a welcome booth
Yesterday I popped into the Ethiopian new year festival in Silver Spring for about 5 minutes. Last year I went and picked up a coupon from an Ethiopian airways booth that got me a significant discount (although I never used it). Surprisingly, I did not see a presence from the airline today. There were vendors selling many Ethiopian soccer jerseys, Ethiopian food, representatives of an Ethiopian publishing house, a cultural center, and various craftspeople. I’ve been to Ethiopia’s Bole International Airport several times, but I am not at all familiar with either the politics or culture of the country.
Keep reading for some pictures.
An Ethiopian food truck
Lots of soccer jerseys were on sale. Including some for the 2014 world cup
One vendor was selling an Africa board game
Africa in DC 
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The Panafest planning committee respectfully invites you to take part in a Special “Let Freedom Ring” March to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington.
The civil rights movement in the United States during the late 1950s and 1960s was the political, legal, and social struggle to gain full citizenship rights for black Americans and to achieve racial equality. Individuals and civil rights organizations challenged segregation and discrimination using a variety of activities, including protest marches, boycotts, and refusal to abide by segregation laws.
On August 28, 1963, demonstrators descended upon the nation’s capital to participate in the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.” Not only was it the largest demonstration for human rights in United States history, but it also occasioned a rare display of unity among the various civil rights organizations. The highlight of the march, which attracted 250,000 people, was Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
In the same vain that Dr. King shared his great dream of hope, healing and brotherhood with our nation and world, we are calling on every African and friend of Africa to join us in expressing our gratitude and to take the time to reflect on the March and how it started the movement for equality which enabled Africans to freely travel to the United States and pursue the American Dream.
The March will take place Saturday, September 21, 2013 at the beginning of The Pan African Festival (PANAFEST) located at The Civic Center in downtown Silver Spring. At 1:00 pm, we will assembly at the water fountain located at the end of Ellsworth Street and march down Ellsworth Street to the Civic Center in remembrance of the “I Have a Dream” speech delivered 50 years ago on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. We encourage youths, leaders from national and social change organizations, young and old to participate in this March.
We hope you will strongly consider participating in this year’s March and taking part in this Special Tribute. To find out more about Panafest, please visit our website http://www.panafestusa.org. For additional questions, please contact Ada Anagho Brown (410) 429-0804.