Bitaniya Giday is finishing her tenure at Seattle Youth Poet Laureate and publishing a book of her poetry. In the following audio Bitaniya speaks with KNKX Morning Edition about her new book and the inspiration for her poetry, and she reads one of her poems. (SEATTLE ARTS & LECTURES)
KNKX
Seattle’s Youth Poet Laureate has just published her first book of poetry. “Motherland” is Bitaniya Giday’s exploration of Blackness, womanhood and family history as an Ethiopian-American youth.
You might be familiar with Giday from her appearance in KNKX’s Take the Mic youth voices series, and she was part of our virtual town hall event. She was also featured in this interview with Seattle Arts & Lectures.
Giday, who is finishing her one-year term as youth poet laureate, spoke with KNKX Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick about her new book and what inspires her work. Listen to the interview and hear Giday read one of her poems.
For this special summer section, we asked an array of notable locals what they are looking forward to getting out and going/seeing/doing.
Gabriel Teodros, KEXP Host
& Associate Music Director
This Southend Seattle native and radio host says his neighborhood’s residents who come from many parts of the world have taught him about resilience, and that home isn’t always a place. “Sometimes home is something you carry with you, sometimes you find it in people, and sometimes home is a memory.” He loves seeing all the ways his neighbors hold on to their culture and find new ways to survive and thrive with each other, rooted in the strength of all the places they come from.
The Station
A coffee shop on Beacon Hill that in many ways is the heartbeat of our community. Throughout the pandemic they’ve lent space for people to drop off and pick up food as they need, a shining example of what mutual aid looks like. So many of my fondest summertime memories in recent years also involve gathering with people around coffee at The Station.
Musang
Amazing Filipino food on Beacon Hill. Melissa Miranda opened her restaurant right as the pandemic hit, and she and everyone she works with were able to pivot and turn the restaurant into a community kitchen that gave free food to people, with no questions asked. But the food is AMAZING, and the space looks beautiful, but with COVID we have yet to actually sit inside to eat a meal.
Communion
I have loved Chef Kristi Brown’s food for the last 20 years, since being delighted anytime That Brown Girl Catering was at an event, or any time I was lucky enough to catch Kristi’s hummus stand at the local farmer’s market. Seeing her open her first restaurant in the Central District at the historic Liberty Bank Building is a dream come true, and like Melissa at Musang she was giving away free meals as a community kitchen for so many months during the pandemic. They both are heroes for real.
Cafe Avole
A beloved Southend institution that is now relocating to the Liberty Bank building next to Communion. I feel like I see my whole self anywhere that celebrates both Ethiopian culture and Hip-Hop culture, and Cafe Avole has been like a second home for since they first opened up. They have had the cafe and restaurant closed for most of the pandemic, but I’m so excited to see them open a new space and I can’t wait to get some of the best ful in the city again.
Cafe Melo
This is a new cafe recently opened by the hip-hop duo Fifth House (Hanan Hassan and Toni Banx), just one block east of the Liberty Bank Building. Anytime I see musicians I love open a space for community to gather around food and coffee I’m all the way in. And I hear the juices are amazing.
Hood Famous
Speaking of musicians I love opening spaces, Hood Famous is founded by Chera Amlag in partnership with her husband, Geo of Blue Scholars. Anytime I’ve been in to Hood Famous before the pandemic, it was a beautiful community gathering right in the heart of the International District. Also, I miss the buko pie so much. Amazing desserts all around, really.
Estelita’s Library
Estilita’s used to be on Beacon Hill, and I loved catching Edwin in there at random for conversations and seeing his incredible book selections. They are moving to a new space in the Central District, and I can’t wait to visit and see what grows
Rosina Machu set a number of records through her years at Boise High School. (Photo by Michael Najera)
Boise State Public Radio
Meet Rosina Machu: Ethiopian Refugee, Idaho Track Phenom And New Boise High Graduate
Rosina Machu may be the most inspirational story of Idaho’s 2021 graduation season. She barely survived Malaria at the age of 2 and spent much of her childhood in a refugee camp in the shadow of war-torn Ethiopia. She and her family were ultimately relocated to Idaho.
As she remembers it, she wasn’t overly interested in athletics, but a Boise elementary physical education teacher insisted that she run around a track with the rest of her class.
”And at the time I was like, ‘OK, you can’t make me do sports. I don’t want to do it.’ So I just said, ‘OK,’ and I started running and I enjoyed it,” Machu said.
Indeed, she would go on to become one of Idaho’s best track athletes in recent memory.
Rosina Machu and her Boise High track teammates. (Photo: Boise High School/Courtesy Of Michael Najera)
As she prepares to say farewell to Boise High School, in preparation of attending Gonzaga University, Machu and her Boise High track coach Aaron Olswanger visited with Morning Edition host George Prentice to talk about her past and her impressive dreams for the future.
“It’s amazing, she’s so smooth, so strong just to see her progression over the last four years, it has been just remarkable.”
— Aaron Olswanger
Read the full transcript below:
GEORGE PRENTICE: It is Morning Edition on Boise State Public Radio News. Good morning. I’m George Prentice. Indeed, this is graduation season and there is much to celebrate in the class of 2021. And we’re going to meet an exceptional high school graduate and hear a bit of her story. But first, let’s say good morning to the track coach at Boise High School. He is Aaron Olswanger.
AARON OLSWANGER: Good morning. Thanks for having us on.
PRENTICE: Well, first of all, congratulations to you and making it through a school year unlike any other. Quite an achievement.
OLSWANGER: Thank you. It’s been a challenging year,
PRENTICE: But you ended together: your students in class…in person.
OLSWANGER: Yeah, it was nice getting everybody together in the last nine weeks of the school year and it almost acted like we were functioning normally again.
PRENTICE: Coach, I’m going to ask you to do the honors and introduce us to a special guest short.
OLSWANGER: This is Rosina Machu. She is, like you said, a senior graduating here. And she’s been a cross country and track and field runner for us for the last four years, at Boise High, and has basically done everything under the sun and more… and she’s more than just a tremendous leader in our program and a great role model for our younger kids.
Rosina Machu and Boise High track coach Aaron Olswanger. (Photo: Boise High School, Aaron Olswange)
PRENTICE: Rosina. Good morning.
ROSINA MACHU: Good morning.
PRENTICE: It’s my understanding that you spent some of your childhood in war-torn Ethiopia. What do you remember of those years?
MACHU: I actually remember quite a lot like up until we left in June of 2007. I believe… a lot of my memories I can remember are…since we were in a refugee camp in a war torn country, I did get sick a lot. I was very young. I had malaria. And it hit my younger sister, too. We both had malaria. It was very bad for us. And something I remember was when I was sick, at the time, my mom had to take me to the doctor to get me checked up. And I remember she had to stick a finger down my throat to make me throw up and get rid of any bad things in my body, just to make me feel better. I remember that. Whenever anyone asked me something about Ethiopia and I was there in the refugee camp, the one thing my mind goes to is that…something I will always remember.
PRENTICE: So my sense then would be that you are supersensitive to the importance of health and keeping fit, and how important it is not only for survival, but, well, to be a premium athlete, which you have become.
MACHU: Yeah. Being healthy and just taking care of your body and yourself is one of the big things to being an athlete and just being a healthy person overall. So, I try to take care of my health as best I can.
PRENTICE: Rosina… why do you run?
MACHU: To be honest, growing up as a kid, I was never the most active or athletic kid. My dad would take me to soccer games because he’s a big soccer fan. And he tried to get me into sports, especially soccer. But I was never interested. Everyone took me to the soccer games. I’d go run off and like the other kids, do anything other than watch the game. Even when we came to the United States, I wasn’t an active kid. I never joined any sports teams like my dad wanted me to. And how I got into running was in third grade when we ran the mile for the first time. I never did sports… never did running ever in my life. Our PE teacher took us outside to our giant field, made us run for laps, and I guess I had a really good time for a little third grader. He’s said, “You know what, Rosina? When you’re in fifth grade and you can start doing track and like sports, you are going to join the track team.” And at the time I was like, “OK, you can’t make me do sports. I don’t want to do it.” So I just said, “OK,” and I started running and I enjoyed it.
PRENTICE: Coach, what’s it like to watch Rosina run?
OLSWANGER: Oh, it’s amazing, she’s so smooth, so strong just to see her progression over the last four years, it has been just remarkable. And I have so much confidence in my athletes and especially when I watch her run. Looking back to this past weekend at the state tournament…you just know she’s going to do great things.
PRENTICE: You’ve probably lost count of how many personal bests and school bests and state bests… This is quite some athlete we’re talking to here.
OLSWANGER: Yeah, she continues to improve, which is the remarkable thing. A lot of high school kids don’t… sometimes when they’re younger. Rosina has been the opposite. She’s gotten better every single year. And she ended with two of her lifetime bests at the state meet.
PRENTICE: Let’s talk about college. You’re heading to Gonzaga, I hear.
MACHU: Yeah, I am. I’m super excited to go up there and turn a new page in the book, inside a new chapter and make a lot of new friends and learn many more things.
PRENTICE: Are you the first in your family to go to college?
OLSWANGER: I’m the first kid in my family to go to college and hopefully my younger siblings will follow me and go to college as well.
PRENTICE: Great. What do you want to do someday?
MACHU: I wanted to be a doctor. But then I started watching some medical shows like Grey’s Anatomy. You know what? Maybe not a doctor, like a surgeon…I’m not going to school for fifteen years. And then I got into law and criminal justice and I took a class here at Boise High School. And I really enjoyed it. And it opened up my eyes to criminal law and justice. So that’s one of the things I want to maybe major in, along with social work or psychology. I took a class in psychology at Boise High. And I really enjoyed that as well.
PRENTICE: I feel like tossing her the keys right now. It sounds like the world will be better off.
OLSWANGER: Yeah, she’ll have she’ll have some tremendous opportunities at Gonzaga.
PRENTICE: Congratulations on graduation… on everything that you’ve done at Boise High and everything you are about to do at Gonzaga. We can’t wait to read about all of your success there and hear about that. Coach, to you. Best of luck on another year, another season.
Hewan Teshome, senior vice president and general counsel for Climate Pledge Arena and the Kraken [in Seattle, Washington], is the daughter of parents who came to the U.S. for higher education, planning to return to Ethiopia afterward. A military coup made it unsafe to remain in their home country. (NHL.com)
NHL
‘Committed to Doing It Differently’
March is Gender Equality Month across the globe. Three Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena colleagues provide insights about lessons learned, measuring progress and innovative thinking
A brief gender equality primer from the UN:
“There has been progress over the last decades: More girls going to school, fewer girls forced into early marriage, more women serving in parliament and positions of leadership and laws being reformed to advance gender equality … Challenges remain: discriminatory laws and social norms remain pervasive, women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership and one in five women (ages 15 to 49) report experiencing physical violence by an intimate partner within a 12-month period … the COVID-19 outbreak exacerbates existing inequalities for women and girls across every sphere from health to economy to security and social protection.”
Hewan Teshome, senior vice president and general counsel for Climate Pledge Arena and the Kraken, is the daughter of parents who came to the U.S. for higher education, planning to return to Ethiopia afterward. A military coup made it unsafe to remain in their home country.
Like many immigrant parents, they hoped Teshome would become a doctor, lawyer or engineer. But Teshome said when she chose to pursue an undergraduate degree in journalism at New York University, “my parents encouraged me to do what I love.”
It turned out Teshome did earn a law degree from Stanford, then landed a job with a firm in New York working a young lawyer’s marathon days and weeks. Her father returned to Ethiopia on an annual basis during those days as part of a Rotary Club program to provide polio vaccinations. Teshome managed to find the time to join those trips.
Photo of Hewan with her parents at graduation and photo of Hewan and other Kraken and CPA colleagues at CPA. (Courtesy of Hewan Teshome)
“Everything changed so much in a year,” recalls Teshome. “I thought, ‘there’s got to be some way to contribute. I met a lot of people in the [Ethiopian] business community. I started thinking about maybe finding a job in the private sector there.”
Three years into her work at the law firm in Manhattan, the CEO of SouthWest Holdings (hotels, real estate, beverages) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, offered a VP/corporate and legal affairs position Teshome couldn’t turn down. Her parents were less inclined.
“My parents have always been super supportive of my career,” says Teshome, laughing gently. “This was the one time they said, ‘Are you sure?’ … I was going back to a business community not fully developed.”
Per the UN findings, social norms regarding gender in Ethiopia were “not as open and progressive as a city like Seattle” when Teshome accepted the job in 2011.
“Gender was a factor in the professional and legal culture,” she says. “It was assumed women would be paralegals and eventually stay home to raise kids. I was in a senior position and still experienced pushback and dismissiveness.”
Girmay Hadish Zahilay is a Sudan-born Ethiopian-American attorney who serves as a member of the King County Council from District 2 in Seattle, Washington. The following is a spotlight on Girmay by The South Seattle Emerald in honor of Black History Month. (Photo: Girmay Zahilay speaks at the opening of a pop-up resource center in the Skyway neighborhood, south of Seattle/by Susan Fried)
South Seattle Emerald
By Marcus Harden
BLACK HISTORY TODAY: GIRMAY ZAHILAY, A DREAM MANIFESTED
“One voice can change a room, and if one voice can change a room, then it can change a city, and if it can change a city, it can change a state, and if it change a state, it can change a nation, and if it can change a nation, it can change the world. Your voice can change the world.”
—Barack Obama
As I’ve grown older, I’ve become more and more fascinated by the African Diaspora and the connection to the African American experience. I’ve especially been fascinated with learning more about the countries in Africa such as Ethiopia, as it stands as one of the only countries to not be colonized by European “settlers.” It’s begged the question: What lay in the culture of those people? What portions of that culture permeate from generation to generation and how do they show up today?
The answer is complex, yet if I had to take a personal wager, I’d bet that ancestral depth lives in people like Girmay Zahilay. Girmay is the “American Dream” personified, in that he’s uniquely bridged the gap of culture from continent to continent and has become a possibility for so many on both sides of that bridge.
Born in Sudan and of Ethiopian descent, his parents Ethiopian Refugees who themselves escaped military conflict, he arrived in the United States at the tender age of 3. Girmay’s family settled in the historic Rainier Valley of Seattle, and it was here that he learned about the world and came to understand others, turning his family’s trials into triumphs. Whether moving from the International District to Skyway, getting by temporarily without stable housing, living in shelters in downtown Seattle, or finally settling in the Rainier Vista, his humility and leadership were being crafted at every step.
Girmay graduated from Franklin High School before going on to Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania, where his natural instincts in fighting for justice would be sharpened into the skill of understanding and interpreting the law. Girmay’s journey took him to Washington D.C. and New York City, yet no matter where he surfaced on the map, his spirit of bridging the gap and liberating people would never change.
His return home to Seattle saw more of the same, as he founded a nonprofit that created opportunities for young people to practice their innate leadership skills. The spirit and culture of leadership and liberation never left him, beating steady like a drum, speaking louder and louder as he saw the needs of the community through the eyes of the youth who looked like him. Soon those voices were crying out louder and louder throughout the Rainier Vista and other communities whose fight for public housing deserved to finally be heard.
In 2019, Girmay decided to become that megaphone that resonated change.
It wasn’t an easy path, of course. Girmay chose to pursue a coveted city council seat held by Larry Gossett, a local legend who blazed the trail for Girmay and many others. What was most notable about Girmay’s approach was that it was rooted in the culture of class and respect, never diminishing the accomplishments of Gossett and his place in history, yet as he had times before, wanting to be the bridge to and for the next generation that would stand on the shoulders of those before him.
Before he was a councilman, to me Girmay was just “Lull’s little big cousin.” Lull Mengesha, a close friend of mine, told me I just had to meet his cousin. It happened one day at Empire Espresso in South Seattle, and I talked for hours with Girmay about education and social change. I learned that he wanted to utilize his passion for law to support youth — specifically those disenfranchised and trapped in the System in the Rainier Valley and Skyway. Even over great coffee and greater waffles, Girmay’s purpose shined through.
Girmay’s commitment to public service shows up in the small details, like his social media that ensures people from all walks of life can celebrate, or through continuing to demystify public service for cultures and people who traditionally haven’t gotten an inside look. In constantly honoring those throughout the Diaspora in word and actions, Girmay embodies the spirit of liberation his ancestors passed down. He is a humble servant with the ear to listen to the past and the voice that changes the future. He is the dream manifested. Girmay Zahilay is undoubtedly Black History Today!
Mengistu Itefa (seated) acted as an intern on behalf of Ethiopia’s Asikana producer cooperative to implement the FincaLab system. Here he’s showing photos to members of the PROCAA group in Nayarit, Mexico. (Photo: courtesy of San Cristobal Coffee Importers)
Seattle-area green coffee company San Cristobal Coffee Importers has expanded its producer-centered quality management and traceability system, called FincaLab, from Mexico to Ethiopia.
San Cristobal, which was focused mainly on trading partners and relationships in parts of Nayarit, Mexico, since its founding in 1996, has been honing the system there for more than a decade, attempting to engage coffee producers in quality management processes from seed to cup.
The proprietary quality management system (QMS) is now reflected for the first time outside Nayarit through a transcontinental internship involving members of the Asikana cooperative in Oromia, Ethiopia. The internship and implementation has resulted in the Ethiopian producer group’s first coffee exports.
FincaLab was developed by San Cristobal and a trading and warehousing partner in Nayarit called Costa Oro. The system involves extended ICO marks on each bag of green coffee along with corresponding barcodes that trace coffees to the farm level and detail processing methods, coffee variety and other distinct features.
The first exports of traceable Asikana coffee reached the United States late last year. (Photo: San Cristobal Coffee)
The system is designed for traceability throughout the supply stream, while its also designed to ensure that farmers are receiving adequate compensation though continued access to markets via the centralized platform.
“Our model organization, Grupo Terruño Nayarita (GTNAY), has some 600 producer members spread throughout six coffee-producing communities and eight local societies across the state of Nayarit,” San Cristobal President and FincaLab developer James Kosalos recently told DCN. “Without a quality management system (QMS) and a centralized corporate structure in place, any one producer from one of these locations has no guarantee they will have a buyer for a given harvest, and they have no insurance if their coffee quality is not good.”
Though the system has proven beneficial to buyers and sellers alike, expanding it to producer partners in Ethiopia required more than mere barcodes. It took lengthy in-person commitments, including multiple flights from Ethiopia to Mexico and vice versa over the course of two years.
Said Kosalos, “The intern, Mengistu Itefa, observed all the details of the FincaLab QMS [in Nayarit], from the picking of fruit to the milling of the resulting coffee and the loading of containers with coffee in barcode-labeled bags destined for the U.S., Australia, and Great Britain — each with an internet traceable serial number.”
Mengistu Itefa implementing the FincaLab system in Ethiopia. ((Photo: San Cristobal Coffee)
Though palate calibration and logistical issues and a host of other factors made the prospect of translating the QMS daunting, the first container of FincaLab-generated, traceable coffees from Ethiopia successfully arrived late last year.
San Cristobal said that despite some recent challenges due to civil unrest and supply disruptions in parts of Ethiopia, it plans to continue implementing the FincaLab system to ensure a more equitable supply chain.
Timnit Gebru, an internationally respected Google researcher, took to Twitter last week to air her mistreatment in the hands of Google officials who sought to silence her concerning her latest research that discovered racial bias in current Artificial Intelligence technology. (Photo via @GoogleWalkout/Twitter)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: December 8th, 2020
New York (TADIAS) — Last week Ethiopian American Timnit Gebru– whom we have featured several time in Tadias including when she was a graduate student at Stanford University and was named by Forbes magazine among 21 incredible women behind artificial intelligence research that’s fueling new discoveries in the field — took to Twitter to air her mistreatment in the hands of Google officials who sought to silence her concerning her latest research that discovered racial bias in current Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) technology.
Judging by the widely circulated media coverage of the unfortunate episode and the manner in which Google handled the rushed dismissal of one of its top scientists and an internationally renown Ethical A.I. researchers in the world, to say that the corporation made a historical mistake and long-lasting damage to its well cultivated image as a forward-looking technology company is an understatement.
As The New York Times reported, Timnit, “a well-respected Google researcher said she was fired by the company after criticizing its approach to minority hiring and the biases built into today’s artificial intelligence systems. Timnit Gebru, who was a co-leader of Google’s Ethical A.I. team, said in a tweet on Wednesday evening that she was fired because of an email she had sent a day earlier to a group that included company employees. In the email, reviewed by The New York Times, she expressed exasperation over Google’s response to efforts by her and other employees to increase minority hiring and draw attention to bias in artificial intelligence.”
Timnit Gebru, a respected researcher at Google, questioned biases built into artificial intelligence systems. (The New York Times)
Wired magazine added: “Timnit Gebru’s tweets about the incident Wednesday night triggered an outpouring of support from AI researchers at Google and elsewhere, including top universities and companies such as Microsoft and chipmaker Nvidia. Many said Google had tarnished its reputation in the crucial field, which CEO Sundar Pichai says underpins the company’s business. Late Thursday, more than 200 Google employees signed an open letter calling on the company to release details of its handling of Gebru’s paper and to commit to “research integrity and academic freedom.”
“We have been pleading for representation but there are barely any Black people in Google Research,” says Timnit Gebru, who says she was fired Wednesday. (GETTY IMAGES)
In a scathing email to her colleagues at Google that was later published in full on the Silicon Valley news website Platformer, Timnit pointed out how top management at the company has not honored its commitment to employ more minority and woman professionals. “Your life starts getting worse when you start advocating for underrepresented people. You start making the other leaders upset,” her email stated. “There is no way more documents or more conversations will achieve anything.” She concluded: “So if you would like to change things, I suggest focusing on leadership accountability and thinking through what types of pressures can also be applied from the outside. For instance, I believe that the Congressional Black Caucus is the entity that started forcing tech companies to report their diversity numbers. Writing more documents and saying things over and over again will tire you out but no one will listen.”
Timnit Gebru, speaking at TechCrunch disrupt in 2018. (Getty Images)
As of today nearly 4,000 people including 1534 Google employees and 2196 academic, industry, and civil society supporters have signed an online petition titled “We stand with Timnit Gebru” and calling “on Google Research to strengthen its commitment to research integrity and to unequivocally commit to supporting research that honors the commitments made in Google’s AI Principles.”
Below are links to the stories from The New York Times, Wired magazine, Timnit’s email as published on the Platformer website as well as the support letter signed by thousands of her professional colleagues from around the world:
Bitaniya Giday, age 17, is the 2020-2021 Seattle Youth Poet Laureate. She is a first-generation Ethiopian American residing in Seattle. Bitaniya is one of the young interviewers in a timely upcoming Zoom event on October 14th titled "The Youth Vote: A conversation about leadership, ethics and values and how they factor into choosing a candidate." (KNKX PUBLIC RADIO)
KNKX PUBLIC RADIO
Young people make up a projected 37% of the 2020 electorate, yet historically they vote less than other age groups. Will it be different this time? The pandemic crisis and the call for racial justice and institutional changes are top concerns as we move closer to this high stakes election. Ethics and values also underpin our decisions. This virtual event aims to bring together first-time and new voters with older adults with a track record of civic leadership to discuss a number of issues through the lens of beliefs and values, touching on things like:
What does it mean to be a leader?
In thorny situations, how do you speak for a community?
If there are three important issues facing your community and you only have enough resources to address one, how would you choose?
Because this is leading up to the general election, we want to frame this conversation around the power to change systems for the greater good and how that ties in with being an informed voter.
The six young interviewers will ask the four speakers questions relating to the themes of conflict/failure, challenges, accountability, transparency, priorities and representation, with the speakers drawing on their personal and professional experiences; and offering examples of how they have faced challenging situations and how that speaks to leadership and community building.
Young Interviewers
Bitaniya Giday, age 17, is the 2020-2021 Seattle Youth Poet Laureate. She is a first-generation Ethiopian American residing in Seattle. Her writing explores the nuances of womanhood and blackness, as she reflects upon her family’s path of immigration across the world. She hopes to restore and safeguard the past, present, and future histories of her people through traditional storytelling and poetry.
Ethiopian Americans Hold Virtual Town Hall Ahead of November Election
The nationwide town hall event, which will be held on Thursday, September 24th, 2020 plans to emphasize the importance of exercising our citizenship right to vote and to participate in the U.S. democratic process. The gathering will feature panel discussions, PSAs, and cultural engagements. (Courtesy photos)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: September 23rd, 2020
Los Angeles (TADIAS) — Ethiopian Americans are holding a virtual town hall this week ahead of the November 3rd U.S. election.
The nationwide event, which will be held on Thursday, September 24th, will emphasize the importance of exercising our citizenship right to vote and to participate in the U.S. democratic process.
According to organizers the town hall — put together by the ‘Habeshas Vote’ initiative and the non-profit organization Habesha Networks — will feature various panel discussions, public service announcements and cultural engagements.
“We intend on discussing various subject matters related to civic engagement issues affecting our community at the moment,” the announcement notes, highlighting that by the end of the conference “participants will be able to understand the importance of taking ownership of our local communities, learn more about the voting process and gain a better [appreciation] of why we should all care about voting.”
Speakers include Helen Amelga, President of the Ethiopian Democratic Club of Los Angeles; Dr. Menna Demissie, Senior Vice President of Policy Analysis & Research at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation; Assemblyman Alexander Assefa, the first Ethiopian American to be elected into office in the Nevada Legislature and the first Ethiopian American ever elected in the U.S. to a state-wide governing body; Judge Nina Ashenafi Richardson of Florida, who is the first Ethiopian-American judge in the United States who was re-elected to a third term this year; and Girmay Zahilay, Councilman in King County, Washington.
(Courtesy photos)
Additional presenters include: Andom Ghebreghiorgis. former Congressional candidate from New York; Samuel Gebru, former candidate for City Council in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and current managing director of Black Lion Strategies; as well as Hannah Joy Gebresilassie, journalist and community advocate; and Debbie Almraw, writer and poet.
Entertainment will be provided by Elias Aragaw, the artist behind @TheFunkIsReal, and DJ Sammy Sam.
The announcement notes that “voting is a core principle of being American, but to exercise this basic right we must be registered to vote! That’s why Habesha Networks and Habeshas Vote are proud partners of When We All Vote and supporters of National Voter Registration Day.”
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Watch: Students Interview Kamala Harris (U.S. ELECTION UPDATE)
Fana R. Haileselassie, a student at Spelman College in Atlanta, asks Sen. Kamala Harris a question during a virtual Q&A hosted by BET featuring the Democratic nominee for Vice President and students discussing the interests of millennial voters. (Photo: BETNetworks)
BET News Special
HBCU Students Interview Kamala Harris
A virtual Q&A hosted by Terrence J featuring Democratic nominee for Vice President Sen. Kamala Harris and HBCU students discussing the interests of millennial voters.
Watch: Sen. Kamala Harris Answers HBCU Students’ Questions About Voting, Student Loan Debt & More
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Related:
Virginia’s Era as a Swing State Appears to be Over
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama wave after a campaign event in May 2012 in Richmond. (Getty Images)
The Washington Post
Updated: September 18th, 2020
No TV ads, no presidential visits: Virginia’s era as a swing state appears to be over
Barack Obama held the very last rally of his 2008 campaign in Virginia, the longtime Republican stronghold he flipped on his way to the White House.
Four years later, Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney made more visits and aired more television ads here than nearly anywhere else. And in 2016, Donald Trump staged rally after rally in the Old Dominion while Hillary Clinton picked a Virginian as her running mate.
But Virginia isn’t getting the swing-state treatment this time around. As in-person early voting got underway Friday, President Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden were dark on broadcast television. Super PACs were clogging somebody else’s airwaves. Even as Trump and Biden have resumed limited travel amid the coronavirus pandemic, neither has stumped in the Old Dominion.
There’s really no discussion about the state being in play,” said Amy Walter, national editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. “If you’re Ohio or New Hampshire, or Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, you’ve always been in that spotlight. Virginia got it for such a short period of time.”
The last time presidential candidates stayed out of Virginia and off its airwaves was 2004. The state was reliably red then, having backed Republicans for the White House every year since 1968. Now Virginia seems to be getting the cold shoulder because it’s considered solidly blue.
“Virginia was the belle of the ball in 2008, and again in 2012, and still once more in 2016, but in 2020, the commonwealth is a wall flower,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a University of Mary Washington political scientist.
Mike Bloomberg to spend at least $100 million in Florida to benefit Joe Biden
Former NYC mayor Mike Bloomberg plans to spend at least $100 million to help elect Joe Biden, a massive late-stage infusion of cash that could reshape the presidential contest. (Getty Images)
The Washington Post
Updated: September 13th, 2020
Former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg plans to spend at least $100 million in Florida to help elect Democrat Joe Biden, a massive late-stage infusion of cash that could reshape the presidential contest in a costly toss-up state central to President Trump’s reelection hopes.
Bloomberg made the decision to focus his final election spending on Florida last week, after news reports that Trump had considered spending as much as $100 million of his own money in the final weeks of the campaign, Bloomberg’s advisers said. Presented with several options on how to make good on an earlier promise to help elect Biden, Bloomberg decided that a narrow focus on Florida was the best use of his money.
The president’s campaign has long treated the state, which Trump now calls home, as a top priority, and his advisers remain confident in his chances given strong turnout in 2016 and 2018 that gave Republicans narrow winning margins in statewide contests.
Watch: Former 2020 presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg slammed Trump during his Democratic National Convention speech on Aug. 20.
Bloomberg’s aim is to prompt enough early voting that a pro-Biden result would be evident soon after the polls close.
Biden Leads by 9 Percentage Points in Pennsylvania (ELECTION UPDATE)
In the survey, Biden, who was born in the state, draws the support of 53 percent of likely voters, compared to 44 percent who back Trump. (Reuters photo)
The Washington Post
Updated: September 9, 2020
Biden Leads by 9 Percentage Points in Pennsylvania, Poll Finds
Joe Biden leads President Trump by nine percentage points among likely voters in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state that Trump narrowly won four years ago, according to a new NBC News-Marist poll.
In the survey, Biden, who was born in the state, draws the support of 53 percent of likely voters, compared to 44 percent who back Trump.
In 2016, Trump carried Pennsylvania by less than one percentage point over Democrat Hillary Clinton.
