On Aug. 21, McCarver Elementary officially became Edna Travis Elementary. The change comes after a months-long community process and unanimous vote in July by the Tacoma School Board to approve the name change.

“Naming the school after Dr. Travis gives the community hope,” said Reverend Bob Penton, who served on the renaming committee and was a long-time friend of the late Edna Travis.

“Over the years, Hilltop has been one the most neglected areas. So, when you embrace the community’s choice, it speaks volumes to the community that they have a voice. I hope it empowers the community,” Penton said.

Travis lived in Tacoma’s Hilltop community for over 60 years, and her impact and service to the community is immeasurable. She was one of the first black female pastors in the Hilltop neighborhood, and she began a feeding program that still runs today. She opened safe transitional housing, and she hosted a weekly radio show focused on issues affecting the Black community. But it’s the individual lives she touched that created her legacy of kindness and hope.

“Many times, during Christmas or Thanksgiving, we’d have people sitting at our dinner table that we didn’t know,” shared Travis’ granddaughter Katrishca Barker. “She was all about community and making sure that no one would sit at a dinner table alone.”

Lee Barker, a McKinney Vento coordinator for Tacoma Public Schools, knows firsthand the impact of Travis’ kindness.

“She helped raise my mom and her siblings. She was a grandmother to me and the only grandmother I ever knew,” said Barker. “I would not be who I am without her. I didn’t really have a plan. She gave me money and pushed me to sign up for community college. Her push and encouragement got me where I am.”

As an educator providing support to students whose families are struggling to find stable housing, Barker continues Travis’ legacy.

“There are very few people in the Hilltop that have not been impacted directly or indirectly by Travis. She touched so many lives,” said Penton.

Community celebration Sept. 22 will honor the legacy of Edna Travis

A community celebration will take place Sept. 22, from 2:30-3:15 p.m. at Travis Elementary. The event will feature students and community speakers.

Travis Elementary principal Lisa Gibbs said she is looking forward to honoring and celebrating Edna Travis with the community. 

“As I talk to families and community members, there is a lot of excitement about the name change,” said Gibbs. “This summer, our team did some community outreach, and we heard so many amazing stories about Dr. Travis.”

More about Edna Travis

Edna Travis was originally from Mississippi, but relocated to the Pacific Northwest in 1948, where she would live until her death in 2019. She was one of the first black female pastors in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood and helped found the New Covenant Pentecostal Tabernacle.

In addition to her work as a pastor, Travis served as a community advocate with the Tacoma Rescue Mission for over 20 years and was the superintendent of the United Academy of Excellence, a prek-3 school, for seven years.

She received many awards and recognitions for her contributions to the community, including the City of Tacoma Community Service Award in 2012; NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011; Washington State Department of Corrections Volunteer Award in 1997; Northwest Dispatch Distinguished Citizen Award in 1988; and YWCA Humanitarian of the Year Award in 1987.

Travis graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Evergreen State College in 1986. She earned two master’s degrees - a Master of Theology in 1988 from A.L. Hardy Academy of Theology and Master of Education in 2005 from Antioch University. She was a member of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce, Tacoma Ministerial Alliance, and the Tacoma Urban League.