By Omari Salisbury

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Just moments before the second night of gun violence started at the Capitol Hill Organized Protest on Sunday evening, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan released a statement saying that she was working with “Black-led community organizations” in her efforts to de-escalate the rising tensions and violence, which include multiple injuries and one homicide in a span of just two days. 

Working with Chief Scoggins, Chief Best, and other City departments, the City will continue to make changes on Capitol Hill in partnership with Black-led community organizations, demonstrators, small businesses, residents, and trusted messengers who will center de-escalation,” Durkan writes. “In the coming days, I believe together we can create a Capitol Hill environment that allows for peaceful demonstrations at Cal Anderson, quality of life for residents, and take concrete steps towards a new vision for policing in our City.

The phrase “Black-led community organizations” is what stands out as we have yet to see any well-known Black-led organizations actually be willing to publicly step into the fray on Capitol Hill ever since the Western Barricade days when there was a daily standoff between protesters and police. Granted, the writer of the Mayor’s statement does not know every Black-led community organization within the municipality of Seattle, however, one should be curious as to why these organizations have not made themselves known, especially to Converge Media who has been vocally calling for leadership from all angles.

In a tweet earlier yesterday, hours before the Mayor made her statement, we came across an article in the South Seattle Emerald in which Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County announced they are launching a Black-led community investment fund and they are endorsing King County Equity Now. 

@BLMSeattleKC is yet to tweet us back regarding their position with the CHOP. Why is this important? Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County early on said they had nothing to do with the protests on Capitol Hill.

On several occasions throughout the past three weeks, I have continually reached out to BLMSKC to ask if their people had boots on the ground and if they were part of the Western Barricade protest, then CHAZ, then CHOP. Their response has been a consistent no. 

So, as for the moment, I am going to go out on a limb and say that BLMSKC is not part of the Mayor’s “Black-led community organizations.”

Other high profile Black leaders that have visited the CHOP and have addressed the protesters are K. Wyking Garrett of the Africatown Community Land Trust, Nikkita Oliver of the People’s Party, and community education advocate Emijah Smith, all of whom were amongst a handful of people who accompanied Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant when she had her protest victory rally at Cal Anderson Park in the CHOP (then called CHAZ).

Both Garrett and Oliver are leaders in the King County Equity Now coalition which Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County now endorses, but neither Garrett nor Oliver up to this point have shown a willingness to take direct ownership or leadership in what is occurring at the CHOP. With that being said, Oliver has at times been spotted within the zone in what can be described as community building with protesters. At the moment, I am counting Garrett and Oliver out in regards to being part of the Mayor’s Black-led community coalition. 

Other notable Black-led organizations that very well might be working with the Mayor to bring a peaceful and equitable solution to the CHOP very well might be the NAACP, BUILD, Urban League, 100 Black Parents, Tabor 100, or many others. We have not personally seen or heard of any well-known Black-led organizations being present on the ground thus far working to de-escalate tensions at the CHOP. 

Notably missing from the list of people that Mayor Durkan said she is working with to bring a solution to the CHOP is Councilmember Sawant. The CHOP is in Sawant’s district and not only that, in a recent press release and at media events, Sawant has declared victory and called the CHOP movement her own. 

How does Sawant fit into this puzzle? If the CHOP is truly Sawant’s movement then why haven't the Mayor and Sawant been in negotiations since the police vacated the East Precinct? It was that very night that the Councilmember declared victory on 12th Avenue and Pine Street. 

Seattle political insiders know that Durkan and Sawant are mortal enemies. Will the ice cold relationship between these two stall negotiations on the CHOP or is Sawant just claiming victory for a movement that is not hers and one she very well might not fully understand? Does Mayor Durkan plan to navigate around Sawant in sourcing a solution?

As a member of Seattle’s legacy Black community, my one and only question to Mayor Durkan and City Hall is, Who are the Black-led community organizations that you are working with to find a solution in the CHOP? How can the Black community get behind them?

UPDATE: 6/22/20 10:01 AM

The Mayor’s office has since revised her statement to exclude “Black-led community organizations.” Here’s the full statement:

Every day, thousands of individuals gather on Capitol Hill for peaceful demonstrations. After days of peaceful demonstrations, two nights of shootings have clearly escalated the situation on Capitol Hill. The Seattle Police Department is still conducting an investigation on the cause of the shootings and will be providing an update later today.  

The Mayor and City staff have been meeting with small business owners, demonstrators, and residents on Capitol Hill. Based on those conversations and reports from City staff on the ground, it’s clear that the experience in and around Cal Anderson differs greatly between daytime and nighttime. We have been meeting with residents and small business owners to address their safety and disorder concerns, including the ability of first responders to access emergencies in the area.

Yesterday, the City worked with trusted messengers and de-escalators, led by Andre Taylor with Not This Time, to engage with many of the organizers. This work will continue and the City will be meeting with some of the organizers today on next steps. We believe there can be a peaceful resolution. 

As many community groups are also urging, Mayor believes individuals can and should peacefully demonstrate, but the message cannot be lost in the violence. Today, City departments and outreach services will be on site updating individuals on the shootings. Later today, we will also be sharing the City’s plans for addressing significant nighttime public safety concerns and issues.

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