The NBC-Marist poll shows Biden getting a boost from suburban voters, who side with him by nearly 20 percentage points, 58 percent to 39 percent. In 2016, Trump won suburban voters in Pennsylvania by about eight points, according to exit polls.
Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden stand outside the AFL-CIO headquarters in Harrisburg, Pa., on Monday. (Getty Images)
The poll also finds the candidates are tied at 49 percent among white voters in Pennsylvania, a group that Trump won by double digits in 2016. Biden leads Trump among nonwhite voters, 75 percent to 19 percent.
Pennsylvania has been a frequent destination for both campaigns in recent weeks. Vice President Pence has events scheduled there on Wednesday.
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Kamala D. Harris Goes Viral — for Her Shoe Choice
Sporting Chuck Taylor sneakers, Democratic vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala D. Harris (Calif.) greets supporters Monday in Milwaukee. (AP photo)
The Washington Post
Updated: September 8, 2020
It took roughly eight seconds of on-the-ground campaigning for the first Black woman to be nominated on a major party’s ticket to go viral.
At first glance, little seemed noteworthy as Sen. Kamala D. Harris deplaned in Milwaukee on Monday. She was wearing a mask. She didn’t trip. Instead, what sent video pinging around the Internet was what was on her feet: her black, low-rise Chuck Taylor All-Stars, the classic Converse shoe that has long been associated more closely with cultural cool than carefully managed high-profile candidacies.
By Tuesday morning, videos by two reporters witnessing her arrival had been viewed nearly 8 million times on Twitter — for comparison’s sake, more than four times the attention the campaign’s biggest planned video event, a conversation between Joe Biden and Barack Obama, had received on both Twitter and YouTube combined.
Harris’s sister, Maya, tweeted Monday that Chuck Taylors are, indeed, her sister’s “go-to.” A few hours later, Harris’s official campaign account tweeted the video with the caption “laced up and ready to win.”
Read more »
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81 American Nobel Laureates Endorse Biden for Next U.S. President
The Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry and medicine “wholeheartedly” endorsed the Democratic nominee in an open letter released Wednesday. “At no time in our nation’s history has there been a greater need for our leaders to appreciate the value of science in formulating public policy,” they said. (Courtesy photo)
Press Release
Nobel Laureates endorse Joe Biden
81 American Nobel Laureates in Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine have signed this letter to express their support for former Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 election for President of the United States.
At no time in our nation’s history has there been a greater need for our leaders to appreciate the value of science in formulating public policy. During his long record of public service, Joe Biden has consistently demonstrated his willingness to listen to experts, his understanding of the value of international collaboration in research, and his respect for the contribution that immigrants make to the intellectual life of our country.
As American citizens and as scientists, we wholeheartedly endorse Joe Biden for President.
Name, Category, Prize Year:
Peter Agre Chemistry 2003
Sidney Altman Chemistry 1989
Frances H. Arnold Chemistry 2018
Paul Berg Chemistry 1980
Thomas R. Cech Chemistry 1989
Martin Chalfie Chemistry 2008
Elias James Corey Chemistry 1990
Joachim Frank Chemistry 2017
Walter Gilbert Chemistry 1980
John B. Goodenough Chemistry 2019
Alan Heeger Chemistry 2000
Dudley R. Herschbach Chemistry 1986
Roald Hoffmann Chemistry 1981
Brian K. Kobilka Chemistry 2012
Roger D. Kornberg Chemistry 2006
Robert J. Lefkowitz Chemistry 2012
Roderick MacKinnon Chemistry 2003
Paul L. Modrich Chemistry 2015
William E. Moerner Chemistry 2014
Mario J. Molina Chemistry 1995
Richard R. Schrock Chemistry 2005
K. Barry Sharpless Chemistry 2001
Sir James Fraser Stoddart Chemistry 2016
M. Stanley Whittingham Chemistry 2019
James P. Allison Medicine 2018
Richard Axel Medicine 2004
David Baltimore Medicine 1975
J. Michael Bishop Medicine 1989
Elizabeth H. Blackburn Medicine 2009
Michael S. Brown Medicine 1985
Linda B. Buck Medicine 2004
Mario R. Capecchi Medicine 2007
Edmond H. Fischer Medicine 1992
Joseph L. Goldstein Medicine 1985
Carol W. Greider Medicine 2009
Jeffrey Connor Hall Medicine 2017
Leland H. Hartwell Medicine 2001
H. Robert Horvitz Medicine 2002
Louis J. Ignarro Medicine 1998
William G. Kaelin Jr. Medicine 2019
Eric R. Kandel Medicine 2000
Craig C. Mello Medicine 2006
John O’Keefe Medicine 2014
Michael Rosbash Medicine 2017
James E. Rothman Medicine 2013
Randy W. Schekman Medicine 2013
Gregg L. Semenza Medicine 2019
Hamilton O. Smith Medicine 1978
Thomas C. Sudhof Medicine 2013
Jack W. Szostak Medicine 2009
Susumu Tonegawa Medicine 1987
Harold E. Varmus Medicine 1989
Eric F. Wieschaus Medicine 1995
Torsten N. Wiesel Medicine 1981
Michael W. Young Medicine 2017
Barry Clark Barish Physics 2017
Steven Chu Physics 1997
Jerome I. Friedman Physics 1990
Sheldon Glashow Physics 1979
David J. Gross Physics 2004
John L. Hall Physics 2005
Wolfgang Ketterle Physics 2001
J. Michael Kosterlitz Physics 2016
Herbert Kroemer Physics 2000
Robert B. Laughlin Physics 1998
Anthony J. Leggett Physics 2003
John C. Mather Physics 2006
Shuji Nakamura Physics 2014
Douglas D. Osheroff Physics 1996
James Peebles Physics 2019
Arno Penzias Physics 1978
Saul Perlmutter Physics 2011
H. David Politzer Physics 2004
Brian P. Schmidt Physics 2011
Joseph H. Taylor Jr. Physics 1993
Kip Stephen Thorne Physics 2017
Daniel C. Tsui Physics 1998
Rainer Weiss Physics 2017
Frank Wilczek Physics 2004
Robert Woodrow Wilson Physics 1978
David J. Wineland Physics 2012
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Related
Biden Calls Trump ‘a Toxic Presence’ Who is Encouraging Violence in America
“Donald Trump has been a toxic presence in our nation for four years,” Biden said. “Will we rid ourselves of this toxin? (Photo: Joe Biden speaks Monday in Pittsburgh/Reuters)
The Washington Post
Joe Biden excoriated President Trump on Monday as a threat to the safety of all Americans, saying he has encouraged violence in the nation’s streets even as he has faltered in handling the coronavirus pandemic.
For his most extensive remarks since violent protests have escalated across the country in recent days, Biden traveled to Pittsburgh and struck a centrist note, condemning both the destruction in the streets and Trump for creating a culture that he said has exacerbated it.
“I want to be very clear about all of this: Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting,” Biden said. “It’s lawlessness, plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted.”
The former vice president also rejected the caricature that Trump and his allies have painted of him as someone who holds extremist views and has helped fuel the anger in urban centers across the country.
“You know me. You know my heart. You know my story, my family’s story,” Biden said. “Ask yourself: Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really?”
While the speech was delivered amid heightened tensions over race and police conduct, Biden did not outline new policies, instead focusing on making a broader condemnation of Trump.
He called the president a danger to those suffering from the coronavirus, to anyone in search of a job or struggling to pay rent, to voters worried about Russian interference in the upcoming election and to those worried about their own safety amid unrest.
“Donald Trump wants to ask the question: Who will keep you safer as president? Let’s answer that question,” Biden said. “When I was vice president, violent crime fell 15 percent in this country. We did it without chaos and disorder.”
Pointing to a nationwide homicide rate rising 26 percent this year, Biden asked, “Do you really feel safer under Donald Trump?”
“If I were president today, the country would be safer,” Biden said. “And we’d be seeing a lot less violence.”
It was a marked shift for Biden from his convention speech less than two weeks ago, in which he never named Trump in his remarks. During his speech Monday, he mentioned Trump’s name 32 times.
“Donald Trump has been a toxic presence in our nation for four years,” Biden said. “Will we rid ourselves of this toxin? Or will we make it a permanent part of our nation’s character?”
Spotlight: The Unravelling of the Social Fabric in Ethiopia and the U.S.
As Ethiopian Americans we are increasingly concerned about the decline of civil discourse and the unravelling of the social fabric not only in Ethiopia, but also here in the United States where in the era of Trump and the COVID-19 pandemic politics has also become more and more violent. Below are excerpts and links to two recent articles from The Intercept and The Guardian focusing on the timely topic. (AP photo)
The Intercept
August, 29th, 2020
The Social Fabric of the U.S. Is Fraying Severely, if Not Unravelling: Why, in the world’s richest country, is every metric of mental health pathology rapidly worsening?
THE YEAR 2020 has been one of the most tumultuous in modern American history. To find events remotely as destabilizing and transformative, one has to go back to the 2008 financial crisis and the 9/11 and anthrax attacks of 2001, though those systemic shocks, profound as they were, were isolated (one a national security crisis, the other a financial crisis) and thus more limited in scope than the multicrisis instability now shaping U.S. politics and culture.
Since the end of World War II, the only close competitor to the current moment is the multipronged unrest of the 1960s and early 1970s: serial assassinations of political leaders, mass civil rights and anti-war protests, sustained riots, fury over a heinous war in Indochina, and the resignation of a corruption-plagued president.
But those events unfolded and built upon one another over the course of a decade. By crucial contrast, the current confluence of crises, each of historic significance in their own right — a global pandemic, an economic and social shutdown, mass unemployment, an enduring protest movement provoking increasing levels of violence and volatility, and a presidential election centrally focused on one of the most divisive political figures the U.S. has known who happens to be the incumbent president — are happening simultaneously, having exploded one on top of the other in a matter of a few months.
Lurking beneath the headlines justifiably devoted to these major stories of 2020 are very troubling data that reflect intensifying pathologies in the U.S. population — not moral or allegorical sicknesses but mental, emotional, psychological and scientifically proven sickness. Many people fortunate enough to have survived this pandemic with their physical health intact know anecdotally — from observing others and themselves — that these political and social crises have spawned emotional difficulties and psychological challenges…
Much attention is devoted to lamenting the toxicity of our discourse, the hate-driven polarization of our politics, and the fragmentation of our culture. But it is difficult to imagine any other outcome in a society that is breeding so much psychological and emotional pathology by denying to its members the things they most need to live fulfilling lives.
Ethiopia falls into violence a year after leader’s Nobel peace prize win
Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, centre, arrives at an African Union summit in Addis Ababa in July. Photograph: AP
By Jason Burke and Zecharias Zelalem in Addis Ababa
Sat 29 Aug 2020
Abiy Ahmed came to power promising radical reform, but 180 people have died amid ethnic unrest in Oromia state
Ethiopia faces a dangerous cycle of intensifying internal political dissent, ethnic unrest and security crackdowns, observers have warned, after a series of protests in recent weeks highlighted growing discontent with the government of Abiy Ahmed, a Nobel peace prize winner.
Many western powers welcomed the new approach of Abiy, who took power in 2018 and promised a programme of radical reform after decades of repressive one-party rule, hoping for swift changes in an emerging economic power that plays a key strategic role in a region increasingly contested by Middle Eastern powers and China. He won the peace prize in 2019 for ending a conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.
The most vocal unrest was in the state of Oromia, where there have been waves of protests since the killing last month of a popular Oromo artist and activist, Haacaaluu Hundeessaa, in Addis Ababa, the capital. An estimated 180 people have died in the violence, some murdered by mobs, others shot by security forces. Houses, factories, businesses, hotels, cars and government offices were set alight or damaged and several thousand people, including opposition leaders, were arrested.
Further protests last week prompted a new wave of repression and left at least 11 dead. “Oromia is still reeling from the grim weight of tragic killings this year. These grave patterns of abuse should never be allowed to continue,” said Aaron Maasho, a spokesperson for the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.
‘How Dare We Not Vote?’ Black Voters Organize After DC March
People rally at Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, Friday Aug. 28, 2020, on the 57th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech. Speakers implored attendees to “vote as if our lives depend on it.” (AP Photos)
The Associated Press
Updated: August 29th, 2020
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tears streamed down Brooke Moreland’s face as she watched tens of thousands gather on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to decry systemic racism and demand racial justice in the wake of several police killings of Black Americans.
But for the Indianapolis mother of three, the fiery speeches delivered Friday at the commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom also gave way to one central message: Vote and demand change at the ballot box in November.
“As Black people, a lot of the people who look like us died for us to be able to sit in public, to vote, to go to school and to be able to walk around freely and live our lives,” the 31-year-old Moreland said. “Every election is an opportunity, so how dare we not vote after our ancestors fought for us to be here?”
That determination could prove critical in a presidential election where race is emerging as a flashpoint. President Donald Trump, at this past week’s Republican National Convention, emphasized a “law and order” message aimed at his largely white base of supporters. His Democratic rival, Joe Biden, has expressed empathy with Black victims of police brutality and is counting on strong turnout from African Americans to win critical states such as North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
“If we do not vote in numbers that we’ve never ever seen before and allow this administration to continue what it is doing, we are headed on a course for serious destruction,” Martin Luther King III, told The Associated Press before his rousing remarks, delivered 57 years after his father’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech. “I’m going to do all that I can to encourage, promote, to mobilize and what’s at stake is the future of our nation, our planet. What’s at stake is the future of our children.”
As the campaign enters its latter stages, there’s an intensifying effort among African Americans to transform frustration over police brutality, systemic racism and the disproportionate toll of the coronavirus into political power. Organizers and participants said Friday’s march delivered a much needed rallying cry to mobilize.
As speakers implored attendees to “vote as if our lives depend on it,” the march came on the heels of yet another shooting by a white police officer of a Black man – 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last Sunday — sparking demonstrations and violence that left two dead.
“We need a new conversation … you act like it’s no trouble to shoot us in the back,” the Rev. Al Sharpton said. “Our vote is dipped in blood. We’re going to vote for a nation that stops the George Floyds, that stops the Breonna Taylors.”
Navy veteran Alonzo Jones- Goss, who traveled to Washington from Boston, said he plans to vote for Biden because the nation has seen far too many tragic events that have claimed the lives of Black Americans and other people of color.
“I supported and defended the Constitution and I support the members that continue to do it today, but the injustice and the people that are losing their lives, that needs to end,” Jones-Goss, 28, said. “It’s been 57 years since Dr. King stood over there and delivered his speech. But what is unfortunate is what was happening 57 years ago is still happening today.”
Drawing comparisons to the original 1963 march, where participants then were protesting many of the same issues that have endured, National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial said it’s clear why this year’s election will be pivotal for Black Americans.
“We are about reminding people and educating people on how important it is to translate the power of protest into the power of politics and public policy change,” said Morial, who spoke Friday. “So we want to be deliberate about making the connection between protesting and voting.”
Nadia Brown, a Purdue University political science professor, agreed there are similarities between the situation in 1963 and the issues that resonate among Black Americans today. She said the political pressure that was applied then led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other powerful pieces of legislation that transformed the lives of African Americans. She’s hopeful this could happen again in November and beyond.
“There’s already a host of organizations that are mobilizing in the face of daunting things,” Brown said. “Bur these same groups that are most marginalized are saying it’s not enough to just vote, it’s not enough for the Democratic Party or the Republican Party to ask me for my vote. I’m going to hold these elected officials that are in office now accountable and I’m going to vote in November and hold those same people accountable. And for me, that is the most uplifting and rewarding part — to see those kind of similarities.”
But Brown noted that while Friday’s march resonated with many, it’s unclear whether it will translate into action among younger voters, whose lack of enthusiasm could become a vulnerability for Biden.
“I think there is already a momentum among younger folks who are saying not in my America, that this is not the place where they want to live, but will this turn into electoral gains? That I’m less clear on because a lot of the polling numbers show that pretty overwhelmingly, younger people, millennials and Gen Z’s are more progressive and that they are reluctantly turning to this pragmatic side of politics,” Brown said.
That was clear as the Movement for Black Lives also marked its own historic event Friday — a virtual Black National Convention that featured several speakers discussing pressing issues such as climate change, economic empowerment and the need for electoral justice.
“I don’t necessarily see elections as achieving justice per se because I view the existing system itself as being fundamentally unjust in many ways and it is the existing system that we are trying to fundamentally transform,” said Bree Newsome Bass, an activist and civil rights organizer, during the convention’s panel about electoral justice. “I do think voting and recognizing what an election should be is a way to kind of exercise that muscle.”
— Biden, Harris Prepare to Travel More as Campaign Heats Up (Election Update)
Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden and vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris. (AP Photos)
The Associated Press
August 28th, 2020
WASHINGTON (AP) — After spending a pandemic spring and summer tethered almost entirely to his Delaware home, Joe Biden plans to take his presidential campaign to battleground states after Labor Day in his bid to unseat President Donald Trump.
No itinerary is set, according to the Democratic nominee’s campaign, but the former vice president and his allies say his plan is to highlight contrasts with Trump, from policy arguments tailored to specific audiences to the strict public health guidelines the Biden campaign says its events will follow amid COVID-19.
That’s a notable difference from a president who on Thursday delivered his nomination acceptance on the White House lawn to more than 1,000 people seated side-by-side, most of them without masks, even as the U.S. death toll surpassed 180,000.
“He will go wherever he needs to go,” said Biden’s campaign co-chairman Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana congressman. “And we will do it in a way the health experts would be happy” with and “not the absolutely irresponsible manner you saw at the White House.”
Richmond said it was “always the plan” for Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris to travel more extensively after Labor Day, the traditional mark of the campaign’s home stretch when more casual voters begin to pay close attention.
Biden supporters hold banners near the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, Thursday evening, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington, while Donald Trump delivers his acceptance speech from the nearby White House South Lawn.(AP Photo)
Biden has conducted online fundraisers, campaign events and television interviews from his home, but traveled only sparingly for speeches and roundtables with a smattering of media or supporters. His only confirmed plane travel was to Houston, where he met with the family of George Floyd, the Black man who was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer on May 25, sparking nationwide protests. Even some Democrats worried quietly that Biden was ceding too much of the spotlight to Trump. But Biden aides have defended their approach. “We will never make any choices that put our staff or voters in harm’s way,” campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said in May.
Throughout his unusual home-based campaign, Biden blasted Trump as incompetent and irresponsible for downplaying the pandemic and publicly disputing the government’s infectious disease experts. Richmond said that won’t change as Biden ramps up travel.
“We won’t beat this pandemic, which means we can’t restore the economy and get people’s lives back home, unless we exercise some discipline and lead by example,” Richmond said, adding that Trump is “incapable of doing it.”
As exhibited by his acceptance speech Thursday, Trump is insistent on as much normalcy as possible, even as he’s pulled back from his signature indoor rallies after drawing a disappointing crowd in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 20. Trump casts Biden as wanting to “shut down” the economy to combat the virus. “Joe Biden’s plan is not a solution to the virus, but rather a surrender,” Trump declared on the White House lawn. Biden, in fact, has not proposed shutting down the economy. He’s said only that he would be willing to make such a move as president if public health experts advise it. The Democrat also has called for a national mask mandate, calling it a necessary move for Americans to protect each other. Harris on Friday talked about the idea in slightly different terms than Biden, acknowledging that a mandate would be difficult to enforce.
“It’s really a standard. I mean, nobody’s gonna be punished. Come on,” the California senator said, laughing off a question about how to enforce such a rule during an interview that aired Friday on “Today.” “Nobody likes to wear a mask. This is a universal feeling. Right? So that’s not the point, ’Hey, let’s enjoy wearing masks.′ No.”
Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks in Washington, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. (AP Photo)
Harris suggested that, instead, the rule would be about “what we — as responsible people who love our neighbor — we have to just do that right now.”
“God willing, it won’t be forever,” she added.
Biden and Harris have worn protective face masks in public and stayed socially distanced from each other when appearing together at campaign events. Both have said for weeks that a rule requiring all Americans to wear them could save 40,000 lives in just a three-month period. While such an order may be difficult to impose at the federal level, Biden has called on every governor in the country to order mask-wearing in their states, which would likely achieve the same goal.
Trump has urged Americans to wear masks but opposes a national requirement and personally declined to do so for months. He has worn a mask occasionally more recently, but not at any point Thursday at the Republican National Convention’s closing event, which violated the District of Columbia’s guidelines prohibiting large gatherings.
—
Related:
Joe Biden Claims the Democratic Presidential Nomination
Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden accepted the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday evening during the last day of the historic Democratic National Convention, August 20, 2020. (AP photo)
The Washington Post
Updated: August 21st, 2020
Biden speaks about ‘battle for the soul of this nation,’ decries Trump’s leadership
Joe Biden accepted his party’s presidential nomination, delivering a speech that directly criticized the leadership of Trump on matters of the coronavirus pandemic, the economy and racial justice.
“Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst. I’ll be an ally of the light, not the darkness,” Biden said, calling on Americans to come together to “overcome this season of darkness.”
The night featured tributes to civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis, who died in July, as well as to Beau Biden, Joe Biden’s son who died in 2015.
— Kamala Harris Accepts Historic Nomination for Vice President of the United States
Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) accepted her party’s historic nomination to be its vice-presidential candidate in the 2020 U.S. election on Wednesday evening during the third day of the Democratic National Convention. (Reuters photo)
Reuters
Updated: August 20th, 2020
Kamala Harris makes U.S. history, accepts Democrats’ vice presidential nod
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president on Wednesday, imploring the country to elect Joe Biden president and accusing Donald Trump of failed leadership that had cost lives and livelihoods.
The first Black woman and Asian-American on a major U.S. presidential ticket, Harris summarized her life story as emblematic of the American dream on the third day of the Democratic National Convention.
“Donald Trump’s failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods,” Harris said.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama told the convention Trump’s failures as his successor had led to 170,000 people dead from the coronavirus, millions of lost jobs and America’s reputation badly diminished in the world.
The evening featured a crush of women headliners, moderators and speakers, with Harris pressing the case against Trump, speaking directly to millions of women, young Americans and voters of color, constituencies Democrats need if Biden is to defeat the Republican Trump.
“The constant chaos leaves us adrift, the incompetence makes us feel afraid, the callousness makes us feel alone. It’s a lot. And here’s the thing: we can do better and deserve so much more,” she said.
“Right now, we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons. Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose,” she said, speaking from an austere hotel ballroom in Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
Biden leads Trump in opinion polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election, bolstered by a big lead among women voters. Throughout the convention, Democrats have appealed directly to those women voters, highlighting Biden’s co-sponsorship of the landmark Violence Against Woman Act of 1994 and his proposals to bolster childcare and protect family healthcare provisions.
Obama, whose vice president was Biden from 2009-2017, said he had hoped that Trump would take the job seriously, come to feel the weight of the office, and discover a reverence for American democracy.
Obama on Trump: ‘Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t’
“Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t. And the consequences of that failure are severe,” Obama said in unusually blunt criticism from an ex-president.
“Millions of jobs gone. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before,” Obama said.
The choice of a running mate has added significance for Biden, 77, who would be the oldest person to become president if he is elected. His age has led to speculation he will serve only one term, making Harris a potential top contender for the nomination in 2024.
Biden named Harris, 55, as his running mate last week to face incumbents Trump, 74, and Vice President Mike Pence, 61.
Former first lady and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee who lost to Trump, told the convention she constantly hears from voters who regret backing Trump or not voting at all.
“This can’t be another woulda coulda shoulda election.” Clinton said. “No matter what, vote. Vote like our lives and livelihoods are on the line, because they are.”
Clinton, who won the popular vote against Trump but lost in the Electoral College, said Biden needs to win overwhelmingly, warning he could win the popular vote but still lose the White House.
“Joe and Kamala can win by 3 million votes and still lose,” Clinton said. “Take it from me. So we need numbers overwhelming so Trump can’t sneak or steal his way to victory.”
U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) accepts the Democratic vice presidential nomination during an acceptance speech delivered for 2020 Democratic National Convention from the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., August 19, 2020. (Getty Images)
Democrats have been alarmed by Trump’s frequent criticism of mail-in voting, and by cost-cutting changes at the U.S. Postal Service instituted by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump supporter, that could delay mail during the election crunch. DeJoy said recently he would delay those changes until after the election.
Democrats also broadcast videos highlighting Trump’s crackdown on immigration, opposition to gun restrictions and his decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord.
‘DISRESPECT’ FOR FACTS, FOR WOMEN
Nancy Pelosi, the first woman Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, told the convention she had seen firsthand Trump’s “disrespect for facts, for working families, and for women in particular – disrespect written into his policies toward our health and our rights, not just his conduct. But we know what he doesn’t: that when women succeed, America succeeds.”
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a leading progressive who ran against Biden in the 2020 primary, spoke to the convention from a childcare center in Massachusetts and cited Biden’s proposal to make childcare more affordable as a vital part of his agenda to help working Americans.
“It’s time to recognize that childcare is part of the basic infrastructure of this nation — it’s infrastructure for families,” she said. “Joe and Kamala will make high-quality childcare affordable for every family, make preschool universal, and raise the wages for every childcare worker.”
In her speech later, Harris will have an opportunity to outline her background as a child of immigrants from India and Jamaica who as a district attorney, state attorney general, U.S. senator from California and now vice-presidential candidate shattered gender and racial barriers.
She gained prominence in the Senate for her exacting interrogations of Trump nominees, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Attorney General Bill Barr.
The Republican National Convention, also largely virtual, takes place next week.
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Democrats Officially Nominate Joe Biden to Become the Next U.S. President
It’s official: Joe Biden is now formally a candidate to become the next President of the United States. Democrats officially nominated Biden as their 2020 candidate on Tuesday with a roll-call vote of delegates representing all states in the country during the second day of party’s historic virtual convention. (Photo: Courtesy of the Biden campaign)
The Associated Press
Updated: August 19th, 2020
Democrats make it official, nominate Biden to take on Trump
NEW YORK (AP) — Democrats formally nominated Joe Biden as their 2020 presidential nominee Tuesday night, as party officials and activists from across the nation gave the former vice president their overwhelming support during his party’s all-virtual national convention.
The moment marked a political high point for Biden, who had sought the presidency twice before and is now cemented as the embodiment of Democrats’ desperate desire to defeat President Donald Trump this fall.
The roll call of convention delegates formalized what has been clear for months since Biden took the lead in the primary elections’ chase for the nomination. It came as he worked to demonstrate the breadth of his coalition for a second consecutive night, this time blending support from his party’s elders and fresher faces to make the case that he has the experience and energy to repair chaos that Trump has created at home and abroad.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State John Kerry — and former Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell — were among the heavy hitters on a schedule that emphasized a simple theme: Leadership matters. Former President Jimmy Carter, now 95 years old, also made an appearance.
“Donald Trump says we’re leading the world. Well, we are the only major industrial economy to have its unemployment rate triple,” Clinton said. “At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command center. Instead, it’s a storm center. There’s only chaos.”
In this image from video, former Georgia House Democratic leader Stacey Abrams, center, and others, speak during the second night of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP)
Biden formally captured his party’s presidential nomination Tuesday night after being nominated by three people, including two Delaware lawmakers and 31-year-old African American security guard who became a viral sensation after blurting out “I love you” to Biden in a New York City elevator.
Delegates from across the country then pledged their support for Biden in a video montage that featured Democrats in places like Alabama’s Edmund Pettis Bridge, a beach in Hawaii and the headwaters of the Mississippi River.
In the opening of the convention’s second night, a collection of younger Democrats, including former Georgia lawmaker Stacey Abrams and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, were given a few minutes to shine.
“In a democracy, we do not elect saviors. We cast our ballots for those who see our struggles and pledge to serve,” said Abrams, 46, who emerged as a national player during her unsuccessful bid for governor in 2018 and was among those considered to be Biden’s running mate.
She added: “Faced with a president of cowardice, Joe Biden is a man of proven courage.”
On a night that Biden was formally receiving his party’s presidential nomination, the convention was also introducing his wife, Jill Biden, to the nation as the prospective first lady.
In this image from video, Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, his wife Jill Biden, and members of the Biden family, celebrate after the roll call during the second night of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP)
Biden is fighting unprecedented logistical challenges to deliver his message during an all-virtual convention this week as the coronavirus epidemic continues to claim hundreds of American lives each day and wreaks havoc on the economy.
The former vice president was becoming his party’s nominee as a prerecorded roll call vote from delegates in all 50 states airs, and the four-day convention will culminate on Thursday when he accepts that nomination. His running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, will become the first woman of color to accept a major party’s vice presidential nomination on Wednesday.
Until then, Biden is presenting what he sees as the best of his sprawling coalition to the American electorate in a format unlike any other in history.
For a second night, the Democrats featured Republicans.
Powell, who served as secretary of state under George W. Bush and appeared at multiple Republican conventions in years past, was endorsing the Democratic candidate. In a video released ahead of his speech, he said, “Our country needs a commander in chief who takes care of our troops in the same way he would his own family. For Joe Biden, that doesn’t need teaching.”
Powell joins the widow of the late Arizona Sen. John McCain, Cindy McCain, who was expected to stop short of a formal endorsement but talk about the mutual respect and friendship her husband and Biden shared.
While there have been individual members of the opposing party featured at presidential conventions before, a half dozen Republicans, including the former two-term governor of Ohio, have now spoken for Democrat Biden.
No one on the program Tuesday night has a stronger connection to the Democratic nominee than his wife, Jill Biden, a longtime teacher, was speaking from her former classroom at Brandywine High School near the family home in Wilmington, Delaware.
“You can hear the anxiety that echoes down empty hallways. There’s no scent of new notebooks or freshly waxed floors,” she said of the school in excerpts of her speech before turning to the nation’s challenges at home. “How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole. With love and understanding—and with small acts of compassion. With bravery. With unwavering faith.”
The Democrats’ party elders played a prominent role throughout the night.
Clinton, who turns 74 on Tuesday, hasn’t held office in two decades. Kerry, 76, was the Democratic presidential nominee back in 2004 when the youngest voters this fall were still in diapers. And Carter is 95 years old.
Clinton, a fixture of Democratic conventions for nearly three decades, addressed voters for roughly five minutes in a speech recorded at his home in Chappaqua, New York.
In addition to railing against Trump’s leadership, Clinton calls Biden “a go-to-work president.” Biden, Clinton continued, is “a man with a mission: to take responsibility, not shift the blame; concentrate, not distract; unite, not divide.”…
Kerry said in an excerpt of his remarks, “Joe understands that none of the issues of this world — not nuclear weapons, not the challenge of building back better after COVID, not terrorism and certainly not the climate crisis — none can be resolved without bringing nations together.”
