Carrying the Legacy, A Tribute to Dorothy and Lacy Steele
Carrying the Legacy.
A free evening of remembrance and celebration honoring Dorothy and Lacy Steele, with a community dinner at First AME Church in Seattle. Doors open at 5:00 PM. Registration is required.
The Tribute to Dorothy and Lacy Steele, titled Carrying the Legacy, takes place Thursday, December 3, 2026, at First AME Church, 1522 14th Avenue in Seattle. Presented by the Seattle King County NAACP, the evening honors a couple whose 72-year partnership shaped civil rights in Seattle and King County. December 3 would have been Lacy Steele’s 95th birthday. Admission and dinner are free, but advance registration is required.
Honoring Two Lives Built Around One Mission
Dorothy and Lacy Steele married on June 22, 1952, and came to Seattle in 1959, when Boeing recruited Lacy. That same year they joined First AME Church, and for the next six decades they built church, community and the NAACP side by side. Lacy Steele passed away on May 20, 2025, and Dorothy Steele on July 24, 2025. The Tribute to Dorothy and Lacy Steele gathers the community they served to remember them and to recommit to the work they started.
Lacy Steele led the Seattle NAACP Branch for 26 years, from 1972 to 1998, and served on the NAACP National Board for more than 18 years. He led the desegregation of Seattle Public Schools without a court battle, was instrumental in naming Martin Luther King Jr. Way, and helped rename King County for Dr. King. A Korean War Army sergeant, he became the first African American manager of Boeing’s Defense and Space Group Quality Organization. Dorothy Steele, an NAACP Golden Heritage Life Member, gave 35 years to Boeing, served her church for decades, helped found The Benefit Guild, and spent 26 years as Lacy’s unofficial NAACP secretary.
Register early for the Tribute to Dorothy and Lacy Steele so the planning committee can prepare for every guest at dinner.
What to Expect at the Tribute to Dorothy and Lacy Steele
- Historical display and networkingDoors open at 5:00 PM with a historical display on the Steeles’ life and work, plus time to connect with neighbors and NAACP members.
- Complimentary community dinnerA free dinner from 5:20 to 6:30 PM, shared with families, faith leaders and longtime friends of the Steeles.
- Tribute and recognition programThe main program begins at 6:45 PM, honoring Dorothy and Lacy Steele and the legacy they leave in Seattle.
- Recognition of Carolyn Riley-PayneA salute to more than 40 years leading NAACP ACT-SO in Seattle.
- A new ACT-SO awardThe introduction of the Carolyn Riley Payne ACT-SO Legacy Award for youth development and educational opportunity.
A Legacy Continued Through ACT-SO
For more than 40 years, Carolyn Riley-Payne has led the NAACP’s Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics, known as ACT-SO, in Seattle. That work grew from her partnership with Lacy Steele, who championed ACT-SO locally and nationally. The evening recognizes the generations of young scholars and leaders that partnership produced, and it introduces the Carolyn Riley Payne ACT-SO Legacy Award so the work continues with the next generation of students.
Admission and dinner at the Tribute to Dorothy and Lacy Steele are free, but every guest needs to register in advance at carryingthelegacy.pplx.app so the committee can plan seating and meals.
The program is presented by the Seattle King County NAACP Religious Affairs Committee, with Rev. Dr. Linda Smith serving as program coordinator. Families are encouraged to bring young people, so the next generation can learn the civil rights history of their own city from the people who lived it. Dorothy and Lacy Steele are survived by their daughter, Marche Deon Steele Heath, and by a community that carries their work forward.
Why the Tribute to Dorothy and Lacy Steele Matters to NAACP AOWSAC
The NAACP Alaska Oregon Washington State Area Conference shares this event because the Steeles’ work is the foundation the region still stands on. School desegregation, voter registration, and a county named for Dr. King did not happen by accident. They happened because people like Dorothy and Lacy Steele showed up for decades. The Tribute to Dorothy and Lacy Steele is a chance to honor that history and to ask what each of us will carry forward. Find more gatherings across the three states on the NAACP AOWSAC events calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Tribute to Dorothy and Lacy Steele
When and where is the tribute?
Thursday, December 3, 2026, at First AME Church, 1522 14th Avenue, Seattle, WA. Doors open at 5:00 PM, dinner runs 5:20 to 6:30 PM, and the program begins at 6:45 PM.
Does it cost anything to attend?
No. Admission and the community dinner at the Tribute to Dorothy and Lacy Steele are free, but advance registration is required.
How do I register?
Register online at carryingthelegacy.pplx.app. Registering early helps the committee plan dinner for every guest.
Who else is being honored?
Carolyn Riley-Payne is being recognized for more than 40 years leading NAACP ACT-SO in Seattle, and the Carolyn Riley Payne ACT-SO Legacy Award will be introduced.
Who is hosting the event?
The Seattle King County NAACP, Branch 1136, through its Religious Affairs Committee, with Rev. Dr. Linda Smith as program coordinator.
Additional Resources
- Carrying the Legacy Registration and Honoree Biographies
- Seattle King County NAACP
- NAACP ACT-SO Achievement Program
- First AME Church Seattle
The Tribute to Dorothy and Lacy Steele is hosted by the Seattle King County NAACP and shared by the NAACP AOWSAC State Area Conference