Rainier Beach, which has a Black/African American population of 30.6% (2023), is one of the most racially diverse neighborhoods in Seattle. As a Black Washingtonian myself, raised in Bellevue and attending predominantly white institutions all of my life, attending Rainier Beach High School was equal parts beautiful and devastating. I witnessed both the beauty and appreciation of the Black community, while watching gentrification slowly transform the neighborhood. I attended Rainier Beach High School in 2017 through a student-swap program offered by the Black Student Union at my actual school, University Preparatory Academy in Wedgwood.
Rainier Beach is often praised for its potent culture, diverse population, and longstanding individuality. But as gentrification becomes the norm and new demographics of people move in, Black-owned businesses are having to close their doors. And the problem is not limited to the South End. Earlier this year, Black businesses in the Central District felt the impact with the closure of beloved establishments Catfish Corner and Flowers Just 4 U.
According to The Seattle Medium, “These [small business] closures highlight the mounting challenges faced by Black business owners, including the rising costs to do business like the increase in Seattle’s minimum wage to $20.67 per hour, which went into effect January 1, 2025.”
Changes have been starting from within the Black community in an attempt to preserve their businesses and work toward the goal of community integrity and empowering the next generation. Many Black-led organizations and businesses are working to stay put in Rainier Beach by enrolling in programs like the City of Seattle's Equitable Development Initiative (EDI), which recently awarded $22 million in grants to combat displacement. Through the initiative, Rainier Beach Action Coalition received $300,000, and it plans to create a food innovation hub with a market, food bank, rooftop gardens, and community college classrooms next to the Rainier Beach light rail station.
But it's hard to keep up with the pace of displacement. As new people move to South Seattle, shopping at PCC and dropping their dogs off at the groomer down the street, many Black residents who have resided there since childhood are packing up and moving out.
Growing up, I appreciated the pockets of Black culture throughout Seattle. I loved the authentic Ethiopian food and going to Ezell’s — my family's favorite chicken spot. It has been painful to see my memories and many other cultural experiences diminished through displacement.
This displacement can be changed through strategies such as early access to ground-floor developments within Rainier Beach — meaning, Black-led organizations get early access to acquire ground-level retail space in new developments. This support of Black businesses and organizations can help Black people stay in the neighborhood. Also, we need legislative protection for historically Black-owned businesses, and a requirement within neighborhoods like Rainier Beach to maintain a certain percentage of local and minority-owned businesses as big chain restaurants and stores begin to move in.
In January, Mayor Harrell issued an executive order that will put forth greater effort in displacement prevention. This order will focus on housing expansion and increase affordability in diverse communities to create equitable growth and the opportunity to jumpstart minority generational wealth.
Although this problem is beginning to be acknowledged by the city, it is still ever present in the daily lives of business owners and residents. To support, choose a small business. Instead of going to a chain store, make the trip to support small Black-owned businesses that are at risk of losing their livelihoods in a community that is their own.
Small businesses in Rainier Beach that I recommend: Creamy Cone Cafe, Drae’s Lake Route, Winnies Cafe & Deli.
Editors' Note: A previous version of this op-ed misidentified the agency behind the Equitable Development Initiative. The program is run by the City of Seattle, not King County.
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Karsyn Wallace is a master of social work student at the University of Southern California.
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