Tell Our State Lawmakers: Invest $17M to Build the Tubman Center for Health & Freedom!

To Our Lawmakers:

We strongly urge the Washington State Legislature to take the next crucial step in establishing the state’s only Black community-owned and -led health center.  

The Tubman Center for Health & Freedom will address a glaring gap in health services and health career pathways for marginalized communities in our state – a gap that our current healthcare system has proven unable to close. 

In 2022, the Legislature made a historic capital investment in the Tubman Center for Health & Freedom. Tubman Health is now securing land for its flagship clinic. With a state investment of $17 million (divided between FY 2024 and FY 2025) in direct appropriation to match private dollars, Tubman Health will construct a groundbreaking health center that will serve as a national model. 

Last session, the Legislature recognized the appalling disparities that continue to cost the lives and health of Black and Brown Washingtonians. The Legislature also recognized that it was past time to support new, community-designed approaches to address this health crisis. This commitment motivated the State’s initial investment in the Tubman Center for Health & Freedom. 

Tubman Health has made good on that investment. It has carried out community design in partnership with the City of Seattle and has firmed plans to establish a premier health services center in partnership with new affordable housing across from an existing light rail station. 

The Tubman Center for Health & Freedom will provide high-quality jobs to 60-100 practitioners from community and establish needed health career pathways. It will serve an estimated 8,000 primary care patients a year and reaching 16,000 through health services and health promotion programming. 

Our State must continue moving forward with Tubman Health to build a future of health justice and set a model for the entire country.  

We urge you to include Tubman Health’s full capital request in your budgets and ensure their inclusion through the budget process.