The Seattle Human Rights Commission requests broad community support to restore the Africatowns Center for Education and Innovation following recent accounts of burglary and racially-charged vandalism at their Columbia City facility on March 20-23, 2016. The Africatown Center for Education and Innovation experienced extensive damages to their facility, which has interrupted their regularly scheduled activities. As a welcoming and valuable community space, Africatown should be restored so that it can continue its role in promoting human rights, including the rights to education and freedom from discrimination.
The Africatown Center for Education and Innovation is an essential part of the community that provides youth with prosocial after-school activities and summer programs. Africatown serves hundreds of children and their families. Their community-driven programs emerged to combat the opportunity gap created by racially disproportionate discipline in Seattle’s schools and other structurally violent institutional practices which affect youth of color.
Community-led efforts to restore Africatown’s facility, security system, and educational programs are underway. Many community members and organizations have donated funds and other resources to assist Africatown with its restoration efforts. If you would like to support or learn more about the Africatown Center for Education and Innovation, please visit their website.