Larry Gossett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Larry Gossett
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Gossett in 2008
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| Chair of the King County Council | |
| In office January 16, 2013 – January 1, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Ferguson |
| Succeeded by | Larry Phillips |
| In office January 1, 2007 – January 7, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Larry Phillips |
| Succeeded by | Julia Patterson |
| Member of the King County Council | |
| In office January 1, 1994 – January 8, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Girmay Zahilay |
| Constituency | District 10 (1994–2006) District 2 (2006–2020) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lawrence Edward Gossett
February 21, 1945 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Washington (BA) |
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Lawrence Edward Gossett (born February 21, 1945) is an American politician and activist. He was a member of the King County Council, which is like a local government group for King County in Washington state. He represented different areas, called districts, from 1994 to 2020. Gossett also served as the leader of the council in 2007 and 2013.
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Early Life and Education
Larry Gossett was born in Seattle, Washington. His parents were sharecroppers, which means they were farmers who worked on land owned by someone else and paid rent with a share of their crops. They moved to Seattle from Texas.
He went to Franklin High School and graduated in 1963. Later, he studied at the University of Washington. In 1966 and 1967, he was a volunteer with a program called VISTA in Harlem, New York. This experience helped him become more interested in social and political issues.
Working for Change
After returning to Seattle, Gossett became a founder of the Black Student Union at the University of Washington. This group helped organize similar student unions in many high schools and middle schools across Seattle. As a student activist, he helped create the university's Educational Opportunity Program. This program helped more minority students get into the university. He also played a role in a protest involving Black track athletes from Oregon State University.
In 1970, he earned the first-ever degree in African American studies from the University of Washington. Even before he officially received his degree, he became the first supervisor of the Black Student Division in the university's Office of Minority Affairs. People in the late 1960s saw him as a well-known young Black activist in Seattle.
Gossett was also involved in other civil rights groups. He worked as a community organizer in Seattle. While still working for the University of Washington, he helped with a protest that led to a former public school becoming El Centro de la Raza, a community center. He continued to be involved in civil disobedience, which means peacefully refusing to obey certain laws as a form of protest.
He later worked on the mayoral campaign for Charles Royer in 1977. After that, he worked for the city government for a short time. However, he felt this took him away from his work as an activist. From 1979 to 1993, he was the executive director of Seattle's Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP), which helped the community. He also worked on Jesse Jackson's campaigns for president.
Activism for Equality
Gossett was involved with groups that worked for civil rights and equality for African Americans. He attended important meetings and events related to these movements. He has spoken positively about the impact of these groups on fighting for justice.
King County Council Service
Gossett was elected to the King County Council in 1993. The King County Council is a group of elected officials who make decisions for King County, like approving budgets and passing local laws. He ran for re-election several times without anyone running against him, winning in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015.
Interestingly, Gossett's office in the King County Courthouse is in the same spot where his jail cell was in 1968. He was arrested then during a sit-in protest at Franklin High School.
He served six terms on the council. In the 2019 election, he was defeated by Girmay Zahilay.
Personal Life
Larry Gossett is Catholic. He is married and has three children.
See also
- Gang of Four (Seattle)