—
Democrats Kick Off Convention as Poll Show Biden, Harris With Double-Digit Lead
Democrats kicked off their historic virtual convention on Monday with the keynote speaker former first lady Michelle Obama assailing the current president as unfit and warning Americans not to reelect him for a second term. Meanwhile new poll show Biden, Harris with double-digit lead over Trump. (Getty Images)
The Associated Press
Updated: August 18th, 2020
Michelle Obama assails Trump as Democrats open convention
NEW YORK (AP) — Michelle Obama delivered a passionate broadside against President Donald Trump during Monday’s opening night of the Democratic National Convention, assailing the Republican president as unfit for the job and warning that the nation’s mounting crises would only get worse if he’s reelected.
The former first lady issued an emotional call to the coalition that sent her husband to the White House, declaring that strong feelings must be translated into votes.
“Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country,” she declared. “He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us.”
Obama added: “If you think things possibly can’t get worse, trust me, they can and they will if we don’t make a change in this election.”
The comments came as Joe Biden introduced the breadth of his political coalition to a nation in crisis Monday night at the convention, giving voice to victims of the coronavirus pandemic, the related economic downturn and police violence and featuring both progressive Democrats and Republicans united against Trump’s reelection.
Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks during the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. The DNC released excerpts of her speech ahead of the convention start. (Democratic National Convention)
The ideological range of Biden’s many messengers was demonstrated by former presidential contenders from opposing parties: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist who championed a multi-trillion-dollar universal health care plan, and Ohio’s former Republican Gov. John Kasich, an anti-abortion conservative who spent decades fighting to cut government spending.
The former vice president won’t deliver his formal remarks until Thursday night, but he made his first appearance just half an hour into Monday’s event as he moderated a panel on racial justice, a theme throughout the night, as was concern about the Postal Service. The Democrats accuse Trump of interfering with the nation’s mail in order to throw blocks in front of mail-in voting.
“My friends, I say to you, and to everyone who supported other candidates in this primary and to those who may have voted for Donald Trump in the last election: The future of our democracy is at stake. The future of our economy is at stake. The future of our planet is at stake,” Sanders declared.
Kasich said his status as a lifelong Republican “holds second place to my responsibility to my country.”
“In normal times, something like this would probably never happen, but these are not normal times,” he said of his participation at the Democrats’ convention. He added: “Many of us can’t imagine four more years going down this path.”
Post-ABC poll shows Biden, Harris hold double-digit lead over Trump, Pence
The race for the White House tilts toward the Democrats, with former vice president Joe Biden holding a double-digit lead nationally over President Trump amid continuing disapproval of the president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Democrats [kicked] off their convention on Monday in a mood of cautious optimism, with Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), leading Trump and Vice President Pence by 53 percent to 41 percent among registered voters. The findings are identical among a larger sample of all voting-age adults.
Biden’s current national margin over Trump among voters is slightly smaller than the 15-point margin in a poll taken last month and slightly larger than a survey in May when he led by 10 points. In late March, as the pandemic was taking hold in the United States, Biden and Trump were separated by just two points, with the former vice president holding a statistically insignificant advantage.
Today, Biden and Harris lead by 54 percent to 43 percent among those who say they are absolutely certain to vote and who also report voting in 2016. A month ago, Biden’s lead of 15 points overall had narrowed to seven points among similarly committed 2016 voters. Biden now also leads by low double-digits among those who say they are following the election most closely.
Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and his running mate, US Senator Kamala Harris. (Courtesy Photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: August 17th, 2020
New York (TADIAS) — Joe Biden’s campaign has announced its speaker lineup for the Democratic National Convention that’s set to open on Monday, August 17th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Below are the list of speakers that will be featured “across all four nights of the Convention which will air live August 17-20 from 9:00-11:00 PM Eastern each night.”
In Seattle, police said protesters set fire to a construction site for a juvenile detention facility. In Portland, protesters broached a federal courthouse. (Protesters use umbrellas to shield themselves from pepper spray from police Saturday in Seattle. (AP photo)
The Washington Post
Protests explode across the country, police declare riots in Seattle, Portland
SEATTLE — Protesters marched across the country Saturday night, energized by the week of clashes between activists and federal agents in Portland, Ore.
In Portland, the authorities declared a riot after protesters breached a fence surrounding the city’s federal courthouse building. The “violent conduct of people downtown” created a “grave rise of public alarm,” the Portland police wrote on Twitter.
Early Saturday morning, federal agents and local police demanded that protesters leave the area and use teargas. But the activists stood their ground, blocking intersections. Several people were arrested.
In Austin, a man was shot and killed at a protest downtown as he marched with a group of protesters. “Someone dying while protesting is horrible,” Mayor Steve Adler of Austin said in a statement. “Our city is shaken and, like so many in our community, I’m heartbroken and stunned.”
Protesters in Omaha marched to bring attention to the killing of James Scurlock, a black man killed by a white bar owner. In Los Angeles, police fired projectiles at activists protesting near a federal courthouse.
The Seattle Police Department declared a riot on Saturday afternoon and used nonlethal weapons in an attempt to disperse a crowd of roughly 2,000 people in the Capitol Hill neighborhood marching in the city’s largest Black Lives Matter protest in more than a month.
The riot declaration came after protesters set fire to a construction site for a juvenile detention facility and as the police department reported that one person had breached the fencing surrounding the East Precinct, the site of nightly clashes in June that led to a nearly month-long protest occupation, and officers saw smoke in the lobby.
Police said protesters were throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks at the officers. As of 7:30 p.m. local time, the department had reported 25 arrests and three police injuries, including an officer hospitalized with a leg injury caused by an explosive. The department posted a photo of unused fireworks found at the scene to its Twitter feed.
Protesters erected barricades and fended off police efforts to disperse them with homemade shields, umbrellas and leaf blowers, tactics borrowed from Portland, Ore., protests, where activists have clashed nightly with police for nearly two months.
Early Saturday, a U.S. District judge issued a temporary restraining order against a Seattle City Council ordinance banning crowd control devices such as pepper spray, rubber bullets, flashbangs and blast balls.
Leaf-blower wars: How Portland protesters are fighting back against tear gas and forming ‘walls’ of veterans, lawyers, nurses
A protester runs through a cloud of chemical irritant near the federal courthouse on Tuesday in Portland, Ore. At right is one of several members of “PDX Dad Pod” who brought leaf blowers to blow back tear gas fired by police. (AP photo)
The Washington Post
PORTLAND, Ore. — The tear gas started early Friday night, interrupting a line of drums and dancing, chanting protesters, an artist painting in oils underneath a tree in the park and a man with a microphone speaking about the issues of racial justice and policing at the center of these nightly demonstrations.
“Hey guys, don’t panic, don’t panic,” the man said from the steps of the Multnomah County Justice Center, one block over from the federal courthouse in downtown Portland. “All you first-timers out here, it’s just tear gas. Everybody just relax.”
As if on cue, a brigade of orange-shirted men with leaf blowers descended on the cloud, revved their engines and blew the tear gas away. The crowd cheered.
“Thank you leaf-blower dads!” shouted a young woman.
Every night for more than a week, federal agents have been unleashing a barrage of tear gas on crowds of demonstrators, a small number of whom have lobbed fireworks at the federal courthouse, set fires and tried to tear down a tall, reinforced metal fence surrounding the building. The noxious fog burns and stings. Some people who get hit with the dense plumes of chemicals that cloud Portland’s streets each night feel like they can’t breathe, like their eyes are on fire, like they might vomit onto the asphalt.
Though some Portlanders have been able to get respirators, goggles and gas masks to protect themselves from the worst effects of the riot control agent known as CS gas, many others have turned to a familiar landscaping tool to blow the chemicals away: leaf blowers.
The loud, pressurized air machines typically used to clear grass, leaves and other lawn debris are surprisingly effective tools at clearing caustic chemicals from the air. They’re so effective that on Friday night, federal agents frustrated at being caught in up in a redirected cloud of tear gas, showed up to the demonstration with their own handheld blowers.
One man killed and a suspect is arrested after shots fired during protests in Austin (CNN)
Police gather around a man who was shot during a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Austin. (CNN)
(CNN) One man is dead and a suspect is in custody after a shooting during a protest in Texas, police said.
Officers were at the scene monitoring protesters gathered in downtown Austin in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement when shots rang out Saturday night, Austin senior Police Officer Katrina Ratcliff said.
They found a man with a gunshot wound, who was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead, Ratcliff said. No one else was injured.
Initial reports indicated the victim may have been carrying a rifle and approached the suspect’s vehicle. The suspect was in the vehicle and shot at the victim, Ratcliff said.
The suspect was detained and is cooperating and there is no longer a threat to the public.
Ratcliff did not take any questions and said it “was very early in an active investigation.”
—
Police and protesters clash in violent weekend across the US (AP)
Federal officers launch tear gas at a group of demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Sunday, July 26, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo)
Federal officers launch tear gas at a group of demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Sunday, July 26, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
ATLANTA (AP) — Protests took a violent turn in several U.S. cities over the weekend, with demonstrators squaring off against federal agents outside a courthouse in Portland, Oregon, forcing police in Seattle to retreat into a station house and setting fire to vehicles in California and Virginia.
A protest against police violence in Austin, Texas, turned deadly when a witness says the driver of a car that drove through a crowd of marchers opened fire on an armed demonstrator who approached the vehicle. And someone was shot and wounded in Aurora, Colorado, after a car drove through a protest there, authorities said.
The unrest Saturday and early Sunday stemmed from the weeks of protests over racial injustice and the police treatment of people of color that flared up after the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, who was Black and handcuffed, died after a white police officer used his knee to pin down Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes while Floyd begged for air.
In Seattle, police officers retreated into a precinct station early Sunday, hours after large demonstrations in the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Some demonstrators lingered after officers filed into the department’s East Precinct around 1 a.m., but most cleared out a short time later, according to video posted online.
At a late-night news conference, Seattle police Chief Carmen Best called for peace. Rocks, bottles, fireworks and mortars were fired at police during the weekend unrest, and police said they arrested at least 45 people for assaults on officers, obstruction and failure to disperse. Twenty-one officers were hurt, with most of their injuries considered minor, police said.
In Portland, thousands of people gathered Saturday evening for another night of protests over George Floyd’s killing and the presence of federal agents recently sent to the city by President Donald Trump. Protesters breached a fence surrounding the city’s federal courthouse building where the agents have been stationed.
Police declared the situation to be a riot and at around 1:20 a.m., they began ordering people to leave the area surrounding the courthouse or risk arrest, saying on Twitter that the violence had created “a grave risk” to the public. About 20 minutes later, federal officers and local police could be seen attempting to clear the area and deploying tear gas, however protesters remained past 2:30 a.m., forming lines across intersections and holding makeshift shields as police patrolled and closed blocks abutting the area. Multiple arrests were made, but it wasn’t immediately clear how many.
In the Texas capital of Austin, a protester was shot and killed Saturday night after witnesses say he approached a car that had driven through a march against police violence. In video streamed live on Facebook, a car can be heard honking before several shots ring out and protesters start screaming and scattering for cover. Police could then be seen tending to someone lying in the street.
Michael Capochiano, who attended the protest, told the Austin American-Statesman that the slain protester had a rifle and that the car’s driver fired several shots at him before speeding away. Police said the driver was detained and was cooperating with investigators.
In the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colorado, meanwhile, a protester shot and wounded someone after a car drove through a crowd marching on an interstate highway, police said. The wounded person was taken to a hospital in stable condition. Police didn’t release many details about the shooting, including whether the person who was shot had been in the car. Police said on Twitter that demonstrators also caused “major damage,” to a courthouse.
Protesters in Oakland, California, set fire to a courthouse, damaged a police station, broke windows, spray-painted graffiti, shot fireworks and pointed lasers at officers after a peaceful demonstration Saturday evening turned to unrest, police said.
In Virginia’s capital, Richmond, a dump truck was torched as several hundred protesters and police faced off late Saturday during a demonstration of support for the protesters in Portland. Police declared it to be an “unlawful assembly” at around 11 p.m. used what appeared to be tear gas to disperse the group.
In downtown Atlanta on Sunday, federal agents examined damage to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field where windows were shattered late Saturday. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, FBI spokesman Kevin Rowson said in an email. No arrests had been announced.
And in Baltimore, people from a group of nearly 100 demonstrators spray-painted anti-police messages on a Fraternal Order of Police building and adjacent sidewalks on Saturday night, The Baltimore Sun reported.
Satellite images released this week showed water building up in the reservoir behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. (Photo: Maxar Technologies/EPA, via Shutterstock)
The New York Times
Updated July 18th, 2020
After a decade of construction, the hydroelectric dam in Ethiopia, Africa’s largest, is nearly complete. But there’s still no agreement with Egypt.
CAIRO — Every day now, seasonal rain pounds the lush highlands of northern Ethiopia, sending cascades of water into the Blue Nile, the twisting tributary of perhaps Africa’s most fabled river.
Farther downstream, the water inches up the concrete wall of a towering, $4.5 billion hydroelectric dam across the Nile, the largest in Africa, now moving closer to completion. A moment that Ethiopians have anticipated eagerly for a decade — and which Egyptians have come to dread — has finally arrived.
Satellite images released this week showed water pouring into the reservoir behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam — which will be nearly twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty. Ethiopia hopes the project will double its electricity production, bolster its economy, and help unify its people at a time of often-violent divisions.
#FillTheDam read one popular hashtag on Ethiopian social media this week.
Seleshi Bekele, the Ethiopian water minister, rushed to assuage Egyptian anxieties by insisting that the engorging reservoir was the product of natural, entirely predictable seasonal flooding.
He said the formal start of filling, when engineers close the dam gates, has not yet occurred.
Conflicting Reports Issued Over Ethiopia Filling Mega-dam
Bloomberg
By Samuel Gebre
July 15, 2020
AP cites minister denying that dam’s gates have been closed
Ethiopia began filling the reservoir of its giant Nile dam without signing an agreement on water flows, the state-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corp. reported, citing Water, Irrigation and Energy Minister Seleshi Bekele — a step Egypt has warned will threaten regional security.
The minister denied the report, the Associated Press said.
The development comes two days after the latest round of African Union-brokered talks over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam failed to reach a deal on the pace of filling the 74 billion cubic-meter reservoir. Egypt, which relies on the Nile for almost all its fresh water, has previously described any unilateral filling as a breach of international agreements and has said all options are open in response.
Egypt is asking Ethiopia for urgent and official clarification of the media reports, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Sudan’s irrigation ministry said in a statement that flows on the Nile indicated that Ethiopia had closed the dam’s gate.
Ethiopia, where the 6,000-megawatt power project has become a symbol of national pride, has repeatedly rejected the idea that a deal was needed, even as it took part in talks.
“The inflow into the reservoir is due to heavy rainfall and runoff exceeded the outflow and created natural pooling,” Seleshi said later in Twitter posting, without expressly denying that the filling of the dam had begun. Calls to the ministry’s spokesperson for comment weren’t answered.
The filling of the dam would potentially bring to a head a roughly decade-long dispute between the two countries, both of which are key U.S. allies in Africa and home to about 100 million people. Their mutual neighbor, Sudan, has also been involved in the discussions and echoed Egypt’s misgivings over an impact on water flows.
– Ethiopia Open to Continue Nile Dam Talks Amid Dispute With Egypt
The Blue Nile river flows to the dam wall at the site of the under-construction Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia. (Photographer: Zacharias Abubeker/Bloomberg)
Bloomberg
Updated: July 15, 2020,
Ethiopia pledged to continue talks with Egypt and Sudan on the operation of its 140-meter deep dam on the Nile River’s main tributary, but said demands from downstream nations were thwarting the chances of an agreement.
The three states submitted reports to African Union Chairman and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa after 11 days of negotiations ended on Monday without an agreement. The AU-brokered talks were held amid rising tensions with Ethiopia planning to start filling the reservoir, and Egypt describing any damming without an agreement on water flows as illegal.
“Unchanged stances and additional and excessive demands of Egypt and Sudan prohibited the conclusion of this round of negotiation by an agreement,” Ethiopia’s water and irrigation ministry said Tuesday in a statement. “Ethiopia is committed to show flexibility” to reach a mutually beneficial outcome, it said.
The Nile River is Egypt’s main source of fresh water and it has opposed any development it says willcause significant impact to the flow downstream. Ethiopia, which plans a 6,000 megawatt power plant at the facility, has asserted its right to use the resource.
The two are yet to conclude an agreement over the pace at which Ethiopia fills the 74 billion cubic-meter reservoir, given the potential impact on the amount of water reaching Egypt through Sudan. Ethiopia’s statement didn’t mention anything conclusive on when it plans to start filling the dam.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry didn’t reply to a request for comment on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told a local TV talk-show on Monday that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s administration seeks to reach an agreement that safeguards the interests of all stakeholders.
Photos: Satellite Images of GERD Show Water Rising (UPDATE)
The images emerge as Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan say the latest talks on the contentious project ended Monday with no agreement. Ethiopia has said it would begin filling the reservoir this month even without a deal. But Ethiopian officials did not immediately comment Tuesday on the images. An analyst tells AP that the swelling water is likely due to the rainy season as opposed to official activity. (Photo: Maxar Tech via AP)
The Associated Press
Updated: July 14, 2020,
New satellite imagery shows the reservoir behind Ethiopia’s disputed hydroelectric dam beginning to fill, but an analyst says it’s likely due to seasonal rains instead of government action.
The images emerge as Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan say the latest talks on the contentious project ended Monday with no agreement. Ethiopia has said it would begin filling the reservoir of the $4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam this month even without a deal, which would further escalate tensions.
But the swelling reservoir, captured in imagery on July 9 by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellite, is likely a “natural backing-up of water behind the dam” during this rainy season, International Crisis Group analyst William Davison told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
“So far, to my understanding, there has been no official announcement from Ethiopia that all of the pieces of construction that are needed to be completed to close off all of the outlets and to begin impoundment of water into the reservoir” have occurred, Davison said.
But Ethiopia is on schedule for impoundment to begin in mid-July, he added, when the rainy season floods the Blue Nile.
Ethiopian officials did not immediately comment Tuesday on the images.
The latest setback in the three-country talks shrinks hopes that an agreement will be reached before Ethiopia begins filling the reservoir.
Ethiopia says the colossal dam offers a critical opportunity to pull millions of its nearly 110 million citizens out of poverty and become a major power exporter. Downstream Egypt, which depends on the Nile to supply its farmers and booming population of 100 million with fresh water, asserts that the dam poses an existential threat.
Years of talks with a variety of mediators, including the Trump administration, have failed to produce a solution. Last week’s round, mediated by the African Union and observed by U.S. and European officials, proved no different.
— PM Abiy Says Unrest Will Not Derail Filling of Nile Dam
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Tuesday the recent violence was specifically intended to throw Ethiopia’s plans for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam off course. Abiy, last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, also criticised politicians who he suggested were trying to profit from Hachalu’s killing to undermine his government. “You can’t become a government by destroying the country, by sowing ethnic and religious chaos,” he said. (AP photo)
AFP
July 7th, 2020
Addis Ababa (AFP) – Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Tuesday that recent domestic unrest would not derail his plan to start filling a mega-dam on the Blue Nile River this month, despite objections from downstream neighbours Egypt and Sudan.
Violence broke out last week in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and the surrounding Oromia region following the shooting death of Hachalu Hundessa, a popular singer from the Oromo ethnic group, Ethiopia’s largest.
More than 160 people died in inter-ethnic killings and in clashes between protesters and security forces, according to the latest official toll provided over the weekend.
Abiy said last week that Hachalu’s killing and the violence that ensued were part of a plot to sow unrest in Ethiopia, without identifying who he thought was involved.
On Tuesday he went a step further, saying it was specifically intended to throw Ethiopia’s plans for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam off course.
“The desire of the breaking news is to make the Ethiopian government take its eye off the dam,” Abiy said during a question-and-answer session with lawmakers, without giving evidence to support the claim.
Ethiopia sees the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as essential to its electrification and development, while Egypt and Sudan worry it will restrict access to vital Nile waters.
Addis Ababa has long intended to begin filling the dam’s reservoir this month — in the middle of its rainy season — while Cairo and Khartoum are pushing for the three countries to first reach an agreement on how it will be operated.
Talks between the three nations resumed last week.
Ethiopian officials have not publicised the exact day they intend to start filling the dam.
But Abiy on Tuesday reiterated Ethiopia’s position that the filling process is an essential element of the dam’s construction.
“If Ethiopia doesn’t fill the dam, it means Ethiopia has agreed to demolish the dam,” he said.
“On other points we can reach an agreement slowly over time, but for the filling of the dam we can reach and sign an agreement this year.”
-Ethiopia ‘not Syria, Libya’-
Abiy, last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, also criticised politicians who he suggested were trying to profit from Hachalu’s killing to undermine his government.
“You can’t become a government by destroying a government by destroying the country, by sowing ethnic and religious chaos,” he said.
“If Ethiopia becomes Syria, if Ethiopia becomes Libya, the loss is for everybody.”
A number of high-profile opposition politicians have been arrested in Ethiopia in the wake of Hachalu’s killing.
Some of them, including former media mogul Jawar Mohammed, have accused Abiy, the country’s first Oromo prime minister, of failing to sufficiently champion Oromo interests after years of anti-government protests swept him to power in 2018.
Abiy defended his Oromo credentials on Tuesday. “All my life I’ve struggled for the Oromo people,” he said.
“The Oromo people are free now. What we need now is development.”
—
‘It’s my dam’: Ethiopians Unite Around Nile River Mega-Project
The Blue Nile flowing through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The project is passionately supported by the Ethiopian public despite the tensions it has stoked with Egypt and Sudan downstream. (AFP)
Last week, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s press secretary took a break from official statements to post something different to her Twitter feed: a 37-line poem defending her country’s massive dam on the Blue Nile River.
“My mothers seek respite/From years of abject poverty/Their sons a bright future/And the right to pursue prosperity,” Billene Seyoum wrote in her poem, entitled “Ethiopia Speaks”.
As the lines indicate, Ethiopia sees the $4.6 billion (four-billion-euro) Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as crucial for its electrification and development.
But the project, set to become Africa’s largest hydroelectric installation, has sparked an intensifying row with downstream neighbours Egypt and Sudan, which worry that it will restrict vital water supplies.
Addis Ababa plans to start filling next month, despite demands from Cairo and Khartoum for a deal on the dam’s operations to avoid depletion of the Nile.
The African Union is assuming a leading role in talks to resolve outstanding legal and technical issues, and the UN Security Council could take up the issue Monday.
With global attention to the dam on the rise, its defenders are finding creative ways to show support — in verse, in Billene’s case, through other art forms and, most commonly, in social media posts demanding the government finish construction.
To some observers, the dam offers a rare point of unity in an ethnically-diverse country undergoing a fraught democratic transition and awaiting elections delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Abebe Yirga, a university lecturer and expert in water management, compared the effort to finish the dam to Ethiopia’s fight against Italian would-be colonisers in the late 19th century.
“During that time, Ethiopians irrespective of religion and different backgrounds came together to fight against the colonial power,” he said.
“Now, in the 21st century, the dam is reuniting Ethiopians who have been politically and ethnically divided.”
-Hashtag activism-
Ethiopia broke ground on the dam in 2011 under then-Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who pitched it as a catalyst for poverty eradication.
Civil servants contributed one month’s salary towards the project that year, and the government has since issued dam bonds targeting Ethiopians at home and abroad.
Nearly a decade later, the dam remains a source of hope for a country where more than half the population of 110 million lives without electricity.
With Meles dead nearly eight years, perhaps the most prominent face of the project these days is water minister Seleshi Bekele, a former academic whose publications include articles with titles like “Estimation of flow in ungauged catchments by coupling a hydrological model and neural networks: Case study”.
As a government minister, though, Seleshi has demonstrated an ear for the catchy soundbite.
At a January press conference in Addis Ababa, he fielded a question from a journalist wondering whether countries besides Ethiopia might play a role in operating the dam.
With an amused expression on his face, Seleshi looked the journalist dead in the eye and responded simply, “It’s my dam.”
In those five seconds, a hashtag was born.
Coverage of the exchange went viral, and today a Twitter search for #ItsMyDam turns up seemingly endless posts hailing the project.
At recent events officials have even distributed T-shirts bearing the slogan to Ethiopian journalists, who proudly wear them around town.
-Banana boosterism-
Some non-Ethiopians have also gotten in on #ItsMyDam fever.
Anna Chojnicka spent four years living in Ethiopia working for an organisation supporting social entrepreneurs, though she recently moved to London.
In March, holed up with suspected COVID-19, she began using a comb and thread-cutter to imprint designs on bananas.
Her #BananaOfTheDay series has included bruises portraying the London skyline, iconic scenes from Disney movies and the late singer Amy Winehouse.
But by far the most popular are her bananas related to the dam, the first of which she posted last week showing water rushing through the concrete colossus.
On Thursday she posted a banana featuring a woman carrying firewood, noting that once the dam starts operating “fewer women will need to collect firewood for fuel”.
The image was quickly picked up by an Ethiopian television station.
— Ethiopia, Egypt & Sudan Agree to Restart Talks Over Disputed Dam
Early Saturday, Seleshi Bekele, Ethiopia’s water and energy minister, confirmed that the countries had decided during an African Union summit to restart stalled negotiations and finalize an agreement over the contentious mega-project within two to three weeks, with support from the AU. (Satellite image via AP)
The leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia agreed late Friday to return to talks aimed at reaching an accord over the filling of Ethiopia’s new hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile, according to statements from the three nations.
Early Saturday, Seleshi Bekele, Ethiopia’s water and energy minister, confirmed that the countries had decided during an African Union summit to restart stalled negotiations and finalize an agreement over the contentious mega-project within two to three weeks, with support from the AU.
The announcement was a modest reprieve from weeks of bellicose rhetoric and escalating tensions over the $4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Ethiopia had vowed to start filling at the start of the rainy season in July.
Egypt and Sudan said Ethiopia would refrain from filling the dam next month until the countries reached a deal. Ethiopia did not comment explicitly on the start of the filling period.
Ethiopia has hinged its development ambitions on the colossal dam, describing it as a crucial lifeline to bring millions out of poverty.
Egypt, which relies on the Nile for more than 90% of its water supplies and already faces high water stress, fears a devastating impact on its booming population of 100 million. Sudan, which also depends on the Nile for water, has played a key role in bringing the two sides together after the collapse of U.S.-mediated talks in February.
Just last week, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew warned that his country could begin filling the dam’s reservoir unilaterally, after the latest round of talks with Egypt and Sudan failed to reach an accord governing how the dam will be filled and operated.
After an AU video conference chaired by South Africa late Friday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said that “all parties” had pledged not to take “any unilateral action” by filling the dam without a final agreement, said Bassam Radi, Egypt’s presidency spokesman.
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok also indicated the impasse between the Nile basin countries had eased, saying the nations had agreed to restart negotiations through a technical committee with the aim of finalizing a deal in two weeks. Ethiopia won’t fill the dam before inking the much-anticipated deal, Hamdok’s statement added.
African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said the countries “agreed to an AU-led process to resolve outstanding issues,” without elaborating.
Sticking points in the talks have been how much water Ethiopia will release downstream from the dam if a multi-year drought occurs and how Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan will resolve any future disagreements.
Both Egypt and Sudan have appealed to the U.N. Security Council to intervene in the years-long dispute and help the countries avert a crisis. The council is set to hold a public meeting on the issue Monday.
Filling the dam without an agreement could bring the stand-off to a critical juncture. Both Egypt and Ethiopia have hinted at military steps to protect their interests, and experts fear a breakdown in talks could lead to open conflict.
The Grand Renaissance Dam is seen as it undergoes construction on the river Nile in Guba Woreda, Benishangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia. (REUTERS photo/Tiksa Negeri)
Reuters
Updated: June 26th, 2020
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt is counting on international pressure to unlock a deal it sees as crucial to protecting its scarce water supplies from the Nile river before the expected start-up of a giant dam upstream in Ethiopia in July.
Tortuous, often acrimonious negotiations spanning close to a decade have left the two nations and their neighbour Sudan short of an agreement to regulate how Ethiopia will operate the dam and fill its reservoir.
Though Egypt is unlikely to face any immediate, critical shortages from the dam even without a deal, failure to reach one before the filling process starts could further poison ties and drag out the dispute for years, analysts say.
“There is the threat of worsening relations between Ethiopia and the two downstream countries, and consequently increased regional instability,” said William Davison, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group.
The latest round of talks left the three countries “closer than ever to reaching an agreement”, according to a report by Sudan’s foreign ministry seen by Reuters.
But it also said the talks, which were suspended last week, had revealed a “widening gap” over the key issue of whether any agreement would be legally binding, as Egypt demands.
The stakes for largely arid Egypt are high, for it draws at least 90% of its fresh water from the Nile.
With Ethiopia insisting it will use seasonal rains to begin filling the dam’s reservoir next month, Cairo has appealed to the U.N. Security Council in a last-ditch diplomatic move.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is being built about 15 km (nine miles) from the border with Sudan on the Blue Nile, the source of most of the Nile’s waters.
Ethiopia says the $4 billion hydropower project, which will have an installed capacity of 6,450 megawatts, is essential to its economic development. Addis Ababa told the U.N. Security Council in a letter this week that it is “designed to help extricate our people from abject poverty”.
The letter repeated accusations that Egypt was trying to maintain historic advantages over the Nile and constrict Ethiopia’s pursuit of future upstream projects. It argued that Ethiopia had accommodated Egyptian demands to allow recent talks to move forward before Egypt unnecessarily escalated by taking the issue to the Security Council.
Ethiopia’s government was not immediately available for comment.
Egypt says it is focused on securing a fair deal limited to the GERD, and that Ethiopia’s talk of righting colonial-era injustice is a ruse meant to distract attention from a bid to impose a fait accompli on its downstream neighbours.
Both accuse each other of trying to sabotage the talks and of blocking independent studies on the impact of the GERD. Egypt requested U.S. mediation last year, leading to talks over four months in Washington that broke down in February.
