El Centro de la Raza

Budget Size: Above 10MM

Region: Northwest

County: King

Population Centered: BIPOC

Mission Statement: As an organization grounded in the Latino community of Washington State, it is the mission of El Centro de la Raza (The Center for People of All Races) to build the Beloved Community through unifying all racial and economic sectors; to organize, empower, and defend the basic human rights of our most vulnerable and marginalized populations; and to bring critical consciousness, justice, dignity, and equity to all the peoples of the world.

Community Accelerator Grant Award: $23,800

Primary Impact Category: The Future

Website: https://www.elcentrodelaraza.org/

El Centro de la Raza has stood for over 50 years in Beacon Hill. “My parents came here for ESL [English as a Second Language] classes in the seventies, and I basically grew up here,” Facilities Manager Veronica Gallardo shared. “I feel like I’ve come full circle because now I run the ESL program that’s such a big part of our history.” For those who haven’t heard its story – an indisputably essential piece of Seattle’s history – El Centro de la Raza, or The Center for People of All Races, started with a friendly occupation in 1972. Amidst a major regional recession, the Vietnam War, and deep racial divides, the South Seattle Community College lost funding for its English and Adult Basic Education programs serving Latinos with limited English, leaving approximately eighty students and staff in search of a new educational home. They entered the abandoned and decaying Beacon Hill Elementary building on October 11, and subsequently refused to leave. The school district and city agreed to give the building up to occupiers three months later, and El Centro de la Raza has since grown into one of the most successful community-based nonprofit organizations in the country.

El Centro embodies the ideals of the “beloved community” described by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his 1957 “Birth of a New Nation” speech – one built on humanity; a place where poverty, hunger, and homelessness would not be tolerated, where racism, bigotry, and prejudice would be replaced with an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood. The organization does this work through a wide array of programs and services including childcare, food assistance, ESL classes, and the operation of several affordable housing sites, as well as through cultural community events.

Funds from the Community Accelerator Grant supported El Centro de la Raza in producing large-scale public festivities for Cinco de Mayo and El Día de los Muertos this year, drawing crowds of approximately 1,500 Seattleites and featuring live music and dancing, vendors, artist showcases, and plenty of free food. Their Día de los Muertos preparations also included the creation of several ofrendas (or altars to those who have passed) designed by local artists and community members from a diverse array of cultural organizations including Beth Shalom Synagogue, the Refugee Women’s Alliance, and Community Passageways. These ofrendas, which usually honor figures such as community activists and victims of hate crimes and gun violence, provide meaningful opportunities for reflection and remembrance and are a frequent field trip destination for Seattle students.

During the pandemic, the historic space on Beacon Hill became a contactless food bank and served meals to seniors from a window. With the doors closed, the team took the time to make improvements to their beloved building by restoring murals, redesigning the dining room, and undergoing seismic retrofitting. As El Centro de la Raza prepares to host its first major indoor event since 2019 this November, they look forward to welcoming their community back in full force to a place – and a rich multicultural history – that will be passed down for generations to come.