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Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI)
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  • Racial Equity Research
      Analysis, data, and community stories about racial equity topics like youth wellbeing and food insecurity. Use this research to plan and evaluate your ...
    • Poverty BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) face many barriers to financial stability because of structural racism. Keep reading to learn more about the ...
    • Community Wealth Since the founding of the United States, structural racism has prevented BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) from building wealth. Continue ...
    • Food Insecurity When individuals and families don’t have enough healthy food, it affects their health and wellbeing. Keep reading to learn about the root causes of food ...
    • Housing Affordability The ability to afford a safe, clean, and welcoming place to live has become increasingly challenging for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), who ...
    • Racial Demographics BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) now make up over one-third of Seattle’s population. Understanding racial demographics can help us determine what ...
    • Health Disparities Healthy individuals create healthy communities. Keep reading to learn how some people are exposed to more health risks than others.
    • About this Research See our methodology, where the data comes from, and who to contact.
Home Racial Equity Research

Community Wealth

Since the founding of the United States, structural racism has prevented BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) from building wealth. Continue reading to learn more about the root causes of wealth inequality and explore solutions.
Children on bicycles along with adults assisting
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What Is Community Wealth?

Wealth is usually talked about in terms of individual assets like money, homes, vehicles, or businesses. However, wealth also impacts community assets like happiness, the environment, and political power.

Decreasing wealth inequality benefits all of us. Institutions can do this by building community wealth through progressive policies and programs that go beyond capital. 

Wealth provides access to opportunity.

Wealth provides benefits beyond buying things. It gives individuals and families stability when they experience hard times, access to stable housing, the ability to invest in children, social connections, and much more.

Wealth is intergenerational.

Assets gained from inheritance or family gifts are the primary reason that white people as a whole have built much more wealth than people of color in the United States. Decreasing wealth inequality will require building wealth for BIPOC by confronting generations of structural racism that prevented them from accumulating assets for almost 250 years.

Who Owns a Home in Seattle?

Insights from the data below:  

  • BIPOC populations own homes at a rate about 16% less than white populations.
  • Home ownership rates for the white population are twice the rate of the Black population in recent years.
  • Low home ownership rates are clustered in the Downtown and Central neighborhoods of Seattle as well as the University District.

Visit the Housing Affordability page to learn more about access to housing.

How Can We Build Community Wealth?

Building wealth for BIPOC communities requires policies that remove barriers by targeting structural racism. We create thriving communities through strategies that address power and racial equity, such as: 

  • Investing in local businesses and communities 
  • Investing in employees and providing high-quality jobs 
  • Community control of land and housing  
  • Building coalitions and collaborating within local communities 
  • Focusing on community-driven strategies that honor environmental and cultural character 
  • Growing and producing food locally  
  • Promoting democratic participation in decision-making

We can fight discrimination by dismantling myths that blame Black and brown people for wealth inequality. For example, many people falsely believe that Black people can close the wealth gap by: 

  • Working harder 
  • Getting a better education 
  • Owning more businesses 
  • Being more "professional" 
  • model minority 

Systemic racism is the cause of the wealth gap between white people and people of color. Community wealth cannot be built without addressing the displacement of indigenous people, the legacy of slavery, the lasting effects of Jim Crow laws, and centuries of other structural racism that led to the wealth inequality that exists in the US today.

Stories from the Community

An Elegant Utility - Building Across Generations


Inye Wokoma tells the story of his grandfather, who navigated redlining and restrictive covenants after buying a home in the Central District. Inye also highlights the efforts of Michael Woo, who has advocated for workers of color and founded Got Green, a climate justice organization that is building community power in South Seattle.

Café Avole

Solomon Dubie's family immigrated from Ethiopia to Seattle. Solomon shares his unique take on the coffee industry after he converts a convenience store into a coffee shop. The video captures his entrepreneurial story, showing how his cafe acts as a social platform that helps preserve the Rainier Valley community.

 What Are Some Root Causes of Wealth Inequality?

Historically, wealth inequality was caused by racist acts like: the theft and occupation of indigenous land, chattel slavery, the federal government withholding land from former slaves, and redlining and racial covenants.

This inequality continues today because of structural racism such as voter suppression, housing discrimination, barriers to financial loans, job discrimination, mass incarceration.

The importance of community assets:

  • Wealth-Building Strategies (Democracy Collaborative)
  • Race, Place, and Financial Security: Building Equitable Communities of Opportunity (What It's Worth)
  • Seeking Sustainable and Inclusive Communities: A King County Case Study (Urban Institute)
  • The Racial Wealth Divide in Seattle (Prosperity Now)

The challenges of small business ownership for BIPOC residents:

  • In Search of Solid Ground: Understanding the Financial Vulnerabilities of Microbusiness Owners (Democracy Collaborative)
  • Redefining Risk: Racial Disparities in Entrepreneurship and Financial Wellbeing (Samuel Dubois Cook Center on Social Equity)
  • Microbusinesses: An Untapped Tool for Wealth Building and Equity (Prosperity Now)

Who Is Taking Action?

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Community

Government

Othello Square
Mixed-use and mixed-income village with homes, schools, jobs, healthcare, and educational training.
Real Rent Duwamish
People in Seattle can pay “rent” to support the Duwamish Tribe, who lived on Seattle land before it was taken.
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS)
Provides service to support and encourage civic engagement, education, housing, public health, and employment.
Rainier Beach Action Coalition (RBAC)
Supports the Rainier Beach neighborhood through affordable housing, education, arts and culture, public safety, and local food ...
Friends of Little Saigon
Preserves Little Saigon’s “cultural, economic, and historic vitality” through programs such as small business support.
Crescent Collaborative
Advocates for equitable development in local neighborhoods threatened by displacement.
Refugee and Immigrant Family Center
Bilingual Spanish-English preschool in Delridge that emphasizes culturally relevant learning.
West African Community Council
Education, legal support, and support services for West African immigrant and refugee families.
Africatown Community Land Trust
Works for community ownership of land in the Central District to support Black communities in Seattle.
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Equitable Development Initiative
The Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development gives residents access to quality education, living wage employment, ...
Career Pathways Initiatives
The City of Seattle creates pathways to high demand jobs within Washington State.
Assistance for Low-Income Homeowners
The City of Seattle helps low-income homeowners in Seattle stay in their homes.
Workforce Development
The City of Seattle helps individuals get jobs and advance in their careers, and helps employers access skilled workers.
Small Business Grants
The Washington State Department of Commerce provides grants to small businesses.
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Explore the City of Seattle's Actions Towards Racial Equity

See who to contact, what we'll deliver, and how we plan on meeting our desired outcomes.

City Racial Equity Actions

Race and Social Justice Initiative

Address: 810 3rd Avenue, Suite 750, Seattle, WA, 98104-1627
Phone: (206) 684-4500
Fax: (206) 684-0332

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