MLK Way Protected Bike Lane Project: Join us for an online drop-in session!
With the help of community feedback, we’re moving forward with the design for one-lane protected bike lanes on each side of MLK, from S Judkins St to Rainier Ave S. The project will improve safety for people walking, biking, and driving along MLK Way. It will also provide better bike connections to important destinations in the area, including the Mt Baker and (future) Judkins Park light rail stations, Metro transit center, and Franklin High School.
Join us for an online early design drop-in session
On Tuesday, August 11, we’re hosting an online drop-in session to share information about the project, gather your feedback on the early design concept, and answer your questions.
Online event details
5 to 6 PM
Tuesday, August 11
https://tinyurl.com/MLKPBL | Password: MLKWayPBL
Presentation transcripts available in English, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese
To request an interpreter or accommodations for persons with disabilities, please contact (206) 684-0392 at least 5 business days prior to August 11.
Participate in our online design concept survey
During the event on Tuesday, August 11, we’ll launch a survey that will remain open through Tuesday, August 18. The survey, which will be available in English, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese, is intended to get a better sense of your travel and parking needs and your feedback on the early design concept. The input you share will inform the next phase of design.
After the online drop-in session, we’ll send an email with links to the event recording and the survey. We’ll also post both links to our project webpage.
Stay connected with us
We want the design to work not only for people who love to bike, but also for everyone who lives and works in the area. Visit our webpage for updates and contact us with questions at (206) 900-8750 and .
We look forward to hearing from you!
Lisa Harrison
Communications and Outreach Lead
(206) 900-8750
You’re receiving this email because you’ve expressed interest in the MLK Protected Bike Lane project. Please encourage others to sign up for email updates here.
AHF Files Calif. Supreme Court Petition in Hollywood Fair Housing Lawsuit
AHF seeks to apply and enforce the federal Fair Housing Act and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act to stop the discriminatory effects of four Hollywood developments: Sunset Gordon Tower, Palladium Residences, Crossroads Hollywood and one planned at the Amoeba Music site
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) filed a ‘petition for review’ with the Supreme Court of California in litigation it first filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles in August 2019 against the City of Los Angeles, the L.A. City Council and several luxury property developers. The petition was filed Monday, July 27th (Case No. S263550).
AHF has asserted violations of both federal and state housing laws intended to eliminate housing discrimination, barriers to minority housing and integrated communities in the permitting, planning and construction of four luxury mixed-use residential, commercial and/or entertainment development projects within the Hollywood area.
AHF’s petition to the Supreme Court now seeks to overturn the Appellate Court ruling in order to allow for enforcement of the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) inasmuch as AHF believes and asserts it should apply to the four Hollywood development projects: Sunset Gordon Tower, Palladium Residences, Crossroads Hollywood and one planned at the Amoeba Music site.
The four upscale developments are within a one-mile radius in Hollywood, putting economic pressure on lower income residents in the area. Three of the four stretch along Sunset Boulevard. AHF’s lawsuit asserts these four buildings will predictably displace people of color from their homes and neighborhoods and were approved without providing adequate measures to prevent such displacement. The fair housing laws protect minorities who are disproportionately impacted by a city policy or practice that is facially neutral.
In its filing, AHF outlines the crux of its reasoning for submitting a petition for review:
“The primary issue presented in this petition is whether state and federal fair housing statutes will continue to address the practical reality of disparate-impact discrimination and reach this latter form of discrimination, or, as the Court of Appeal held in its published decision, these fair housing statutes are to be narrowly construed to bar such claims based on a newly announced standard for pleading a prima facie case of disparate-impact discrimination.”
“Not a single one of these luxury property developments in Hollywood has nearly enough housing units set aside as affordable for very-low or extremely-low-income families and they collectively continue the gentrification and wholesale displacement of low-income, largely minority communities from Hollywood,” said Michael Weinstein, president of AHF. “We believe the courts were incorrect in their interpretation of the laws and respectfully are seeking reconsideration before the Supreme Court of California.”
