Resources
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Below is a (non-exhaustive) list of Black-led organizations in the area:
African-American Writers’ Alliance
The African-American Writers’ Alliance, a diverse and dynamic collective of Seattle-area writers of African descent, provides an informal and supportive forum for new and published writers.
The Black Embodiments Studio is hybrid arts writing incubator and a public lecture series dedicated to expansive and dynamic investigations of blackness in contemporary art.
Black Heritage Society of Washington State
The Black Heritage Society of Washington State, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to the acquisition, preservation and exhibition of materials relating to the history and culture of African-Americans in the State of Washington.
The Black Lens is an independent community publication, based in Spokane, Washington, that is focused on the news, events, people, issues, and information of importance to the African American community.
Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas
Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas is the only local, nonprofit organization solely dedicated to presenting emerging Black arts, artists, and ideas in the Seattle area. We believe in the value of community, creativity, identity and passion. These values serve as our strategic frame and guide day-to-day operations and program decisions.
Creative Justice builds community with youth most impacted by the school-to-prison-(to-deportation) pipeline. Participants and mentor artists work together to examine the root causes of incarceration, like systemic racism and other forms of oppression, creating art that articulates the power and potential of our communities.
Crunk Feminist Arts Collective
The Crunk Feminist Collective (CFC) will create a space of support and camaraderie for hip hop generation feminists of color, queer and straight, in the academy and without, by building a rhetorical community, in which we can discuss our ideas, express our crunk feminist selves, fellowship with one another, debate and challenge one another, and support each other, as we struggle together to articulate our feminist goals, ideas, visions, and dreams in ways that are both personally and professionally beneficial.
The board of Festival Sundiata would like to invite you to join with us in supporting Festival Sundiata presents “Black Arts Fest ′: This will be a wonderful family event held at Seattle Center. The festival celebrates the arts and educates the community about people of African descent who form a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. The festival will encompass, music, spoken word, food, vendors, information, employment opportunities an incredible art exhibition and sale, drill team exhibition, and much, much, more.
LANGSTON is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization, established in 2016 to lead programming within the historic Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute. LANGSTON guides generative programs and community partnerships that center Black art, artists and audiences and honor the ongoing legacy of Seattle’s Black Central Area.
Living Arts Cultural Heritage Project
Living Arts Cultural Heritage (LACH) improves lives, creates connections, and increases unity through education, community events, and creative projects rooted in the history of African Americans and other cultural identities in Kitsap County and the Pacific Northwest.
Tariqa Waters opened Martyr Sauce, a gallery in Pioneer Square, in 2012, showcasing underrepresented artists.
NAAM’s mission is to spread knowledge, understanding, and enjoyment of the histories, arts and cultures of people of African descent for the enrichment of all. We accomplish our mission by working with others to:
Present and preserve the connections between the Pacific Northwest and people of African descent; and to
Investigate and celebrate Black experiences in America through exhibitions, programs and events.
Northwest Tap Dance Connection
Northwest Tap Connection is a distinctive urban dance studio specializing in Rhythm Tap. The studio’s philosophy is that dance enriches the lives of the students, while developing self-discipline, instilling self-confidence, and encouraging achievement and goal setting.
Onyx is organized by the voluntary efforts of a group of artists and supporters committed to celebrate and promote the visual artwork of artists of African descent.
Seattle Music Partners cultivates a diverse and vibrant music-making community by providing youth with free music instruction and one-on-one mentoring to eliminate racial and economic barriers to quality music education.
Founded as a platform that authentically depicts the dynamic voices, culture, arts, ideas, and businesses that fall within South Seattle’s borders, the Emerald is news as it was originally intended to be: not as business, nor as a forum for propaganda, but as a service to the community it chronicles.
Seattle Urban League – Young Professionals
The mission of ULMS-YP is to support the National Urban League's movement through volunteerism, philanthropy, and membership development. We accomplish this by supporting our local affiliate, The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, providing a forum for the development of young professionals and engagement of the greater Seattle area youth.
Located in Spokane WA, Terrain is a pioneering non-profit building community and economic opportunity for the artists, makers and culture creators of the Inland Northwest.
Umoja Fest honors our rich heritage while recognizing our ability to make history. The festival and parade celebrates our collective ability to make ourselves, our families, community, city, state, nation and world a better place for our future generations.
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) empowers African Americans, as well as other diverse underserved communities, to thrive by securing educational and economic opportunities.
Wa Na Wari creates space for Black ownership, possibility, and belonging through art, historic preservation, and connection. We are a center for Black art and culture in Seattle’s historically redlined Central District neighborhood.
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The NYT AntiRacist Recommended Reading List
Resources from Alliance for Girls:
If you are non-Black, be intentional about how you check in on your Black staff, colleagues, and youth. Do not ask, “Are you okay?,” or put your Black colleagues on the spot. Here is an excellent list of do’s and don'ts.
Support, listen to, and take leadership from Black women, girls, and trans and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) folx, and Black women and TGNC-led organizations. Girls for Gender Equity’s Black Girls Bill of Rights delineates the components that contribute to creating a world that Black girls would want to live in. Pass the mic to Black women, girls, and TGNC folx when there are leadership or speaking opportunities (with their consent).
Amplify and support the demands of the Movement for Black Lives and other Black-led calls to action. Text "ActionNow" to 90975 for live updates. Sign petitions to help bring justice and awareness to Black people like Breonna Taylor.
Take time to do a journal reflection on the following questions:
In what ways am I complicit in, silent about or have actively perpetuated anti-Blackness?
What steps will I take to educate myself actively to unlearn anti-Blackness?
What am I willing to sacrifice for the movement? Where are my strengths and abilities? What can I contribute?
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Below is a (non-exhaustive) list of Black-leg organizations accepting donations to advance racial justice and dismantle systemic racism:
Andrè Taylor formed this Seattle-based nonprofit after a pair of city police officers fatally shot his brother, Che, in 2016. Two years later, Not This Time! successfully backed Initiative 940, which removed the “malice” standard previously needed to charge Washington law enforcers with violent crimes. The organization continues to demand police reform in Seattle and beyond.
Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County Freedom Fund
This branch of the global justice group has started a bail fund for those protesting in memory of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Manuel Ellis. The organizers say that during a time when people feel a need to be in the streets, “Black, Indigenous, and people of color are going to be disproportionately arrested and held on bail. Cash bail is an inhumane system built to unfairly limit the freedom of those without financial/class privilege.”
Working in King and SnohoFunds for Victims’ Familiesmish counties, this organization aims to provide cash bail to impoverished people accused of “low-level” crimes. That is, until money bail is abolished, if NCBF has its say. In the meantime, it will continue to help defendants navigate the pretrial period with the goal of “reducing the pressure to plead guilty.”
Funds for Victims’ Families
Lives unjustly lost prompted the protests in Seattle and other cities across the country. George Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer held his knee against Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot by two Georgia men during a jog. Breonna Taylor was fired upon by law enforcement in her own home. Crowdfunding initiatives have sprung up to support the families of Floyd and Arbery as they bear the burden of mourning their loved ones’ deaths and fighting for justice. Locals may also consider campaigns for Said Joquin, a Tacoma man fatally shot by Lakewood police during a traffic stop, and Manuel Ellis, who died after a confrontation with police in Tacoma.
Justice for George Floyd Petition
If money is tight, you can show your support by signing a petition, such as this Change.org one. Its organizers aim to bring all of the officers involved in Floyd’s death to justice.
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Alliance for Child Welfare Excellence (UW)
Center for Children and Youth Justice
Family and Youth Services Bureau
National Center for Trauma Informed Care
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
The Trauma Stewardship Institute