Mural on storefront in Chinatown International District (Photo: Mike Hipple) At the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, we have two North Star statements that we use to guide our work and hold ourselves accountable. They are:
- Put race and equity at the center of all decisions and actions; and
- Invest in the power of communities to forge their own solutions.
As the events of the last few months have unfolded, we have realized just how necessary and powerful those principles are. Particularly right now, as our community rages at the murder of George Floyd and the systems of injustice that, for centuries, have led to so much harm for Black men and women in our country and the constant weaponizing of white supremacy and anti-blackness.
This is not an easy time to work within government institutions and systems that are so often causing harm – no matter how much our work is centered on changing that system. But, please know that we remain unyielding in our commitment to centering racial justice in our work. We remain committed to pushing against and dismantling the systems of white supremacy within our local government. Most importantly, we remain committed to investing in the communities that have been harmed by the institutionalized racism entrenched in our government and our society.
Right now, many of you are in the streets and online promoting solutions that could lead to systemic change for Black lives and Black communities. We stand with you!
And, we invite everyone that has joined us in our work – from community groups to business associations to historic societies to neighborhood councils and beyond – we invite you to stand in solidarity with us and the community to invest in justice for Black lives.
In solidarity,
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