AHF’s petition notes and poses another question:
“As recent events confirm, centuries of discrimination have created ongoing and significant disparities for communities of color seeking their rightful place in the American dream. This petition raises a fundamentally important question of whether historically discriminated against minorities have any remedy under fair housing law for policies that effectively drive them out of certain communities.”
It also states that:
“Affordable housing and racial justice are issues of obvious statewide importance. This case involves both, because the Court of Appeal’s published opinion imposes new barriers for communities of color and other victims of discrimination to challenge housing policies that force minorities to leave ‘desirable’ neighborhoods for good.”
Studies show that large scale, high end market-rate housing development without sufficient affordable units is linked to the mass displacement of neighboring low-income residents. These low-income residents are disproportionately people of color. AHF offers a prime example of such low-income and minority displacement in its initial lawsuit and the current petition—the Crossroads Hollywood development, which will demolish over 80 existing rent stabilized apartments, displacing a decades-old, tight-knit community of largely low-income, predominantly Latino residents.
The Hollywood Center neighborhood is approximately 50% white, 32% Hispanic/Latino, 12% Asian, and 6% Black or African American. However, Hispanic/Latino residents are disproportionately lower income, with both median household and per capita income far below the County medians.
The four Hollywood projects in development targeted in AHF’s lawsuit and petition include:
- Sunset Gordon Tower on Sunset Boulevard, a 22-story, almost entirely market rate apartment complex by development company CIM.
- Hollywood Palladium Residences, by developer Crescent Heights, twin 28-story towers that will house 730 residential units.
- Crossroads Hollywood, by Harridge Development Group, a project set to include 950 apartments in 3 high-rise buildings, over 100 of which apartments will be set aside for very low-income families. However, Harridge will demolish over 80 units of existing rent stabilized apartment housing, so the net gain of new affordable housing units is just 20 or so housing units.
- And, the as yet unnamed 26-story, 200-unit luxury residential and commercial development that provides almost no below market housing by GPI Companies for the site of Amoeba Music on Sunset Boulevard.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.4 million individuals in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us @aidshealthcare
JOE BIDEN AND HIS CAMPAIGN ARE TRYING TO REWRITE THE HISTORY ON IMPACT OF HIS 1994 CRIME BILL ON THE BLACK COMMUNITY
In a recent NPR interview Joe Biden’s Senior Advisor Symone Sanders tried to convince listeners that Biden’s 1994 Crime Bill was a good thing, but the facts show that it was a damaging piece of legislation that led to the mass incarceration of thousands of Black Americans which hurt families, communities and generational wealth.
“Much ink has been spilled about the crime bill and I think if we are going to talk about the crime bill we have to ensure that we are putting it in perspective of the times, that crime was rampant and many folks across the country — you know African American pastors Mayors, African American mayors, the members of Congressional Black Caucus were urged, and were urging for something to happen and that is how the crime bill came about. There were lots of things in the crime bill that folks would say are good…” –Symone Sanders (NPR 6/22/20)
“So, when you take a look at my record, people talk about the crime bill. Crime bill didn’t increase mass incarceration, other things increased mass incarceration and the reason why, if you go back and look, and I know you talk about it, you go back and take a look. That’s why you had the vast majority of the black caucus at the time, supporting the crime bill.….Almost every major city with black mayors supported the crime bill because blacks were getting killed overwhelmingly as well…” -Joe Biden (The Breakfast Club 5/22/20)
EVEN LIBERALS DISAGREE WITH JOE BIDEN ON HIS HORRIBLE CRIME BILL
- “A crime against the American people.” –NAACP (Christian Science Monitor, 4/28/94)
- “I signed a bill that made the problem worse,” he said of the trend toward increased incarceration, “and I want to admit that.” –President Bill Clinton (NAACP, 7/16/2015)
