Seattle in Black and White

Joan Singler was a founder of Seattle CORE and served as CORE secretary and chaired the Housing Committee. She has a bachelor¿s degree in psychology from the University of Washington and currently serves on the Washington State AARP Executive Council and works to support of victims of domestic violence. Jean Durning joined CORE in 1961 and organized some major CORE projects. Later she was active in political campaigns, taught junior high school and worked on opening environmental careers for minority professionals. From 1981 to 1993 she was northwest director of The Wilderness Society, helping coordinate volunteers of many environmental organizations, lobbying Congress, and dealing regularly with government agencies and with press and broadcast reporters. Bettylou (Burleigh) Valentine, a national board member of the NAACP, joined Seattle CORE in 1962 serving as secretary in 1964. She earned her MA and later her PhD in anthropology; she is the author of Hustling and Other Hard Work. She and her husband also taught, researched and wrote in Suriname, South America, Papua New Guinea and China. Back in Seattle, she directed Central Youth and Family Services for sixteen years. Maid Adams joined Seattle CORE in 1962. She served as coordinator for employment negotiations and was a co-principal of the Freedom School at the First AME Church. She returned to the University of Washington to earn her Masters degree in educational psychology and then served for twenty years as a program director at Green River Community College. She continues to teach and maintain community activities.