“PROGRESS”
The resort to outside mediation came because the two sides had been “going round in vicious cycles for years”, said an Egyptian official. The stand-off is a chance for the international community to show leadership on the issue of water, and help broker a deal that “could unlock a lot of cooperation possibilities”, he said.
Talks this month between water ministers led by Sudan, and observed by the United States, South Africa and the European Union, produced a draft deal that Sudan said made “significant progress on major technical issues”.
It listed outstanding technical issues however, including how the dam would operate during “dry years” of reduced rainfall, as well as legal issues on whether the agreement and its mechanism for resolving disputes should be binding.
Sudan, for its part, sees benefits from the dam in regulating its Blue Nile waters, but wants guarantees it will be safely and properly operated.
Like Egypt it is seeking a binding deal before filling starts, but its increasing alignment with Cairo has not proved decisive.
Technical compromises are still available, said Davison, but “there’s no reason to think that Ethiopia is going to bow to increased international pressure”.
“We need to move away from diplomatic escalation and instead the parties need to sit themselves once again around the table and stay there until they reach agreement.”
—
UN to Hear Ethiopia-Egypt Nile Dam Dispute
The behind-closed-doors meeting [set for Monday in New York] was requested by France, according to diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity. It came after the latest talks between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan ended without an agreement. (Bloomberg)
(Bloomberg) — The United Nations Security Council will discuss for the first time Monday a growing dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over a giant hydropower dam being built on the Nile River’s main tributary, diplomats said. The behind-closed-doors meeting was requested by France, according to the diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity. It came after the latest talks between Egypt, Ethi
The behind-closed-doors meeting was requested by France, according to the diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity. It came after the latest talks between Egypt, Ethiopia and mutual neighbor Sudan ended last week with Ethiopia refusing to accept a permanent, minimum volume of water that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam should release downstream in the event of severe drought.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry subsequently asked the UNSC to intervene, calling for a fair and balanced solution. Ethiopia has threatened to start filling the dam’s reservoir when the rainy season begins in July, with or without a deal. That’s a step that Egypt, which relies on the Nile for almost all its fresh water, considers both unacceptable and illegal.
Ethiopia remains resolute that a so-called declaration of principles agreement signed by Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan in 2015 allows it to proceed with damming the GERD.
— Dear Ethiopia & Egypt: Nile Dam Update
Nefartari with Simbel and St. Yared holding a Simbel, which is called Tsenatsil in Amharic and Ge’ez.
The Africa Report
By Meklit Berihun, a civil engineer and aspiring researcher in systems thinking and its application in the water/environment sector.
Dear Egypt
My dear, how are you holding up in these trying times? I hope you are faring well as much as one can given the circumstances. And I pray we will not be burdened with more than we can bear and that this time will soon come to pass for the both of us.
Dearest, I hear of your frustration about the progress—or lack thereof—on the negotiations over my dam. That is a frustration I also share. I look forward to the day we settle things and look to the future together.
Beloved, though your approach has recently metamorphosed in addressing your right to our water—officially stating you never held on to any past agreements—the foundation, that you do not want to settle for anything less than 66 percent of what is shared by 10 of your fellow African states, remains unchanged. I must be honest: I cannot fathom how you still hold on to this.
By Nervana Mahmoud, Doctor and independent political commentator on Middle East issues. BBC’s 100 women 2013.
Thank you for your letter.
The fate of our two countries has been linked since ancient times, as described in Herodotus’s book An Account of Egypt, Egypt is the “gift of the Nile,” “it has soil which is black and easily breaks up, seeing that it is in truth mud and silt brought down from Ethiopia by the river.”
It is sad you question Egypt’s African identity. It may sound surprising to you, but the vast majority of Egyptians are proud Africans. In 1990, my entire family was glued to the television, showing our support for Cameroon against England, in the World Cup. Last year, Egypt hosted the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Many Egyptians supported Senegal and Nigeria, who played Arab teams, in the final rounds because we see ourselves as Africans.
Unfortunately, I do not believe that you — our African brothers — appreciate the potential disastrous impacts of your Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD) on our livelihood in Egypt.
This satellite image taken May 28, 2020, shows the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile river in the Benishangul-Gumuz region. In an interview with The Associated Press Friday, June 19, 2020, Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew said that Ethiopia will start filling the $4.6 billion dam next month. (AP)
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — It’s a clash over water usage that Egypt calls an existential threat and Ethiopia calls a lifeline for millions out of poverty. Just weeks remain before the filling of Africa’s most powerful hydroelectric dam might begin, and tense talks between the countries on its operation have yet to reach a deal.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew on Friday declared that his country will go ahead and start filling the $4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam next month, even without an agreement. “For us it is not mandatory to reach an agreement before starting filling the dam, hence we will commence the filling process in the coming rainy season,” he said.
“We are working hard to reach a deal, but still we will go ahead with our schedule whatever the outcome is. If we have to wait for others’ blessing, then the dam may remain idle for years, which we won’t allow to happen,” he said. He added that “we want to make it clear that Ethiopia will not beg Egypt and Sudan to use its own water resource for its development,” pointing out that Ethiopia is paying for the dam’s construction itself.
He spoke after the latest round of talks with Egypt and Sudan on the dam, the first since discussions broke down in February, failed to reach agreement.
No date has been set for talks to resume, and the foreign minister said Ethiopia doesn’t believe it’s time to take them to a head of state level.
The years-long dispute pits Ethiopia’s desire to become a major power exporter and development engine against Egypt’s concern that the dam will significantly curtail its water supply if filled too quickly. Sudan has long been caught between the competing interests.
The arrival of the rainy season is bringing more water to the Blue Nile, the main branch of the Nile, and Ethiopia sees an ideal time to begin filling the dam’s reservoir next month.
Both Egypt and Ethiopia have hinted at military steps to protect their interests, and experts fear a breakdown in talks could lead to conflict.
Ethiopia’s foreign minister would not say whether his country would use military action to defend the dam and its operations.
“This dam should have been a reason for cooperation and regional integration, not a cause for controversies and warmongering,” he said. “Egyptians are exaggerating their propaganda on the dam issue and playing a political gamble. Some of them seem as if they are longing for a war to break out.”
Gedu added: “Our reading is that the Egyptian side wants to dictate and control even future developments on our river. We won’t ask for permission to carry out development projects on our own water resources. This is both legally and morally unacceptable.”
He said Ethiopia has offered to fill the dam in four to seven years, taking possible low rainfall into account.
Sticking points in the talks have been how much water Ethiopia will release downstream from the dam during a multi-year drought and how Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan will resolve any future disputes.
The United States earlier this year tried to broker a deal, but Ethiopia did not attend the signing meeting and accused the Trump administration of siding with Egypt. This week some Ethiopians felt vindicated when the U.S. National Security Council tweeted that “257 million people in east Africa are relying on Ethiopia to show strong leadership, which means striking a fair deal.”
In reply to that, Ethiopia’s foreign minister said: “Statements issued from governments and other institutions on the dam should be crafted carefully not to take sides and impair the fragile talks, especially at this delicate time. They should issue fair statements or just issue no statements at all.”
He also rejected the idea that the issue should be taken to the United Nations Security Council, as Egypt wants. Egypt’s foreign ministry issued a statement Friday saying Egypt has urged the Security Council to intervene in the dispute to help the parties reach a “fair and balanced solution” and prevent Ethiopia from “taking any unilateral actions.”
The latest talks saw officials from the U.S., European Union and South Africa, the current chairman of the African Union, attending as observers.
Sudan’s Irrigation Minister Yasser Abbas told reporters after talks ended Wednesday that the three counties’ irrigation leaders have agreed on “90% or 95%” of the technical issues but the dispute over the “legal points” in the deal remains dissolved.
The Sudanese minister said his country and Egypt rejected Ethiopia’s attempts to include articles on water sharing and old Nile treaties in the dam deal. Egypt has received the lion’s share of the Nile’s waters under decades-old agreements dating back to the British colonial era. Eighty-five percent of the Nile’s waters originate in Ethiopia from the Blue Nile.
“The Egyptians want us to offer a lot, but they are not ready to offer us anything,” Gedu said Friday. “They want to control everything. We are not discussing a water-sharing agreement.”
The countries should not get stuck in a debate about historic water rights, William Davison, senior analyst on Ethiopia with the International Crisis Group, told reporters this week. “During a period of filling, yes, there’s reduced water downstream. But that’s a temporary period,” he said.
Initial power generation from the dam could be seen late this year or in early 2021, he said.
Ethiopia’ foreign minister expressed disappointment in Egypt’s efforts to find backing for its side.
“Our African brotherly countries should have supported us, but instead they are tainting our country’s name around the world, and especially in the Arab world,” he said. “Egypt’s monopolistic approach to the dam issue will not be acceptable for us forever.”
— Tussle for Nile Control Escalates as Dam Talks Falter
The Blue Nile river passes through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Guba, Ethiopia. (Getty Images)
Bloomberg
Updated: June 18th, 2020
A last ditch attempt to resolve a decade-long dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over a huge new hydropower dam on the Nile has failed, raising the stakes in what – for all the public focus on technical issues – is a tussle for control over the region’s most important water source.
The talks appear to have faltered over a recurring issue: Ethiopia’s refusal to accept a permanent, minimum volume of water that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, or GERD, should release downstream in the event of severe drought.
What happens next remains uncertain. Both Ethiopia and Sudan – a mutual neighbor that took part in the talks – said that progress had been made and left the door open to further negotiation. Yet the stakes in a region acutely vulnerable to the impact of climate change are disconcertingly clear.
Ethiopia has threatened to start filling the dam’s reservoir when the rainy season begins in July, with or without a deal, a step Egypt considers both unacceptable and illegal. In a statement late Wednesday, Egypt’s irrigation ministry accused Ethiopia of refusing to accept any effective drought provision or legally binding commitments, or even to refer the talks to the three prime ministers in an effort to break the deadlock. Ethiopia was demanding “an absolute right” to build further dams behind the GERD, the ministry said.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry threatened on Monday to call for United Nations Security Council intervention to protect “international peace and security” if no agreement was reached. A day later his Ethiopian opposite, Gedu Andargachew, accused Egypt of “acting as if it is the sole owner of the Nile waters.”
Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris even warned of a water war. “We will never allow any country to starve us, if Ethiopia doesn’t come to reason, we the Egyptian people will be the first to call for war,” he said in a tweet earlier this week.
Although both sides have played down the prospect of military conflict, they have occasionally rattled sabers and concern at the potential for escalation helped draw the U.S. and World Bank into the negotiating process last year. When that attempt floundered in February, the European Union and South Africa, as chair of the African Union, joined in.
“This is all about control,” said Asfaw Beyene, a professor of mechanical engineering at San Diego State University, California, whose work Egypt cited in support of a May 1 report to the UN. The so-called aide memoire argued that the GERD and its 74 billion cubic meter reservoir are so vastly oversized relative to the power they will produce that it “raises questions about the true purpose of the dam.”
National Survival
Egypt’s concern is that once the dam’s sluices can control the Nile’s flow, Ethiopia could in times of drought say “I am not releasing water, I need it,” or dictate how the water released is used, says Asfaw. Yet he backs Ethiopia’s claims that once filled, the dam won’t significantly affect downstream supplies. He also agrees with their argument that climate change could render unsustainable any water guarantees given to Egypt.
Both sides describe the future of the hydropower dam that will generate as much as 15.7 gigawatts of electricity per year as a matter of national survival. Egypt relies on the Nile for as much as 97% of an already strained water supply. Ethiopia says the dam is vital for development, because it would increase the nation’s power generation by about 150% at a time when more than half the population have no access to electricity.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia’s deputy army chief on Friday said his country will strongly defend itself and will not negotiate its sovereignty over the disputed $4.6 billion Nile dam that has caused tensions with Egypt.
“Egyptians and the rest of the world know too well how we conduct war whenever it comes,” Gen. Birhanu Jula said in an interview with the state-owned Addis Zemen newspaper, adding that Egyptian leaders’ “distorted narrative” on Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam is attracting enemies.
He accused Egypt of using its weapons to “threaten and tell other countries not to touch the shared water” and said “the way forward should be cooperation in a fair manner.”
He spoke amid renewed talks among Ethiopian, Sudanese and Egyptian water and irrigation ministers after months of deadlock. Ethiopia wants to begin filling the dam’s reservoir in the coming weeks, but Egypt worries a rapid filling will take too much of the water it says its people need to survive. Sudan, caught between the competing interests, pushed the two sides to resume discussions.
The general’s comments were a stark contrast to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s remarks to lawmakers earlier this week that diplomacy should take center stage to resolve outstanding issues.
“We don’t want to hurt anyone else, and at the same time it will be difficult for us to accept the notion that we don’t deserve to have electricity,” the Nobel Peace Prize laureate said. “We are tired of begging others while 70% of our population is young. This has to change.”
Talks on the dam have struggled. Egypt’s Irrigation Ministry on Wednesday called for Ethiopia to “clearly declare that it had no intention of unilaterally filling the reservoir” and that a deal prepared by the U.S. and the World Bank in February serves as the starting point of the resumed negotiations.
Ethiopia refused to sign that deal and accused the U.S. of siding with Egypt.
Egypt said that in Tuesday’s talks, Ethiopia showed it wanted to re-discuss “all issues” including “all timetables and figures” negotiated in the U.S.-brokered talks.
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi discussed the latest negotiations in a phone call with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, el-Sissi’s office said, without elaborating.
Egypt’s National Security Council, the highest body that makes decisions in high-profile security matters in the country, has accused Ethiopia of “buying time” and seeking to begin filling the dam’s reservoir in July without reaching a deal with Egypt and Sudan.
—
Ethiopia Seeks to Limit Outsiders’ Role in Nile Dam Talks (AFP)
Ethiopia sees the dam as essential for its electrification and development, while Sudan and Egypt see it as a threat to essential water supplies (AFP Photo)
Addis Ababa (AFP) – Ethiopia said Thursday it wants to limit the role of outside parties in revived talks over its Nile River mega-dam, a sign of lingering frustration over a failed attempt by the US to broker a deal earlier this year.
The Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on it nearly a decade ago.
Ethiopia sees the dam as essential for its electrification and development, while Sudan and Egypt see it as a threat to essential water supplies.
The US Treasury Department stepped in last year after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi put in a request to his ally US President Donald Trump.
But the process ran aground after the Treasury Department urged Ethiopia to sign a deal that Egypt backed as “fair and balanced”.
Ethiopia denied a deal had been reached and accused Washington of being “undiplomatic” and playing favourites.
On Tuesday Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan resumed talks via videoconference with representatives of the United States, the European Union and South Africa taking part.
The talks resumed Wednesday and were expected to pick up again Thursday.
In a statement aired Thursday by state-affiliated media, Ethiopia’s water ministry said the role of the outside parties should not “exceed that of observing the negotiation and sharing good practices when jointly requested by the three countries.”
The statement also criticised Egypt for detailing its grievances over the dam in a May letter to the UN Security Council — a move it described as a bad faith attempt to “exert external diplomatic pressure”.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reiterated Monday that his country plans to begin filling the dam’s reservoir in the coming weeks, giving the latest talks heightened urgency.
The short window makes it “more necessary than ever that concessions are made so a deal can be struck that will ease potentially dangerous tensions,” said William Davison of the International Crisis Group, a conflict prevention organisation.
One solution could involve Ethiopia “proposing a detailed cooperative annual drought-management scheme that takes Egypt and Sudan’s concerns into account, but does not unacceptably constrain the dam’s potential,” he said.
The EU sees the resumption of talks as “an important opportunity to restore confidence among the parties, build on the good progress achieved and agree on a mutually beneficial solution,” said spokeswoman Virginie Battu-Henriksson.
“Especially in this time of global crisis, it is important to appease tensions and find pragmatic solutions,” she said.
Senator Kamala Harris, former U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Rep. Val Demings and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance are all under serious consideration to become the next U.S. Vice Presidential Nominee. The candidates reflect the growing prominence of African American women amid a national uproar over police violence and racism that has sparked protests around the country. - TWP (AP photos)
The Washington Post
Biden running mate search zeroes in on group that includes at least four black women
Joe Biden’s search for a running mate has advanced to the next phase as his campaign conducts more extensive reviews of some prospects, including at least several African American women, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
Among the candidates who have progressed to the point of more comprehensive vetting or have the potential to do so are Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), former national security adviser Susan E. Rice and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, all of whom are black. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who is white, is also in that group, as is New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is Latina.
The pool of prospects remains fluid, and some close Biden allies suggested other contenders could also face the more intensive vetting process. The people describing the situation spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive private conversations and an evolving search process.
The Biden campaign declined to comment. Biden has vowed to choose a woman, and Biden has repeatedly stressed that he wants a running mate who is “simpatico” with him.
The candidates who continue to be under consideration by the campaign reflect in part the growing prominence of African American women amid a national uproar over police violence and racism that has sparked protests around the country. These developments have added pressure on Biden to select a black woman as his ticket mate.
“I think that a ticket that is not reflective of the diversity of this country is a ticket that is doomed to fail,” said Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-Ohio), who said she has long felt Biden should pick a black woman and feels “even more so now.”
Biden’s search is attracting even more attention than that of most candidates because at 77, he would be the oldest person ever elected to the presidency. Beyond potential health issues, some Democrats believe that if elected, Biden might not seek a second term, giving his vice president an early advantage in the race to become the next chief executive.
Ethiopian American Yadesa Bojia is a Seattle artist who was concerned about the lack of information about the coronavirus reaching the Ethiopian community, so he did a Facebook live video in Amharic over the weekend to get accurate information out to the community. (The Seattle Times)
In my last column I wrote that the novel coronavirus outbreak showed us the gaps in our social safety net and the systems that we urgently need to fix.
But what this crisis has also exposed in the past week is the way in which people, guided by their hearts, are stepping up to support each other in extraordinary ways.
People like Yadesa Bojia, who is a Seattle-based artist and University of Washington graphic designer. Bojia recently became alarmed after talking with other Ethiopian American community members in his first language, Amharic, and realizing there was a lack of solid, scientifically grounded information about the coronavirus getting out to the community. Some people he talked to thought the disease was airborne, others thought it could be cured or prevented with traditional herbal medicine or stopped with vitamin C. Bojia knew that Public Health – Seattle & King County created coronavirus fact sheets in multiple languages, but didn’t think people in his immigrant community would know where to find them.
So on March 7, Bojia decided to do something about it. Armed with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s public health guidance, he started a Facebook live video to read recommendations for the community in Amharic. To his surprise, the video has been viewed 2,000 times and counting. Getting this information out, Bojia said, is “a matter of life and death,” for not just the nearly 25% of King County that are immigrants but the entire community.
Bojia is just one of many across the region who have lent their resources to help others during this unprecedented time. This pandemic has upended every part of our daily lives and sent social, economic and political shock waves throughout our society. Fear might bring out some of our worst instincts, but crises bring out the best in humanity as well.
In the days since the Seattle area became the epicenter of the outbreak, the outpouring of support has been moving and inspiring. On an individual level, people have offered free babysitting, cooking and food delivery for harried parents and medically vulnerable older adults.
After racist coronavirus fears drove down business in Seattle’s Chinatown International District, Bill Tashima, a board member for the local Japanese American Citizens League, created a Facebook group on Sunday to share ways to support small restaurants. Within days, the group had nearly 5,000 members, sharing ideas for restaurant takeout to boost business in the struggling district and creating a virtual “tip jar” that one member was using to collect donations for restaurant workers.
The artistic community, which already experiences economic insecurity in good times due to unpredictable contract-based work, saw all public events canceled like dominoes in the past week. Seattle-area author Ijeoma Oluo quickly set up a GoFundMe on Monday to raise and distribute funds for artists. Within days, the fund raised $80,000 and distributed $10,000 and was in the process of distributing another $30,000 to artists directly impacted by loss of income due to the coronavirus. Another group of people started a live-performance streaming site on Facebook called “The Quarantine Sessions,” where artists can perform and the audience can tip the band before their performance starts.
Several African countries, including Ethiopia, are holding consequential elections in the coming few months. But so far here in the Diaspora the discussion has been limited to the usual rancor and empty rhetoric on social media and other platforms. Below is a more informative recent article by the United Nations Africa Renewal magazine highlighting the upcoming election season across the continent. (AP photo)
Voters across the continent will be heading to the ballot box this year to choose their leaders in presidential, parliamentary and local elections starting with the Comoros in January and ending with Ghana in December.
Comorians will be electing a new 33-member national assembly following presidential elections in 2019 while Ghanaians will select their parliamentarians and president on 7 December.
In Chad and Mauritius, electoral commissions have yet to decide on exact dates, but absent unexpected delays, the polls should go ahead as legally mandated. In Seychelles, the electoral body will decide in August when the presidential election will be held later in the year.
Overall, the polls are expected to be peaceful and free. Yet, for different reasons, some countries like Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali and Somalia are ones to watch.
In Ethiopia, elections of members of the House of People’s Representatives and of regional State Councils will be held in a new political environment ushered in by the youthful Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s reforms. Having won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for ending a two-decade conflict with neighbouring Eritrea, observers will be eager to learn to what extent Mr Abiy’s changes are taking hold and how much domestic support he has earned since the award was announced.
Polls in Somalia will be the first in 50 years. Voters will elect the president and their representatives through direct ballots – the last universal suffrage polls having been held in 1969. Previous presidential elections held in 2009, 2012 and 2017 involved a system of thousands of clan delegates voting for parliamentary representatives, who in turn elected the president. Election preparations are currently underway, including the drafting of electoral laws, though security remains a concern throughout the country.
Togolese will go to the polls in April to cast their ballots for president with the possibility of a run-off should no candidate garner more than 50% of the votes. The polls will be the first to be held since presidential term limits were restored in 2019.
Since Ghana’s transition to multi-party democracy in 1992 elections have generally been peaceful, and their results generally considered fair. This trend is expected to continue, amid the government’s recent claims to have nipped in the bud attempts at a coup by a group of civilians, and former and current military personnel.
In Burkina Faso, Burundi and Tanzania, voters will be called to choose their presidents first, then their national assemblymen and women later in the year. Burundians will elect a new president, as the incumbent is retiring.
In Burkina Faso and Mali, recurring violence in some areas, some of it deadly, is likely to affect the polls. Over the last few months, terrorist activity has increasingly targeted civilians and security forces, including peacekeepers in Mali. Given the circumstances organising nationwide elections will be a challenge.
In Côte d’Ivoire things are not straightforward either. The country has remained stable since the hotly contested 2010 presidential poll that helped mark the end of a decade of armed conflict. Now Ivoirians look towards October polls, but the political coalition has progressively frayed, and old political fault lines have resurfaced.
Guineans are scheduled to choose a new assembly and president come October too. Parliamentary elections were postponed earlier this year given political tensions over plans to call a referendum on lifting constitutional term limits. Large demonstrations against the plan have been witnessed across the country, including in the capital Conakry. The heightening tension is likely to affect the upcoming polls.
“I discovered how extremely diverse the community is, whether it’s Persian Armenian or Turkish Armenian,” the New York-based Samuelsson tells L.A. Weekly. “It has so many geographically different entry points and says a lot about the strength of the community and their commitment to holding on to these traditions. (Photo: Marcus Samuelson and Chef Ara Zada prepare an Armenian feast/ Wonho Frank Lee)
LA Weekly
L.A.’S LITTLE ARMENIA KICKS OFF SEASON 2 OF NO PASSPORT REQUIRED WITH MARCUS SAMUELSSON JANUARY 20 ON PBS
No Passport Required with Marcus Samuelsson, which explores the food and communities of America’s immigrant neighborhoods, kicks off season 2 on PBS January 20 with the premiere episode featuring L.A.’s Armenian community and cuisine.
The Ethiopian-born chef raised in Sweden journeys from East Hollywood to Glendale, visiting Phoenicia Restaurant, Mideast Tacos, Papillon International Bakery, Sahag’s Basturma among others meeting Armenians from Russia, Lebanon, Syria, Ethiopia and Egypt. From lule kabob to ghapama (pumpkin stuffed with apricots, rice and Aleppo peppers,) Samuelsson explores the rich Armenian history passed down from generations in L.A.’s foothills in the series co-produced with Eater.
“I discovered how extremely diverse the community is, whether it’s Persian Armenian or Turkish Armenian,” the New York-based Samuelsson tells L.A. Weekly. “It has so many geographically different entry points – which also means bringing a lot of different traditions together and says a lot about the strength of the community and their commitment to holding on to these traditions. I had some of the most delicious food and best conversations and saw how deeply proud these people are to be both Angelenos and Armenian.”
The premiere highlights the combination of younger chefs born in Los Angeles, blending new ingredients and techniques with traditional Armenian rituals passed down to them by their grandparents.
Marcus Samuelsson's popular PBS TV show 'No Passport Required' is set to return for a new season in January 2020. (Photo courtesy: Eater.com)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: November 15th, 2019
New York (TADIAS) — Marcus Samuelsson’s popular TV show, No Passport Required, is scheduled to return for a second season in January 2020 highlighting diverse American cities such as Los Angeles, California — home to Little Ethiopia, which is the only neignhrhood in the United States officially named after an African country.
In the upcoming episodes Marcus will travel to six major cities exploring international flavors, sounds and tastes. The featured cities include “Houston, home to one of the highest numbers of West African expatriates of any U.S. city; the Filipino American community in Seattle, who are part of the city’s longstanding Asian Pacific American heritage; Los Angeles, where the world’s second-largest Armenian community resides; and Boston, where Marcus explores Portuguese-speaking cultures and cuisines from three different locales: Brazil, Cape Verde and Portugal. Other episodes focus on the Chinese American community in Las Vegas, which has grown tremendously over the last 20 years, and Philadelphia, where Italian Americans have thrived for generations. In each city, he’ll visit local restaurants, markets and family homes, learning about each community’s cuisine and heritage.”
PBS added: “An immigrant himself — born in Ethiopia, raised in Sweden, now a celebrated chef, restaurateur, author and resident of Harlem — Marcus Samuelsson is passionate about sharing and celebrating the food of America’s vibrant communities. Each episode shows how important food can be in bringing Americans — old and new — together around the table.”
For Marcus, a new season of No Passport Required means that “we have only begun to scratch the surface of the amazing range of immigrant cultures and cuisines found in the U.S.” He adds: “It’s exciting to go on this journey once again and bring attention to these diverse communities that contribute so much to our nation.”
The finale segment of the previous season was brodcast this past August 14th and featured Ethiopian food and culture in Washington D.C. The episode highlighted the inspiring stories of Ethiopian entrepreneurs, eskista dancing, as well as how to make traditional dishes such as kitfo and ful.
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), one of the largest television program distributors in the United States, premiered No Passport Required, which was produced in collaboration with Vox Media, on July 10th, 2018.
“NO PASSPORT REQUIRED was one of our freshest and most popular new shows last year,” says Pamela A. Aguilar, Senior Director, PBS Programming. “It included new perspectives and provided a unique lens that brought younger audiences to PBS, who connected with Marcus and the culture and cuisine of these diverse communities. We’re delighted to present a new season of this inclusive series that is part of the PBS commitment to provide programming that is reflective of all Americans.”
“We are thrilled to be working with PBS and Marcus to continue capturing these authentic stories focusing on the communities that make this nation so rich and dynamic,” said Marty Moe, President, Vox Media. “Serving both the PBS and Eater audiences with premium nonfiction television inspired by great journalism, next generation talent and a collective deep curiosity about the world is a priority for Vox Entertainment.”
Scores of wealthy Ethiopians paid an eye-watering $173,000 (150,000 euros) to attend a dinner thrown by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, to raise funds to beautify the capital Addis Ababa, state media reported Monday.
The state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate published pictures of diners, some wearing tuxedos, seated at a long rose-covered banquet table.
“A seat at the event is valued at 5 million birr,” the report said.
The dinner was held to raise funds for a three-year project by Abiy to “lift the image” of the capital, a bustling, fast-changing city where modern buildings have shot up, construction is ever-present and greenery scarce.
“The rapid growth and expansion of the city over the past few years has not adequately utilised the natural resources and beautiful topography that the city is endowed with,” according to a video of the project posted on Abiy’s website.
The video said that currently green cover is only 0.3 square metres per capita in Addis Ababa, and the project hopes to raise this to seven square metres per capita — in line with average green coverage in Africa.
The project along an area of 56 square kilometres (21 square miles) envisions parks, bicycle paths and walkways along the rivers of the capital, the planting of trees and the development of urban farms.
The project is estimated to cost $1 billion, according to Fana.
It was not known how many people attended the dinner, or who they were.
Abiy’s website said that those present would have a plaque with their name on it placed along the project route, and would have a private photo-op with the prime minister. The pictures would be compiled into “an album of individuals who changed the face of Addis Ababa.”
Abiy has won praise for his reformist agenda since taking office in April last year.
Ethiopia is home to over 100 million people, the second most populous country on the continent after Nigeria, and its economy is the fastest growing in the region.
However, it is also one of the poorest, and the World Bank estimates average earnings of $783 per year.
Two years ago, the state branded him a terrorist. Now, after years in exile, activist Jawar Mohammed is back – and determined to see democracy in his country. (Photo: Jawar Mohammed addresses a news conference upon arriving in Addis Ababa in August/ By Tiksa Negeri/Reuters)
Jawar Mohammed never travels alone. When the US-based Ethiopian activist returned to his home country on 5 August, he was treated like royalty. A posse of sharply suited young men hovered by him at all times. Jeeps carrying security guards patrolled his hotel in central Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. Supporters from the provinces arrived in droves to pay their respects. Over the course of a two-week visit he held about 25 to 30 meetings a day, according to an exhausted aide.
After meeting with the Guardian in his hotel suite he rushed off to give a lecture at the capital’s main university, entourage in tow.
Nothing demonstrated the breathtaking transformation in Ethiopian politics over the past four months quite like the red-carpeted return of a figure who was once the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front’s (EPRDF) most wanted man.
From a studio in Minneapolis, where he founded the controversial Oromia Media Network, Jawar has spent the past decade agitating over social media for political change back home in Ethiopia, which he left as a scholarship student in 2003. This was his first time in Ethiopia since 2008.
So effective was he as an activist that by late 2016, as anti-government protests billowed across the country compelling the EPRDF to impose a state of emergency, the Oromia Media Network was banned and Mohammed declared a terrorist.