- “That crime bill was shameful, what it did to black and brown communities like mine [and] low-income communities from Appalachia to rural Iowa. It was a bad bill.”-Senator Cory Booker (The Huffington Post, 5/30/19)
- “…The hundreds of thousands of Americans unjustly sent to prison for long periods of time, the families torn apart, the effects of mass incarceration we are feeling to this day in New York and all over this country, and look, the crime bill was the foundation of that horrible era of mass incarceration…look at the fact that the bill had a disproportionate impact on African Americans and Latinos…that bill was a huge mistake…” –New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (CBS News, 5/30/19)
- “It destroyed entire neighborhoods, destroyed entire communities and we’re still paying the price and suffering from it.” -Patrisse Cullors, Black Lives Matter Co-Founder (LA Times, 6/26/19)
- “The 1994 federal crime bill that created tough new criminal sentences and incentivized states to build more prisons and pass truth-in-sentencing laws is getting new scrutiny during this 2020 election cycle.” – Udi Ofer, Deputy National Political Director and Director of Campaign for Smart Justice, ACLU (ACLU, 6/4/19)
- “Many consider the crime bill to be one of the cornerstone statutes that accelerated mass incarceration. But the law’s negative effects did not end there. States and localities were incentivized through a massive infusion of federal funding to build more jails and prisons and to pass so-called truth-in-sentencing laws and other punitive measures that simultaneously increased the number and length of prison sentences while reducing the possibility of early release for those incarcerated. It has been well-documented that these policies were failures.” Ed Chung, Betsy Pearl, Lea Hunter, Center for American Progress (The Center for American Progress , 3/26/19)
DESPITE TEAM BIDEN’S “THE BLACK COMMUNITY MADE ME DO IT” EXCUSE FOR HIS CRIME BILL
HERE ARE THE FACTS
- Joe Biden Played A “Central Role” In Writing And Passing The 1994 Crime Bill (Joe Biden, Press Release, 10/25/07)
- The 1994 Crime Bill “Remains the Most Extensive Federal Crime Legislation Ever Passed.” (The Brennan Center, 9/9/19)
- The Biden Crime Bill Included Measures Many Experts Now Say “Helped Give the U.S. The Highest Incarceration Rate in The World.” ( The New York Times, 8/21/15)
- After Biden’s Crime Bill, The Incarcerated Population in America Doubled, from 1994 To 2009, With 12 Percent of People Incarcerated in U.S. Jails Reporting Regular Use Of Opioids. (Politico, 5/23/19)
- The Most Significant and Long-Lasting Impacts of The Legislation Was the Authorization of Incentive Grants To Build Or Expand Correctional Facilities Through The Violent Offender Incarceration And Truth-In-Sentencing Incentive Grants Program. (The Brennan Center, 9/9/19)
o This Fueled A Prison Construction Boom, For A Period in the 1990s, A New Prison Opened Every 15 Days on Average. (The Brennan Center, 9/9/19)
Joe Biden’s 44-year record is finally being fully examined. His record of making bigoted comments and his long legislative record of advocating for policies that actually hurt Black Americans should be contrasted to President Trump’s four years in office working to advance, support and empower the Black community.
Now, Team Joe Biden is trying to convince Black American voters that his 1994 Crime Bill really wasn’t that bad for the Black community, and Black leaders were really the ones responsible for it instead of taking responsibly for his poor leadership and policy judgement.
Young People For (YP4) to Hosts First Virtual Civic Engagement Training
Tonight, Young People For (YP4)– a national network that provides life-long social justice leadership training centers black, brown, indigenous, disabled, and LGBTQ+ leaders in education, media, politics, business, government, and everywhere– will host its YP4 Civic Engagement Series of the summer featuring young elected officials and other who will break down how power functions at each level of government.
The purpose of the series is to offer young people a clearer understanding of who holds the power to influence our day to day lives and how they can shift that power to our communities.
WHO: First guest speaker of the series is Svante Myrick, Mayor of Ithaca, NY, discussing his personal experience in local government.
WHAT: YP4 Civic Engagement Series (July 1, 8,15, & 22)
WHEN: **Tonight** Wednesday, July 1st at 7:30PM ET
WHERE: ONLINE; Register HERE.
