The Santa Barbara County Supervisors denied Healing Justice their request for $500,000 for an African-American Black Cultural Resource Center — the second time the group has been denied by a government body in two weeks. The organization had first asked the Santa Barbara City Council for the $500,000 to pay for two years of rent. But the requests were not on either of the meeting agendas and were denied.
The cultural resource center, members of Healing Justice said, would be a place to preserve Black history, Black joy, and highlight Black artists, among other services. The request for the funding came directly after both the Santa Maria NAACP and Healing Justice gave presentations to the supervisors on the work they've been doing in the community and around Juneteenth celebrations and activities.
Healing Justice’s work over the past year includes being part of developing the formation commission to establish oversight for the Santa Barbara Police Department, redistributing over $3,000 in emergency grants to local Black residents, preserving St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church and the Second Baptist Church, public art exhibitions centered on Black artists, and more.