By early 2018 the revolutionary fervour had grown so loud that Hailemariam Desalegn was forced to resign as prime minister, paving the way for his enormously popular successor Abiy Ahmed, a young reformist from Oromia, Jawar’s home and the country’s largest and most populous region.
The Oromia Media Network, along with some smaller outlets and activists, has used social media to devastating effect over the past few years, coordinating boycotts and demonstrations and bringing Ethiopia’s large and often brutal security apparatus close to its knees.
“We used social media and formal media so effectively that the state was completely overwhelmed,” Jawar says. “The only option they had was to face reform or accept full revolution.”…
Few doubt the importance of Jawar in recent Ethiopian history. Perhaps more than any other single individual, he took the once-marginal politics of Oromo nationalism and made it mainstream. Today, Oromos – the country’s largest ethnic group – dominate the highest offices of state, and Jawar enjoys significant personal influence over the country’s new leaders, including Abiy himself.
In a recent interview with local media he claimed – to the dismay of many Ethiopians – that the country now effectively has two governments: one led by Abiy, the other by the Qeerroo. This puts him in a position of extraordinary responsibility, since he is “one of the Qeerroo” and “a significant portion of the country listens to me”, he admits.
The academic fellowship is dedicated to Dr. Maigenet Shifferraw (right), the former President of Center for the Rights of Ethiopian Women. (Photo by Matt Andrea: Dr. Maigenet Shifferaw speaking at a Tadias roundtable event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on December 14, 2013)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
February 19th, 2018
New York (TADIAS) — The Maigenet Shifferraw Fellowship (MSF) announced that it’s now accepting research proposals from around the world on topics affecting Ethiopia women internationally.
The annual academic fellowship, which is managed by the Center for the Rights of Ethiopian Women (CREW), “provides short-term financial compensation for those conducting research on girls or women [as well as] community organizations striving to empower or improve the situation of Ethiopian girls and women in Ethiopia,” the announcement said.”
The fellowship was established two years ago to honor the late Ethiopian researcher and activist Dr. Maigenet Shifferraw, who was the founding President of CREW. Describing its guiding principles, MSF’s media statement reads: “First, the experience of Ethiopian women and girls, like in other parts of the world, needs to be researched and documented so that we all can gain some knowledge and serve humanity better. Second, those who strive to protect women and girls’ rights and improve their situation need to be recognized and encouraged.”
CREW states that it encourages applicants to submit their proposal by March 10, 2018.
Gebisa Ejeta is an Ethiopian American plant breeder, geneticist and Professor at Purdue University. In 2009, he won the World Food Prize for his major contributions in the production of sorghum. (Photo: Purdue)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A Purdue University professor has received a $5 million grant to help develop hybrid grain seeds that will resist parasite weeds.
Gebisa Ejeta received the four-year grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Journal and Courier reported. It is the second foundation that has donated to the cause.
“It’s very helpful a grant such as this for the kind of programs that they support in developing countries because it allows us to engage beyond the normal boundaries we operate,” Ejeta said.
Ejeta and his researchers are hoping to expand the knowledge between the parasite weed gene that attacks sorghum. He also hopes young entrepreneurs in developing countries will be mass producing the seeds at the end of the four years.
Ejeta grew up in a one-room thatched hut in Ethiopia and eventually became a professor at Purdue. He developed a hybrid sorghum seed that’s drought-tolerant and resistant to striga, which strips food sources from its nutrients.
Ejeta is credited with helping feed hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa with his work developments.
He also received the 2009 World Food Prize for his work after spending 15 years designing the hybrid seed. The prize is considered the top global honor for scientists and others who have improved the quality and availability of food.
Longtime friends Philipos Mengistu and Daniel Solomon opened Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant on Van Dorn Street near the Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Virginia on Monday. (Photo: Alexandria Times)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
October 8th, 2017
New York (TADIAS) — Philipos Mengistu, owner of the popular NYC restaurant Queen of Sheba, has partnered with his childhood friend Daniel Solomon of Virginia to open Makeda — a new 95-seat Ethiopian restaurant and bar located in Alexandria.
Makeda, which is located at 516 S. Van Dorn St., “features traditional and authentic Ethiopian fare,” notes The Alexandria Times newspaper. “Chef Senait “Mimi” Tedla is running Makeda’s kitchen.” The new menu includes traditional fare alongside Makeda Tibs, Quanta Firfir, Assa Dullet, and Assa Goulash. Extra food options at Makeda include rice and pita bread as well as a kids meal section. “In addition, Makeda will offer gluten-free injera and is working to make sure its menu caters to health-conscious eaters,” says Philipos.
The food news site DC Eater adds: “The plan is to create a vibrant bar scene. The restaurant features a full lineup of beer, wine, and liquors, and plans to offer live music in the evenings.”
Philipos and Daniel have known each other for more than four decades going back to their growing up days in Ethiopia. Solomon has been a resident of Alexandria since the early 90s and looked forward to opening an Ethiopian restaurant with Philipos.
“We opened [Queen of Sheba] to introduce Ethiopian food to New Yorkers and to serve the international community. We’ve loved sharing with family and friends and now we’ve brought that experience to Alexandria,” Philipos tells The Alexandria Times as Makeda opened its doors last week.
Timnit Gebru, a Computer Science PhD Candidate at Stanford University emphasizes inclusion and diversity in the artificial intelligence field. (Photo: Stanford)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: May 22nd, 2017
New York (TADIAS) — Last week Forbes Magazine featured Ethiopian-born Timnit Gebru among 21 incredible women behind artificial intelligence research that’s fueling new discoveries in the field. “You already know that artificial intelligence is transforming virtually every industry and function,” the business publication wrote. “But you might not have met the brilliant AI researchers and technologists driving the edge of innovation.”
Timnit Gebru, who came to the United States when she was 16 years old and is currently a PhD candidate at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, states “my main research interest lies in data mining large scale publicly available images to gain sociological insight, and working on computer vision problems that arise as a result,” adding that her “research is supported by the NSF foundation GRFP fellowship and currently the Stanford DARE fellowship.”
Forbes highlights that Timnit also “actively works to boost diversity and inclusion in the field of AI.” After noticing that she was the only black woman at a major AI conference, she co-founded the social community Black In AI to drive connection and participation in AI research. In addition Timnit returned to Ethiopia to co-teach AddisCoder, a programming bootcamp, to a diverse range of young students and to help them gain admissions into top U.S. colleges.
“This is the most diverse/inclusive classroom I have ever been in,” says Timnit regarding her Ethiopia experience. “All regions of Ethiopia were represented with many religions and at least 10 languages (there were 85 students). There were different income levels ranging from students working as shoe shiners to put themselves through school to kids who went to private middle schools. Some kids had never touched a computer before while others have programmed in Java. But all of them currently understand the basics of recursion, dynamic programming, graphs etc. And they only took this class for one month. I hope to one day see a computer science classroom in the U.S. that is this diverse.”
Forbes notes that “since AI affects all aspects of society, even being used to manipulate elections and identify criminals, Gebru cautions that “AI researchers should not be silent regarding the repercussions of their work. Only when technology creators tend to inclusion will the exponential benefits of artificial intelligence positively impact all.”
Rep. Mike Coffman speaks at St. Mary's Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) festival to celebrate Meskel/Demera on October 1, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo: Flickr/Mike Coffman)
Colorado’s Mike Coffman keeps his House seat in GOP column
Rep. Mike Coffman kept up the apparent Republican winning streak by beating Democratic challenger Morgan Carroll in Colorado’s 7th District on Tuesday night.
With little public polling to speak of, the race between the Coffman and Carroll was widely viewed as a toss-up going into Election Day.
Coffman, who was first elected in 2008, has fought to hold on to the district through his four terms in office. Adaptation seemed to be part of his strategy. After the once-reliably Republican district was redrawn in 2012 to favor Democrats, Coffman took up more moderate causes, supporting the Voting Rights Amendment Act and legislation to curb anti-LGBTQ discrimination. That trend continued into campaign season. He was an early critic of Donald Trump, calling for him to step aside over his vulgar comments about women. And in August, Coffman ran an ad in which a diverse group of supporters said he was “not like other Republicans.”
Carroll contended that Coffman’s evolution was disingenuous and that his previous positions helped pave the way for Trump. She and Democratic supporters accused him of taking a harsh stance against immigration reform and criticized him for questioning President Obama’s citizenship (Coffman later apologized for raising doubts about Obama’s birthplace). Carroll, a lawyer and former Colorado Senate leader, campaigned as a progressive, touting her record of winning bipartisan support for legislation in a divided statehouse.
The race drew attention from high-profile figures in both parties and saw a flood of campaign contributions from outside groups. The Colorado Independent reported that it was the only contest in the country
where Americans for Prosperity, political advocacy group backed by the conservative Koch brothers, was focused on defeating a candidate rather than educating voters.
U.S. Congressman Mike Coffman (center) with Olympic hero Feyisa Lilesa (right) in D.C., Sept. 2016. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Wednesday, October 26th, 2016
New York (TADIAS) – Last month Republican Congressman Mike Coffman of Colorado was one of a few U.S. lawmakers in DC who publicly backed the introduction of a bipartisan resolution “supporting respect for human rights and encouraging inclusive government in Ethiopia.” And this past weekend his Ethiopian constituents of the 6th Congressional District in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area, along with Eritrean and Oromo community associations, held a fundraising dinner at the Aurora Hills Golf Club in support of the GOP Congressman’s re-election efforts.
Ethiopian American businessman Mel Tewahade, who is one of the organizers and a registered Republican, says Congressman Coffman has been a “loyal friend to the Ethiopian community” and the event, which was held on Saturday, October 22nd, was “intended to show our appreciation for his dedication and hardwork.”
Below are photos shared with Tadias Magazine:
Fundraiser for Congressman Mike Coffman at the Aurora Hills Golf Club on Saturday, October 22nd 2016. (Courtesy photo)
(Courtesy photo)
Congressman Mike Coffman speaking during the fundraising dinner at the Aurora Hills Golf Club on Saturday, October 22nd 2016. (Courtesy photo)
Sharon Gray, a UC Davis postdoctoral researcher was killed Tuesday in Ethiopia when the vehicle she was riding in was stoned by protesters, university official said. (Photo: The Sacramento Bee)
The UC Davis postdoctoral researcher who was killed in Ethiopia on Tuesday was described by as a “bright light” who was a hard worker with an appetite for travel, according to a woman identifying herself on Facebook as the victim’s sister.
UC Davis officials said Wednesday that Sharon Gray, 30, died while riding in a vehicle that was stoned by protesters in the outskirts of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. Gray, who worked in the university’s plant biology department, was in the East African nation to attend a meeting related to her research, according to the university.
“My sister was the most exceptional human being anyone of us has ever known. She touched every life she encountered in a positive and beautiful way,” wrote Ruth Gray Wilke in a Facebook post. She added that Gray enjoyed camping and traveling. “My sister took in as much of this world as she could,” she wrote in the Facebook post.
Watch: UC Davis researcher killed in Ethiopia remembered fondly
— American Killed in Ethiopia Identified as UC Davis Researcher Sharon Gray
UC Davis officials said Wednesday that a postdoctoral researcher in the university’s plant biology department was killed Tuesday in Ethiopia when the vehicle she was riding in was stoned by protesters.
Sharon Gray was in the East African nation to attend a meeting related to her research, according to the university.
A UC Davis news release said the circumstances of Gray’s death were unclear. But Andy Fell, a university spokesman, confirmed that Gray was the American woman who was reported killed when stones were hurled at her vehicle on the outskirts of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, on Tuesday.
According to news reports, crowds have attacked other vehicles since a stampede at a weekend protest killed at least 55 people. The protests have centered on land and political rights in Ethiopia.
Another member of the plant biology department who was traveling with Gray was not injured and is headed home, officials said.
University officials said Gray, 31, was attending a meeting to discuss the next steps in a project she was involved in with the Netherlands Institute of Ecology and other charitable organizations.
She had been at UC Davis since 2013, Fell said. He said Gray’s husband is also a university employee.
The U.S. State Department is assisting in returning Gray’s body to her family.
African Sports Federation (ASF) has renamed its annual 5k Race the 'Feyisa Lilesa Heroic Run. (Photo: ASF Facebook)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Sunday, August 28th, 2016
New York (TADIAS) — A Seattle-based African community athletics association has renamed its annual 5k Race the ‘Feyisa Lilesa Heroic Run.’
The African Sports Federation (ASF) announced via social media on Saturday that the organization is dedicating its yearly competition to honor “the act of bravery by Feyisa Lilesa which took place in the Rio Olympics 2016.”
In a Facebook post ASF added: “As he was crossing the finish line of the Men’s Marathon, winning his silver medal he raised his arms over his head, wrists crossed in gesture of solidarity with protestors against the killings of the Oromo people in his home country of Ethiopia. Beyond that he explained he was protesting for people everywhere who have no freedom. That defining moment at the finish line will forever live on as a gesture that defended human dignity on one of the biggest stages in the world.”
Feyisa Lilesa held his arms over his head, wrists crossed, as he finished second at the Olympic marathon on Aug. 21st, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in a gesture of support for protesters in Ethiopia. (Photo: Reuters)
“ASF second annual 5k race will be named after Feyisa Lilesa, the Feyisa Lilesa Heroic Run,” the Sports Federation said. “Not only do we want to display our gratitude to Lilesa but we also want to encourage other athletes to stand up for what they believe in…The Feyisa Lilesa Heroic Race will take place during the championship game of the 2016 Seattle African Cup presented by African Sports Federation,” the announcement said.
A woman was helped aboard an Italian Navy vessel on Sunday at a harbor in southern Italy. So far roughly 41,000 migrants had been rescued at sea this year after leaving Libya. (Photo: Reuters)
Three Days, 700 Deaths on Mediterranean as Migrant Crisis Flares
ROME — The migrant ships kept sinking. First came a battered, blue-decked vessel that flipped over on Wednesday as terrified migrants plunged into the Mediterranean Sea. The next day, a flimsy craft capsized with hundreds of people aboard. And on Friday, still another boat sank into the deceptively placid waters of the Mediterranean.
Three days and three sunken ships are again confronting Europe with the horrors of its refugee crisis, as desperate people trying to reach the Continent keep dying at sea. At least 700 people from the three boats are believed to have drowned, the United Nations refugee agency announced on Sunday, in one of the deadliest weeks in the Mediterranean in recent memory.
The latest drownings — which would push the death toll for the year to more than 2,000 people — are a reminder of the cruel paradox of the Mediterranean calendar: As summer approaches with blue skies, warm weather and tranquil waters prized by tourists, human trafficking along the North African coastline traditionally kicks into a higher gear.
Taking advantage of calm conditions, smugglers in Libya send out more and more migrants toward Italy, often on unseaworthy vessels. Drowning deaths are inevitable, even as Italian Coast Guard and Navy ships race to answer distress calls. Last year, more than 3,700 migrants died in the Mediterranean, a figure that could be surpassed this year.
In a statement on Sunday, the United Nations Children’s Fund said many of the migrants who drowned in the past week were believed to be unaccompanied adolescents.
Members of the Ethiopian Women’s National Football Team (Lucy) and visiting Seattle Reign officials holding a ceremonial jersey exchange at Elilly Hotel in Addis Ababa, Feb 19,2016. (Photo: U.S. Embassy -- Ethiopia)
Press Release
U.S. Embassy
Addis Ababa – The Ethiopian Football Federation and representatives of one of America’s leading professional women’s soccer teams, the Seattle Reign, met today in Addis Ababa and took the first steps in forging a strategic partnership aimed at forging international linkages and strengthening Ethiopian women’s soccer.
Visiting Seattle Reign co-owner Teresa Predmore, and visiting American women players met with Ethiopian Football Federation officials at the Elili hotel to discuss plans for forging a strategic partnership which would link the Ethiopian National team known as the Lucy’s and the U.S. based Seattle Reign. Representatives of the two teams performed a ceremonial jersey exchange to cement their partnership.
During the jersey exchange ceremony, Juneidi Basha, President of the Ethiopia Football Federation, said, “We are happy to work with the U.S. in the area of women’s soccer in order to grow the sport here at home. Ethiopia has a lot to learn from the U.S., which has unrivalled experience in soccer.”
The Seattle Reign FC is an American professional women’s soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. The team plays in the professional National Women’s Soccer League. The Reign finished the 2015 season in first place clinching the NWSL Shield for the second consecutive time. Seattle Reign coach, Laura Harvey was named Coach of the Year for a second consecutive year.
The collaboration is supported by the US Embassy’s public diplomacy sports outreach program which has forged links and implemented programs for thousands of young Ethiopian boys and girls in collaboration with the Ethiopian Football Federation and the Ethiopian Basketball Federation. These programs include the semi-annual Community Outreach Youth (COYS) soccer tournament in Dire Dawa for boys and girls based in Oromia, Dire Dawa and Somali and Harari regions and two basketball clinics in Addis organized in conjunction with visiting stars from the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
“This is great opportunity to expand our sports diplomacy program and engage with young people in Ethiopia,” said David Kennedy, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy. “This strategic partnership is a great example of the possibilities linking Ethiopian and the American institutions and programs.”
Juneidi Basha, President of the Ethiopia Football Federation and Teresa Predmore, owner of the Seattle Reign observing the jersey swap between Emebet Addisu and Lauren Lauren Barnes. (Photo: US Embassy)
Left to Right: Emebet Addisu, Lauren Barnes, Elli Reed and Tsion Seyera (photo: US Embassy – Ethiopia)
Elias Godifay, an Ethiopian immigrant who teaches accounting at North Seattle College, says he hopes that Obama’s upcoming visit to Ethiopia will help people see the country as a trade partner. (Photo by G. Wibneh)
President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Ethiopia in July—the first visit for a sitting U.S. President— is an exciting moment for Ethiopian Americans in Seattle, and gives hope the attention will help erase the negative and outdated stereotypes of the African nation.
“It highlights how Ethiopia has taken the leading role to become a safe place to invest,” said Ezra Teshome, a successful Ethopian American businessman in Seattle.
While the U.S. was one of the most generous countries to Ethiopia in its dismal past, Ethiopians now in the U.S. hope Obama’s historic visit will start a new era of partnership in investment and trading between the two nations.
“It’s exciting to see a sitting president set foot in Ethiopia,” said Teshome, who came to the United States in 1971. “To me, seeing the first African American president visiting Ethiopia is very exciting.”
The White House announced last Friday that POTUS will be visiting Ethiopia in late July. The president plans to visit Ethiopia and the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, according to the announcement. The trip to Ethiopia will follow the president’s visit to Kenya.
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House, June 25, 2015, in Washington, after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld his health care law. (AP photo)
WHITE HOUSE — For President Barack Obama, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Thursday to uphold his signature health care law represents a victory for him and his legacy.
Signing a national health care law that would guarantee coverage for all Americans was a cornerstone of Obama’s bid for the presidency seven years ago. Now the Supreme Court’s ruling means that law has survived yet another challenge.
How the president reacted when he heard the news
President Barack Obama celebrates the Supreme Court ruling on Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, with Chief of Staff Denis McDonough in the Outer Oval Office. June 25, 2015. (Photo by Pete Souza)
“This was a good day for America,” the president remarked, celebrating the court’s upholding of the law – known unofficially as “Obamacare” – in a statement in the White House Rose Garden shortly after the ruling was announced.
“Today, after more than 50 votes in Congress to repeal or weaken this law, after a presidential election based in part on preserving or repealing this law, after multiple challenges to this law before the Supreme Court, the Affordable Care Act is here to stay,” he said.
With many Americans who were previously excluded from health plans because of pre-existing conditions now covered, the president said he believes there can be no doubt the law is working, and described it as part of the fabric of America that can not be undone.
The president sought to counter any remaining opposition from those who see the law as a government overreach and warn of future skyrocketing health care costs, saying the law does not represent a government takeover of health care in the country.
Obama on Thursday offered to work with Republicans to further improve health care, as House Speaker John Boehner warned he would continue efforts to do everything possible to – “put the American people back in charge of their own health care, “and not the federal government.”
How does internet hate speech in the Ethiopian cyberspace affect discourse among Ethiopians worldwide? Researchers at Oxford University are conducting a study to find the answer. (Image: Nerve.com)
Tadias Magazine
News Update
Press release – Oxford University Consulting
Oxford University Consulting is seeking 4 Researcher Consultants and 2 Senior Researcher Consultants for the Project “Online Hate Speech and Elections in Ethiopia.” The study will develop an empirically grounded understanding of the nature of online debates before and after elections, with a specific focus on how different actors engage or fail to engage online in a polarized political environment. The researchers will be responsible for supporting the study and analyzing media content.
The positions will be on a self-employed basis for approximately 15-20 hours per week and initially for 6 months, which may be renewable for a further 6 months. Additional hours may be available depending on experience and the needs of the project.
Junior Researchers will be paid at a rate of £9/hour, Senior Researchers will be paid at a rate of £14/hour.
The candidates should have:
Perfect command of Amharic and English and preferably of another language spoken in Ethiopia (Oromiffa, Tigrigna, Somali);
Familiarity with social science research, with a particular emphasis on content analysis and interview techniques;
Familiarity with the social and political history of Ethiopia;
Proven ability to work independently;
Strong research ethics;
Ability to achieve results timely and under pressure;
A BA degree with a graduate degree strongly preferred;
Senior Researchers are also expected to:
Hold a graduate degree in a social science subject;
Have experience with software for quantitative research;
Prove their ability to supervise a team of researchers and ensure results are provided in a timely matter.
Applications should be sent to Dr. Matti Pohjonen (mp41@soas.ac.uk) and should include:
A curriculum vitae;
A cover letter, indicating the reasons for applying, and whether and to which extent the candidate fulfills the requirements for the position;
The name and the contact details of 2 references (for the position of Researcher) or 3 references (for the position of Senior Researcher);
A writing sample (Up to 2000 words for junior researchers and up to 5000 words for senior researchers. Writing samples can include university papers, sections of master thesis, academic papers, newspapers articles, blog posts).
Applications will be collected on a rolling basis until 24 November 2014 (5 pm GMT), and we strongly encourage applicants to apply before the deadline. Interviews will take place on 27 and 28 November either via Skype or phone or in person in London or Oxford.
Informal queries can be sent to Matti Pohjonen (mp41@soas.ac.uk). Please include either “Researcher” or “Senior Researcher” in the subject line of the email with both the informal queries and the job application.
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Climate-Driven Migration Increasing Disease Burden in Ethiopia
Gondar — When increasingly erratic weather ruined his crops of maize, wheat and barley in highland Maksegni, the middle-aged farmer migrated to Metemma, in northwest Ethiopia, to look for work in the lowland area’s commercial sesame and cotton plantations.
There he picked up more than work. Today the 39-year-old is infected with visceral leismaniasis – a disease commonly called kalaazar – and with HIV.
The father of two, who is being treated at the University of Gondar, is among an estimated 300,000 Ethiopians who migrate to the plantations near the Sudan border every year, looking for new sources of income as their farms struggle.
But as they flee from hunger, they enter into sandfly territory, and bites by the insects spread kalaazar, a parasitic disease that is usually fatal if untreated. The loneliness of being away from family also leaves them vulnerable to HIV, researchers say.
“It is a kalaazar endemic area,” explained Ermias Diro, a researcher at the university’s clinic. “A lot of people travel there to look for work and in the process they get bitten by the sandfly.”
“After working throughout the day in the farmland they rest under a tree where there is shade,” he added. “It is a very hot place and they may not be dressed fully, so they get bitten.”
FAILING CROPS, RISING MIGRATION
Experts have linked more irregular rainfall and crop failures to a rise in migrant workers in Ethiopia. Meteorologists said Maksegnit, in the highlands, should record as much as 1,059 millimeters of rainfall during the peak season, but in the last few years rainfall has been as low as 317 millimeters.
That has led to a decline in staple crop farming, while cash crop farming in the lowlands pulls the struggling poor from the highlands, and toward new health threats.
WYLIE — Almaz Gebremedhin has been missing now for five days. The 42-year-old mother of two of Ethiopian descent was last seen leaving for work last Thursday.
Sisay Zelelew is hoping for any news that points to where his wife is.
“Every minute, every second, every hour… it’s just like being in the dark,” Zelelew said.
Gebremedhin left for work Thursday morning, but her employer told Zelelew that she didn’t show up there. She also didn’t pick up her two kids from school later that day.
“I don’t how I’m going to handle it without her. I don’t know…I don’t know,” the forlorn father said, standing next to his two young children.
Gebremedhin is a nurse’s assistant, and she works three miles from her home. Zelelew and the Ethiopian community have looked everywhere along that route.
“We don’t get reports like this often,” said Wylie Police Department spokesperson Nuria Arroyo. The department was notified about the disappearance on Thursday afternoon.
“We’ve been looking for her or her vehicle everywhere we can think of, and we have not located either,” Arroyo said. Police are hoping for more tips from the public.
SEATTLE — Authorities have identified the two men who drowned in Seattle’s Green Lake as 23-year old Abenezer Getachew of Snohomish County and 21-year old Euel Desta of Shoreline. Both men were students at Shoreline Community College, according to a spokesman there.
Desta was studying engineering and loved sports, friends said Monday. He moved from Ethiopia to the United States as a child to live with his grandmother, who “wanted to give him a better life.”
“It was just devastating. It was just heartbreaking to hear her (react to the news),” said Amina Shah, who has known Desta for about eight years. “”Even though I couldn’t understand her, I knew that there was pain her voice. It just broke my heart.”
Desta and Getachew were playing soccer with friends at Green Lake Thursday night when they decided to go for a swim, police said. The men were last seen chasing after a ball on the east side of the lake before struggling to stay afloat and disappearing under the surface.
By Kevin Hamlin, Ilya Gridneff and William Davison
July 22, 2014
Ethiopian workers strolling through the parking lot of Huajian Shoes’ factory outside Addis Ababa last month chose the wrong day to leave their shirts untucked.
Company President Zhang Huarong, just arrived on a visit from China, spotted them through the window, sprang up and ran outside. The former People’s Liberation Army soldier harangued them loudly in Chinese, tugging at one man’s aqua polo shirt and forcing another’s shirt into his pants. Nonplussed, the workers stood silently until the eruption subsided.
Shaping up a handful of employees is one small part of Zhang’s quest to profit from Huajian’s factory wages of about $40 a month -– less than 10 percent the level in China.
Washington, D.C. (TADIAS) — In a recent response to an online Q&A with Ethiopian American Council (EAC) – after applying for the organization’s endorsement – Tom Hucker, a candidate for Montgomery County Council District 5 seat, said he strongly supports the establishment of a center that is dedicated to the Ethiopian community in Maryland.
“Preserving each culture’s history and heritage is a continual challenge in our diverse area and our rapidly changing society,” Hucker said. “I would support the use of County capital funds for such a museum and cultural center, and I would be happy to organize state lawmakers to support state bond funding as well.” He added: “I think the State of Maryland would be likely to support this project in our capital budget.”
The candidate also pointed out that he was an “original co-sponsor” and vocal advocate of the Maryland DREAM Act to allow all Maryland students to attend state colleges and universities at in-state tuition rates regardless of their status.
Mr. Hucker, 47, is currently a second-term member of Maryland’s House of Delegates from District 20 (representing, among other areas, Takoma Park and Silver Spring). Tadias Magazine has learned that EAC has decided to back Mr. Hucker in the upcoming Democratic primary after receiving “satisfactory answers” on various issues of interest to Ethiopian Americans.
“Our federal immigration system is a disaster,” Hucker noted, emphasizing the need for a national solution “It causes tremendous hardships for families and is a drag on the U.S. economy. I fully support efforts to move undocumented immigrants to citizenship as quickly as possible, to make their families whole, to allow them to access critical services, and to encourage them to contribute towards income taxes, social security, and other parts of our social safety net.”
He was asked to share his ideas on how to increase voter participation among Ethiopian residents of the state. “I would like to solicit the input of community leaders regarding what they think would be effective strategies to increase voter participation,” he answered. “But personally, I think we should identify issues of particular interest to community members, develop positions on those issues, print materials and lawn signs in Amharic as well as English, distribute them in restaurants, groceries, coffee shops, and other community businesses, work with other community media such as newspapers to encourage voting, and organize a social event to attract community members at a restaurant a few blocks from the early voting poll at the Silver Spring Civic Building, hold it on one of the evenings during the early voting period June 12-19, and escort voters from the party to the polling place to vote.”
Hucker is the third candidate that EAC has supported this election season, including Sam Liccardo, who is running for Mayor of San Jose, California, and Isiah “Ike” Leggett, the incumbent Executive of Montgomery County who is seeking re-election.
Mr. Hucker has also received endorsements from Montgomery County’s chapter of the National Organization for Women, the Hispanic Democratic Club, the Green Democrats, the AFL-CIO, and former NAACP CEO and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Kweisi Mfume.
— You can learn more about the candidate at tomhucker.com.
'Little Ethiopia of the Pacific Northwest' by Joseph W. Scott and Solomon A. Getahun. (Photos: Transaction Publishers)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Wednesday, April 10th, 2014
New York (TADIAS) — Authors Joseph W. Scott, a professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Washington, and Solomon A. Getahun, professor of history at Central Michigan University, feature the Ethiopian community in Seattle in their book entitled Little Ethiopia of the Pacific Northwest, which was published last year.
The book’s description by the publisher (Transaction Publishers) highlights that the Ethiopian “community began with approximately two dozen college students who came to the city during the Ethiopian revolution of 1974. These sojourning students earned college and university degrees, but were unable to return home to use them to modernize the developing nation. These stranded students became pioneers who built a micro-community in inner-city Seattle. Providing background with an analysis of Seattle’s geographic, demographic, social, and economic challenges, this volume studies the students who became asylum seekers; their falls in position, power, prestige; and the income of these elite and non-elite settlers. The authors analyze examples of those who became entrepreneurs and the ingenuity and determination they employed to start successful businesses. The authors examine the challenges imposed on them by a school system that assigned their children to grade levels according to age rather than knowledge. They explore how the American welfare system worked in practice and explain how and why Ethiopians die young in Seattle. This fascinating study will be of interest to sociologists, ethnographers, and regional analysts.”
Professor Getahun is the author of two additional books entitled The History of the City of Gondar and The History of Ethiopian Immigrants and Refugees in America. Professor Scott is the author of The Black Revolts.
