Black History Today: Dawn Mason, Elder of Distinction in her beloved community
/Black History Today, created by Marcus Harden in honor of Black History Month, pays tribute to the living legacy of Black history in our community and beyond and recognizes the people shaping the future.
Presented in collaboration with the South Seattle Emerald.
Photo by Chris B. Bennett for the Seattle Medium newspaper.
“It’s not about supplication; it’s about power. It’s not about asking, it’s about demanding. It’s not about convincing those who are currently in power, it’s about changing the very face of power itself.”
By Marcus Harden
According to researcher Richard Millington there are five types of communities:
Interest - communities of people who share the same interest or passion.
Action - communities of people trying to bring about change.
Place - communities of people brought together by geographic boundaries
Practice - communities of people in the same profession or who undertake the same activities.
Circumstance - communities of people brought together by external events/situations.
If those five types were embodied into a living vessel, they’d be inside of Dawn Mason. Her titles often precede her, although they pale in comparison to her dynamic impact. Whether you know her as Dawn, Former State Representative Mason, or Adjunct Professor Mason, once you’re in her presence you know your mind is challenged and your spirit filled.
Dawn served two two-year terms in the Washington State Legislature from 1995-99, serving during that time as Assistant Minority Whip and Ranking Chair of the Higher Education Committee. The Washington Student Lobby presented her with the Legislator of the Year Award in 1996 for her effective leadership in maintaining access to higher education for all students. In 1998 she was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the Women’s Economic Roundtable.
For many that would be enough, but Dawn’s service and contributions are endless, whether that is modeling communal leadership in her role with First Place School in Seattle, where she guided a private school unapologetically serving African American Families as it became the first authorized public charter school in the State of Washington and later, with the will of the community, returned to a private model, or serving as wise counsel in community with the Africatown Community Land Trust in the Central District of Seattle to acquire and preserve the Black Diaspora Community.
Yet two titles embody her above all others: Elder of Distinction and Mother/Grandmother. The crown of Elder is one that Dawn wears proudly, not because it was given by birthright, but because it was earned through her commitment to community, her respect for those before her, and her love for those who’ve come after her. In the Black/African American community, to be considered an Elder is one of the pinnacles. It doesn’t always mean you are agreed with, and it doesn’t always mean that you go unchallenged, but it does mean there's a baseline of dignity, honor and respect. Those are the things that at all times Dawn Mason brings.
Despite her many accomplishments, Dawn shines the brightest bearing the title of “Mother/Grandmother” — a mother who raised seven wonderful children, and an irreplaceable maternal figure to so many more. The pride in her family and her children, along with her revered and praised late husband Deacon Joe Mason, define how she cares and loves the community because it’s just a reflection of her home.
If the mythical Dora Milaje of Black Panther fame had a real origin, it would live inside of women like Dawn Mason. She is courage, she is fierce, she is regal, she is loving, and beyond a shadow of a doubt, she is Black History, today!
Original artwork created by Devin Chicras for the South Seattle Emerald.
