There is a crisis in Black health in Martin Luther King Jr. County. Along with jarring statistics highlighted above, we underscore again that there are zero Black community-owned, federally qualified health clinics in the entire Pacific Northwest (OR, WA, ID, MT, WY).

It’s no wonder that Black people in King County contracted COVID-19 at 3x the rates of whites yet received less than 2% of the federal COVID-19 recovery funding. We have to change this. We can change this. Tap in to take action below.

Right now, there are pro-Black equity solutions to combat this:

• Tubman Center for Health and Freedom (TCHF) is a local Black community organization that’s stepped up to become the first Black community-led and -centered health clinic in the Pacific northwest. As Carolyn Downs was originally founded by the Seattle Black Panther Party, TCHF looks to build upon this legacy by establishing and maintaining community control. Currently, TCHF is seeking acquisition and development capital to ensure thriving Black health becomes a reality here in Martin Luther King Jr. County.

• Somali Health Board (SHB) is a 501(c)3 grassroots organization, formed in 2012 by Somali health professionals and volunteers aimed at eliminating health disparities that disproportionately affect new immigrants and refugees in King County. Already serving thousands of Black community residents, SHB is seeking capital to acquire land to develop a much-needed Black-centered community health clinic in South Seattle.

• African American Health Board (AAHB), founded four years ago by local Black community health professionals, is a thought-leader in identifying, elevating, and advocating for pro-Black, led, and centered health policies. Comprised almost entirely of Black volunteers, AAHB has worked tirelessly to uplift Black community health equity and is currently seeking funding to bring on their first executive director to safeguard progress and sustain critical health equity work moving forward.

• Surge Reproductive Justice (Surge) works to end reproductive oppression and violence for all people. It aims to ensure all Black people have full access to reproductive justice and care, including non-Western practices and access to doulas. Surge's work intentionally centers Black women, women of color, and queer and trans people of color for a movement that rises from the bottom up. Resourcing Surge will bolster its critical reach and impact.

If we care about Black health, we need to invest in Black health institutions now. Take action below to make sure Black health organizations like the Tubman Center, SHB, AAHB, and Surge are fully-resourced now.

Building Black community-led and -centered health clinics require public, philanthropic and private sector investment. Support this effort directly, individually, or at an organizational level. Contact us to learn more about how to become an ally in this needed, long-overdue historic health equity effort.