Africa on the Avenue is a celebration of the African Immigrant community along Lower Georgia Avenue. We are so excited to be returning this year with an exciting lineup of entertainment, vendors, food, music, and fashion! Check out the event website for full details.
DC has a thriving African Immigrant community, due to immigration trends from the 1950’s to today. Georgia Avenue has long been a hub of locally owned immigrant businesses, and we want to highlight their impact on the community and lift them up during this festival!
“Interviews with black African immigrants in Washington revealed that the metropolitan area is attractive to them for four main reasons: its cosmopolitan nature (including its racial diversity); its manageability (especially compared with New York, which was noted as too big and too expensive); its status as a center for international work; and its standing as the capital city (which is viewed as the most important city in many African countries).” (PBR.com)
Did you know that DC has the largest Ethiopian population outside of Ethiopia?
Due to policies from the 80’s and 90’s like the Refugee Act and the Diversity Visa Act, immigration from countries like Ethiopia was encouraged. While Ethiopians initially settled in different parts of the country, many of them found themselves drawn to D.C.
According to interviews by WAMU, folks expressed that with so many Ethiopians in Washington, it became easy to feel a sense of belonging.
“For black immigrants and their children and their families — that’s something we long for: the feeling of belonging.” (WAMU)
That strong community connection can be seen through the number of Ethiopian owned businesses right here along Georgia Avenue!
ETHIOPIAN OWNED BUSINESSES
SENEGALESE OWNED BUSINESSES
SOMALIAN OWNED BUSINESS
OTHER PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES:
Trini Pepper Sauce: “Our product is tied to Trinidad and Tobago. This event represents us by our Trinidadian roots; being part of the African diaspora, we are an offspring of the flavor and culture originated in Africa.”
Smokin Goat Afro-Carribean: “My business has deep roots of afro_carribean cuisine, through our home made old marinade recipes and seasoning!”
Yakitoko: Yakitoko is a clothing brand started in 2011 by Frange Abaraka while attending the University of Maryland, College Park. The meaning of Yakitoko came from Lingala, a dialect from Congo in Central Africa. The word helms on the idea of the literal translation of “Something Beautiful”. Some of the designs get a lot of influence from Africa and his culture. Africa on the Avenue is the right place for the brand to be and showcase its African heritage.
Malian Twist: “We are from Mali (West Africa) and will be showcasing African jewelry & art.”
Other Resources: