Petition to name a school building for civil rights pioneer assassinated in Shoreline

Pratt Family.
After talking to daughter Miriam Pratt, Sarah obtained this photo
from a woman who is writing the Pratt biography

Meridian Park 3rd grader Sarah is on a mission.

I came across a plaque at one of my soccer games and it was for Edwin T. Pratt. My mom and I looked him up and found out more about him.

Edwin T. Pratt was an accomplished civil rights leader and the director of the Seattle Urban League. He stood up for school desegregation and fair housing. He moved with his wife and young daughter to Shoreline, Washington to set an example of how we can all be neighbors. He was assassinated on the doorstep of his home in January of 1969.

He was an important person and he had a huge impact on others.

This plaque is on a rock between the tennis courts and
Playfields north of the Shoreline Center

Now she is inspired to take action.

I talked to the school board in February. I have now started a petition to the school board asking them to re-name or name a Shoreline school district building after him in his honor.

The goal of the petition is to honor Edwin T. Pratt with something more substantial than a small plaque.

The purpose of this petition is to honor Edwin T. Pratt by naming or renaming a Shoreline School District building/school after him.

Sarah explains, "I think naming a Shoreline school district building in his honor would be appropriate because he rallied for all children to have equal education and desegregated schools."

You do NOT need to be a resident of Shoreline or Lake Forest Park to sign this petition, Sarah says, anyone who supports this cause can sign.

The petition is here

The current Pratt Memorial is a small wooden structure with a little bench. All sides are covered with art created by school children under the direction of a professional artist.

The stone with the plaque is just visible on the left.