Without communication there can be no re-imagination
By Omari Salisbury
June 3, 2020 - Mayor Durkan stands on the steps of City Hall to address a crowd of protesters. Photo by Jake Gravbrot.
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Why is it important that everyone in our city is engaged in this process of reimagining the city of Seattle? Well, because for the first time, at least as long as I can remember, the conversation is focused on reimagining an entire municipality, not just a neighborhood.
When it comes to the Central District, we've heard empty promises year after year, decade after decade for almost as long as Black people have been in the Central District and Seattle's other legacy Black neighborhoods. The calendar has been filled with dates of unfulfilled promises… tomorrow, next month, next year. This is the first time, where we hear directly from City Hall that our whole city is in the process of being reinvented.
What that means is that everybody, every citizen of Seattle needs to be engaged in this process, or at least needs to be paying attention and trying to understand. That is why this process needs to move forward with as much transparency as possible.
It is the Mayor’s prerogative to meet with whomever she wants to behind closed doors — cameras don't always need to be there. But on the flip side of that, considering this re-imagination will impact every citizen and business in our city, the Mayor should keep the public informed on the progress of her plans.
What's the methodology for this re-imagination? What's the workflow for this re-imagination? What do the progress reports and key performance indicators for this re-imagination look like?
June 3, 2020 - Protesters march from Capitol Hill to Seattle City Hall. Photo by Jake Gravbrot.
The mayor plans to release her 2021 proposed budget in September, including her plan to invest one hundred million dollars into the Black community and other communities of color. Wouldn't it be great, though, if between now and September there was a transparent process in place so that citizens and community organizations of the Emerald City can be engaged and keep informed?
After inquiring about such meetings, the Mayor’s office sent me the email below. Converge Media’s door is open to any of these community organizations who want to present their vision of a new Seattle to the public.
