Mission

Africatown Community Land Trust’s mission is to acquire, develop, and steward land in Greater Seattle to empower and preserve the Black Diaspora community.

Our Vision

We envision vibrant and thriving Black Communities through land ownership.

Our Work

Africatown Community Land Trust is working for community ownership of land in the Central District that can support the cultural and economic thriving of people who are part of the African diaspora in the Greater Seattle region.

Africatown Community Land Trust is working for community ownership of land in the Central District that can support the cultural and economic thriving of people who are part of the African diaspora in the Greater Seattle region. The Africatown Community Land Trust board is comprised of real estate professionals, business executives, entrepreneurs, and other professionals and long-time community members from the Central District.y

Our Story

ACLT began with a clear mission: to address the urgent housing crisis facing Seattle’s Black community. We recognized early on that providing housing alone would not create the transformative change our community needed. True change requires more than shelter—it demands a holistic approach that builds capacity, cultivates connection + BeLonging, and creates pathways to opportunity.

This understanding has shaped ACLT’s evolution. Housing remains at the heart of our work, but we have expanded our efforts since our establishment in 2016 to include (core pillars fleshed out here) education, workforce development, and innovative programming through the William Grose Center, culturally responsive support services through Benu Community Home, and a sense of belonging, place and permanent shelter through housing development projects like Liberty Bank Building and Africatown Plaza.

By growing these initiatives, ACLT has not only addressed immediate needs but also built the foundation for systemic change in our community, city, and beyond. This multi-faceted approach reflects our belief that addressing inequity requires tackling its root causes, empowering individuals, and preserving the cultural legacy that makes our community unique.

Through partnerships, collaboration, and an unyielding commitment to cultivating equitable and sustainable pathways to opportunity for community, ACLT continues to lead the charge in transforming Seattle into a city where Black communities can thrive once again—and in doing so, inspires a vision of equity and innovation for the world.