King County Councilmember De’Sean Quinn applauded what he called wins for the Black community with the adoption Nov. 18 of the 2026-2027 biennial King County budget.
The budget includes investments to uplift and support King County’s Black community, including $250,000 to Tukwila-based Tabor 100 to provide support to Black-owned businesses in District 5, which includes Kent, Des Moines, Normandy Park, Renton, SeaTac and Tukwila; and $10,000 to the Kent Black Action Commission.
Quinn, whose interim term representing District 5 ends Nov. 25, described how the county is working to counter more than a century of discrimination and oppression.
“The budget is an explicit statement about our values, and shows how much we value the people in this county – not just for their future but also to undue the harms of the past,” Quinn said in a Nov. 19 media release. “Our Black communities have suffered at the hands of oppressive legislation and culture for most of this nation’s history and this budget brings significant funding to programs aimed at stemming the ongoing impacts of that oppression. I’m proud to have been a part of this vital work.”
The money to the Kent Black Action Commission will go toward its work to expand civic involvement of the African-American community in Kent.
Tabor 100 is an association of entrepreneurs and business advocates who are committed to economic power, educational excellence and social equity for African-Americans and the community at large, according to its website.
Other investments in Black groups in the budget include:
• $300,000 to support the Charles Mitchell and George Washington Bush Study on Reparative Action for Washington State’s Descendents of Victims of United States Chattel Slavery conducted by the Washington State Department of Commerce
• $123,888 for Urban League for eviction prevention; providing service for young men who have aged out of foster homes; temporary housing, moving assistance, employment assistance, and flexible dollars for individual support (security deposits, bus passes, etc.)
• $50,000 to support and develop a Doctor Quintard Taylor historical grant or fellowship in collaboration with Blackpast.org
Quinn, appointed in January to represent District 5 after Dave Upthegrove’s departure, has worked on several major pieces of legislation this year, but the budget is by far the largest and most consequential.
“This was a tremendous amount of work, but its importance to our community made it a joy to be of service,” Quinn said. “I couldn’t be happier to end my time on Council with this legislation and I’m grateful I had the opportunity to serve District 5 and all of King County.”
Voters elected Steffanie Fain Nov. 4 to the District 5 position. Her term begins Nov. 25.
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