Seattle council member touts ‘Black budget,’ calls for Black residents to form ‘most powerful political party’

The Seattle City Council president said she works with two budgets — her district’s and “the Black budget” — and urged Black residents to unite as “the most powerful political party” in Seattle.

Joy Hollingsworth, president of the Seattle City Council and representative of District 3, told attendees at the State of Africatown 2026 conference how she has advocated for the “Black budget” to be reflected in the city’s general budget. The public town hall, focused on advancing Seattle’s Black community, was held in late February, but Hollingsworth’s remarks were resurfaced by Seattle talk show host Jason Rantz.

“So, I got two budgets every time I go to council member Dan Strauss every year. I have a district three budget and then a black budget,” Hollingsworth told the audience.

Hollingsworth’s remarks came just days before Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson ordered city agencies to cut their budgets for next year by 5% to 10%. Seattle is facing a projected budget deficit of $140 million for the 2026 fiscal year.

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Joy Hollingsworth is the president of the Seattle City Council. She represents District 3 in the city, (Seattle City Council)

During the address, Hollingsworth talked about how she assembled roughly 70 Black residents to testify last year on the city’s budget, dubbing it “Black Budget Day.”

“It is important that they see us, that they hear us, that we just don’t show up for certain things that we are down here advocating for us,” Hollingsworth said of Black Budget Day. “There are political parties in Seattle and I believe that if black people come to together, we can be the most powerful political party in the city of Seattle. We have to coalesce our power.”

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’s still a “problem.”

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Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson declared last year at a barista picket line, “I am not buying Starbucks, and you should not either.’” (David Ryder/Reuters)

“But we’d rightly call out a ‘white budget,'” Rantz wrote. “And it’s worth asking why Hollingsworth doesn’t appear eager to offer other constituencies their own budget. Perhaps she doesn’t care enough about Asians or Latinos?”

Rantz said that Hollingsworth canceled the interview with his station, but in a statement to Fox News Digital Hollingsworth said the Black budget refers to “targeted investments and resources directed toward historically impacted communities in Seattle.”

“This is about addressing long-standing challenges in public safety, infrastructure, small business support, clean and safe parks, roads and sidewalks, and workforce development,” Hollingsworth said.

A view of the Seattle skyline from a road in Seattle, Wash. (Nik Lanum/Fox News Digital)

“In Seattle, we need to stay focused on delivering the city basics,” Hollingsworth continued. “That’s what communities across our city are asking for and what they want to see government deliver on every day. We are focused on the fundamentals of local government, safe streets, reliable infrastructure, responsive city services, and clean public spaces.”

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Asked what percentage of Seattle’s $8.9 billion budget should be allocated for the “Black budget,” Hollingsworth said in an email: “8.9 billion dollars. The city’s budget.”