Dr. Segenet Kelemu, head of the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi, Kenya, is winner of the 2014 L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Award for Women in Science. (Women's Daily Wear/UNESCO)
Ethiopian scientist Segenet Kelemu is working to improve the resistance and productivity of forage grasses, which are used to feed the animals (and so to produce milk and meat). Born in a rural village and defying strong cultural norms, she managed to have an international career and return to Africa where she shared her much needed knowledge.
The main food source for much of the world’s livestock, forage grasses are vitally important to meeting the increasing demand for meat and milk. Dr. Segenet Kelemu has been recognized for her research on how microbes living in symbiosis with these grasses influence their health, their capacity to adapt to environmental stress and their ability to resist disease.
Dr. Yared Tekabe in his office at Columbia University's William Black building in New York. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Tuesday, February 11th, 2014
New York (TADIAS) — Dr. Yared Tekabe, a research scientist at Columbia University, has been working on groundbreaking non-invasive detection of heart diseases such as atherosclerosis — the building up of plaque in your arteries — which can lead to heart attack or stroke. After developing a tracer that could show the presence of a receptor called RAGE in areas where tissues were inflamed, Tekabe and his colleagues have now moved from detection and diagnostics to applying anti-RAGE antibodies for therapeutic purposes.
“Until now we were focusing on early diagnosis of heart diseases using our anti-RAGE antibody to detect diseases such as atherosclerosis and cardiomyopathy — a condition where muscle tissue of the heart becomes enlarged or rigid leading to irregular heartbeat or heart failure,” says Tekabe in a recent interview with Tadias. “At the time we didn’t realize the therapeutic potential for the antibody.”
Now anti-RAGE antibodies have become a game-changer as RAGE has been implicated in up to 12 diseases including diabetes, cancer, metabolic disorders and chronic inflammation.
Tekabe initially sent anti-RAGE antibody to his former advisor at Northeastern University who conducts research on human cancer cells and asked him to study the effect of the antibody on human tissue culture. His advisor had used three cell lines including those for human prostate cancer, sensitive ovarian cancer, and multi-drug resistant ovarian cancer.
“One of the problems in cancer treatment is that there is drug resistance, and we wanted to use the antibody on these cells. We found that 70% of the multi-drug resistant ovarian cancer cells died!” Yared exclaims. “So the antibody has brought really good results. If you ask what is the next step, I would say that we would like to study its therapeutic possibility on animal models.”
Another primary study conducted by Tekabe using anti-RAGE antibody focuses on complications of late stage diabetes such as ischemia. “In individuals that have diabetes they often undergo hand and leg amputations due to poor blood circulation,” Tekabe explains. “So what I did was to make mice have high blood glucose and induce diabetes and ligated or bound their femoral artery to restrict circulation.” The mice were then treated with anti-RAGE antibody and compared to a control group that didn’t receive the antibody treatment. Tekabe and his colleagues were surprised to find that the treated mice showed new blood vessels were forming in their hindlimb. In effect the ischemia caused by late stage diabetes was being reversed.
“We looked to see if this antibody treatment also reversed the high blood glucose level or affected body weight of the diabetic mice, but we didn’t find any significant changes in these two factors,” Tekabe adds. However, the formation of new blood vessels is a significant finding that points to the possible therapeutic use of the antibody for human diabetic patients, a promising therapy for those who may otherwise have to undergo amputations.
Tekabe’s research was recently published in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. “Moving forward we hope to continue the research and advance to human diabetic treatment, after humanizing the antibody first” he says. “We are also looking at possible therapeutic uses of the antibody for other conditions including kidney failure and heart failure, which are also often diagnosed in late stage diabetic patients.”
I once convinced a Tunisian guard I was Tunisian to avoid a foreigner’s fee at a museum. All it took was sunglasses to hide my hazel eyes and a Tunisian friend to, eh, explain that I was deaf.
In Cambodia, I put my brown arm up to a dark-skinned girl’s arm when she obsessed over my friends’ lighter skin because she believed white American skin was ideal. When she noticed our similar skin tones, it put her more at ease — that is until she discovered my unusual poufy hair.
So going to Ethiopia, my father’s home, should be easy, I told myself in January before I embarked on a three-week father-daughter trip. I’m quick to find common ground no matter where I am, and these people are half my heritage.
Accordingly, half of everyone I interacted with assumed I spoke Amharic, the official language, or Tigrinya, my father’s language. The other half could tell a mile away that I was American. It must have been my marvel-glazed eyes.
All I had imagined about Ethiopia was coming to life, and I’d been imagining for a long time: the mountains, the food, the ancient rock-hewn churches and, of course, the coffee — Ethiopia’s gift to the world.
I also often wondered about my father’s only sister and her nine children. I had only overheard her and my father talk in the familiar tones of Tigrinya some nights when she happened to travel from their rural birthplace of Adeba to somewhere with a phone.
They didn’t see eye to eye on everything, but on one pivotal moment the playwright, Tanya Barfield, and her lead actress, Kerry Butler, agreed: When Ms. Butler’s character finally receives the photo of the child she hopes to adopt, the scene needed to be extended for a beat, or two, or three.
“It’s weird how you can even fall in love with a photograph and start showing it around or just start looking at it dozens of times in a day,” Ms. Butler said. Both women were intimately familiar with the issues — race and parenthood — raised by Ms. Barfield’s new drama, “The Call,” which depicts a white couple mulling whether to adopt a child from Africa. Ms. Barfield’s son and daughter were adopted from Ethiopia, as were Ms. Butler’s two daughters, the youngest of whom arrived last summer.
Lemma W. Senbet, the William E. Mayer Chair Professor of Finance at the University of Maryland, College Park has been appointed Executive Director of the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC).
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Monday, August 13, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – Professor Lemma W. Senbet, an internationally recognized leader in finance studies, has been appointed as the new head of the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) – a Kenya-based non-profit organization that conducts independent research concerning the management of economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Lemma currently teaches at the University of Maryland, College Park where he also chaired the Finance Department at the Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Dr. Lemma was selected for the AERC position after a worldwide search. Speaking to Tadias about the agency Dr. Lemma stated, “This is an organization which has already achieved immense success in building capacity for research and training to inform economic policies in Africa,” noting that his appointment as the Executive Director of AERC comes at a time when a number of countries in the region are enjoying strong economic growth.
“My goal is to lead it to move to the next level of excellence, and I will be embarking on strategies for full global integration of the AERC and its visibility beyond Africa as an organization that is at the cutting edge of best policy research practices,” Professor Lemma said. “It is also my purpose to aggressively work on enhancing diversity of global partnership beyond the current generous partners, including the UK development agency, World Bank, Rockefeller Foundation, Gates Foundation, Nordic countries, etc.” He added: “It is important that we scale up the partnership of African institutions as well as the private sector engaged at the interface of private and public policy issues, such as governance, risk management, and financial regulation.”
Professor Lemma noted that he hopes to emphasize research and finding ways of delivering measurable and credible results for those managing the content’s financial system. “In the ultimate, the purpose is to build capacity to do rigorous research and provide training to impact economic policies which help sustain, and even accelerate, the current economic growth momentum in Africa,” he said.
On a personal level Dr. Lemma said he feels honored that after an extensive international search, the AERC board has chosen him to serve as Executive Director. “I feel privileged that I am invited to head this premier policy research organization with global reach at this important juncture in the continent,” he said. “I cannot ask for better timing.”
Professor Lemma will take a leave from his academic position and relocate to Nairobi in Summer 2013.
In a profile highlight that appeared in this magazine in 2004, the Ethiopian native had shared with us then that as a young man he gave up his aspirations of becoming an engineer after hearing news of the opening of a new business school at Addis Ababa University. He enrolled at the business school and graduated with top honors. He went on to acquire a Masters in Business Administration from University of California, Los Angeles, and a PhD in International Finance from State University of New York in Buffalo.
Prior to joining the University of Maryland, he taught at University of Wisconsin, Madison, and was a visiting professor at Northwestern University, University of California, Berkeley, and New York University.
Since then, Professor Lemma has advised the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations, and several other agencies in areas relating to corporate finance, capital market development, financial sector reforms and banking regulation. He has also served as Director of the American Finance Association as well as President of the Western Finance Association. Over the years, Dr. Lemma has sat on the editorial boards of prestigious peer-reviewed publications, including the Journal of Finance, Financial Management, and the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis.
More recently, he was recognized by the Society of Ethiopians Established in the Diaspora (SEED) as a distinguished scholar, teacher and role-model. And he is also a recipient of an honorary doctor of letters from Addis Ababa University, his alma mater.
Regarding his new job, Professor Lemma said he feels positive returning to Africa at this time in history. “Yes, Sub-Saharan African countries have been in what amounts to growth renaissance over the last five to six years,” he said. “The growth momentum has been in the same proportion of the Asian Tigers in the 1990s. Just today (August 9), The New York Times reported that seven of the world’s ten fastest growing economies are now domiciled in Africa.” He continued: “This just reinforces other recent stories, including the highly acclaimed cover story “The Hopeful Continent: Africa Rising” in the Economist (December 2011).”
“Is it sustainable?” we asked.
“That is the big question, “Professor Lemma answered. “On the optimistic side, it should be recognized that the recent dramatic gains are not accidental. They are payoffs to two decades of genuine economic and financial sector reforms, including large scale privatization programs and empowerment of private initiative, as well as improved economic governance.” He added: “Moreover, advances in technology and Africa’s increased integration into the global economy have fueled the development. Of course, at the center of that is human capital development which is an outcome of capacity building. Thus, on the positive, there are powerful forces that help sustain, and even accelerate the recent gains, and I am pleased that AERC will play a central role in the capacity building front. However, there are threats, particularly the ongoing Euro crisis, given that Europe remains a major trading partner to Africa. The Euro crisis could also affect Africa indirectly through the adverse impact on other trading partners, particularly China which is now the key player in Africa.”
Speaking of the “the Euro crisis”, what are Professor Lemma’s thoughts on the overall global financial crisis and how it may continue to affect African countries?
“Africa surprisingly weathered global crisis better than most regions of the globe in part because most countries have not been fully integrated into the global financial economy,” he said. “Those which were experienced immediate declines in stock market performance as well as trade flows, South Africa being among them.”
Professor Lemma, however, cautioned that things have stabilized and African economies are back in a growth trajectory. “It should be recognized that Africa is not monolithic but a continent of 55 countries with substantial variation in policies, governance, and reform pace, etc., and the global effects are not uniform,” he said. “The resilience to the global crisis is now overshadowed by the current crisis in Europe, and it is in the best interest of Africa (also the world at large) that the crisis be resolved soon.”
—- Related: Senbet to Head Top African Economic Development Research Organization
Ethiopians long-ago genetic mixing with populations from Israel and Egypt is a legacy of the Queen of Sheba and her companions, say researchers. (Photo: Painting of the Queen of Sheba - The National Museum, Addis Ababa)
The Queen of Sheba’s genetic legacy may live on in Ethiopia, according to new research that finds evidence of long-ago genetic mixing between Ethiopian populations and Syrian and Israeli people.
The Queen of Sheba, known in Ethiopia as Makeda, is mentioned in both the Bible and the Quran. The Bible discusses diplomatic relations between this monarch and King Solomon of Israel, but Ethiopian tradition holds that their relationship went deeper: Makeda’s son, Menelik I, the first emperor of Ethiopia, is said to be Solomon’s offspring.
The story tells one young Ethiopian's odyssey through Libya while trying to get to Lampedusa, a small island off the coast of Italy. Lampedusa is the entry point for thousands of migrants from East Africa and other parts of the Middle East and Africa. Dagmawi Yimer's story serves as an example of what is continuing to happen and getting progressively worse. (Photo courtesy of Maaza Mengiste)
There is a Madonna at the bottom of the crystalline waters off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy, standing guard near a gap where two rocks curve in an unfinished embrace. Dead leaves and fish float above her like drifting feathers, shimmering in the swatch of sunlight that drapes across the mossy cement foundation where she rests. She is alone except for the child she holds, a hand protectively across his chest. She is called Madonna di Porto Salvo and she is the protector of the island, the saint that watches over all those who cross her turquoise waters and comforts those who do not make it to land.
The island of Lampedusa was once known as a quiet holiday getaway, the place to go for tranquil rest on a lovely beach. Geographically, Lampedusa is closer to Tunisia (113 kilometres) than it is to Sicily (205 kilometres) and it is 295 kilometres from Tripoli. Since the early 1980s, migrants from Africa and the Middle East have used the island as an entry point to Europe, paying hundreds ofShe is called Madonna di Porto Salvo [. . . ] the saint that watches over all those who cross her turquoise waters and comforts those who do not make it to land. dollars to make the dangerous journey on fragile, overcrowded boats. The numbers have steadily increased over the last decades, and the onset of the Arab Spring has brought an overwhelming spike in those figures. The day I arrived on Lampedusa to learn more about its history with migration, there was a ceremony to commemorate migrants who had drowned trying to reach the island. Italian Coast Guard divers secured a wooden cross and a bouquet of flowers at the feet of the Madonna di Porto Salvo, their breaths bubbling through the Mediterranean Sea like shards of glass. Soon after the ceremony was finished, I learned that by chance, there was a boat arriving that day from Libya; their slow, perilous approach detected by the Coast Guard.
A few hours later, I stood at the edge of the coastline, watching as the boat full of men, women and children arrived. Around me were journalists and photographers, members of the Italian Red Cross and other humanitarian aid organizations. There were also residents of the island grimly observing this latest spectacle. They stared, resentment tinged with disinterest, at these dark-skinned foreigners stepping gingerly, shakily, on to Italian soil. It was hard for me to watch with the same detachment. I looked for Ethiopian and Eritrean faces instead, waving at all those who waved at me, trying to smile as some form of encouragement before they were whisked away to begin the tortuous task of establishing their right to be in the place they risked everything – including their lives – to reach. It was difficult to imagine what they would face, but nearly impossible to comprehend the many roads they had taken to arrive at this point. I thought of my friend in Rome, Dagmawi Yimer, who tells his story freely, but cannot seem to speak it without a subdued voice, as if the terror has left a permanent scar.
Read more.
— Below is a YouTube version of his documentary, part in Italian, part in Amharic.
Dr. Yared Tekabe runs studies in cardiovascular disease detection and prevention at Columbia University. (Photo: Tekabe at his office at William Black building in upper Manhattan - Courtesy photograph)
Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn
Published: Wednesday, January 25, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – In Spring 2009, we featured Dr. Yared Tekabe’s groundbreaking work on non-invasive atherosclerosis detection and molecular imaging, which was published in the American Heart Association´s journal, Circulation. As in most chronic heart disease conditions, the plaque that accumulates in blood vessels is usually not detected until it leads to serious, and often fatal, blockages of blood supply such as during an episode of heart attack or stroke. Having received a $1.6 million grant from the National Institute of Health Tekabe’s research focused on the use of novel molecular imaging techniques to identify sites of inflammation that can help us with early detection of atherosclerosis.
In 2010, his work was highlighted in Osborn & Jaffer’s review entitled “The Year in Molecular Imaging,” noting that Tekabe and colleagues had developed a tracer that imaged RAGE — a receptor for advanced glycation end products, which is implicated in a host of inflammation-related diseases including artherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes and alzheimer’s. Tekabe’s group, along with his colleague Dr. Ann Marie Schmidt, holds a patent for this RAGE-directed imaging technology.
Tekabe’s lab also used similar imaging technology to detect RAGE in mouse models who had artifically-induced ischemia (restriction of blood supply) in their left anterior descending coronary artery, which is the main supplier of blood to the left ventricle. When blood supply is restored (reperfusion), the sudden change may also cause further inflammation and tissue damage from impact. By being able to trace RAGE and pathways of inflammation using molecular imaging techniques, Tekabe has demonstrated that the highest RAGE expressing cells were the injured heart muscle cells undergoing programmed cell death.
Tekabe’s research in myocardial ischemic/reperfusion injury showed that RAGE could be traced in areas of inflammation in a non-invasive manner in live mouse subjects. The findings were presented at the 2011 World Molecular Imaging Congress scientific session, and was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in January 2012. An editorial entitled ‘Visualizing the RAGE: Molecular Imaging After MI Provides Insight Into a Complex Receptor” accompanied Tekabe’s article, and emphasized that Tekabe’s research “continues to provide a solid foundation and proof of concept” that non-invasive imaging of RAGE following induced myocardial ischemia “is feasible” in live subjects.
Tekabe’s findings also have important implications for future antibody therapy formulations that can be used to treat RAGE-related chronic conditions. Tekabe hopes to translate his studies on mouse models to larger mammals and eventually to humans. Molecular imaging studies such as the one Tekabe has undertaken are critical in prevention of chronic cardiac conditions and could potentially decrease the number of sudden deaths from heart attack as it may allow physicians to make early and life-saving diagnoses.
When asked if there was anything else that he’d like to share with our readers, Dr. Tekabe replied, “Oh yes, since childhood, apart from my research, I’ve always wanted to involve myself in an Ethiopian movie, acting as the main character. Like in a love story. I hope to do this someday.”
— Related: Yared Tekabe’s Groundbreaking Research in Heart Disease (TADIAS – March 17th, 2009)
"No one was injured, but the crash displaced several church elders who live above the church. The Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents while investigators determine whether the building sustained any structural damage." (KOMO News)
SEATTLE — The search is on for the driver who crashed into a church, then fled the scene.
The crash, which occurred just before 2 a.m., [Tuesday, October 25th] destroyed the stage inside Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church, and left a large gaping hole on the side of the building.
Firefighters said the driver abandoned his car and ran from the scene in the 2100 block of 14th Ave. S. before police arrived.
A description of the sought driver was not available.
Watch:
Miss Africa USA Making Progress in Its Search for Miss Ethiopia
Leila Lopes of Angola was crowned Miss Universe 2011 at the Pageant's 60th anniversary ceremony in Sao Paolo, Brazil, on Monday, September 12th. (fashiontrendsstore.com)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Tuesday, September 20, 2011
New York (TADIAS) – In a recent interview with Tadias Magazine Lady Kate Njeuma, CEO and Founder of Miss Africa USA, said her organization is making progress in its search for Miss Ethiopia to particpate in the upcoming annual competition.
The Miss Africa USA Pageant had reached out to Tadias last month saying that Ethiopian-Americans remained unrepresented as the group prepares to crown the 2011 Queen in November.
Ms. Njeuma said that has now changed: “We have been overwhelmed with responses from the community,” she said. “We are now at the point of finalizing our search to endorse one candidate to represent Ethiopia this year. We hope that after the interviews and selection process, our choice will be a good representative for Ethiopia.”
Regarding her reflections on the 25-year-old Leila Lopes of Angola, winner of the coveted Miss Universe prize, Ms. Njeuma said: It is very encouraging indeed for an African woman to win the Miss Universe Pageant. The first African woman to win was Miss Botswana in 1999, so Leila is the second in the pageant’s 60 year history. I think Africa has got to the point where people are not only seeing the negative things but they are realizing that Africa is very gifted.”
Leila Lopes, was among contestants hailing from 89 nations at the 60th anniversary of the beauty contest held in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011. Lopes dazzled the judges with her sharp replies to their questions. Asked what she would change to improve her appearance, Leila replied, “Nothing, I’m satisfied with what God has given me,” adding that “I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty. I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family, and I intend to follow these for the rest of my life.”
“Leila is such a beauty and she has the heart of an angel,” Ms. Njeuma said. “she has been involved in humanitarian work even before she won Miss Universe and has promised that with her crown she will do even more. She has made Africa proud and we are very proud of her too.”
Below is Lady Kate Njeuma’s recent interview with Voice of America on the same subject:
Watch: Voice of America’s Ndimyake Mwakalyelye spoke with Lady Kate Njeuma
Watch: Leila Lopes is crowned Miss Universe 2011 in Sao Paulo, Brazil – September 12th
Fifi Soumah of the Republic of Guinea was the winner of last year's Miss Africa USA crown. (H Greaves Photography)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Thursday, September 8, 2011
New York (TADIAS) – Organizers of the Miss Africa USA pageant say that Ethiopia remains unrepresented as they prepare to crown the 2011 Queen at their annual event in Silver Spring, Maryland in November.
“Right now we are still searching for a candidate to represent Ethiopia,” Constance Nkwantah, Communications Director of the pageant, told Tadias Magazine.
According to Ms. Nkwantah the scholarship pageant is open to delegates from all 54 countries. Past winners have gone on to join forces with Habitat for Humanity, Concern USA, as well as Russell Simmons’s Diamond Empowerment Fund, to help raise money for various causes benefiting communities in Africa and the United States.
Below is our recent interview with Constance Nkwantah:
Tadias: Please tell us a bit about the Miss Africa USA Pageant. When was it launched and what is the objective?
Constance Nkwantah: Miss Africa USA Pageant is a Scholarship and Beauty Pageant and our mission is to empower young girls as Goodwill Ambassadors promoting positive causes in their home countries and the world. It showcases African cultures and diversity, bringing together all African nations in a grand celebration.
Tadias: How many African countries are represented at the upcoming contest?
CN: Our closing date is Sept 30th and the competition is open to all 54 countries. We are looking at up to 25 countries for the 2011 Pageant.
Tadias: Is Ethiopia one of them?
CN: Right now we are still searching for a candidate to represent Ethiopia. Ethiopia has very beautiful and intelligent women and it will be great to have a representation. Last year Ethiopia was well represented and we hope this year will not be different. We encourage all ambitious and dynamic young women aged between 18 and 30 to participate. We are still accepting applicants up until Sept 30th.
Tadias: How do you select the girls? What is the criteria to participate?
CN: Our selection is done via an application process, then we audition the girls and carry out interviews for each country in order to make a final selection.
Tadias: How do you answer critics who say that beauty pageants are demeaning to women?
CN: Miss Africa USA Pageant has never received such a criticism because we focus on the substance of a woman rather than the physical appearance of a woman or her sexuality. The Miss Africa USA Pageant preserves the African culture and therefore we do not have bathing suits as a segment of the competition which is what draws criticism. Rather, we focus on leadership skills and talent. Our Queen has huge responsibilities.
Finalists at the 2010 Miss Africa USA Pageant. (Photo credit: H Greaves Photography)
Some of the contestants at the 2010 Miss Africa USA Pageant. (By H Greaves Photography)
Sofia Bushen (L) was a finalist representing Ethiopia at the 2010 Miss Africa USA contest, held July 24, 2010 in Silver Spring, MD. (Photo: H Greaves Photography)
Tadias: What are the challenges you face as a pageant organization?
CN: Over the last couple of years, it has been difficult to get new sponsorships so a lot of the financial commitments are met by personal sacrifice. We appeal each year for sponsors to keep the pageant going and will continue to do so. We are grateful to Western Union and our presenting sponsors who have been there over the years. We hope to win back MoneyGram this year and other corporate sponsors. The pageant is very costly to produce and we need the support of the community.
Tadias: Could you share with us some success stories of pass winners of Miss Africa USA Pageant or other participants?
CN: Our focus is on promoting goodwill. The current Queen Fifi Soumah from the Republic of Guinea is right now in Guinea to launch her Foundation called TEARS AWAY. She is focused on promoting education of young girls. The United Nations statistics show that 81% of girls in Guinea cannot read and write. Miss Africa USA Fifi Soumah has established a scholarship program to help these young girls go back to school and get an education. She herself is a student at Montgomery College in Maryland. And In 2008 Miss Mfonobong Essiet of Nigeria completed her medical project where she donated a 40ft container of medical equipment and supplies to five different hospitals in her country. It was a very successful project. She is currently a medical student studying to be a Cardiac Surgeon.
Tadias: What should people expect at 2011 MISS Africa USA Pageant?
CN: The 2011 pageant is full of excitement. On the 12th of November we are having the African Banquet at the Hilton Hotel in Silver Spring Maryland. We have invited members of the African Diplomatic Core, community leaders and our sponsors and VIPs to be our guests at the official opening of the pageant. Finalists will be presenting their platform projects. The following day at the same loaction, we will host the final competition and a coronation ceremony. It’s a red carpet affair showcasing the culture, beauty and diversity of Africa. The entire family can attend.
Tadias: Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?
CN: We are asking the community to come out and support the 2011 finalists who are representing Africa. We thank Tadias for the opportunity to reach out to the Ethiopian American community.
Tadias: One more thing, we understand that you’ve partnered with Nollywood Critics to present The 2011 NAFCA: “The African Oscar.” Can you tell us more about it?
CN: The awards is open to African Film Makers and the executive producer Dr. Victor Adeyemi is very open to collaborate with film makers from all over the continent. I would encouarage all film makers and actors who are interested in participating to contact us for more information.
Tadias: Thank you.
— If You Go: The 2011 Pageant is slated for Sunday November 13th from 5pm – 11pm. Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door. Tickets start selling on Friday, September 9th via the website www.missafricaunitedstates.com. The African Banquet takes place on Sat Nov 12 and tickets are $100 each. Both events will take place at the Hilton Hotel 8272 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD. Free parking is available.
— Watch: Miss Africa USA 2010 Introduction Dance (Video courtesy of Miss Africa USA)
Seattle Community Center Tries to Bring Together Ethiopians Split by Politics
Seattle, the largest city in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, is also home to a growing and vibrant Ethiopian American population that is often divided by ethnic politics. But the city's community association is seeking to find common-ground to bring people together. (Photos from ECMA gallery)
Voice of America
Ethnic Politics Split US Ethiopians Community Center tries to bring them together
By Anna Boiko-Weyrauch | Seattle, Washington
August 09, 2011
America’s Ethiopian community has grown quickly since the 1980s and one of its hubs is the northwestern state of Washington. Yet, even though they live a half world away from Ethiopia, these immigrants are still influenced by politics back home.
Differences
In the middle of Seattle, a group of Ethiopian immigrants plays dominos at a community center for the city’s Tigray immigrants – one of the many ethnic groups from Ethiopia.
Many people come to hang out at the lively place which has a bar inside. Similar community centers for other East African ethnic groups are practically within walking distance of each other.
Washington State’s Ethiopian community is vibrant and growing, with anywhere from 10,000-40,000 people. No one knows exactly how many, since many don’t participate in census counts or don’t report their ancestry.
But the population is diverse, mirroring the variety of ethnicities, languages, religions and divisions in their homeland.
“Those social divisions sometimes also translate to political divisions because if you belong to a certain ethnic group you are automatically perceived or in reality you support a certain political ideology or grouping,” says Shakespear Feyissa, who came to America as teenager and is now a lawyer in Seattle.
According to Feyissa, at its worst, ethnic and political differences turn into economic discrimination against fellow Ethiopians.
“You could see people lobbying each other, saying, ‘Don’t go to this certain business because he belongs to certain political group or political party,’ or they say, ‘Don’t go to this business because he either opposes or supports the government.’”
Feyissa opposes the government of Meles Zenawi, who led a rebel takeover of the country 20 years ago, and says he’s lost Ethiopian clients because of it.
“It is difficult for me personally, sometimes. Because I would hear certain ethnicity or certain groups saying, ‘Oh don’t go to him, he doesn’t like certain groups’, just because of my strong political conviction, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
The divisions are hard for people who support the Ethiopian government, too. Mekonnen Kassa works for Microsoft in a Seattle suburb while also heading a pro-government group in his spare time.
“I travel to Ethiopia and meet with the political party leaders,” says Kassa. “And my group also invites government officials to come to the U.S. and meet with Ethiopians here.”
His political involvement has had personal consequences. One time, a stranger who saw him in a restaurant called him selfish – accusing Kassa of supporting the Ethiopian government for personal gain – and told him to leave.
“And at that point I got upset, and we got into a very heated argument, almost very close to a fist fight,” says Kassa. “And those couple of guys who knew me that were at the restaurant had to drag me out of the restaurant.”
Since then, Kassa keeps to himself.
Coming together
Many people recognize that division is a problem within Washington state’s Ethiopian community, and at least one group is trying to move beyond it.
At a summer camp, young Ethiopian-Americans learn Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia. The program is run by the Ethiopian Community Center in Seattle. Even though there are community centers for different ethnic groups, the leaders here want to put ethnicity aside, and bring all Ethiopians together as Ethiopians.
“That is the first thing, and when people come here, we want them to feel that this is their home. This is their place equally,” says Mulumebet Retta, who heads the center. “What we are trying to do here is whether you are an Amhara, an Oromo, Tigrey, Guragi, Gambella, whatever ethnic group you are, you are an Ethiopian.”
Retta’s group supports Ethiopian immigrants by connecting them with social services. The center staff works to solve problems which affect everyone in the community, whether it’s taking care of their elders or educating their children.
Seattle lawyer Feyissa believes it’s up to the next generation of Ethiopian-Americans to look beyond ethnic politics.
“The most important things for them, is not belonging to a certain ethnicity, but being Ethiopian, being immigrant,” he says. “So I see hope in that regard.”
— Click here to listen to Boiko-Weyrauch’s Audio Report
Sean John on Spur Tree And His Affinity for Ethiopia
Above:Sean John, owner of the New York restaurant and
lounge Spur Tree, talks with us about his love for Ethiopia.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Saturday, April 2, 2011
New York (Tadias) – Jamaican-born entrepreneur Sean John is the owner of Spur Tree Lounge, located in Lower East Side Manhattan. The hip and popular eatery, which was recently selected by MACY’s Culinary Council as one of NYC’s hottest restaurants, is frequented by tourists and New Yorkers alike, including Ethiopians whose country inspired the establishment’s logo. The menu combines Jamaican and Asian cuisine. But, the moment you walk into the restaurant, there is no mistaking Spur Tree’s subtle connection to Ethiopia.
In the following video Sean John discusses the success of his business, the story behind his logo, his affinity for Ethiopia and his extensive travels throughout the African nation.
WATCH:
Meet Arkan Haile: A Candidate for DC City Council Seat
Above:Arkan Haile, a candidate for the vacant at-large D.C.
City Council seat. The special election is set for Tue., Apr 26.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Wednesday, February 16, 2011
New York (Tadias) – We were recently contacted by the campaign of Arkan Haile, a candidate for the vacant at-large D.C. City Council seat, which will be decided through a special election on April 26. He is among at least 17 candidates running for the seat, which became vacant Jan. 2 when Council member Kwame Brown (D-At-Large) was sworn in as the new City Council Chair. The Eritrean-born attorney is seeking the support of the Ethiopian-American community, one of the largest African immigrant populations in Washington D.C.