This training is completely FREE and OPEN to the public and is part of a series taking place every Wednesday in July– July 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd. The YP4 Civic Engagement Series will lead up to the YP4 Civic Engagement Summit scheduled for August 4-7, 2020. More information to come.
Increased percentage of Native people experiencing homelessness disheartening, but shows progress in methods to collect accurate data
According to data from King County’s 2020 annual Point In Time (PIT) Count, 15% of the total homeless population is American Indian or Alaska Native. This is an increase from PIT’s 2019 report, which stated that Native people represented 10% of the homeless population in King County.
The advocacy to collect more accurate data related to Native people experiencing homelessness may be attributed to efforts led by the National Coalition to End Urban Indigenous Homelessness (Coalition), a collaboration between service providers working with King County’s Native community including, Chief Seattle Club, Seattle Indian Health Board, United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, Mother Nation, and Urban Indian Health Institute.
In 2018, Native organizations were excluded from the PIT Count survey collection, and as a result, the analysis found that only 3% of the homeless population identified as American Indian and/or Alaska Native. In 2019, the Coalition advocated for more involvement in the distribution of surveys, leading to a more accurate count of 10%. That year, the Coalition also advocated for All Home to eliminate “multi-race” as a racial category, which has led to undercounts of Native populations in the past.
In 2020, the Coalition advocated for there to be no limits to the number of surveys their organizations distribute to the community, and they mobilized Native organizations to make a concerted effort to collect more accurate counts.
The following statement from leaders of the National Coalition to End Urban Indigenous Homelessness can be quoted in part or in full.
“Because of our efforts to collect more accurate data related to American Indians and Alaska Natives experiencing homelessness, we believe we are getting closer to truly understanding the scope of the work ahead.
In the past, we have expressed concerns about gaps in the outreach and sampling methodologies used in the PIT Count because Native service providers and researchers were not consulted through the design and implementation. This contributed to inconsistent, inequitable, and culturally incompetent practices that resulted in an undercount of the American Indian and Alaska Native community.
But the reality of these more accurate numbers is saddening. These are our relatives, and they are part of a system that creates barriers for them at every turn. They are part of a housing system that is anti-Native.
We need more resources for Native-led organizations, and we will continue to advocate for policy change that begins to remove the barriers that have led to our relatives experiencing homelessness disproportionately.
It is important to remember that the PIT Count is only a snapshot and does not accurately reflect the whole picture of people experiencing homelessness in King County. However, this data is used throughout the year to inform funding decisions, policy and systems strategies, and shapes the narrative of the homelessness crisis in our community.
We know that culturally specific programs are part of the solution to solving homelessness for everyone. Since the City of Seattle and King County have begun funding our agencies, we have seen an increase of Native people being housed through Native providers.
We are housing more people in our community than ever before.
Without accurate data that tells the truth about the astonishingly high rates in the Native community, the narrative is inequitable. We cannot break down barriers in the homelessness crisis without accurate information.
If, together, we can figure out how to solve homelessness within the Native community, we can figure out how to solve it for all.”
Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) Now Accepting Applications for 2020 Summer Internships
The Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) helps young people (ages 16 to 24) from low-income households and communities that experience racial, social, and economic disparities. The goal is to increase youth and young adults’ ability to pursue careers that pay well and are meaningful to them.
SYEP has two components: a school-year exploration and learning experience, and a summer internship. The summer internship places young people in work settings to apply their knowledge, gain hands-on experience, develop professional connections, and build their resume. In 2020, SYEP summer interns will be paid $16.39 for up to 150 hours of work over six weeks.

Specific supports are provided to young people to ensure they are set-up for success, including:
- An ORCA card to cover transportation to and from the program (if they don’t already have one issued through their school)
- All fees for tests and/or certifications required by internship sites, such as food handler permits or first aid/CPR
- Internship-related work clothes or safety equipment, such as hard hats and/or work boots
- Ongoing support from their Youth Development Counselor for general coaching
To be eligible for SYEP, young people must be between the ages of 16 and 24 years old, live within the Seattle city limits, and live in a household with income at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI). Applications for summer 2020 internships are now open, and will close on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at midnight Pacific Standard Time (PST).
