Memorial Garden Development In Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park

Location

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park, 2200 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, 98144  

Budget

The total allocated funding is $150,000 for planning and concept design. Future phases of the project will be contingent on additional funding. The project team is actively pursuing grants and fundraising opportunities.

Schedule

Planning: Spring 2025 – Fall 2025 
Design: Summer 2025 – Early 2026  
Anticipated Construction:  2027 (tentative on funding) 

Project Description

By centering community voices throughout the design process, SPR seeks to co-create a garden that honors Seattle’s Black diaspora, celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s enduring legacy, and provides a dedicated space for reflection and remembrance of those lost too soon to gun violence.

 During construction, the contractor will need to close a portion of the park. Seattle Parks and Recreation and the contractor hired for the project will work to minimize the impact on the neighborhood. Thank you for your understanding.  

Project Background

During the Black Lives Matter and CHOP/CHAZ protest in the summer of 2020, a garden was developed by the community in Cal Anderson Park. The garden was deemed the “Black Lives Matter Memorial Garden” and existed until late 2023. 

SPR removed the temporary garden in December 2023 due to conflicting use of the space, historically used to host large events, public health concerns, public safety issues, and the need for maintenance, including reseeding the area and turf restoration. Since 2020, SPR has conducted community engagement with park visitors, neighbors, and adjacent small businesses related to the garden area. SPR received significant feedback demonstrating a desire to relocate the garden. 

More information regarding the removal of the garden in Cal Anderson Park is available here: https://parkways.seattle.gov/2023/12/27/statement-on-the-removal-of-the-cal-anderson-garden/  

In the spring of 2024, community stakeholders were gathered to engage the broader community to help plan a new garden in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park to replace the Black Lives Matter Memorial Garden. 

Project Partners

SPR is partnering with Clean Greens Farm & Market, Solace, the Black Agriculture Leadership Council, and the NAACP to ensure this project is deeply rooted in community priorities. Each organization brings unique expertise and perspectives, and together, these partnerships will help guide meaningful engagement and shape a project design that reflects the shared goals and values of the community.  

• About Clean Greens Farm & Market (Clean Greens) 
  Clean Greens is a small non-profit owned and operated by residents of Seattle’s Central District with the mission to make organic produce widely available and easily accessible to all people in the community. Founded in 2007 by the Project of Black Dollar Days Task Force (a local group of African-American small business owners), Clean Greens is primarily run by volunteers with a passion for bringing "Produce to the People"! More info: https://www.cleangreensfarmmarket.com  
• About SOLACE 
  Solace is a collective of mothers and community members dedicated to grief support, healing, and community-centered care in response to loss and injustice. The Seattle chapter, led by Jenine Lewis, community leader and mother of Elijah Lewis, hosts a monthly community walk on the first Saturday of each month to create space for reflection, connection, and collective healing. 
• About The Black Agriculture Leadership Council 
  The Black Agriculture Leadership Council passionately dedicates itself to eradicating deeply ingrained systemic racism in the history of agriculture and the African-American community. In the face of alarming statistics, less than 1% ownership of African-American farmland and an ominous projection of zero household wealth by 2052, our commitment intensifies. Through dynamic community engagement, robust education initiatives, and unyielding advocacy, we aim to cultivate a resilient, empowered future.
• About The NAACP
  The NAACP is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington, Moorfield Storey, Ida B. Wells, Lillian Wald, and Henry Moskowitz. The NAACP Climate Change and Environmental Injustice sector is working to address the many practices that are harming communities nationwide and worldwide. NAACP fights for the policies needed to rectify these impacts and advance a society that fosters sustainable, cooperative, regenerative communities that uphold all rights for all people in harmony with the earth. More information: https://naacp.org/know-issues/environmental-climate-justice  

Community Participation

Join us at one of the events in the park below: 

• Planting Party Meet ‘n’ Greet 
  Saturday, June 21st, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Phase 1 Garden Reveal and Public Engagement Event  
  Saturday, July 12th, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.