Africatown Community Land Trust Previews the State of Africatown 2024 on The Day With Trae
Photos by Susan Fried
Africatown Community Land Trust will host its annual State of Africatown on March 2. The event has been running for the last decade, serving as a platform for community voices to discuss issues facing Seattle's Central District. With a focus on strengthening the Black Community amidst challenges like gentrification and resident displacement, the event emphasizes initiatives to promote neighborhood security. Kennesha Poe-Buycks, the Communications & Marketing Manager of the ACLT, and Jacqueline Armstrong, Vice Chair of the organization's board, stopped by The Day with Trae to talk about the event.
"We've had ten years of this amazing opportunity to hear from community and businesses and organizations and offer that as a listening space," Poe-Buycks said of this upcoming event. "But more than listening, I think it's an opportunity to engage and then to reengage now with the opportunity to build upon what's been said over the past ten years."
Poe-Buycks spotlights the event as a space where Black transplants new to Seattle can seek community connections. This gathering presents discussions focused on education, entrepreneurship, and neighborhood initiatives. Moreover, it will feature the Elders of Distinction awards ceremony, highlighting the achievements of Black leaders whose work extends throughout the globe. This year's recipients are Chief Claude Harris, a trailblazer who was Seattle's first Black firefighter and, subsequently, the city's first Black fire chief. In addition to Harris is Ashra Kwesi, a historian specializing in African civilization and culture who has worked throughout Africa, focusing on Egypt, where he delivers tours showcasing Black heritage within the county.
"We have to look back to look forward. In order to do that, we have to acknowledge the presence of those that have gone before us," Armstrong said. "Dr. Kwesi is a well-known researcher; he is sought out all over the country. He is about bringing ancient civilization and knowledge to us today so that we know who we are."
"It's amazing that the State of Africatown has been going strong for 11 years now," Host Trae Holiday said. "This is the event where we learn about what the community is doing and how our grassroots solutions continue to positively impact the people!"
Armstrong, a lifelong Central District resident affectionately known as Auntie Jackie, emphasized her reasoning for being on the board of the ACLT and the importance the organization has within the neighborhood.
"I think about back in the 80s when it was 80% Black homeownership, and now we're down to only 8%," Armstrong said. "Yet we're still here through growth, resilience, empowerment. My Community is still standing strong. And so yes, I'm on the board because I believe in the mission to achieve, develop, and acquire land. We are still here, and we're moving strong."
Click here to purchase tickets for State of Africatown 2024, starting at 10 am at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts this Saturday.
For the latest updates on upcoming events happening in the community, join Trae every weekday at 11 am on Converge Media platforms and The Day With Trae YouTube Channel.