Want to apply? Visit our program website at www.seattle.gov/syep today!
Mayor Durkan Announces New Efforts to Prepare for 2020 Census
As part of her 2020 State of the City address, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced the City’s new actions to prepare for the 2020 United States Census. The City will open a series of Census Assistance Centers and launch other focused education efforts to help ensure all Seattle communities can know their rights and be counted. By mid-March, every household in Seattle will receive a letter from the U.S. Census Bureau, inviting them to fill out their Census form online. With the president trying to undermine the Census at every turn, and with this being the first-ever online Census, the City is working to break down barriers that could prevent historically undercounted communities from completing their Census forms.
The U.S. Census only happens once every 10 years, and the consequences of having an incomplete count are not just statistical: Residents’ lives could be significantly impacted for an entire decade. A complete Census count would ensure Seattle receives its fair share of federal resources, as significant funding is at stake for other federal programs that Seattle families and communities rely on, including Head Start, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Medicare and Medicaid.
“As one of the fastest-growing cities in America, there’s a lot at stake for Seattle in this next Census. We know that everyone counts, and everyone needs to be counted, which is why we’re working to ensure our residents have the resources and information they need to participate in the 2020 Census,” said Mayor Durkan. “From fear surrounding the failed ‘citizenship question,’ to this being the first-ever online Census, there are significant barriers to a complete 2020 Census count. But our Census Assistance Centers, coupled with the efforts of our community partners, will help people participate in the Census, and ensure Seattle receives our fair share of federal resources.”
The City of Seattle is deploying four key strategies to ensure a complete, safe Census count:
- City staff at all Seattle Public Library (SPL) branches and all Seattle Parks and Recreation community centers will be prepared to answer questions about the 2020 Census;
- Starting March 12, every Seattle Public Library branch will have computers available for communities to fill out their Census form, regardless of whether they have library cards;
- On April 1, the Seattle Public Library will host Census Assistance Centers at the Lake City, Rainier Beach and Ballard branches; and
- On April 15, community centers at Alki, Delridge, Garfield, High Point, Jefferson, Rainier, South Park, and Yesler will host Census Assistance Centers.

“Seattle is committed to using its resources and supporting community organizations and networks to ensure a full, fair, accurate, and informed census count,” said Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Position 8, Citywide). “Through Census Assistance Centers, the City is changing the way it engages with our communities, and having conversations with our residents where they live, work, and rest. Full participation in the 2020 Census will ensure adequate funding for our City, and bring needed resources back to our historically undercounted communities. But the Census isn’t just about funding, it’s also about having a voice, being counted, and local resistance to this administration’s harmful policies.”
At Census Assistance Centers, community members can receive technical assistance when filling out their online Census form, get their questions answered about how Census information is used, and learn more about why the Census is important. A full list of Census Assistance Center times and locations is available here.
“As Seattle’s immigrant and refugee population continues to grow, it’s important that we are prepared for a fair and accurate 2020 Census count. The federal funding we receive as a result of the Census is critical to supporting the success and well-being of the communities that make up the fabric of our great city. I’m glad to see the City of Seattle open these assistance centers, which will help our communities, especially immigrant and refugee communities, get counted in the 2020 Census,” said Mahnaz Eshetu, Executive Director of ReWA.

“So many of our necessary community resources are determined by the Census, whether that be transportation, food access, health care or education. If we are not all counted, we will be competing for crumbs to support our families and communities,” said Michelle Merriweather, President and CEO at Urban league of Metropolitan Seattle. “There is also an impact on political representation. Who we vote for depends on legislative districts, which move every 10 years depending on how many people are counted. Our representation in Washington, D.C. is solely determined by the Census. If we want fair and equitable representation, we need to be counted.”
