Tag Archives: Africatown Community Land Trust

PHOTO ESSAY | Africatown Community Land Trust’s ‘Honoring Our Black Wall Streets’ Celebrates Local Black Businesses

June 1, 2023 Editor

by Ronnie Estoque

On Monday, May 29, 23^rd Avenue and Jackson Street was full of soulful music, lively dancing, tasty food, and over 100 Black vendors as Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) hosted their third annual Honoring Our Black Wall Streets event. The event honored the 102^nd anniversary of the massacre and decimation of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Continue reading →

Community

The Future of Black Seattle: Organizers and Community Members Meet for 2023 State of Africatown

February 27, 2023 Editor

by Lauryn Bray

This past Saturday, Feb. 25, community organizers and members, elected officials, and Black Seattle residents gathered together at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute to join Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) in “celebrating a decade of realizing the vision of Black Seattle.” Hosted by TraeAnna Holiday, 2023’s State of Africatown celebration held space for over 15 speakers to present the ways in which they are invested in making their community thrive. Although the speakers came from an array of backgrounds, representing different fields of work, including health care, education, and philanthropy, through their songs and stories, each of them spoke to a collective vision and commitment to protecting, promoting, and preserving the potential of Seattle’s Black communities.

Continue reading →

Community

Africatown Celebrates the Opening of the William Grose Center for Cultural Innovation

September 27, 2022 Editor

by Lauryn Bray

The Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 16 marked the end of a week of events celebrating the opening of the William Grose Center for Cultural Innovation. Under the legacy of William Grose, ACLT transforms the decommissioned Fire Station 6 into a technology center dedicated to helping mold Seattle’s next generation of tech developers, creative professionals, and future entrepreneurs.

Continue reading →

News

Africatown Speaker Series Explores How to Build Thriving Black Communities

July 5, 2022 Editor

by Ben Adlin

A new summer speaker series hosted by Africatown Community Land Trust is bringing together nonprofit leaders from across the country to discuss best practices for building strong, resilient Black neighborhoods in Seattle and beyond.

Continue reading →

Community

Seattle Turns Out for Juneteenth Celebrations

June 21, 2022 Editor

by Patheresa Wells

Sunday, June 19, Seattleites participated in Juneteenth events across the city. The holiday has long been celebrated throughout the country, especially among African Americans, though it was not formally recognized as a federal holiday until last year. While often thought of in conjunction with the Emancipation Proclamation freeing enslaved people in 1863, many would not receive news of their freedom until later. Those in Galveston, Texas, did not receive word of emancipation until June 19, 1865, more than two years after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery. Juneteenth started as a way for those enslaved in the Galveston area to celebrate that freedom had finally reached them.

Continue reading →

Community

PHOTO ESSAY: Honoring Our Black Wall Streets Expo Celebrates Black-Owned Businesses in Seattle

June 3, 2022 Editor

by Susan Fried

On a rare almost-sunny day in May, the Africatown Community Land Trust honored the 101st anniversary of the Black Wall Street massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by celebrating Black business and entrepreneurship in Seattle.

Continue reading →

Community

Africatown Community Land Trust Celebrates Black Wall Streets and Malcolm X

May 21, 2022 Editor

by Ronnie Estoque

Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) will be hosting its Malcolm X Day Celebration this Saturday, May 21, at Jimi Hendrix Park, ending a week of celebrations held in his honor. On May 30, it will also be hosting “Honoring Our Black Wall Streets,” which will take place at 23rd to 25th Street and Jackson Street in the Central District.

Continue reading →

News

Affordable Homeownership Housing Development Completed in Central District

April 26, 2022 Editor

by Elizabeth Turnbull

On Tuesday morning, local leaders and community members celebrated the completion of an affordable housing development in the Central District that specifically aims to make owning a home financially viable for residents.

Continue reading →

Community

Celebration of Africatown Plaza Groundbreaking Rings in New Affordable Housing

February 8, 2022 Editor

by Elizabeth Turnbull, photos by Susan Fried

Last Saturday, Feb. 5, local leaders and community luminaries participated in a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate a new building project, named Africatown Plaza, which is intended to bring more affordable housing to the Central District.

“I think this moment just signifies what’s possible, when we have a thought, we come together around that thought, and then we take that and rally and push it forward to make it real,” K. Wyking Garrett, the CEO of Africatown Community Land Trust, said in an interview with Converge Media.

“A lot of times it looks very bleak but hopefully this is just a small light, a small candle, and if we keep lighting candles and then put our candles together, we can create a different situation.”

Continue reading →