Little Ethiopia Business Association celebrates the 7th Annual Cultural Street Festival. (Photo by Ayele Bekerie)
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Updated: Friday, September 19, 2008
Los Angeles, CA (Tadias) – The seventh annual anniversary of Little Ethiopia took place in Los Angeles on September 14, 2008.
The celebration was organized by the Little Ethiopia Business Association, which is chaired by Woizero Negest Legesse. Among the most active organizers of the event were: Mesob Restaurant, Rosalind Restaurant, Rahel Vegan Cuisine, Nyala Restaurant, Ferede Child Care Center, Selam Travel, and the Ethiopian Airlines. The office of the Mayor of Los Angeles and City Councils have also provided assistance to the event.
This year’s theme, “International Unity Parade in Celebration of Africa”, had two components: a parade and cultural show. Eighteen African countries were represented at the parade. There were also school bands, and representatives of the Mexican American, Indigenous American, African American and Caribbean communities.
The cultural show included Ethiopian music and dance, comedy, and a speech. Ayele Bekerie, Assistant Professor at the Africana Studies and Research Center of Cornell University (a regular contributor to Tadias Magazine) gave a keynote address entitled: The Street Named Ethiopia: Some Historical and Cultural Reflections on Global Ethiopia.
The events were well attended. It is estimated that there were over 2,500 people in attendance. Here are some selected pictures by Dr. Ayele Bekerie.
Loved the pictures. I wish I was there with my family to be part of this colorful and historic event. Nice to see the color of our pride flying high on the street named after our beloved country.
May God Bless the organizers and all who dedicated their time.
What a wonderful event!
I wish we can do this here in Dubai as well to show our culture.
Good job to the organizers!
It looks like an awesome celebration. Thanks for sharing.
Thank You Tadias!!! Please help the organizers in spreading the news. This is the first time I ever seen such a wonderful news. Hopefully more Ethiopians will have another reason to get together like ESFNA games.Together lets present a positive image of our country for which we are a proud, hard working and decent people.
that was great i wish we can do this in washington.
it was fantastic just keep on this atmospher for ever
It brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for all you do and I hope this will encourage Ethiopians in the US, Canada and all over the world to do the same. This is the kind of event that brings our comunity in each states and country together as well as let other know about our beautifull culture and who we are as a nation. Thank you for making this posible. Great job!
I was very impressed with the organization and participants but most importantly the apparent pride and dignity of what Africa and Ethiopia and indigenous people have delivered for the uninformed.
First of all i would like to say i live in England and so profoundly proud to see such a strong community displaying their love affection for Ethiopia and Africa.While i am celebrating this great event, I am reminded there are a lot of things yet to do.
Here in the England there is a campaign that is ongoing and has been for the last 140 years. It is indeed the stolen treasures from Maqdala in 1868. I would like to invite you to log on to afromet.org and have a little read. Please sign the petition and pass it on to all Ethiopians living in the united states. It is greatly appreciated.
This is a big piece to the puzzle which i believe will complete the great and proud history of our beloved country which our forefathers died for.
If you like to know any more please e mail me on natberhanu@msn.com
Thanks
very good .
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,
MY NAME IS BARBARA NESBITT , AND I’M TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH NEGEST LEGESSE. I THINK I ATTENDED SCHOOL WITH HER IN BUFFALO, n.y.
AT CANISIUS COLLEGE.PLEASE RESPOND AT THE ABOVE e-mAIL ADDRESS.
THANK YOU
BARBARA NESBITT
Dear Barbara,
Here is Nehest’s e-mail address: NIKKI LEGESSE
Ayele Bekerie
It gave me a great pleasure to see such amazing pictures organized celebration where my countries flag and name is flying high up at Little Ethiopia LA. All Ethiopians, wherever you may be, please be clean deep in your heart like our national dress,let us get organized like the residents of LA particularly those who leave at the Little Ethiopia street and let us be open and transparent for discussion stop hatred to each other, work together for change in our country Ethiopia .