WASHINGTON'S PRACTICALLY OUT OF REACH FOR SO MANY PEOPLE? VANESSA MICHAlANY LOOKS AT ONE
SOLUTION JIMI HENDRIX GUITAR
MAY HAVE DEFINED AN ERA
OF AMERICAN MUSIC BUT IS THE
SOUND YOU FORGE RIGHT HERE IN
THE BASEMENT IN THE GARAGES
OF THE CENTRAL DISTRICT?
>> THE SECTION OF SEATTLE SOUTH
OF DOWNTOWN.
THE BLACK COMMUNITY HAS CALLED
HOME 440 YEARS INNOVATION,
CREATIVITY, ENTREPRENEURIAL
SPIRIT ALL OF THAT MAKING WAY
OUT OF NO WAY IS 100 PERCENT
PART OF THE BLACK EXPERIENCE.
>> THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE IN
AMERICA.
BUT THOSE GARAGES, THOSE
BASEMENTS, ALL THOSE SPACES
THEY'RE BEING PRICED OUT.
>> FOR DECADES THE CENTRAL
DISTRICT HAS BEEN UNDER ATTACK
BY SO-CALLED ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT POLICIES.
RISING RENTS AND RISING HOUSE
PRICES HAVE BEEN PUSHING BLACK
FAMILIES AND BLACK BUSINESSES
OUT.
AND THAT CREATES FINANCIAL
INSTABILITY.
ANYTHING NEEDS SPACE TO EXIST.
>> OUR GOAL IS TO ACQUIRE,
DEVELOP, MAINTAIN A SPACE WHERE
OUR COMMUNITY CAN GROW AND
THRIVE.
KYC IN GARRETT IS THE PRESIDENT
AND CEO OF AFRICA TOWN
COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, A GROUP
DEDICATED TO ACQUIRING LAND IN
THE CENTRAL DISTRICT TO EXPAND
ACCESS TO PROSPERITY FOR THE
BLACK COMMUNITY ARE BRILLIANT
TO FLOURISH AND MAKE THE WORLD
A BETTER PLACE.
>> THE FIRST THING WAS TO
STABILIZE TO STOP PUSHING OUT
OF OUR COMMUNITY BY CREATING
ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
HE ALONG WITH MEMBERS FINICAL
GLOVER AND ELIJAH L. LEWIS
EXPLAINED THAT BEING BLACK AND
DISPLACED IN OUR REGION IS
NOTHING NEW.
>> AFTER THE GREAT DEPRESSION,
BANKS REFUSED TO GIVE BLACK
FAMILIES LOANS TO BUY HOMES IN
CERTAIN AREAS, KEEPING THEM
SEGREGATED IN THE CENTRAL
DISTRICT.
RACIALLY RESTRICTED COVENANTS
FOUND IN THE DEEDS FROM
NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE SHORELINE'S
IN HIS ARDERN BACK IN 1940
PREVENTED ANYONE BUT WHITE
PEOPLE TO LIVE THERE UNLESS
THEY WERE A DOMESTIC SERVANT.
>> THERE'S A CLEAR PATTERN
OF SYSTEMIC PRACTICES BETWEEN
PUBLIC SECTOR GOVERNMENT
POLICIES, PRIVATE SECTOR
BANKING INSURANCE INDUSTRIES
THAT HAVE SYSTEMICALLY
ENGINEERED BLACK PEOPLE
AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN THIS
COUNTRY INTO A SECOND CLASS.
MY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MOVING
FURTHER SOUTH AND NOW THEY HAVE
TO MAKE THIS COMMUTE TO COME
HERE TO SEATTLE JUST TO WORK
AND THAT'S NOT EQUITABLE.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO KEEP
FIGHTING AND KEEP STRIVING TO
BRING EQUITY TO THE CENTRAL
DISTRICT AND SEATTLE.
>> LOOKING BACK AT THE SUMMER
OF PROTESTS ABOLISHING POLICE
BRUTALITY GOT MOST OF THE
ATTENTION.
>> BUT COMMUNITY LEADERS SAY
THE FIGHT FOR LAND EQUITY IS AN
EQUALLY IMPORTANT PART
OF ENDING STRUCTURAL RACISM.
>> IT CREATES TRAUMA IN A
PEOPLE WHEN WHAT THEY'RE USED
TO THEIR SENSE OF PLACE IS
DESTROYED.
FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE DON
MASON STANDS IN FRONT OF THE
FORMER BRANCH VILLON NURSING
HOME IN THE CENTRAL DISTRICT
ONCE BLACK OWNED NOW OWNED BY
THE STATE.
IT'S ONE OF FOUR PROPERTIES IN
THE CENTRAL DISTRICT THAT
ORGANIZATIONS WANT THE
GOVERNMENT TO GIVE BACK TO THE
COMMUNITY.
THE HOPE IS TO TURN THEM INTO
COMMUNITY SPACES FOR AFFORDABLE
HOUSING.
ELDER CARE AND YOUTH
ACHIEVEMENT.
WE HAVE TO BE SELF-DETERMINED
OWNING OUR OWN LAND ALLOWS US
TO BE SELF-DETERMINED BECAUSE
WE CAN MAKE DECISIONS.
