Community News! April 2024
News, stories and recent articles from and about COO partners in community
Community Wealth Building Workshop Shares Strategies and Successes
Partners shared stories of strategies and successes for building community wealth at a March 12 workshop in Seattle. Read our recap of “Unlocking Community Wealth: A Workshop with The Democracy Collaborative and People's Economy Lab,” new on our blog.
Hear from many community partners about the transformative work going on in our region.
Skyway Farmers Market & Bazaar Returns, Monthly through October
Next Day: Sunday, April 28, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The Skyway Farmers Market & Bazaar invites community members for this free monthly family-friendly event. There will also be free food, free resources, EBT/SNAP accepted vendors, artisans, games, a DJ, and more. The Market & Bazaar is at the King County Fire District #20 Administrative Building parking lot, 12424 76th Ave S., Seattle, WA 98178.
Presented by Urban Food Systems Pact, Skyway Coalition, Dare2Be, Kaiser Permanente, King County, Renton School District, and Seattle LISC.
Learn more, RSVP, vend, or volunteer for Skyway Farmers Market & Bazaar
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle Celebrates Black Earth Day
Saturday, April 20, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Yesler Terrace Park
The Urban League welcomes the community to their Black Earth Day celebration. They'll be honoring the Black, Brown, and Indigenous leaders who have been at the forefront of the Environmental Justice movement. They invite you to spend your Saturday with some tunes, free food, giveaways, and maybe even learn a cool skill in our workshops.
They need more volunteers to make this a success. Sign up to volunteer for Black Earth Day
Stories from the Streets Opens April 12
“Stories From The Streets” is a powerful exhibit that invites you to get to know Real Change vendors — the hard-working homeless and low-income people who have been selling the Real Change newspaper on the streets of Seattle since 1994.
This rare exhibition of the Real Change Portrait Project features brand-new works alongside past portraits created by Seattle artists between 2014 and 2024.
The exhibit runs Friday, April 12 – Sunday, June 16.
Learn more about Real Change and the “Stories from the Streets” exhibit.
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 25, 5-7 p.m.
Seattle Public Library, Central Library
This free opening reception features speakers from Real Change and light refreshments.
NAN Networking Event Welcomes Advocacy Boot Camp Cohort
Friday, April 26, 5-7 p.m., IslandWood, Bainbridge Island
Join Native Action Network for their first-ever Advocacy Networking Reception. They’ll be welcoming their 2024 Advocacy Boot Camp Cohort Island for their first session of the year, and inviting their community to network with them on Friday night.
There will be light bites and refreshments provided. This is a free event, but they are requesting registration.
COMMUNITY Job Fairs to Check Out
creative justice youth job fair, april 19
Creative Justice is hosting a job fair for youth ages 14-21 on April 19, 4-7 p.m. at Washington Hall.
Creative Justice’s fellowship team will support youth in creating resumes and cover letters upon request.
Employers and organizations: please visit the QR code on the graphic to express your interest in involvement, or use the link: http://tinyurl.com/4cssarcd
Youth: please visit the QR code on the graphic to express your interest and request support. Link: http://tinyurl.com/368z849w
Duwamish River Community Coalition Job Fair, May 11
Multicultural Community Coalition Hosts Community Market
Saturday, April 27 and Saturday, May 11,
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Multicultural Community Coalition (MCC) invites Black, immigrant, and refugee-owned local businesses, entrepreneurs, and organizations to apply to vend at its African Diaspora Community Market. There is no tabling fee! Participating vendors will be provided with outdoor booths in the business parking lot located at 5811 Rainier Ave S, Seattle WA 98118.
Learn more about the MCC Market and register to vend here
Queer Power Alliance: New Name, Ongoing Commitment
Our partner LGBTQ Allyship has been transitioning to its new name, Queer Power Alliance.
They explain the reason for the change: “While LGBTQ Allyship has served us well, this is an opportunity to evolve and better represent our core values. Our unwavering dedication to equity, justice, accountability, and collaboration drives this transformation.”
They say what remains unchanged is “our constant commitment to economic, housing, racial, and gender justice. Our work, mission, and dedication to disrupting systems of oppression will continue with even more passion and vigor.”
Learn more at the Queer Power Alliance website.
SpiceBridge’s Last Art Night is May 3
Spice Bridge introduced a popular event called Art Night last year, featuring poetry, jewelry making, and of course lots of different foods from around the world. Their final Art Night is May 3.
Learn more about this community event, see a sneak peek of five new businesses joining Spice Bridge, and see the springtime events where Food Innovation Network incubator participants will be sharing their foods.
