The president of the Seattle City Council thinks it’s appropriate to have two budgets — one for everyday people, and one for black people.
Council President Joy Hollingsworth, a black woman, touted her so-called “black budget” while speaking at a conference in February, according to Seattle station KTTH.
“I have my district three budget, and then I have my ‘black budget,’” she proudly said. “Every year I have a district three budget and then a ‘black budget.’”
She further alleged that this separate budget is necessary because black people underperform so much regarding household income and home ownership compared to other races.
The Constitution prohibits government from treating citizens differently based on race https://t.co/NfzmpHOHKm
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) May 7, 2026
Hollingsworth also called for what sounded like a new, black-only or black-majority political party.
“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. “We have to coalesce our power. And so we set up. So this is what we did this year, and then we’re going to be able to advocate for next year.”
In response to her remarks, conservative radio show host Jason Rantz of KTTH invited Hollingsworth onto his program to explain herself, but she “abruptly canceled without explanation.”
In a statement to Fox News, Hollingsworth defended her “black budget” by saying it refers to “targeted investments and resources directed toward historically impacted communities in Seattle.”
“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. “In Seattle, we need to stay focused on delivering the city basics.”
“That’s what communities across our city are asking for and what they want to see government deliver on every day. We are focused on the fundamentals of local government, safe streets, reliable infrastructure, responsive city services, and clean public spaces,” she added.
Asked by Fox News to specify what percentage of Seattle’s $8.9 billion budget should be set aside for black people only, Hollingsworth basically said all of it, the whole “$8.9 billion dollars.”
Rantz slammed her proposal.
“[W]e’d rightly call out a ‘white budget,’” he wrote for KTTH. “And it’s worth asking why Hollingsworth doesn’t appear eager to offer other constituencies their own budget. Perhaps she doesn’t care enough about Asians or Latinos?”
Probably not, because she’s about as “woke” and obsessed with appeasing minority groups — including “indigenous” people — as a politician could be. Case in point:
Each sunrise is a prayer, and we hold deep gratitude for the original caretakers of this land, whose wisdom and resilience continue to guide us. May we honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day by turning our land acknowledgments into meaningful action.
— Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth (@CMJoyHollings) October 13, 2025
Plus, during a 2023 interview with Real Change News, she revealed that she was inspired to run for office because of the violent 2020 Black Lives Matter riots.
“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.
But Rantz did give her credit for honesty, especially regarding a recent forensic investigation into KCRHA, a homeless agency that collected millions in taxpayer funds while homelessness only grew worse.
The investigation “found $13 million in public funds unaccounted for and a $45 million cash deficit,” according to Rantz.
A separate King County audit of the Department of Community and Human Services likewise found excessive fraud.
Confronted by these findings, Hollingsworth reportedly called them a “system failure” and said that “Seattle has been good at funding and generating ideas but poor at tracking outcomes.”
Rantz partially agreed.
“She’s right about that,” he wrote. “What she hasn’t explained is why the answer is more targeted funding streams organized by race rather than better accountability for the billions already going out the door.”
Indeed.
