US city councillor demands $8.9BILLION dedicated 'black budget' for 'historically impacted communities'
The president of Seattle City Council has demanded $8.9billion (£6.54billion) in taxpayer cash to go towards a dedicated "black budget" for "historically impacted communities".
Joy Hollingsworth - who was unanimously selected to lead the city authority in January - has long advocated for a "black budget" to be reflected in Seattle's overall budget.
Speaking at a public town hall focused on the city's black residents in February, Ms Hollingsworth, who represents Seattle District 3, said: "I got two budgets every time I go to council member Dan Strauss every year.
"I have a District 3 budget and then a black budget."
The city council leader told the audience she had gathered around 70 black community members to testify on the city's budget last year - what she described as "Black Budget Day".
She told the audience: "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."
Ms Hollingsworth also urged Seattle's black residents to unite to become "the most powerful" force in the city.
She said: "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.
"We have to coalesce our power."
She was later invited by Seattle talk show host Jason Rantz to appear on the radio to explain what a "black budget" entails.
Mr Rantz described the proposal as a "problem", adding that "we’d rightly call out a 'white budget'."
He wrote: "It’s worth asking why Hollingsworth doesn’t appear eager to offer other constituencies their own budget.
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"Perhaps she doesn’t care enough about Asians or Latinos?"
The radio show host said that Ms Hollingsworth "abruptly cancelled" her scheduled appearance "without explanation" and subsequently refused to answer any questions surrounding the budget.
She later told Fox News that the black budget refers to "targeted investments and resources directed toward historically impacted communities in Seattle".
The council leader added: "This is about addressing long-standing challenges in public safety, infrastructure, small business support, clean and safe parks, roads and sidewalks and workforce development."
Seattle's annual city budget stands at around $8.9billion - meaning the entire allowance would go to Ms Hollingsworth's budget.
When asked by Fox News how much of it she believes should be assigned to her warchest, she said "$8.9billion. The city's budget."
In an interview with Real Change News in 2023, Ms Hollingsworth said she was inspired to run for office in the wake of the BLM riots in 2020 after attending a demonstration with her grandmother.
"It inspired me to really make change and understand that a voice is needed on the city council that has that lens of equity, diversity and inclusion," she said.
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