About.

King County Equity Now ("KCEN") is a pro-Black advocacy and policy institution focused on realizing measurable markers of equity for Washington State's Black community. We build collective power, and uplift and co-create transformative equity solutions. We are proudly Black-led, Black-centered, and birthed out of the deep legacy of Black organizing in Seattle, Martin Luther King Jr. County Washington.

Since inception, we’ve secured:

• $150 million increased investment in the development for affordable housing from the Washington State Housing and Finance Commission
• $27 million for Africatown plaza towards Black community centered spaces and replicable, scalable models to halt the impacts of gentrification
• Vacant Fire Station 6 property at 23rd and Yesler to create the William Gross Center for Cultural Innovation and Enterprise
• Halted the predatory development of a block in the Central District, facilitating the purchase of the Keiro building to base build and pilot the first Black-led houselessness consortium with holistic, wraparound services and short and long term housing solutions
• $1 million towards East African centered-space in Othello for the Family Empowerment Center and Community Housing
• $400,000 to bring the accessessible and high quality early education of Petah Village to South Seattle for outdoor preschool educationm, and more.

A few current efforts include securing:

• The transfer of nearly 40 acres of vacant farmland to Nurturing Roots Farm for Black liberated farming
• $300 million in direct investment into the Black community from local American Relief Plan Act funding
• A statewide $1 billion Anti-Gentrification Fund
• Base-building Black programming and property ownership for Black community-owned schools through-out Martin Luther King Jr. County, alongside a suite of Black education equity solutions
• Several Black community-owed health clinics, alongside a suite of Black health equity solutions

Theory of Change.

Our work is grounded in the theory of Racial Realism and the understanding that anti-Black racism is the biggest threat to American democracy. We define success by measuring changes to the material conditions of Black peoples. Faciliating over 100,000 direct actions, we organize with the local Black community to strengthen relationships and use narrative storytelling, media, and cross-coordinated campaigns toward building a new normal rooted in equity.

The Family.

Many Black community leaders, members, educators, artists and more contribute to building collective power building, including our community stewards and a whole lot of volunteers in the background. We honor those who came before us and continue the work to freedom in Black love and excellence.