& QueenAnne Magnolia ne& Magnolia news & news
ne
Magnolia news
Serving Queen Anne & Magnolia Since 1919
DECEMBER 25, 2024
www.QueenAnneNews.com
VOL. 105, NO. 52
& QueenAnne&Magnolia news
Seattle City Council considers permanent crowd management measures
QueenAnne
Magnolia news By Spencer Pauley The Center Square
Seattle's small business owners come together to eliminate wealth gap Submitted On Dec. 11, African Community Housing and Development (ACHD) hosted the highly anticipated Generational Wealth Small Business Conference at the Ethiopian Community Center in Seattle. This event marked ACHD's largest gathering to date, building on past small business initiatives led by Abokor Isaak, Senior Manager of Small Business Support and ACHD. The conference attracted over sixty small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, serving as a critical moment for both Seattle's small business community and ACHD. ACHD's mission focuses on uplifting the African Diaspora, Black, immigrant, and refugee communities in King County. Under the leadership of CEO Hamdi Abdulle and Vice President Bilan Aden, the nonprofit organization empowered small businesses in Seattle by providing practical insights through guest speakers, open discussions, and networking opportunities. The theme of the conference, "Generational Wealth," highlighted the significance of building assets that can be passed down through generations, a concept especially relevant in Seattle, where wealth disparities are closely tied to
racial stratification. The event was supported by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, which helped fund the gathering through the Generational Wealth Initiative. By fostering an environment where BIPOC individuals, immigrants, and refugees can access essential resources, networking opportunities, and support, ACHD aims to combat economic injustice and promote longterm prosperity. Many of the micro-businesses represented at the conference are managed by BIPOC and immigrant communities. A common challenge identified by speakers and attendees is the duplication of businesses that require similar resources. While building a small business can feel empowering, the financial disparities rooted in racial discrimination and ethnocentrism create a scarcity of resources. This scarcity perpetuates the wealth gap. In addition, as several participants of the Generational Wealth Conference noted, there is a sense of distrust between communities, making collaboration difficult. Small business owners and entrepreneurs often hesitate to work together, further hindering progress. "We've identified that many of our community businesses are
micro-businesses and need more tailored support," said Zzaj Collins, Director of Philanthropy & Economic Development at ACHD. "This conference is designed to bring people together to focus on the specialized needs we've identified in our community. Many micro-business owners don't have the time to step away and strategize, so we're creating a space for them to do just that." The conference aimed not only to discuss the dream of generational wealth but also to offer essential advice for small businesses to thrive. Most of the attendees were from BIPOC communities or were immigrants themselves. Sitting around round tables that filled the auditorium, about half of the attendees were small business owners, with the rest being prospective entrepreneurs. Some shared their challenges, from navigating the complexity of starting a small business to dealing with the issue of duplicate organizations in their respective industries. Diana, a Latina and first-generation American researcher, expressed her hesitation about starting her business. She's considering importing coffee from Mexico, an aspiration she and her
BUSINESS, 4
The Seattle City Council is working to end the federal government’s surveillance of the police department by passing crowd control measures. A new proposed bill would help the Seattle Police Department [SPD] be in full compliance with a preliminary injunction regarding the department’s crowd control measures. This stems from a 2012 court order that was sought by the U.S. Department of Justice following an investigation into the police department’s policies and practices at the time. Last year, a federal judge determined that SPD has significantly complied with directives governing useof-force, investigative stops, and crisis-intervention decisions by officers over the past decade. However, the judge did not completely resolve the court order, stating that SPD must still develop new crowd management policies that have to be approved by the court and an independent monitor. The city council did attempt to address crowd control four years ago. In June 2020, the city council passed Ordinance 126102, which completely banned the use of all less lethal weapons. However, the U.S. District Court prohibited the ordinance from going into effect. While the ordinance still remains in the Seattle municipal code, it has no legal enforceability. The latest proposed Council Bill 120916 does not incorporate SPD’s current interim crowd management policy, which commanders use as guidance to determine when less lethal weapons can be used against violent individuals within a crowd or when they can be used to disperse a crowd itself. Instead, it establishes restrictions on when available crowd-control technologies can be used. According to Seattle Deputy Mayor Tim Burgess, these restrictions are more substantial than what is required under state law. The ordinance restricts the use of less-lethal tools in order to allow incident commanders to have the ability to respond to serious incidents. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s Office has stated a strong preference against codified bans of less lethal weapons or legislatively mandated use conditions. One detail that alerted councilmembers was the proposed use of blast balls, which generates a loud noise and bright light. In the case of a crowd escalating to a riot, reasonable force will be considered. Any use of blast balls at this stage for crowd dispersal would be thrown away from people in order to create a buffer between the crowd and police officers. Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore spoke in
CROWD, 5
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SEATTLE, WA PERMIT 1271
EARERAE