June 2025 Events: ‘Banned Together,’ Octavia Butler Birthday Bash and More

Looking for something to do while you wait for summer to start? We’ve got you. From a documentary screening about student activists fighting book bans to a birthday bash for legendary writer Octavia Butler, there’s something for everyone at the Library in June.

All Library events are free and open to the public. Find information and registration through the event links below or at spl.org/Calendar. Many of these events are supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Gary and Connie Kunis Foundation.

Where and When We Find Ourselves: Celebrating Black Histories and Stories. Saturday, May 31, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Library, Level 4, Room 1. Immerse yourself in the work of local Black history keepers and artists in this interactive day or art, stories and performance. Participate in a memory collage workshop, immerse yourself in historical experiences using extended reality (XR), and watch a tap performance. Partners include Wa Na Wari / Black Spatial Histories Institute, the Black Heritage Society of Washington state, The Digital Public Library of America, Mellon Foundation and the Black Genealogy Research Group of Seattle. Registration is not required.

Roosevelt High School Book Cover & Read Campaign Art Show Reception. Sunday, June 1, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Green Lake Branch Meeting Room. Stop by the Green Lake Branch art gallery to celebrate the accomplishments of Roosevelt High School’s photography class as they present projects that showcase their love of books and the importance of literacy.

Arianna Rebolini and Wudan Yan discuss “Better: A Memoir About Wanting to Die.” Tuesday, June 3, from 7 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 – Auditorium. Join us for a powerful conversation about suicide, its legacy in families and the cyclical, crooked path to recovery. A harrowing intellectual and emotional odyssey, Rebolini’s memoir “Better” touches both on suicide’s public fallout and its intensely private origins as it searches for answers to the profound question: How do we get better for good? Registration is required.

Banned Together: The Fight Against Censorship. Saturday, June 14, from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 – Auditorium. As part of the 5th Annual Teach Truth Day of Action, join us for a screening of “Banned Together,” which follows three students and their adult allies as they fight to reinstate 97 books suddenly pulled from their school libraries. As the students evolve from local to national activists the film reveals the dark forces behind the accelerating wave of book bans in the United States. This event is part of Teach Truth Day of Action, with the Zinn Education Project. Registration is not required.

Miz Floes, Troy Osaki and Guests: Poetry in Public. Tuesday, June 17, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. As part of the Poetry in Public series curated by King County Poet Planner Laura Dá, poets Miz Floes, Troy Osaki and featured community members will highlight their own work and share poetry from the project.  Registration is required.

Octavia E. Butler Birthday Bash. Sunday, June 22, from noon to 3 p.m. Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17^th S., Seattle. Join us for a celebration of visionary brilliance, radical imagination, and Black speculative genius on what would have been the legendary science fiction writer’s 78^th birthday. Hip-hop artist Gabriel Teodros, writer JusMoni and youth rapper Zaina the Phenom will perform and there will be many opportunities to connect with the community and bask in the brilliance of Butler’s legacy. Registration is required.

KUOW Summer Book Club: Ijeoma Oluo discusses “Be a Revolution.” Thursday, June 26, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 – Auditorium. As part of a three-event summer series with KUOW Book Club, host Katie Campbell will sit down with Seattle author Ijeoma Oluo to discuss her latest book, “Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World–and How You Can, Too.” “Be a Revolution” is the KUOW’s Book Club June 2025 selection. Registration is required.

Circle Up! Listen to the Moment Exhibit. Through July 31. Central Library, Level 8 Gallery. This exhibit documents how Black educators brought restorative justice to South Seattle schools. By preserving these stories, this project will honor the legacy of Black-led restorative justice work in Seattle schools, inspire future generations, and deepen understanding of how these community leaders have shaped educational systems grounded in justice for all students, particularly those impacted by systemic racism. Partners include Wa Na Wari, the Black Heritage Society of Washington State, and WA-BLOC (Washington Building Leaders of Change). Registration is not required.