State of Africatown: The legacy continues
Founders of State of Africatown, former Representative, the Honorable Dawn Mason and K. Wyking Garrett, share the stage at State of Africatown 2017.
State of Africatown began in 2014, collaboratively founded by former Washington State Representative, the Honorable Dawn Mason, and K. Wyking Garrett. At the time, former representative Mason was selected to be part of incoming Mayor Ed Murray’s transition team with an assignment to focus on the African American community. Ms. Mason reached out to Wyking Garrett to co-convene a listening platform for the mayor, his cabinet and other elected officials to hear Black community concerns and to educate themselves about the community-driven solutions that they should support through policy and legislation.
State of Africatown has since evolved into an annual event, sustained as a crucial platform for investing in the future of Black Seattle. Hosted every year at the historic Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, the multigenerational convening has become a community institution, a place of capacity building and a platform for turning rhetoric and ideas into reality.
Community presenters and award winners from State of Africatown 2024.
At our first State of Africatown in 2014, the mayor embraced support for Africatown and our vision for the future of Black community in the Central District.
Following his commitments and continued advocacy, the mayor’s office initiated planning around the Historic Central Area Cultural District and the Central Area Collaborative, commitments to Liberty Bank Building, Fire Station 6, Midtown Center would also follow.
– K. Wyking Garrett, ACLT President & CEO
State of Africatown 2026 continues the tradition at a critical moment for community members and city leaders who care about ending Black displacement in Seattle’s Central District. It is a forum for alignment, accountability and action that will equip community members with the tools to advocate for solutions for our elected officials to better understand their responsibility in taking on the urgency of repair.
If you care about who gets to stay in the Central District, who gets to return, and what kind of city Seattle becomes, this is a room you cannot afford to miss.
Register here for State of Africatown 2026, From Harm to Repair: Rebuilding a Black and Thriving Central District.
Saturday, February 28th
10AM – 1PM
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute
104 17th Avenue South, Seattle 98144