“I know my personal story is not ordinary for a local politician. Frankly, I hope nothing about me is ordinary where politics is concerned,” he says. “We can’t afford the usual politics – not in our schools, not in our neighborhoods and not in our elected officials. That’s why I’m running as an independent, beholden to no one but the people, ready to find creative solutions and prepared to make hard choices.”
Arkan is a successful lawyer and father of two children. He immigrated to the U.S. with his parents in 1981 when he was 10 years old, and became the Co-Founder of Gray Haile LLP, a corporate law firm which specializes in mergers, acquisitions, and securities with offices in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York.
He was born in Eritrea in 1971. In 1975, his parents came to the US on his father’s graduate school scholarship to study Economics at Colorado State University. But they left behind their three young children, including Haile (the oldest at four) as insurance against defection. In 1978 his mother returned to Ethiopia and three years later, in December 1981, after a difficult journey that included a trek through Sudan on foot and mostly at night, the family was reunited in Ft. Collins, Colorado — the state where Haile grew up and attained his education. He says: “I was born in Asmara and spent three years in Addis before our family settled in Colorado in the early 1980s when I was ten years old.”
Haile currently lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Nazrawit (Naz) Medhanie, and their son and daughter, ages four and one. His wife is a performance monitoring specialist with an international development firm. She graduated from Duke University, where she was a shooting guard on the basketball team and member of the school’s first women’s Final Four team in 1999.
“As a parent of a public school child, Co-Founder of a district-based law firm and a home owner, I’m fully committed to our city,” he says. “As a lawyer and former financial analyst, I have the skills and work experiences ideally suited for the job of a City Council member.”
On his campaign web site, the candidate also acknowledges the uphill battle he faces in the upcoming poll: “My background is not typical of a city council candidate. I’m not backed by a particular party, power broker or interest group. I’m running as an independent because that is how I make decisions. I know that makes me an underdog in this race, but that’s ok. I’ve been an underdog my whole life and it hasn’t stopped me yet.”
Young Arkan Haile with his siblings. (Photo courtesy of arkanfordccouncil.com)
The candidate with his family. (Photo by IWANPHOTO.COM)
But he also notes that his professional experience in finance and law, coupled with his experiences as an immigrant, will help him bring a fresh perspective to solving the District’s budget woes, as well as ability to focus on matters confronting the city’s struggling communities.
“There are several issues but on top of the list are education and fiscal responsibility; education because it is so central and fundamentally important to our existence as a city, and fiscal responsibility because it is the biggest and most immediate challenge facing the city and the City Council,” Haile said in a recent Q & A with Tadias Magazine. “As a parent of a public school child I’ve got a little more “skin in the game” than most…we’ve made great strides in education over the past several years and I want to ensure to my best abilities as a member of the Council that we don’t lose momentum.”
And how is his professional skills suited to solving D.C.’s economic problems? “Fiscally, my skills and professional experiences are especially well suited to tacking it in the most efficient and responsible manner. I’ve either worked in or studied law and finance over the course of my entire 20-year, adult life. Before law school, I earned an MBA and worked as a financial analyst for a large corporation.”
“What separates you from the other candidates?” we asked. “Why should people vote for you?” “I see the two questions as being virtually the same,” he said. “In other words people should vote for me, at least in large part, for the reasons that separate me from the field.” He adds: “First, I will bring 20 years of technical financial and legal expertise that I can apply from day one. It is all the more important now given our city’s financial mess. Second, I’m fully invested in our city. As a home owner, parent of a public school child (with another set to enroll next year), owner of a District-based law firm and DC Bar licensed attorney, there is little that goes on in the city that doesn’t directly affect me. Third, as an immigrant and somebody with a relatively unique personal history, I’ll add diversity to the City Council and serve as a sympathetic ear to immigrants in our city.”
—
If you have additional questions or want to get involved in Arkan Haile’s campaign, please contact the candidate via his website at www.arkanfordccouncil.com
Above: Mulu Retta, boardmember of the Ethiopian Community
Mutual Association. The organization is raising funds to build a
community center in South Seattle. (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
Despite its wet and mild climate, the greater Seattle area is home to many East African immigrants, with estimates ranging from 25,000 to 40,000.
“It’s probably more than that,” said Mulu Retta, a member of the Ethiopian Community Mutual Association.
That’s one reason why Retta and her association are trying to start a new Ethiopian community center in South Seattle. They envision a central gathering place that provides youth activities and cultural events, services for seniors and a spot for celebrating holidays, weddings and graduations.
They’ve offered to buy the Faith Temple Community Church building at 8323 Rainier Ave. S. in Rainier Beach for $1.6 million. The church’s congregation moved to a new location and put the building up for sale.
But they’re only halfway to raising $200,000 they need for a down payment. Despite the slow economy, they raised $100,000 in a few months. They’re hoping others in their community will rise to help before an Aug. 31 deadline, said Retta, chairwoman of the association’s building fund committee. Read more.
Thousands Pay Respect to Victims of Fatal Fire in Seattle
Above:Mourners at Friday’s public memorial service react at
an emotional visual tribute to the Seattle fire victims Friday.
(PHOTO CREDIT: STEVE RINGMAN / SEATTLE TIMES)
Updated: Saturday, June 19, 2010
By Marc Ramirez Seattle Times staff reporter
One by one, the lives lost to last weekend’s fire in Fremont were celebrated on screen, a series of snapshots taken in happier times. The boy who dreamed of playing point guard for the Boston Celtics. The siblings who adored their older brother. The girl who liked to jump rope. And the young woman who could win any argument she set her mind to.
The emotional slide show capped Friday’s public memorial to those five family members at Seattle Center’s KeyArena. The multicultural crowd, estimated at 3,500, largely reflected an East African population united in grief over the loss of so many young lives. “Your sorrow is our sorrow,” said Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn. “Your grief is Seattle’s grief. We walk with you in your grief because we are — and will be — one community.” Killed last Saturday morning in the swift-moving fire at Helen Gebregiorgis’ Fremont apartment were three of her children — Joseph Gebregiorgis, 13, Nisreen Shamam, 6, and Yaseen Shamam, 5; her sister, Eyerusalem Gebregiorgis, 22; and a niece, 7-year-old Nyella Smith, daughter of a third sister, Yordanos Gebregiorgis.
Watch Video: Memorial service for Seattle fire victims
Nisreen Shamam (left), Yaseen Shamam (C) and Joseph Gebregiorgis.
PHOTO BY JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES
How You Can Help?
Donations to help family members affected by last Saturday’s blaze can be sent to the Seattle Children’s Fire Fund at any Bank of America branch. Donations also are being accepted at the Red Door tavern in Fremont. There will be a booth at this weekend’s Fremont Fair at North 35th Street and Evanston Avenue North to accept cash donations or gift cards from grocery or department stores. There also will be paper and envelopes available to write condolence notes to the family.
Watch Video: Ethiopian community mourns 5 dead in Seattle fire
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Seattle (Tadias) – As investigators continue to look into the cause of this pasts weekend’s apartment fire in Seattle that killed an Ethiopian family, including four children, the city’s fire chief described the frantic seconds after the blaze erupted Saturday morning in Helen Gebregiorgis’ two-story home in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood.
Seattle Fire Chief Gregory Dean told the media Sunday that the city’s deadliest fire in decades started in the living quarters of Helen Gebregiorgis’ three-bedroom, two-story apartment and spread to the second floor. He said the mother had gone upstairs to tell the others about the fire, grabbed her 5-year-old niece, Samarah Smith, and left the building, thinking the others were behind her. “She believed that the rest were following her and when she got outside they were not,” Dean said during a news conference at Fire Department headquarters in Pioneer Square. “We did find the four children and the aunt in the second floor bathroom, huddled together.”
Gebregiorgis, 31, lost her sons, 13-year-old Joseph Gebregiorgis and 5-year-old Yaseen Shamam, and her 6-year-old daughter, Nisreen Shamam, in the fire in the city’s Fremont neighborhood, the children’s grieving uncle, Daniel Gebregiorgis, told The Seattle Times. Also killed were Helen’s 22-year-old sister, Eyerusalem Gebregiorgis, and 7-year-old niece, Nyella Smith.
Video: Seattle Fire Chief Gregory Dean reacts to an apartment fire that killed an Ethiopian family
The fire was reported just after 10 a.m. Saturday morning.
According to Seattle’s King5 News, the first emergency vehicle to arrive at the burning apartment building had a problem with a pump that prevented it from spraying water on the fire, but a second unit arrived two minutes later and was able to fight the fire.
“They needed to be able to control what was in front of them before they could go up the stairs,” the Chief said. “There was definitely a delay in firefighters being able to get there. I think in looking at the pictures and what we saw and listening to comments, there was a tremendous amount of fire and smoke prior to the fire department’s arrival, which, again, makes it pretty hard to sustain life in that type of heated environment,” he said.
Dean said the truck with the mechanical problem arrived at 10:09 a.m., and a second truck about two minutes later, and a third at 10:12 a.m.
According to the fire chief, the department prepares for problems because they happen on a regular basis and this weekend’s particular problem would be investigated.
“We do what we call redundancy back-up to make sure that if something happens, we’re prepared for that type of thing,” he said. “In this case something did happen. The second unit came in, they did what they were supposed to do and we continued to fight the fire.”
“Our firefighters are beating themselves up, you know ‘could I have done more,’” the chief said. “Our hearts go out to the ones that lost their loved ones and we recognize there’s an impact on the community, recognize there’s an impact on our firefighters. We will be doing a follow-up with the community.”
—
Above:Mourners at Friday’s public memorial service react
during an emotional visual tribute to the Seattle fire victims.
(STEVE RINGMAN / SEATTLE TIMES)
Updated: Saturday, June 19, 2010
By Marc Ramirez Seattle Times staff reporter
One by one, the lives lost to last weekend’s fire in Fremont were celebrated on screen, a series of snapshots taken in happier times.
The boy who dreamed of playing point guard for the Boston Celtics. The siblings who adored their older brother. The girl who liked to jump rope. And the young woman who could win any argument she set her mind to.
The emotional slide show capped Friday’s public memorial to those five family members at Seattle Center’s KeyArena. The multicultural crowd, estimated at 3,500, largely reflected an East African population united in grief over the loss of so many young lives.
“Your sorrow is our sorrow,” said Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn. “Your grief is Seattle’s grief. We walk with you in your grief because we are — and will be — one community.”
Killed last Saturday morning in the swift-moving fire at Helen Gebregiorgis’ Fremont apartment were three of her children — Joseph Gebregiorgis, 13, Nisreen Shamam, 6, and Yaseen Shamam, 5; her sister, Eyerusalem Gebregiorgis, 22; and a niece, 7-year-old Nyella Smith, daughter of a third sister, Yordanos Gebregiorgis.
Watch Video: Memorial service for Fremont fire victims
Nisreen Shamam (left), Yaseen Shamam (C) and Joseph Gebregiorgis.
They were killed in last weekend’s apartment fire in Seattle.
PHOTO BY JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Click Here to Donate to Seattle’s Fremont Apartment Fire Victims Fund – Donate Online Now
Donations to help family members affected by last Saturday’s blaze can be sent to the Seattle Children’s Fire Fund at any Bank of America branch. Donations also are being accepted at the Red Door tavern in Fremont. There will be a booth at this weekend’s Fremont Fair at North 35th Street and Evanston Avenue North to accept cash donations or gift cards from grocery or department stores. There also will be paper and envelopes available to write condolence notes to the family. Neighbor Allecia Clemons, a Fremont folk singer, is trying to organize a benefit concert for later in the summer. She can be reached at allecialightlove@hotmail.com.
Watch Video: Ethiopian community mourns 5 dead in Seattle fire
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Seattle (Tadias) – As investigators continue to look into the cause of this pasts weekend’s apartment fire in Seattle that killed an Ethiopian family, including four children, the city’s fire chief described the frantic seconds after the blaze erupted Saturday morning in Helen Gebregiorgis’ two-story home in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood.
Seattle Fire Chief Gregory Dean told the media Sunday that the city’s deadliest fire in decades started in the living quarters of Helen Gebregiorgis’ three-bedroom, two-story apartment and spread to the second floor. He said the mother had gone upstairs to tell the others about the fire, grabbed her 5-year-old niece, Samarah Smith, and left the building, thinking the others were behind her. “She believed that the rest were following her and when she got outside they were not,” Dean said during a news conference at Fire Department headquarters in Pioneer Square. “We did find the four children and the aunt in the second floor bathroom, huddled together.”
Gebregiorgis, 31, lost her sons, 13-year-old Joseph Gebregiorgis and 5-year-old Yaseen Shamam, and her 6-year-old daughter, Nisreen Shamam, in the fire in the city’s Fremont neighborhood, the children’s grieving uncle, Daniel Gebregiorgis, told The Seattle Times. Also killed were Helen’s 22-year-old sister, Eyerusalem Gebregiorgis, and 7-year-old niece, Nyella Smith.
Video: Seattle Fire Chief Gregory Dean reacts to an apartment fire that killed an Ethiopian family
The fire was reported just after 10 a.m. Saturday morning.
According to Seattle’s King5 News, the first emergency vehicle to arrive at the burning apartment building had a problem with a pump that prevented it from spraying water on the fire, but a second unit arrived two minutes later and was able to fight the fire.
“They needed to be able to control what was in front of them before they could go up the stairs,” the Chief said. “There was definitely a delay in firefighters being able to get there. I think in looking at the pictures and what we saw and listening to comments, there was a tremendous amount of fire and smoke prior to the fire department’s arrival, which, again, makes it pretty hard to sustain life in that type of heated environment,” he said.
Dean said the truck with the mechanical problem arrived at 10:09 a.m., and a second truck about two minutes later, and a third at 10:12 a.m.
According to the fire chief, the department prepares for problems because they happen on a regular basis and this weekend’s particular problem would be investigated.
“We do what we call redundancy back-up to make sure that if something happens, we’re prepared for that type of thing,” he said. “In this case something did happen. The second unit came in, they did what they were supposed to do and we continued to fight the fire.”
“Our firefighters are beating themselves up, you know ‘could I have done more,’” the chief said. “Our hearts go out to the ones that lost their loved ones and we recognize there’s an impact on the community, recognize there’s an impact on our firefighters. We will be doing a follow-up with the community.”
—
Above: Fonte Coffee Roaster in Seattle sells the drink made
from Ethiopian Nekisse beans for $2.69 a cup. The same cup
drink goes for $12 a cup at the Chelsea spot of Cafe Grumpy.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Sunday, June 6, 2010
New York (Tadias) – You may remember the recent amusing news story about $12 cup of Ethiopian coffee at Café Grumpy, a local coffee shop chain here in New York.
In her recent article, Melissa Allison, who “tracks Seattle’s — and the world’s — caffeine addiction” for The Seattle Times, writes the same cup of joe costs much less in America’s coffee capital.
“Trabant Coffee & Chai will soon carry one of the hottest tickets in coffee, a Nekisse micro-lot selection from Ethiopia, which recently sold for $12 a cup in New York and has appeared for considerably less — $2.69 a cup — at Seattle’s Fonte Coffee Roaster,” Allison points out. “Trabant’s roaster, 49th Parallel Coffee in Vancouver, is giving all the proceeds from its Nekisse sales to a non-profit called imagine1day to build classrooms in Ethiopia, said 49th Parallel owner Vince Piccolo.”
But New Yorkers have mixed opinions about Café Grumpy’s price. “There are flavors you would expect in a really nice glass of wine — it’s a cacophony of nuances,” Steve Holt, vice president of Ninety Plus Coffee, the company distributing the beans, told The NY Post. “You detect flavors of apricot, pineapple, bergamot, kiwi and lime. The deeper tones are levels of chocolate, and the finish is super clean.”
And why is it so pricey?
“It is a higher-end coffee, and you have to take a lot of time developing and processing it,” said Holt. “Once the coffee is harvested, it is dried on a raised African drying bed — the actual coffee cherries never sit on the ground.”
“People have had bad reactions to the prices,” Colleen Duhamel, a coffee buyer and barista at the cafe, toldThe New York Post. “They will think, ‘This place isn’t for me,’ and storm out.” “I’ve spent $12 on a cocktail, but I’d be reticent to pay that much for a cup of coffee,” said Whitney Reuling, 25, after tasting samples provided by the newspaper. “It’s good — but I can’t taste the difference. My palate is not at an advanced level for coffee — a $2.50 cup is fine.”
WATCH
NPR: Soul Searching Led To Meklit Hadero’s Debut Album
Above: Singer-songwriter Meklit Hadero at Tsehai Poetry Jam,
May 31, 2009 @ Messob Restaurant in L.A.’s Little Ethiopia.
NPR Ethiopian Singer: Soul Searching Led To Debut Album
March 24, 2010
Once you hear her smooth and silky voice it will be hard to forget it. Yet, years passed before she realized she wanted to become a singer. Ethiopian native Meklit Hadero went to college to major in political science, but after moving to San Francisco she found her true love: music. Now, only five years after her first public performance, she is out with the new album “On A Day Like This.” Guest host Allison Keyes talks with singer-songwriter Meklit Hadero about her life and finding herself through music.
Listen to the Story Here:
– You can read the transcript of this interview at NPR.ORG.
Above: Solomon Assefa (r) is among the IBM scientists who
unveiled a significant step towards replacing electrical signals
that communicate via copper wires between computer chips.
Source: IBM
Yorktown Heights, NY IBM (NYSE: IBM) scientists today unveiled a significant step towards replacing electrical signals that communicate via copper wires between computer chips with tiny silicon circuits that communicate using pulses of light. As reported in the recent issue of the scientific journal Nature, this is an important advancement in changing the way computer chips talk to each other.
The device, called a nanophotonic avalanche photodetector, is the fastest of its kind and could enable breakthroughs in energy-efficient computing that can have significant implications for the future of electronics.
The IBM device explores the “avalanche effect” in Germanium, a material currently used in production of microprocessor chips. Analogous to a snow avalanche on a steep mountain slope, an incoming light pulse initially frees just a few charge carriers which in turn free others until the original signal is amplified many times. Conventional avalanche photodetectors are not able to detect fast optical signals because the avalanche builds slowly.
“This invention brings the vision of on-chip optical interconnections much closer to reality,” said Dr. T.C. Chen, vice president, Science and Technology, IBM Research. “With optical communications embedded into the processor chips, the prospect of building power-efficient computer systems with performance at the Exaflop level might not be a very distant future.”
Video: View Animation
The avalanche photodetector demonstrated by IBM is the world’s fastest device of its kind. It can receive optical information signals at 40Gbps (billion bits per second) and simultaneously multiply them tenfold. Moreover, the device operates with just a 1.5V voltage supply, 20 times smaller than previous demonstrations. Thus many of these tiny communication devices could potentially be powered by just a small AA-size battery, while traditional avalanche photodetectors require 20-30V power supplies.
“This dramatic improvement in performance is the result of manipulating the optical and electrical properties at the scale of just a few tens of atoms to achieve performance well beyond accepted boundaries,” said Dr. Assefa, the lead author on the paper. “These tiny devices are capable of detecting very weak pulses of light and amplifying them with unprecedented bandwidth and minimal addition of unwanted noise.”
In IBM’s device, the avalanche multiplication takes place within just a few tens of nanometers (one-thousandths of a millimeter) and that happens very fast. The tiny size also means that multiplication noise is suppressed by 50% – 70% with respect to conventional avalanche photodetectors. The IBM device is made of Silicon and Germanium, the materials already widely used in production of microprocessor chips. Moreover it is made with standard processes used in chip manufacturing. Thus, thousands of these devices can be built side-by-side with silicon transistors for high-bandwidth on-chip optical communications.
The Avalanche Photodetector achievement, which is the last in a series of prior reports from IBM Research, is the last piece of the puzzle that completes the development of the “nanophotonics toolbox” of devices necessary to build the on-chip interconnects.
In December 2006, IBM scientists demonstrated silicon nanophotonic delay line that was used to buffer over a byte of information encoded in optical pulses – a requirement for building optical buffers for on-chip optical communications.
In December 2007, IBM scientists announced the development of an ultra-compact silicon electro-optic modulator, which converts electrical signals into the light pulses, a prerequisite for enabling on-chip optical communications.
In March 2008, IBM scientists announced the world’s tiniest nanophotonic switch for “directing traffic” in on-chip optical communications, ensuring that optical messages can be efficiently routed.
The report of this work, entitled “Reinventing Germanium Avalanche Photodetector for Nanophotonic On-chip Optical Interconnects,” by Solomon Assefa, Fengnian Xia, and Yurii Vlasov of IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. is published in the March 2010 issue of the scientific journal Nature.
IBM has a long history of pioneering advanced silicon technologies to help enhance performance, while reducing size and power consumption. Such advances include the development of the world’s first copper-based microprocessor; silicon-on-insulator (SOI), a technology that reduces power consumption and increases performance by helping insulate the millions of transistors on a chip; and strained silicon, a technology that “stretches” material inside the silicon decreasing the resistance and speeding the flow of electrons through transistors.
Above:Rey Davis-Bell is charged with the murder of Degene
Barecha, an immigrant from Ethiopia, at Philadelphia Cheese
Steak. Davis-Bell’s trial started on Tuesday. (Seattle Times)
The Seattle Times
By Jennifer Sullivan
Neither prosecutors nor witnesses could say why Rey Davis-Bell’s alleged violent tirade two years ago wound up inside Degene “Safie” Dashasa’s cheese-steak restaurant, resulting in Dashasa’s death by gunshot at point-blank range.
Dashasa emigrated from Ethiopia about a decade ago, enrolled in online business courses and spent hours perfecting his cheese steak, his family told The Seattle Times after his slaying. Dashasa took over the restaurant after his best friend and business partner was fatally shot in his car in 2003. After Troy Hackett’s death, Dashasa changed the name of Philly’s Best Steaks and Hoagies. Hackett’s slaying has not been solved. Several months before his death, Dashasa traveled to Ethiopia and married a woman he had met through relatives. He recently had bought a house and was preparing it for his new bride, his family said.
Latest:A woman cares for an injured toddler at a destroyed
orphanage in Fontamara. A stream of food, water and U.S.
troops flowed toward Haiti on Saturday as donors squabbled
over how to reach hungry, haggard earthquake survivors.
How You Can Help In Haiti Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: Saturday, January 16, 2009
New York – Although help is beginning to arrive in Haiti, the devastating earthquake has so far claimed 45,000-50,000 people, according to the Red Cross. Disaster relief organizations still need your assistance. Funds are needed to provide food, water, shelter, clothing and medical supplies.
Below are few ways you can help:
To assist with relief efforts, text “HAITI” to “90999″ and $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross, charged to your cell phone bill. Or visit InterAction to contribute. (State Department)
To find information about friends and family in Haiti:
For missing U.S. citizen family members, call 1-888-407-4747. To help with relief efforts, text “HAITI” to “90999″ and $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross, charged to your cell phone bill. Or visit InterAction to contribute.
The American Red Cross
“As with most earthquakes, we expect to see immediate needs for food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support,” said Tracy Reines, director of international disaster response for the American Red Cross, in a report posted on its Web site. The American Red Cross offers several ways to donate to various funds, including international relief to Haiti. (ABC)
William J. Clinton Foundation
Former president Bill Clinton is the United Nations special envoy to Haiti. “My UN office and the rest of the UN system are monitoring the situation,” Clinton said in a statement today. “While we don’t yet know the full impact of this 7.0-magnitude earthquake, we do know that the survivors need immediate help.” (ABC)
UNICEF
Shortly following the quake’s eruption, the U.S. division of UNICEF issued a statement on its blog calling attention to some of the smallest victims of the emergency. “Children are always the most vulnerable population in any natural disaster, and UNICEF is there for them,” the statement said. (ABC)
Save the Children
Donate at savethechildren.org or make checks out to “Save the Children” and mail to: Save the Children Income Processing Department, 54 Wilton Road, Westport, Conn. 06880
Mercy Corp
Go online to mercycorps.org or mail checks to Haiti Earthquake Fund, Dept. NR, PO Box 2669, Portland, Ore. 97208 or call (888) 256-1900
Above:Ethiopian-American Researcher Mesfin Tsige, Ph.D.,
an assitant professor in the College of Science at Southern
Illinois University has earned a prestigious grant from the
federal government to study solar cell efficiency. (Read More).
Police Search for Suspects in Killing of Ethiopian Businessman
Above:Ethiopian store owner Hagos Admasu Gebreagziabher
was killed in front of his wife in Jacksonville, Florida.
JACKSONVILLE, FL –Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officers are looking
for two men they believe shot a man to death. The victim was
found late Monday night in front of a neighborhood store on
W. 13th Street near Canal. He’s been identified as 41-year-old
Hagos Admasu Gebreagziabher. Read more.
Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony on Display at Seattle’s Burke Museum
Above:Zelalem Yilma, right, pours coffee during Sunday’s
Ethiopian coffee ceremony at The Burke Museum. Yilma and
others hosting the event described the Ethiopian coffee ritual
as a way for their people to socialize, gossip, discuss news
and politics and share culture. Erika Schultz / Seattle Times
Source: Seattle Times
By Melissa Allison
The opposite of instant coffee is not a nice, slow French press. It is a centuries-old coffee ritual from Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. Stepping inside on Seattle’s most gorgeous day so far this year, a few dozen visitors to the Burke Museum participated in the ceremony Sunday. They chatted and sipped Ethiopian coffee roasted before their eyes by three native Ethiopians who enjoy sharing the ritual with fellow Seattleites. Read More.
New York (Tadias) – While Starbucks lags behind on their promise to open a support center for its coffee farmers in Ethiopia, Kansas-based Revocup Coffee Roasters is giving back 10 cents for every cup of coffee and 1 dollar for every pound of coffee sold. After revisiting their birth place, the founders of Revocup wanted to change what they saw as the “deteriorating life” of Ethiopian coffee farmers (well-described in the documentary Black Gold). Ethiopia is known as the birthplace of coffee, and the coffee ceremony is an integral part of the nation’s heritage, which is yet another reason Revocup is keen on promoting fair trade for Ethiopian coffee.
Tadias recently interviewed Habte Mesfin about Revocup:
Tadias: Please tell us about Revocup?
Habte Mesfin: Revocup is a coffee roasting company and a coffee shop based in Overland Park, Kansas. Revocup Coffee Corp. was established to offer consumers a wide range authentic single origin coffee from Ethiopia in the freshest form possible.
Tadias: What inspired you to get into the coffee business?
HM: Coffee cafes are a familiar feature of American life. Every day millions of Americans stop at cafes for an espresso-based drink. People who would not have dreamed of spending more than 50 cents for cup of coffee a few years ago now gladly pay $3 to $5 for their cappuccino, mocha, or vanilla ice-blended drink. The public shows tremendous interest embracing and adopting the new coffee culture. However the quality of coffee offered in the shops has deteriorated. As an Ethiopian who grew up with a superior coffee culture and tradition we felt that it’s time to get into the business as well as share our heritage.
Tadias: Revocup brand is based on promoting freshly roasted coffee beans, similar to how we consume coffee in Ethiopia. Who is your target market in the U.S.?
HM: Our target market is not directed to a certain group or population. We are offering our product for people who seeks quality coffee. Revocup coffee strongly believes that freshness is very important, there is no short cut or substitute. Coffee should not be an industrial product. It is a farm product, which does not have a long shelf life. Coffee needs to be consumed while it is fresh. Based on this principle we are roasting our coffee per order and according to the amount of coffee that we sell in our store.
Tadias: On your website you mention that most professional
roasters in the industry agree that 95% of the coffee consumed in this
country is stale. Can you elaborate?
HM: This is very true. In order to give a good answer for this question we need to look into how the coffee supply chain works. Large coffee companies roast thousands of pounds of coffee at a time at remote locations and then send that coffee to be bagged to anther part of the country. Then it will go to a distribution center. From there it make its way to grocery stores. Once it makes it to the shelf you do not know how long it is going to sit on the shelf. By the time it gets into your hands as a consumer the coffee is old and stale. You don’t know when this coffee was harvested or roasted when you pay to buy it. The coffee that you take home has essentially lost its character, wonderful aroma and unique natural flavor. That is why almost all craft roasters agree on the above mentioned fact. The sad part is that there is no rule or regulations to enforce coffee companies to put a roast date on their coffee labels. Amazingly, they get away with selling stale products. We ensure the authenticity of our coffee at Revocup by disclosing the origin of coffee, and mentioning the country of origin and farm name. We also post the country’s flag as an identification mark on our label. In order to guarantee freshness we also include the roast date on each bag of coffee sold.
Tadias: Isn’t the coffee preparation from “crop to cup” time consuming for the fast-paced lifestyle in America?
HM: In order to enjoy a great cup of coffee it requires meticulous preparation from the farm all the way to your cup. Along the way so many things can go wrong to affect the bean quality. What we are doing is preventing potential causes of negative impact. The very first thing you do even if it is expensive, is to purchase authentic high quality single origin coffee and make yourself familiar with the beans, and develop a roast profile that can show the coffee character. Then roast the coffee per order prior to shipping and bag the coffee into a one-way degassing valve bag to prevent air intrusion. Finally, disclose to consumers when the coffee was roasted and advise them on appropriate ways of coffee brewing that enhances taste and flavor. I can understand that people may not have the time to roast coffee every morning like we do traditionally in Ethiopia. However, they can selectively purchase freshly roasted coffee from a local roaster such as Revocup and enjoy their cup of coffee while the full flavor is intact. I do not see a reason why people pay for dark roasted (burnt) pre-ground coffee that tastes like charcoal. In my opinion it is a great injustice to the farmers and the people who work hard to produce the coffee.
Tadias: Are all your coffee beans are from Ethiopia?
HM: We purchase coffee from all coffee producing countries. That includes Brazil, Guatemala, Kenya, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Mexico, Indonesia Etc. But over 60% of our coffee comes from Ethiopia. We carry almost all Ethiopian coffees including Harrar, Sidamo, Yergacheffee, Limu, as well as special reserve micro lot selections like Beloy, Aricha, Aleta and Wondo.
Tadias: Do you have any less well known, unique brands at Revocup?
HM: We carry all sorts of coffee and each coffee has its own character and flavor profile. Our website, Revocup.com, lists over 42 different type of coffee. Consumers can also order our coffee online.
Tadias: Why Kansas?
HM: We initially moved to Kansas to get closer to family and relatives. Arriving here we realized that being located at the nation’s center was very convenient for transportation of our products.
