By Noah Haglund, DAJD Communications Specialist

The Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention’s (DAJD) Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Manager, Angela Toussaint, was honored as an “Unsung Hero of Black Seattle” for 35 years of community service at a Black History Month celebration hosted by Byrd Barr Place. The award was presented on Feb. 22.

Originally founded in 1964 as the Central Area Motivation Program, Byrd Barr Place was led by the Honorable Larry Gossett from 1979 until his election to the King County Council in 1993. Byrd Barr Place’s mission is to help people move from poverty to self-sufficiency in Seattle while building the political strength and economic wealth of the Black community statewide. Among her many contributions, Angela:

• Served as the first Executive Director of the Student Success Center at Hawthorne Elementary School, the inaugural project of Parents for Student Success, advocating for Black Seattle Public School students impacted by disproportionate suspensions and expulsions.
• Led the Brighton Dunlap Community Council, collaborating with neighbors to clean up local parks affected by drugs and gangs, improve conditions at the Holly Park Safeway, and persuaded the Seattle-King County Public Health department to implement policies that reduced Black infant mortality in SE Seattle by 50% within a year.

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