What’s the Deal With: Bellingham’s soapbox?

The message behind the Bellingham soapbox at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and East Chestnut Street is clear: Speak out.  Designed to “inspire impromptu public speech and artistic expression,” the box was installed in 2015 to honor the life of Indigenous treaty rights activist and environmental leader Billy Frank, Jr., who died one year prior at the age of 83.  Frank was a member of the Nisqually Tribe and championed Indigenous rights throughout his lifetime.