Read Food Innovation Network's recent news about SpiceBridge Art Night and more.
LISC’s Housing Equity Accelerator Program Kicks Off
20 local emerging housing developers are participating in the 2nd Housing Equity Accelerator Fellowship program from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), which kicked off Thursday, March 21. Over the next year, the Fellows will have access to content, connections, and capital to expand affordable housing in our region, LISC says. Several COO community partners are among the cohort.
Meet the 2024 Housing Equity Accelerator Program Cohort
LISC is a U.S. nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that supports community development initiatives across the country. They have teamed up with Amazon to help build the next generation of real estate developers of color in the Puget Sound region and expand affordable housing in the communities they serve through this Housing Equity Accelerator Program.
Photo courtesy of Lauren McGowan, LISC.
New Seattle Draft Comprehensive Plan Seeks Community Input
Attend an Open House or comment online till May 6
“Everyone with a stake in Seattle’s future” is invited to share feedback about the newly released draft of Seattle’s new Comprehensive Plan, also called OneSeattle. People can share their comments at one of numerous open houses around the city, or submit them on the Engagement Hub.
As part of its community engagement, OPCD contracted with seven BIPOC-led and serving CBOs to engage the communities they serve around the Plan.
Find links to these CBO final reports and recommendations on the One Seattle Plan Engagement Hub. There you can also see the list of open houses. OPCD is accepting comments on the Draft Plan and supporting documents through 5 p.m. on Monday, May 6.
New Coalition Forms to Drive Engagement for Comp Plan
An alliance called the Complete Communities Coalition has formed to encourage further community engagement around Seattle’s draft Comprehensive Plan. The coalition includes representatives of affordable housing advocates, community-based organizations, nonprofit developers, urbanists, environmentalists, the local business community, and more.
Find out more at the Complete Communities Coalition website.
Seattle Launches Innovative Business Community Ownership Fund To Empower BIPOC Businesses
La Union Studio, a BIPOC-owned interior design firm in the Mt. Baker neighborhood, is the first business to benefit from the Seattle’s new Business Community Ownership Fund (BCO Fund). This program is designed to help small businesses in Seattle combat economic pressures such as rising rents and displacement. It’s the first of its kind in the nation, reports The Seattle Medium.
The City of Seattle’s Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED), Grow America, and JPMorgan Chase are collaborating on this innovative initiative.
Read the story about the BCO Fund and La Union Studio in The Seattle Medium
SCIDpda Plans New Affordable Housing in Chinatown International District
The Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) is planning to build an affordable housing project with 86 to 120 units, including two-bedroom apartments. They’ll be built on the site of the former Spic'n Span dry cleaners on South Dearborn Street and Maynard Avenue South in Seattle, reports the International Examiner.
Spic'n Span operated until 2019 as the only dry cleaners in the CID for over 50 years. The Washington State Department of Ecology is overseeing the cleanup of contaminants in the lot and helping fund the cleanup through its new Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant Program.
Funding to build the housing will come from other sources. The project will also take advantage of Seattle’s Community Preference policy, which allows developers in neighborhoods at high risk of displacement to give leasing preference to households that can prove a familial connection to the neighborhood.
See the “before” photo and read the International Examiner’s full story on SCIDpda’s new affordable housing project.
Build 2 Lead Wins Grant from Commerce
Congratulations to Build 2 Lead, a recipient of the Washington State Microenterprise Association (WSMA) Grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce. The grant will fund the new program EntreLeadership, a fundamental entrepreneurship and leadership development program for young people age 16-24 years old.
Read more about Build 2 Lead and the grant
Partner Speaks at Censorship Conference
Christopher Blackwell, co-founder of Look2Justice, spoke at the Censorship & Consciousness conference March 21. The conference is hosted by the Bell Collective for Critical Race Theory at Harvard Law School. Blackwell joined a panel on banned books and writing in prison.
Casa Latina's Journey Captured in Photo Essay
Seattle photographer Michael Barkin first started documenting the people of Casa Latina in 2001. The Seattle Times recently published a photo essay of the moments he captured.
See the 23-year photo essay about Casa Latina in the Seattle Times Pacific Northwest Magazine
Front and Centered speaks out on Climate Commitment Act
Front and Centered was one of the climate justice organizations quoted in a Seattle Times article about the Climate Commitment Act and the effort to repeal it that will be on ballots this fall.
The Act requires funding to be spent “in ways that benefit vulnerable populations in overburdened communities.” Upcoming projects include projects to address childhood asthma in King County. Front and Centered spokesperson Guillermo Rogel emphasized the need to ensure funding will directly benefit overburdened communities.
