit the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle.
During a pregame ceremony, these "notable" African Americans will be honored:
Isiaah Crawford, president of University of Puget Sound. Crawford became the university's 14th president on July 1, 2016. The first in his family to complete a college education, Crawford earned his bachelor's degree from St. Louis University and master's and doctoral degrees from DePaul University in Chicago. A clinical psychologist, Crawford began his teaching career at Loyola University in 1987, where he became a tenured professor, chair of the Department of Psychology, and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences before assuming the role of provost for Seattle University in 2008.
Joanne Harrell, Senior Director for U.S. Citizenship at Microsoft. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2001, Ms. Harrell had an extensive career in the high-tech, telecommunications and nonprofit sectors. She received her BA and MBA from the University of Washington, and has been on the Board of Regents there since 2009. Her numerous accolades include UW School of Communications Hall of Fame (2009) and "Distinguished Alumna" (2013), she was honored by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell as a 2015 "Woman of Valor," and was selected by the Puget Sound Business Journal as a 2016 "Woman of Influence." Harrell is married to Seattle City Council President Bruce Harrell. In May, they were named co-recipients of the UW Odegaard Award for Outstanding Community Service.
Sheila Edwards Lange, Ph.D., president of Seattle Central College. Dr. Edwards Lange has a wide range of experience in higher education administration and has been a leading voice for diversity and inclusion throughout her career. Dr. Edwards Lange has devoted much of her time and effort to community activism and serving as an advocate for equity and inclusion.
Barbara Earl Thomas, Seattle based artist, award-winning writer and arts administrator. With a career that spans more than 30-years, her works are included in, among others, The Seattle Art Museum and Tacoma Art Museum, Microsoft and the State of Washington and City of Seattle public collections. As a writer, she has numerous publications to her credit and has won two Seattle Arts and Culture Commission awards for new non-fiction. Thomas is a social and cultural activist who was instrumental in the creation of the Northwest African American Museum, where she served as its executive director from 2008-2012.
Robert M. Williams, Union Bank Director, Community Reinvestment Act loans, investment manager, Corporate Social Responsibility. Williams has a finance degree from Washington State University and was a four-year varsity letterman in track & field. In his role at Union Bank, he is responsible for overseeing loan and investment programs designed to encourage commercial banks and savings associations to help meet the needs of borrowers in all segments of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Williams is active in a number of community organizations including serving as Board Chair for the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle. Mr. Williams will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Special Ticket Offer
Special group seating for the July game is available at Mariners.com/AfricanAmerican. Tickets are $30 for View Level and $45 for Main Level seats, with a portion of each ticket sold benefitting the Urban League of Seattle, a nonprofit organization that focuses its efforts on education, employment, health and housing with Seattle's disenfranchised African-American community. Deadline to purchase tickets through this online-only offer is 5:00 pm, Friday, July 28.