WE KNOW THAT IT WILL BE THERE
50 YEARS FROM NOW, 100 YEARS
FROM NOW.
IT'S PROCESS ALREADY UNDERWAY
WITH THIS BUILDING.
FORMER FIRE STATION SIX THE
SUMMER SEATTLE TURNED IT OVER
TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY TO
BECOME THE WILLIAM GROSS CENTER
FOR ENTERPRISE LIKE THE
BASEMENTS JIMI HENDRIX HONED
HIS SKILLS IN.
>> IT WILL BE A CENTER FOR
YOUNG PEOPLE TO FIND AND GROW
THEIRS, TO BE EMPOWERED AS
PEOPLE AND HAVE INNOVATION HUBS
THAT WE ARE NO LONGER LOOKED AS
THE INFERIOR BEINGS AND WE ARE
ABLE TO BE THE GENIUS THAT WE
ARE THE LEADERS THAT WE ARE BE
THE CREATIVES AND NOT HAVE ANY
BOXES PUT AROUND.
>> A FORMER FIRE STATION IS
GREAT BUT ACTIVISTS SAY IT IS
NOT ENOUGH.
THEY ARE PUSHING THE CITY FOR A
ONE BILLION DOLLAR FUND TO BUY
MORE LAND IN THE CENTRAL
DISTRICT.
>> AND THE BLACK COMMUNITY NOT
OUTSIDE INTERESTS WOULD DEVELOP
THE BILLION DOLLAR ACQUISITION
FUND.
>> A LOT OF MONEY IS IS IT
ENOUGH?
WHY THAT BIG OF A FIGURE THIS
INEQUITY IS VERY, VERY DEEP AND
YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS LEVEL
OF ALLOCATION TO SEED A FUND TO
MOVE THINGS IN ANOTHER
DIRECTION TOWARDS A NEW NORMAL
ROOTED IN EQUITY AND AWAY FROM
THE JIM CROW APARTHEID REALITY
THAT WE'RE IN AS A SMALL
INVESTMENT.
IT'S NOT A BANK IN THE SENSE
OF HOLDING MONETARY WEALTH BUT
IT DEFINITELY IS A FALL IN
TERMS OF RESTORING VALUE FROM
OUR COMMUNITY.
>> YOU CAN SEE THE VISION
OF LAND EQUITY ALREADY TAKING
SHAPE.
>> SO CONNECTION TO THE PAST
AND THE FORMER SITE OF THE
FIRST BLACK OWNED BANK IN THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST.
THE LIBERTY BANK BUILDING
OFFERS AFFORDABLE LIVING AND
BUSINESS SPACE IN THE HEART
OF THE CENTRAL DISTRICT
ALLOWING PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO
STAY IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE SAY
THAT GENTRIFICATION AND
DISPLACEMENT IS JUST SOME TYPE
OF NATURAL PHENOMENA, RIGHT?
BUT IT'S ACTUALLY THE RESULT
OF CHOICES AND THE COMMUNITY
HERE WAS ABLE TO COME TOGETHER
TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS
PARTICULAR PROJECT REPRESENTS
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY
THAT HAS BEEN HERE, YOU KNOW,
TO BE HERE AND BE PART OF THE
REDEVELOPMENT HERE.
COMMUNITY WEALTH.
>> LOOKS LIKE THIS MOTHER SON
DUO OPENING A NEW BUSINESS.
MY GOAL WAS TO HAVE SOMETHING
PASS DOWN TO MY CHILDREN.
>> HE TOOK THE VISION AND HE'S
LIKE, WELL, WE COULD DO THIS
AND WE COULD DO THAT BECAUSE
OF THE AVAILABLE SPACE IN THE
BUILDING.
>> CHRISTY BROWN AND DAMON
BOWMORE ARE ABLE TO TURN THEIR
CATERING BUSINESS INTO A FULL
FLEDGED RESTAURANT.
>> WELL, WE WANT TO BE AS A
RESOURCE TO OTHER BUSINESSES,
YOU KNOW, TO HELP THEM
UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT HERE AND
HOW THEY CAN GET AND DO THE
THINGS TO THIS COMING FULL
CIRCLE DOWN THE STREET.
AFRICA TOWN PLAZA, ANOTHER
BUILDING WITH AFFORDABLE
HOUSING AND SPACE FOR
BUSINESSES IS IN THE WORKS.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO
CONTINUE THE LEGACY THAT OUR
PARENTS, OUR GRANDPARENTS, OUR
GREAT GRANDPARENTS ESTABLISHED
IN THIS COMMUNITY.
IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE A PART
OF THE CITY'S FUTURE.
>> ORGANIZERS LIKE LIKING SAY
ACQUIRING AND CREATING SPACE IS
NOT A LUXURY.
IT'S A NECESSITY TO PROTECT
BLACK FAMILIES, BLACK CULTURE
AND THE GROWTH OF BOTH WITH NEW
PROJECTS UNDERWAY AND THE
PROMISE OF ADDITIONAL LAND.
>> COMMUNITY LEADERS HAVE HOPE
OF CREATING A NEW FUTURE FOR
SEATTLE WITH ITS ROOTS DEEP IN
EQUITY.
WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT MORE WORK
TO DO BUT YOU CAN SEE SOMETHING
MOVING FORWARD AND PROGRESS