Joy Hollingsworth inspired criticism after comments she made at a community conference in which she said she works with both her district’s budget and what she called “the black budget.”
Hollingsworth, who represents Seattle’s District 3 and serves as president of the Seattle City Council, made the remarks during the State of Africatown 2026 conference held in late February. The event focused on issues affecting Seattle’s black community and featured discussions about political organization, public investment, and local advocacy.
“So, I got two budgets every time I go to council member Dan Strauss every year,” Hollingsworth said during the event. “I have a District 3 budget and then a black budget.”
Budget Debate Emerges
The comments resurfaced after being highlighted by Seattle radio host Jason Rantz, sparking debate over whether Hollingsworth was describing a literal separate budget or using the phrase symbolically to refer to targeted policy priorities.
Hollingsworth later insisted in a statement that the term referred to investments for “historically underserved communities” rather than a separate financial account.
“This is about addressing long-standing challenges in public safety, infrastructure, small business support, clean and safe parks, roads and sidewalks and workforce development,” she said.
She added that the city should remain focused on “the fundamentals of local government,” including public safety, infrastructure, and city services.
Call for Political Organization
During her remarks at the conference, Hollingsworth also discussed organizing black residents to testify during the city’s budget process, referring to the effort as “Black Budget Day.”
“It is important that they see us, that they hear us,” she said, encouraging political coordination among black Seattle residents.
Hollingsworth further argued that black residents could become a powerful political force in the city if unified around common goals.
“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.
Criticism and Response
Critics questioned whether framing budget priorities around race could create divisions or imply unequal treatment among residents. Rantz argued that a similarly worded reference to a “white budget” would likely provoke immediate backlash and questioned why other demographic groups were not described in similar terms.
Hollingsworth declined an interview request with Rantz’s program, according to the host.
Financial Pressure on Seattle
The controversy comes as Katie Wilson has directed city agencies to prepare budget reductions between 5% and 10% amid a projected $140 million deficit for the 2026 fiscal year.
Seattle’s total budget is approximately $8.9 billion, and debates over spending priorities are expected to intensify as city officials weigh cuts and competing demands for resources.
When asked what portion of the city’s budget should be considered part of the “black budget,” Hollingsworth responded simply: “8.9 billion dollars. The city’s budget.”
The exchange has added another layer to broader national conversations about equity-focused government spending, representation, and how cities address disparities across different communities.
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In other words, she’s running a taxpayer funded slush fund for the benefit of black people and nobody else while whining about fighting racism. Which means that her theft is exceeded only by her racism and hypocrisy.
Bigotry, by another name.
Get outta here~that’s ridiculous. Look at all the fraud thievery and sham the BLM budget was. C’mon, get real.
Lie-beral Demonocrats are NOT qualified to run our country, but they DO KNOW how to ruin it !!!
Ms. Drake. I enjoy your writings. They are commons sense and look at all the facts.