Joy Hollingsworth, president of the Seattle City Council and representative of District 3, revealed at the State of Africatown 2026 conference in February that she works with not only her district's budget but also what she calls the "Black budget."
She told attendees she has advocated for the latter to be reflected in the city's general budget, and she called on black residents to unite as the most powerful political party in Seattle.
"There are political parties in Seattle, and I believe that if black people come together, we can be the most powerful political party in the city of Seattle," she said. "We have to coalesce our power."
Seattle has leaned heavily Democratic for decades and is considered one of the most liberal major cities in the United States. Even many of its political fights happen within the Democratic coalition — moderates vs. progressives — rather than between Democrats and Republicans.
The 2025 mayoral race, for example, was essentially a contest between a centrist Democrat and a democratic socialist.
Terris Todd, a former Trump White House Education Department appointee who now serves as director of outreach and coalitions for the Project 21 Black Leadership Network, tells AFN Hollingsworth is essentially saying that black people "can no longer trust leftist policies to have our best interest at heart."
"It's really unfortunate," he continues, "because there's also more government dependency."
Todd calls it a double standard.
Seattle talk host Jason Rantz invited Hollingsworth on his radio show to explain what she meant by the term "Black budget," suggesting that whether she meant it as a literal budget or a term used for political branding, it is still a "problem."
"We'd rightly call out a 'White budget,'" he wrote.
Hollingsworth ultimately canceled the interview but told Fox News the term refers to "targeted investments and resources directed toward historically impacted communities in Seattle."
There is no publicly identified standalone "Black budget" line item in Seattle's official budget; the phrase appears to be Hollingsworth's shorthand.
Based on Seattle budget documents and reporting on her proposals, the black budget would not eliminate other city services. Instead, it would prioritize investments in what Hollingsworth considers historically underserved communities, particularly the Central District, by directing funds toward programs like legacy homeownership, youth homelessness services, arts and culture, and food assistance.
Todd says she clearly wants lines drawn that only protect black people.
"It would be best for us if they would just simply come out and tell us, 'We want to be segregated again,'" he responds. "I wish they would just come out and say it instead playing around with … a black budget or reparations or whatever."
"Them saying that we can only depend on ourselves and 'we want you guys to carve out your budget just to cater to us' … is the true meaning of racism," Todd states.
