The students use a popular video game to present the future of the important Seattle Park

Seattle – Judkins Park has been a cornerstone of the central district of Seattle for decades. Thanks to an innovative project, a new generation is reorganizing its future with Minecraft.

A group of students from the William Grose Center for Cultural Innovation spent a week in the virtual world of Minecraft and imagined what the park could be.

“I already knew a lot about Minecraft, but I had to learn various creative opportunities how people used it to make foils and create crazy things,” said Sabrina Ali, a senior at Garfield High School. “Then some of us used YouTube tutorials to learn better ways to build creative things that I thought was amazing.”

The team prioritized improvements that could be realistically and at the same time dreamed of what could be possible with the support of the community. Their ideas ranged from adding zipper lines to tree houses and a water park.

“We managed to organize a lot of things that are very likely to happen,” said Riyanna DeQ, a junior of the Garfield High School. “Then there is a list of things that are possible, but only if we manage to do the first priorities.”

The main focus is on the renovations for toilets, the playground and the Spray Park as well as the room for children of all skills.

“You are our future and I think it is important that you are part of the design of the appearance. Therefore, it is a great opportunity for you to work with the William Grose Center to achieve this, ”said Margo Jones, the Community Outreach Liaison for the renovation project Judkins Park. “I really love that you have a voice and your creativity is part of this project.”

The project is more than just upgrades – it is about preserving and honoring the deep cultural meaning of Judkins Park. Seattle Parks and Recreation has teamed up with the Africatown Community Land Trust to ensure that the voice of the black community is of central importance for the vision.

“There is a lot of history that went into the creation of this park. The students are not always aware of the inheritance and blood that was created in this park, and the obstacles that were carried out by redbling and other types of discriminatory actions within the central district, ”said Ty Griffin, program manager in the William Grose Center. “You begin to understand that this is greater than just Minecraft. This is larger than just design. There are people who have created this opportunity for us. “

The location was originally an open dump in the 1940s and was transformed into a park by community activism. Judkins Park has been a meeting point for family celebrations, parties and protests for social justice for several decades.

“Judkins Park was the home of the originally a black festival and for 25 years the home of the umoja festival,” said Jones. “Schwarz Wall Street and Junetenth celebrations also take place in the corridor – not directly in the park, but in the area – and are part of the park in a sense.”

Community members are invited to share their thoughts about the future of the park in an open forum of the Washington Middle School on February 27 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to ensure that Judkins Park remains a space that is characterized by the people who appreciate it the most.

“It is shocking to see that we have this ability to have this strength,” said DeQ. “Then, if you expose yourself to all these options and all these people who could support you to do great things – it's like wow, I have a voice and I can actually use it.”