Born: 1906 (circa), United States (assumed)
Died: 10 April 1963
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Juanita Carter, Juanita Lewis, Juanita Gentry
The following is republished from the Badass Womxn and Enbies in the Pacific Northwest Volume 3, in line with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. It was written by Tracy Woart (she/her).
Juanita Lewis Russell was an African American artist, poet and teacher born in the 1910s. She was based in the Seattle area. Russell, a student at Garfield High School in 1921, was not merely a poet but a notable one. Her poetry was so revered that the Garfield yearbook was named after it. Later on, after graduating from Franklin High School in 1924, she continued to pursue her passion at Seattle Pacific College. In 1926, she married Rev. E. Martin Lewis, the pastor of Grace Presbyterian, marking a new chapter in her life.
Russell’s journey took her far beyond her Seattle roots. During World War ll, she attended the University Of Berlin, where she served in the Red Cross and worked with the National Maritime Union. These international experiences broadened her perspective and shaped her commitment to social causes. In the early 1940s, she and her family moved to New York, where she taught English and typing classes at the local high schools.
After her divorce from Rev E. Martin Lewis in 1944, Russell returned to Seattle and dedicated herself to serving the community. She was actively involved in organizations such as the East Madison (now Meredith Mathews) YMCA, the Seattle Urban League, and the Seattle Seamen’s Service Club, where she found housing for military personnel, demonstrating her commitment to social causes.
Russell’s entrepreneurial spirit was as strong as her commitment to social causes. She later married Calvin Russell. They were the first to sell imported baskets and African carvings at the Pike Place Market and from 1956 through 1961 at the Puyallup Fair, later known as Calneta. They also operated their store at 2316 South Jackson Street during this time. This endeavor was a business and a platform to raise awareness of imported crafts and the artisans who created them, showcasing Russell’s creativity and determination.
In 1957, Russell formed the Aid for Africa Committee, which raised scholarship funds and collected clothes for African children. Her and her husband attended UNESCO in Boston in 1961. This is where they published Score magazine, highlighting local individuals’ talents and contributions, as well as national and international interests in African Americans. She continued her community work to advocate for African American students. Through 1962, Juanita Managed the African Pavillion at the Seattle World’s Fair, temporarily having Calneta imports on fairgrounds where her daughter Eleanor operated. At the Pavillion, she managed free transport for African students interested in internships to ensure learning for students and visitors.
Juanita Russell was driven by compassion for her community and served local businesses until her passing on April 10, 1963. She leaves a remarkable legacy that continues to be honored and remembered at the Black Heritage Society of Washington today.