Homelessness And Vandalism Forces Black Lives Matter Garden Closure In Seattle

Hopefully, the seeds can be planted elsewhere.

Officials from Seattle, Washington’s Parks and Recreation Department cite public health issues as the reason for the “temporary” closure of a Black Lives Matter garden.

The community garden in Cal Anderson Park was closed on Dec. 27 after growing concerns about safety and the need for maintenance, including removing tent encampments. Officials say in 2023 alone, the City’s Unified Care Team cleaned encampments nearly 80 times to create a clean and safe environment for residents. With homelessness being the main reason for the clean-up, in second place are numerous acts of violence.

As reseeding and turf restoration are the main objectives for maintenance, vandalism is another. The park’s public bathrooms are popular locations for public drug use, illegal camping, and a growing rodent problem.

The garden was planted during Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 by Black Star Farmers after the death of George Floyd, but some city council members want it gone. Council member-elect Joy Hollingsworth says the park should be for everyone’s enjoyment. “Cal Anderson Park is the living room of Capitol Hill and a focal point of our city,” Hollingsworth said.

“It’s important that we prioritize sanitary conditions within shared public spaces so that our neighborhoods can continue to flourish.”

Seattle Parks planned to remove the garden in October 2023 but halted plans after the Farmers’ group started a petition, garnering over 5,000 signatures to save it.

Black Lives Memorial Garden is described as “honoring Black and Indigenous people killed by police, while also providing joy and healing to community members without much access to green space.”

It hosts an abundance of plants and fresh vegetables, including amaranth, corn, strawberries, and currants; however, families of police brutality victims allegedly didn’t even know it was there.

Katrina Johnson, the cousin of Charleena Lyles, who was shot and killed by two Seattle police officers in 2017, feels the lack of awareness of the garden’s existence speaks to what it was really created for.

“To make a garden without reaching out to the families and even letting them know about it tells me that this is not about our loved ones but about folks hijacking the movement and trying to make a name for themselves off of our pain and that is simply not OK,” Johnson said in a statement.

All hope isn’t lost for the garden. The city says it “remains committed to an ongoing dialogue to produce an alternative garden site.”