Seattle Mayor

Colleen Echohawk

Question

Black wealth remains near zero due to centuries of systemic anti-Black racism and is on a trajectory to only worsen. In Seattle, white wealth is nearly 20x more than Black wealth. What specific actions will you take to close the Black-white wealth gap?

  1. How much of the Black-white wealth gap will you close while in office? 

  2. Who are you working with in the Black community to close it? 

  3. How will you support investing federal funding directly and specifically into the Black community in the next two years?

Answer

The current systems that exist to create and maintain wealth are specific designed to benefit white communities and those economic protections that generate intergenerational wealth deserve to exist for Black communities as well. Wealth protection infrastructure needs to be decolonized. Land acquisition, communal land ownership, and other sustainable wealth investments need to be created and overseen by Black visionaries and leaders. Land ownership, and legislative investments to public infrastructure in Black communities will build and protect neighborhoods, local business, and communal space so families can raise their children safely and see their grandchildren live in Seattle. I would aim to cut the Black-white wealth gap by exploring options to extend the Seattle Promise to pay for undergraduate degrees, addressing health inequities, exploring housing modalities that respond to the cultural needs in the Black community, asking for leadership and collaboration from the Black community and resourcing those ideas, land banking with Black-led organizations benefiting and supporting Black-led affordable housing

I have worked with the following Black led organizations and would be honored to work with them in the Mayor’s office.

  • Decriminalize Seattle

  • Africatown

  • Urban League

  • Byrd Barr Place

  • Lavender Rights Project

  • King County Equity Now (attended meetings)

I will build the next generation of leadership through coalition and work with organizations like King County Equity Now who is already doing the work of strengthen our communities, I will also work closely with you all. to ensure material change is made by the Black community and for the Black community. City dollars need to be spent on Black business, and Black neighborhoods, guided by Black community leaders and families. The only way to make our city great is to challenge the Black-white wealth gap and prioritize spending to build back Black economies. I will actively seek out Black-led organizations and ensure that resources are distributed equitably and with the leadership of Black-led organizations.

Next Candidate

Andrew Grant Houston

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