Read the Seattle Times story on the Climate Commitment Act.
Black Home Initiative is Spotlighted in New Profile
In this extensive profile by the Lincoln Institute for Land Policy, the leaders of Seattle’s Black Home Initiative explain how 90 organizations came together to increase Black homeownership. They share the story of their work to build a coalition, secure funding, and advocate for policy changes. The initiative is part of a national program, Connecting Capital and Community (3C), that’s operating in five major cities across the country.
Dive Into UTOPIA’s Annual Report
UTOPIA Washington invites the community to join them for a journey through 2023 – and their blueprint for their future – in their new annual report.
UTOPIA says, “You'll witness the unfolding and unapologetic narratives of a community driven by resilience, creativity, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Dive into the depths of our initiatives, from pioneering sustainability projects to programmatic advancements, each chapter a testament to our unwavering commitment to progress and community.”
New Permanent Supportive Housing Coming to Capitol Hill
Lavender Rights Project and Chief Seattle Club are partnering on The House, a 35-unit building providing permanent supportive housing for QT2BIPOC in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.
The partners say that The House is scheduled to open in early 2025, and is intended to serve QT2BIPOC people chronically experiencing homelessness in King County. They want to invest in the overall wellness and health of our community by providing services for physical, mental, and spiritual wellness, and offering a safe space for rest, work, and meeting.
Learn more about The House on the housing section of the Lavender Rights Project website.
Africatown Community Land Trust leaders interviewed in Converge Media
ACLT's Kennesha Poe-Buycks and Jacqueline Armstrong visited Converge Media’s The Day With Trae to discuss the Africatown Plaza Housing Development as well as upcoming events for the community.
Tenants Union Shares Accomplishments in Annual Report
Tenants Union of Washington State recently published its 2023 Annual Report. They invite the community to learn more about what they’ve accomplished in the past year.
Chief Seattle Club Leader Interviewed on National Show “Here & Now”
The national radio show “Here & Now” recently interviewed Chief Seattle Club Executive Director Derrick Belgarde. He shared his insights on the need for culturally competent support for the Native community, such as the Eagle Village shelter, funded in part by King County. Chief Seattle Club is also partnering with King County’s Health Through Housing program, operating the Salmonberry Village permanent supportive housing.
Here & Now is a national live radio show produced by WBUR-Boston and National Public Radio. It airs locally on KUOW.
Listen to Derrick Belgarde on Here & Now
Harriet Tubman’s Legacy is a Call to Reform: New opinion piece
In honor of Harriet Tubman Day in March, Danisha Jefferson-Abye of Tubman Center for Health & Freedom wrote an opinion piece for South Seattle Emerald.
“Let’s remember her as even more than a historic figure,” Danish wrote, in urging for health care reform. “Let’s look to her as a visionary, healer, and Union Army nurse who recognized that attaining our physical well-being is intertwined with the broader struggle for Black liberation.”
Read the full Tubman Day opinion piece in South Seattle Emerald
More Tubman Center News is in their quarterly news.
United Way of King County podcast features chat with leader Gordon McHenry Jr.
United Way of King County President and CEO Gordon McHenry Jr. recently talked with United Way’s podcast, Hourglass, about what draws him to this work. He also mentioned an influential book in anti-racism work. Gordon formerly served on COO’s Governance Group.
Listen to the UWKC podcast, Hourglass
New SESEC post explains legacy of Brown v. Board of Education
Where has Brown v. Board of Education led us to? What are the implications of this monumental court case? How has it shaped the current educational landscape? Understanding the complexities and history extending from Brown v. Board is pivotal for educational advocacy, whether as a teacher, researcher, or even a student.
Read the blog post from Ji Ho (Geo) Yang, PHD Candidate at the University of Washington, on the Southeast Seattle Education Coalition website here.
Partners Win Funding from MacKenzie Scott’s $640 Million in Grants to 361 Nonprofits
Congratulations to the 361 organizations who recently won grants from MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Funds! They include our partners Arts Corps, East African Community Services, Front and Centered, Northwest Education Access, Open Arms Perinatal Services, Technology Access Foundation, and The Mockingbird Society.
Read the Geekwire story about Washington state grant recipients
Take a Tour of Contaminated Sites and Cleanup
with Duwamish RiverCommunity Coalition
Duwamish River Community Coalition has created an online Toxic Tour in collaboration with their partners, as part of their work to urge for a health-protective cleanup. On this story map, learn more about contaminated sites and the history of the cleanup efforts.
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