Bridging Community through Social Justice

Estelita’s Library is a community space for people to gather, raise their voices, and inspire each other, co-founded by married couple Dr. Estell Williams and Professor Edwin Lindo, both of UW Medicine. Initially established as a library for their daughter, Estella, to empower her and help her grow alongside her community, their mission has expanded beyond their family to the broader Seattle community as they tackle the affordable housing issue in the city. Their social justice and community library began in the Central District and has flourished as a hub for connection, social justice, and education.  

The new location and headquarters in Beacon Hill will function as an event space accessible to the community as they aim to fundraise $28 million for a larger cultural center and affordable-housing project. This project will foster opportunities to share culture and literature while also creating housing stability for families in need. Instead of securing funding from federal grants that can be overly restrictive, they are utilizing city and state resources and fundraising among community and philanthropy that aligns with their mission. Edwin spoke about how his sense of community has evolved as they strive toward their goals for the project: “To me, community means collective care and shared responsibility. Estelita’s has shown me how much we can achieve when we center relationships and mutual support.”

So far, they have raised $8.5 million toward the goal. The housing project, appropriately named The Solidarity House, will be comprised of family-sized units: 2-, 3-, and 4-bedroom options will address the needs of families, particularly in the Beacon Hill community that is majority Black, Filipino, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Latinx.  

On the future of Estelita’s, Edwin shared,­­ “What excites me most about Estelita’s mission is seeing how the space fosters connection, critical conversations, and self-determination among the most marginalized communities. My biggest hope is that as we grow, Estelita’s remains a place where community members feel empowered and heard.” Both Edwin and Estell were interviewed about the library and service to their community for a TV news segment on local Cascade PBS.

You can donate to support the mission of Estelita’s library and contribute to resolving housing insecurity for the most vulnerable in our community here. Follow their Instagram here @estelitas_library.

  • A woman and man hold a sign that says "Estelita's Library" in pink and white text while a child walks by and a woman smiles on in the background. They are standing in front of the library.
    Estell Williams and Edwin Lindo recently secured a new location for their headquarters in Beacon Hill for Estelita’s Library, their community social justice library. The organization is seeking to expand and build a cultural center and affordable housing project.
  • A Black man sits outside of Estelita's Library while a couple of folks browse the book options behind him.
    Folks peruse the new Estelita’s Library location in Beacon Hill.
  • Two Black men standing side by side, smiling and one is holding a photo of the Solidarity House Project blueprint. The man on the right is wearing a shirt that says "Estelita's Library, Moving Towards Justice One Book at A Time".
    Community members hold up a digital rendering of the cultural center and affordable-housing project, the Solidarity House.
  • A group of folks sitting around in a circle directing their attention to a woman speaking.
    Community members gather

Sign up for our Newsletter!

Stay up to date with News and Opportunities from the Office of Healthcare Equity.

We don’t spam! We will make unsubscribing from our content as easy as possible!