In addition to the Census Assistance Centers, every single staff member at The Seattle Public Library and Seattle Parks and Recreation community centers will be trained to answer questions related to Census 2020 and help communities complete their forms. And, starting March 12, every SPL branch in Seattle will have computers reserved exclusively for residents to fill out their Census questionnaire. Any community member can use these Census-reserved computers, regardless of whether they have an SPL card.
“Seattle Department of Neighborhoods works every day to elevate community voices, and the 2020 Census is only of the most significant issues for Seattle communities,” said Andrés Mantilla, Director of the Department of Neighborhoods. “We are closely working with community-based organizations along with our ethnic media to ensure we are engaging all communities across Seattle and making it easier for them to participate in the Census.
Throughout 2019, the City of Seattle partnered with community-based organizations to lay the groundwork for a complete and safe Census count. The Mayor regularly convened her Seattle Census Task Force to advise on pressing Census issues, including lack of federal funding, the citizenship question, and continued anti-immigrant policies being pursued by the president. The City was also a significant contributor to the Regional Census Fund, which allocated millions of dollars to community-based organizations throughout King County working to get a complete Census count. Finally, the City issued its first-ever Ethnic and Minority Media Fund to grant a total of $150,000 to local ethnic media so they could raise awareness about the importance of the Census.
The City of Seattle’s fight for a fair, safe and complete Census count is part of our work as a Welcoming City. For more information on our Welcoming City policies, please visit this website: www.seattle.gov/welcoming.
UNCF Seattle honors Rep. Eric Pettigrew as Individual of the Year
Rep. Eric Pettigrew was honored with the Frederick Douglass Patterson Individual of the Year Award by UNCF Seattle at the organization’s 2020 “A Mind Is . . .” gala Saturday night.
Pettigrew, a veteran lawmaker from the 37th legislative district and chair of the majority Democratic Caucus in the state House for the last decade, was recognized for his continuous and successful commitment to minority education throughout his legislative career.
“I’m honored,” Pettigrew said, “and I’m humbled. The UNCF has done more to advance the importance of, and access to, education in the African American community than any other organization. To receive this award named for the founder of the UNCF and the longtime president of Tuskegee University is something I never could have dreamed of as a kid growing up in South Central Los Angeles.”
Earlier this year, Pettigrew announced his intention to retire from the Legislature at the end of his ninth two-year term next January. During that 18-year career he has been a consistent champion of education for all Washington students, from pre-school through post-secondary levels. For the last several years he has been a leading voice in the Legislature for allowing charter public schools to prove their effectiveness in educating underserved and minority students.
Joining Pettigrew as honorees at the UNCF gala were Seattle community leader and former King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award; NFL analyst and host Jordan Babineaux, who received the Mind, Body, and Spirit Award; and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which was named Corporation of the Year.
King County Inspirational Workshops’ programs focused on student-led trainings to educators in King County
Learn about local nonprofits like Inspirational Workshops that are doing work to cultivate local youth into agents of change and future professional leaders. Inspirational Workshops has been working with youth of color within the King County community for the past two years and is a catalyst when it comes to racial and social justice. The local nonprofit is focused on youth development, all of which are executed with curating social and racial justice in mind.
Inspirational Workshops targets youth development by using innovative ways to prepare them for success. This March, Inspirational Workshops will be launching a digital professional development program focused on Racial Trauma. This digital program is a student-led training that will be sent to schools in King County at no cost and will allow them to see youth execute professional training on the topic to educators. The program will include resources for educators to learn how they can create a positive culture in the classroom, defining trauma, and the youth sharing stories of experiences in the classroom.
Another successful program from Inspirational Workshops is titled “Trailblazers – youth of color blazing the trail for others to follow”. Join Inspirational Workshops through volunteering, giving, and spreading the word about their incredible work with the next generation of youth of color.
About Inspirational Workshops: The nonprofit organization was established in 2017 by Founder and Executive Director, Theresa Hardy. IW is currently partnering with Talbot Hill Elementary School and providing services to youth in the King County area. For more information, visit: https://www.
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