Tadias: Thank you Habte, we’re glad to see an Ethiopian-owned company involved in fair trade coffee distribution and we commend your efforts!
Yared Tekabe’s Groundbreaking Research in Heart Disease
Dr. Yared Tekabe runs studies in cardiovascular disease detection and prevention at Columbia University. (Photo by Kidane Mariam for Tadias Magazine)
Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn
Published: Tuesday, March 17, 2009.
New York (TADIAS) – Dr. Yared Tekabe enjoys doing most of his reflections while sitting anonymously with his laptop at cafés in Harlem. When he’s not there, Tekabe is busy running studies in cardiovascular disease detection and prevention at his lab in Columbia University’s William Black building in upper Manhattan. Last November, Tekabe’s groundbreaking work on non-invasive atherosclerosis detection and molecular imaging was published in the American Heart Association’s journal, Circulation, along with an editorial citing its clinical implications.
Dr Tekabe’s success has helped his laboratory, headed by Dr Lynne Johnson, to receive another $1.6 million four-year grant from the National Institute of Health to continue his research, and Tekabe hopes that in a few years time his work can help heart disease prevention efforts and early detection of atherosclerosis in humans.
“What is atherosclerosis in layman terms?” I ask him, trying hard to correctly pronounce this tongue twister. He breaks it down to its linguistic roots. “Atherosclerosis comes from the Greek roots athere which means gruel, and skleros which means hardness or hardening,” he explains. Further research in Wiki reveals that atherosclerosis is a condition affecting our arterial blood vessels, which transport blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Atherosclerosis is the chronic condition in which inflammation of the walls of our blood vessels lead to hardening of the arteries.
“Atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD),” Tekabe says. “The result is progressive closing of the blood vessels by fat and plaque deposits, which block and further restrict blood flow. In more serious cases it may also lead to clots in the aorta (main artery coming out of the heart) or carotids (arteries supplying blood to the brain) that may dislodge and travel to other parts of the body such as the brain, causing stroke. If the clot is in the leg, for example, it can lead to gangrene. Deposits of fat and inflammatory cells that build up in the walls of the coronary arteries (supplying blood to the heart muscle) can rupture leading to blood clots. Such clots in an artery that supplies blood to the heart muscle will suddenly close the artery and deprive the heart muscle of oxygen causing a heart attack. In the case of very sudden closure of an artery a clot can cause sudden cardiac death.”
“It’s the Tim Russert story,” Tekabe says, providing a recent example of what undetected levels of plaque formation in our bodies can lead to. EverydayHealth.com, an online consumer health portal, had described the famed former MSNBC ‘Meet the Press’ host’s sudden heart attack as being caused by a plaque rupture in a coronary artery. Russert had previously been diagnosed with heart disease, but his atherosclerosis was asymptomatic. He had not experienced the common signs of chest pain and other heart attack symptoms to warn him or his doctors of his true condition. The undetected inflammation in his vessels and the subsequent rupture of plaque led to his sudden heart attack and untimely death. This is not uncommon, however. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease “is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States, and women account for 51% of the total heart disease deaths.” There is even more grim news: United States data for 2004 has revealed that the first physical symptom of heart disease was heart attack and sudden death for about 65% of men and 47% of women with CVD.
The risk factors for atherosclerosis are well known and Tekabe runs through the list with me: “diabetes, obesity, stress, smoking, high blood pressure, family history of CVD, and diet” he says. “But of all the factors that I have mentioned, I would say diet is the most important one to change,” he adds. Food items such as red meat, butter, whole milk, cheese, ice cream, egg yolk, and those containing trans fat all put us at higher risk for plaque formation. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish such as salmon, herring and trout instead of red meat, as well as eating food that is steamed, boiled or baked instead of fried. It is better to use corn, canola, or olive oil instead of butter, and to eat more fiber (fruit, vegetables, and whole grain). Notwithstanding that March is deemed National Nutrition Month by the American Heart Association, changing our diet is largely emphasized in CVD prevention. We should also be exercising at least 30 minutes each day.
“Early non-invasive detection of the presence of inflammation and plaque could save lives,” Tekabe points out. “But the problem is two-fold: those who suffer from atherosclerosis do not display warning signs until it’s too late, and for doctors, a non-invasive method of detecting atherosclerosis is by and large not a possibility.” Research by Tekabe and others may soon change the way doctors can detect atherosclerosis.
Using molecular imaging techniques that were previously popular in cancer biology research, Tekabe and his colleagues have discovered non-invasive methods of detecting RAGE, a receptor first discovered in 1992 and thought to have causative implications in a host of chronic diseases ranging from diabetes to arthritis. Tekabe, collaborating with Dr Ann Marie Schmidt who has shown that RAGE receptors play a key role in atherosclerotic inflammatory response, notes that these receptors can be detected non-invasively in mice that have been fed a high-fat, high cholesterol diet.
“In the past, although we knew about the RAGE receptor, especially in the study of diabetes, we were not able to detect it without performing an autopsy of the lab mice. Clearly, in the case of humans it would be pointless if we said that we detected atherosclerosis in the patient after the patient had died,” Tekabe explains. “Therefore, it was imperative that our research showed a more non-invasive method, detecting RAGE receptors and locations of inflammation while the subject was still alive. The first step would be to test it on mice, which we have, and then perhaps on larger animals such as pigs, so that this research could be successfully translated to help non-invasively detect atherosclerosis in its early stages in human beings.”
Left Image: Atherosclerotic aorta: The image is from a mouse fed a Western type of fat diet (high-fat, high cholesterol diet) for 34 weeks. It shows complete blockage of the aorta and the branches that supply the brain. The plaque is made up of fat and inflammatory cells. Right Image: Relatively normal aorta: This is from 6 weeks old mouse fed a normal diet.
Tekabe’s recently published research showing detection of RAGE receptors responsible for arterial inflammation was funded by a grant from the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology as well as from an American Heart Association Heritage Foundation award.
The November Circulation editorial entitled “Feeling the RAGE in the Atherosclerotic Vessel Wall” highlights the significance of Tekabe et al’s findings and the necessity for early detection of atherosclerosis. “This is an exciting development that adds an important marker of atherosclerotic disease that can now be assessed non-invasively,” write Drs. Zahi Fayad and Esad Vucic. “Tekabe et al demonstrate, for the first time, the noninvasive specific detection of RAGE in the vessel wall.” They concur with Tekabe that “noninvasive detection of RAGE in the vessel wall could help define its role in plaque rupture, which has potentially important clinical implications.”
Tekabe came to Boston in 1990 and subsequently completed his Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology and his Masters and PhD in Biomedical Sciences with a focus on CVD and drug development. His academic choices have inevitably led him to his career as a scientist, but he has personal reasons for choosing this path as well.
“I was born in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. I have 1 brother and 8 sisters, and my parents had no formal education. But my father always encouraged me to seek higher education. While I was completing my studies I witnessed my beloved father suffer from Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and he underwent triple bypass surgery. He passed away in 2004, and I promised myself that I would step up to the challenge of finding a way to prevent heart disease” Tekabe says in a somber and determined tone. “Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the developed world, and I am motivated by that challenge, but this research is also deeply personal.”
Tekabe hopes that his research will be applicable to other areas where RAGE receptors have been hypothesized to play a central role. Circulation editors who follow Tekabe’s work have noted that “in addition to its role in atherosclerosis and the development of vascular complications in diabetes, RAGE possesses wider implications in a variety of diseases, such as arthritis, cancer, liver disease, neurodegenerative disease, and sepsis, which underscores the importance of the ability of its noninvasive detection.” Tekabe, as part of Dr Ann Marie Schmidt’s team, has already filed U.S. and international patents and has plans to jump-start a drug development arm of the pharmaceutical industry in Ethiopia. “I’m looking for interested sponsors in Ethiopia who can see the potential of this research and its global implications,” he states.
Now that Forbes has apprised us of the billionaire status of an Ethiopian-born businessman, we hope this news may peak his interest in helping to start scientific research initiatives in Ethiopia.
—-
Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.
Above:Visitors looking at displays about the famous female
hominid at the “Lucy’s Legacy” exhibit at Seattle’s Pacific
Science Center, which failed to draw crowds.
IT was not the expansive new mural depicting evolutionary history that brought Sandy McKean down to the Pacific Science Center on a rainy winter weekday. Nor had he come to linger over the elegant displays about Ethiopian culture. The reason Mr. McKean paid the $20.75 admission fee for “Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia” was because he wanted to see the bones. They are 3.2 million years old but, for him, electric with urgency. This was the first American exhibition tour of the famous Lucy fossils, 47 skeletal fragments of a female hominid whose discovery one day in 1974 altered the study of human history. Read more.
Related: Lucy’s fossil secretly scanned in Texas
UPI, Science News
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 6 (UPI) — Archaeologists at the University of Texas at Austin were given a top secret look at Lucy, one of the world’s most famous fossils. The 3.2 million-year-old hominid skeleton, found in Ethiopia in 1974, made a 10-day stop at UTA’s High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography Facility in September after an eight-month exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences. With guards standing close watch, UT scientists were allowed to make 35,000 computed tomography images of the ancient fossil. While U.S. researchers conducted a scan on the fossil in the 1970s, the new scans provide the first high-resolution data on the early human ancestor, the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman newspaper said Friday. Read more.
Leo Hansberry, Founder of Ethiopian Research Council
Historian and anthropologist William Leo Hansberry's research was posthumously edited by Joseph E. Harris and printed in two volumes by Howard University Press: "Pillars in Ethiopian History" (1974), and "Africa and Africans as Seen by Classical Writers" (1977).
Tadias Magazine
By Ayele Bekerie
Published: Monday, February 23, 2009
New York (TADIAS) – William Leo Hansberry (1894-1965) was the first academician to introduce a course on African history in a university setting in the United States in 1922. He taught a History of Africa, both ancient and contemporary, for 42 years at Howard University. He gave lectures on African history both in the classrooms and in public squares here at home and in Africa. Thousands of students and ordinary people took his history lessons and some followed his footsteps to study and write extensively about historical issues. Among the seminal contribution of Hansberry is the academic reconstruction and teaching of Ancient African History. His proposal to develop an Africana Studies as an interdisciplinary field not only visualized the centrality of African History, but also laid down the groundwork for eventual establishment of Africana Studies institutions in the United States and Africa.
Hansberry, who studied at Harvard, Oxford and University of Chicago, was an exemplary scholar-activist. He firmly and persistently engaged in disseminating historical knowledge on Africa beyond the classroom. Even though he was not able to complete his PhD dissertation, he evidently demonstrated a remarkable research and writing skills. It is time for Howard University to recognize the immense contributions of Hansberry by organizing a major conference and by naming the Department of African Studies, William Leo Hansberry Department of African Studies. He served as a research associate to the great African American scholar, W.E.B. DuBois. Among his former students were Chancellor Williams (The Destruction of Black Civilization (1987) , and John Henrik Clarke (the author of several books, author of the blueprint for Africana Studies at Cornell University, the distinguished professor of African History at Hunter College, a leading theorist and the founder of the African Heritage Studies Association).
This great man of antiquity, founder of the Ethiopian Research Council, the forerunner of Ethiopian Studies, and genuine friends of African students, died without getting his due recognition from Howard or elsewhere. In fact, it was close to his time of death that he got a few recognitions in his country. His great accomplishments were duly recognized in Africa, particularly in Ethiopia and Nigeria. To this date, no building or sections of building has been named after him at Howard. This is in contrast to former prominent professors of Howard, such as Alain Locke.
Conceptualizing, writing and teaching what Leo Hansberry calls pre-European History of Africa and Africana Studies at a time of open denial and advancement of notion of African inferiority will always remain as his great legacy. In fact, I like to argue that William Leo Hansberry might have been the person who coined the word Africana. One of the most comprehensive outlines he prepared is entitled “Africana and Africa’s Past” and published by John Doe and Company of New York in 1960.
(Photo of William Leo Hansberry)
The term eventually became a useful conceptual word for interdisciplinary approaches and methodologies in the field of Africana Studies, that is, the study of the peoples and experiences of Africa, African America, the Caribbean as well as the Black Atlantic by gathering and interpreting data obtained from a range of disciplines, such as History, Political Science, Archaeology, Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Literature and Biology. My department is named Africana Studies and Research Center at Cornell University with interdisciplinary focus on Africa, African America and the Caribbean. Until very recently, Africana Center was the only center that has used the term Africana. Now institutions like Harvard and others have adopted the conceptual word. The purpose of this paper is to revisit the approaches and writings of William Leo Hansberry on History of Africa as well as Africana Studies in light of the findings of the last forty years.
Claims made by Leo Hansberry, such as the African origin of human beings, the migrations of human beings out of Africa to populate the world, the link between the peoples and civilizations of Egypt, Nubia and Alpine Ethiopia, the civilizations of Western Sudan in medieval times, are no longer in dispute. Several archaeological and archival findings have confirmed his claims. Lucy or Dinqnesh, the 3.1 million years old human-like species, currently touring the major cities of the United States, is major evidence affirming Africa’s place as a cradle of human beings.
The intervention of enslavement and massive economic activities associated with it suppressed, distorted or destroyed much of the facts and histories of Africa. Hansberry and his associates argued tirelessly and fearlessly, in spite of academic ostracism and harassment, to research, construct and teach African history. The publication of UNESCO History of Africa in 8 volumes and the establishment of Departments of History and Africana Studies in the United States, Europe and Africa, particularly in the 1960s, are clear evidence of the correctness and rightness of Hansberry’s approach to history. Hansberry’s diligent and determined search for Africana Antiqua is rooted in his now famous proposition: “It was, in the main, the ruin which followed in the wake of Arab and Berber slave trade in the late Middle Ages and the havoc was wrought by the European slave trade in more recent times that brought about the decline and fall of civilization in most of these early African states.”
He then framed his argument for persuasion in the following manner: “On the strength of the now available information about ancient and medieval Africa, together with the published reports relating to the continent in Stone Age times, it is now certain that Africa has been, throughout the ages, the seat of a great succession of cultures and civilizations which were comparable in most respects and superior in some aspects to the cultures and civilizations in other parts of the world during the same period.” In fact, it is time for Oxford, Harvard and University of Chicago to posthumously award him an honorary doctorate degree.
Leo Hansberry did graduate work at Oxford, Harvard and Chicago Universities and yet none of them were prepared to award him with a PhD degree. His intellectual strategy to dismantle the lingering impact of enslavement by researching and teaching about ancient African civilizations was challenged aggressively, both from within and from without throughout his academic career at Howard University. He taught for over forty years at Howard University in the history department. Thousands of students took his African history courses, and yet his title did not go beyond an instructor.
In the absence of promotion and grants, he persisted in teaching and researching Africa in antiquity. He was denied a grant from the Rosenwald Fund and his Rockefeller grant was terminated while he was studying at Oxford University. He did manage to get a Fulbright scholarship that allowed him to visit sites of antiquities in Africa. Throughout his ordeals, his source of great strength was his wife, Myrtle Kalso Hansberry, who not only supported him, but she also collaborated in his research by serving as “his research assistant, translator, grammarian, and counselor.” In addition, she taught for many years in the Public School System of the District of Columbia. At present, his two daughters are the custodians of his writings and manuscripts. It is my hope that they will be able to find an appropriate institution to house his works.
Leo Hansberry was born in 1894 in Mississippi. His father taught history at Alcorn College, a historically Black Institution of Higher Learning. No information is provided on his mother. His early years (1894-1916) coincided with era of Jim Crow, Negrophobia, and constitutional disenfranchisement of the vast majority of African Americans. He was also exposed at the same time to a tradition of resistance and Black Nationalism. Leo Hansberry, however, came from a family with rich intellectual tradition, including his niece, Loraine Hansberry, the great playwright and author of a Broadway play A Raising in the Sun. His parents, both educators, nurtured him with self-pride and self-worth so as to instill in him a desire to pursue a pioneering academic field with a persistent focus on Africana Studies and history of Africa, particularly ancient Africa.
(Photo of Playwright and author Loraine Hansberry, Leo Hansberry’s niece)
Leo Hansberry inherited his father’s library, for his father died while he was young. Home schooling (long before it became a common practice in the United States) might have been the reason behind his confidence and determination to pursue “Africana Antiqua” in his own terms. His father’s library served him as a source what John Henrik Clarke, his former student, calls ‘more and more information’ on Africa. According to Kwame Wes Alford, a major breakthrough in his search for Africa took place after he read W.E.B.DuBois’s book The Negro (1915). The book provided him with ‘more information’ on African long history, cultures and civilizations. The book freed him from a state of psychological bondage. Later in his academic career, he became an important source of information on African history to W.E.B. Dubois.
Leo Hansberry studied at Harvard University from 1916 to 1920. It was during this period that he read all the books suggested by DuBois’s reading list. He got his masters at Harvard, but left Harvard before earning a PhD degree.
By 1920, Hansberry recognized the conceptual importance of interdisciplinarity, the cross-discipline approach to a field of study, and, in fact, became the first African American scholar to establish African Studies in the United States. In 1922, he actually became the first scholar to develop and teach courses in African history at Howard University. African history was not offered in any of the American universities at that time.
Hansberry had meaningful relationships with WEB DuBois, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, the founder of the United Negro Improvement Association, James Weldon Johnson, the author of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ Carter G. Woodson, the author of The Miseducation of the Negro and Frank Snowden, the author of Blacks in Antiquity.
“Hansberry led the African American and Diaspora contingent in support of Ethiopia as president of the Ethiopian Research Council (ERC) during the Italo-Ethiopian War.” ERC is a forerunner of Ethiopian Studies. His vision of broader conception of the field, however, was not pursued when the field is established in Ethiopia. The field is defined by focusing on not only alpine Ethiopia, but also on the history and cultures of northern Ethiopia. Southern Ethiopia and the histories and cultures of the vast majority of the people of Ethiopia did not get immediate attention. Furthermore, the idea of Ethiopia is a global idea informed by histories and mythologies of ancient Africa. In other words, the idea and practice of Ethiopia should be broadened in order to integrate the multiple dimensions of Ethiopia in time and place.
Leo Hansberry writes with such simplicity and clarity, it is indeed a treat to read his treatises. The renowned Egyptologist W.F. Albright of Johns Hopkins University noted the considerable writing skill of Hansberry. He acknowledged the “vivid style and clearness and cogency” of Hansberry’s writing.
Leo Hansberry counseled and assisted African students for 13 years at Howard University. Among the students who took his class was Nnamide Azikiwe, the first president of Nigeria. He was also a good friend of Kwame Nkrumah, the first prime minister of Ghana. Hansberry was instrumental “in founding the All African Students Union of the Americas in the mid-1950s.” “With William Steen and the late Henrietta Van Noy, he co-founded in 1953 the Institute of African-American Relations, now the African-American Institute” with its headquarter in New York City. According to Smyke, Hansberry was also the “prime mover in the establishment of an Africa House for students in Washington.”
(Photo: Nnamide Azikiwe, the first president of Nigeria, was one of Leo Hansberry’s African students)
In 1960 his former student Dr. Azikiwe, the first elected president of Nigeria, conferred on him the University of Nigeria’s second honorary degree, and at the same time inaugurated the Hansberry School of Africana Studies at the University. In 1964 Hansberry was selected by the Emperor Haile Selassie Trust to receive their first prize for original work in African History, Archaeology, and Anthropology in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In 1963, Hansberry gave a series of lectures in the University of Nigeria at Hansberry College of African Studies, Nsukka Campus. His main topic was “Ancient Kush and Old Ethiopia.” He described it as “a synoptic and pictorial survey of some notable peoples, cultures, kingdom and empires which flourished in the tropical areas of Nilotic Africa in historical antiquity.”
With regard to his sources, he used the English translations of Egyptian, Assyrian, Nubian and Ethiopian manuscript documents and inscriptions. He cited Breasted’s Records of Ancient Egypt; Luckenbill’s Assyrian Records; Budge’s Annals of Nubian Kings; and Budge’s History of Nubia, Ethiopia and Abyssinia. The Classical references are to be found in various modern editions of the authors mentioned. Access to archaeological reports may be found in the great national and larger university libraries. For the introduction to the history of ancient Nubia, A.J. Arkell’s History of the Ancient Sudan may be read with considerable profit.
His subtopics were Cultural and Political Entities (The peoples and cultures of Lower Nubia, 3000 -1600 BCE ; Kerma Kushites of Middle Nubia, 2500 – 1500 BCE; Kushite kingdoms of Napata and Meroe in Lower Middle and Upper Nubia, 1400 BCE – 350 CE; Peoples and cultures of the Land of Punt (Eritrea and the Somalilands), 3000 BCE – 350 CE; The Ethiopian (‘Abyssinian’) kingdom of Sheba (according to the Kebra Nagast), 1400 to 100 BCE; and the Ethiopian Empire of Aksum, 100 BCE to 600 CE. These geographical and historical designations have been conformed by a series of archeological studies in the last fifty years. It is also clear from this important chronology that Ethiopia is a term used by both Nubia and present-day Ethiopia.
In his sub-topic II, he outlined, in greater detail, some notable primary sources of information.
1. Egyptian traditions concerning Punt or Ethiopia as the original homeland of Egypt’s most ancient peoples and their culture.
2. Kushite traditions (as recorded by Diodorus Siculus) to the effect that Egypt was ‘at the beginning of the world’ nothing but a vast swamp and remained such until it was transformed into dry land by alluvium brought down from the land of Kush by the River Nile.
3. Kushite traditions (as recorded by Diodorus Siculus) to the effect that earliest ‘civilized’ inhabitants of Egypt and the basic elements of their civilization were derived from a common ancestral stock.
4. Genesaical traditions (Genesis X) to the effect that the Ancient Kushites and the Ancient Egyptians were derived from a common ancestral stock.
5. Egyptian historical records detailing numerous peaceful commercial missions from Egypt to Kushite countries and the Land of Punt for the purpose of procuring many valuable and useful products which were lacking in Egypt but abundant in ‘the good lands of the south.’
6. Egyptian inscriptions on stone and other types of written records commemorating defensive and offensive efforts of various pharaohs to the safeguard Egypt from military attacks and invasions by Kushites pushing up from the South.
7. Biblical and Rabbinical traditions, and the testimony of Flavius Josephus concerning the relationships of Moses, the great Hebrew lawgiver, with the Ancient Kushites.
8. The surviving annals of Nubian kings on the Kushite conquest of and relationships with, Egypt in the 8th and 7th centuries BCE; notably: -
a. Piankhy’s Conquest Stele
b. The inscriptions of king Taharka
c. The Memphite stele of King Shabaka
d. Tanutamen’s reconquest stele
9. Biblical, Assyrian and Classical (Greek and Roman) historical references and traditions concerning the national and international activities of Kushites kings of the 8th and 7th centuries BCE.
10. Surviving Nubian Annals on the careers of Kushite kings who flourished between the 7th century BCE and the 6th century CE, notably: -
a. Inscriptions of Aspalta – 6th century BCE
b. Stele of Harsiotef – 4th century BCE
c. Stele of Nastasen – 4th century BCE
d. Inscriptions of Netekaman and Amantere – 1st century BCE
e. Stele of Amenrenas – 1st century BCE
f. Stele of Teqerizemani – 2nd century CE
g. Stele of Silko – 6th century CE
11. Myths, legends, traditions and historical reference relating to peoples and cultures of Ancient Kush and Old Ethiopia which are preserved in the surviving writings of Classical (Greek and Roman) poets, geographers and historians; notably: -
a. Homeric and Hesiodic traditions concerning the ‘blameless Ethiopians.’
b. Arctinus of Miletus and Quintus of Smyrna on the exploits of ‘Memnon Prince of Ethiopia’ in the Trojan War.
c. Classical traditions (as preserved in Ovid’s Metamorphoses) concerning the unusual misfortunes of Cephus, the king, and Cassiopeia, the queen, of Old Ethiopia, and the extraordinary experiences of their daughter, the princes Andromeda.
d. Herodotus, ‘the father of history’, on the ill-fated attempt of Cambyses, king of Persia, to invade the homeland of the Ancient Kushites.
e. Stories of Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus concerning the mutiny of the mercenaries in the Egyptian army and their enrollment in the military service of the King of Kush.
f. Heliodorous’s Aethiopica on the disastrous attempt of a Persian governor of Egypt to seize emerald mines belonging to the Kushite domain.
g. The alleged visit of Alexander of Macedon to ‘Candace, Queen of Kush’ according to the remarkable (but no doubt apocryphal) story preserved in the Romance of Alexander the Great, which is attributed, perhaps without foundation, to Callisthenes of Olynthus.
h. Diodorus Siculus’ account of the attempted religious and political reforms of Ergamenes, king of Kush in circa 225 BCE.
i. Plutarch and Dion Cassius on the friendly relationships between Cleopatra and the Queen of Kush.
j. Strabo, Pliny the Elder, etc., on a. the invasion and defeat of the Romans in Upper Egypt by the queen of Kush; and b. the subsequent defeat of the Kushite queen and the invasion of her country by a Roman Army.
k. Numerous Greek and Latin references to the unstable political and military relationships between the Kushites and the Roman and Byzantine overlords of Egypt during the period between the 1st and 6th century CE.
l. John of Ephesus on the circumstances under which Christianity became the State religion of Nubia towards the middle of the 6th century CE.
12. The Kebra Nagast and the Book of Aksum on the traditional history of Ethiopia from the 14th century BCE until the 4th century CE.
13. Ethiopian traditions concerning Queen Makeda (c. 1005 – c.955 BCE) who is generally believed by the Ethiopians, and by many others, to have been ‘the Queen of Sheba’ of Biblical renown.
14. The text of a long historical inscription – commemorating the military exploits of a powerful, but unnamed Ethiopian warrior king – which was anciently inscribed on a great stele set up in the Ethiopian seaport –city of Adulis where it was seen and copied by Cosmas Indicopleustes in c. 530 CE but which has since disappeared, and is now known to us only through Cosmas’ copy.
15. Four long inscriptions on stone set up by the Aksumite king Ezana (c. 319 – c. 345 CE); the texts of three of these commemorate Ezana’s achievements while he was still a devotee of the ancestral religion, while the text of the fourth and last is an account of events which occurred after his acceptance of Christianity as the State religion of his empire.
Here are some excerpts taken from Hansberry’s article on a history of Aksumite Ethiopia:
“The ancient kingdom of Aksum, according to its own annals and other reliable testimony, transformed itself into a Christian state about the year A.D. 333, which was, it will be remembered, only about a decade after Christianity had been made the state religion of the Roman Empire.” (p. 3-4)
“The present kingdom of Ethiopia is history’s second oldest Christian state. For several centuries after it became a Christian nation, the kingdom of Axum shared with the Byzantine Empire universal renown as one of the two most powerful Christian states of the age; and, of the Christian sovereigns of that period, none deserved and enjoyed more than certain Axumite kings, a wider reputation as Defenders of the Faith.” (p. 4)
Although relationships between the Byzantine Empire and the Christian kingdoms of Ethiopian lands were rather close during the 4th, 5th and 6th centuries, the continued decline of European Civilization, as an aftermath of the barbarian invasions and the rise and expansion of Islam, put an end to such relationships for several hundred years.” (p. 4)
“In the time of the Crusades, relationships between the Ethiopian Christians and the European brothers of the same faith were, however, revived, and considering the great distance which separated them – remained exceptionally close until well down into early modern times.” (p. 4)
“During these centuries, the old kingdom of Aksum was more commonly known in European lands as the Empire of Prester John; and mutual intercourse between those widely separated parts of Christendom exercised a profoundly significant influence upon the course of world affairs that period. For it was out of European efforts, first, to re-establish, and then, to maintain, relationships with the Empire of Prester John, that arose those international developments which ultimately resulted in the discovery of America and the establishment of the ocean-route to Indies.” (p.4-5)
“Toward the end of the 18th Century, Edward Gibbon declared that Ethiopia in the Middle Ages was ‘a hermit empire’ which ‘slept for a thousand years, forgetful of the world by which it was forgot.’ As the proceeding review indicates, it is now known that this point of view is widely at variance with the historical facts; but is it quite true that, despite the significant part that Ethiopia long has played in mankind’s stirring and storied past, the world at large, at least in our own times, is singularly unfamiliar with the history of that ancient land.” (p. 5)
William Leo Hansberry’s life is a reflection of the struggle of African Americans to recover and reclaim their past. It is also an integral part of the rich intellectual tradition of the African Diaspora. It is a persistent attempt, in spite of the enormous difficulties, to construct and own one’s own historical memory. It is after all history that guides the present and the future. Hansberry charted a great tradition of intellectual discourse and community activism, which are still important attributes for the 21st century.
—– Publisher’s Note:This article is well-referenced and those who seek the references should contact Professor Ayele Bekerie directly at: ab67@cornell.edu
About the Author: Ayele Bekerie is an Associate Professor at the Department of History and Cultural Studies at Mekelle University. He was an Assistant Professor at the Africana Studies and Research Center at Cornell University. Bekerie is a contributing author in the highly acclaimed book, “One House: The Battle of Adwa 1896 -100 Years.” He is also the author of the award-winning book “Ethiopic, An African Writing System: Its History and Principles” — among many other published works.
Three Acts Win Big at the Grammys: Two Ethiopian-Americans seated among the stars
Above: Wayna (pictured above) and Kenna are the two
Ethiopian Americans who earned their seats as
Nominees at the 51st annual Grammy Awards ceremony
at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday night.
NYT
By BEN SISARIO
Published: February 8, 2009
LOS ANGELES — At the 51st annual Grammy Awards ceremony, at Staples Center here on Sunday night, three disparate acts were in a close race, with hard-core rap, rock and an album of lush Americana vying for the top award.
But it was Robert Plant and Alison Krauss who won album of the year — for a total of five awards — for “Raising Sand” (Rounder), their album of luxuriant renditions of old rockabilly and country songs as well as original material. Lil Wayne, the bawdy and gifted New Orleans rapper, had a total of three, including one for a four-way collaboration. The British rock band Coldplay also had three awards. Read More.
Neo-soul singer from Bowie traded the West Wing for Grammys glory
Wayna’s “Lovin You (Music)” is nominated for a Grammy for best urban/alternative performance. baltimoresun.com
Wayna: A Soulful Diva in the Making
By Tseday Alehegn
Tadias Staff Writer
New York (Tadias) – Friends and family may know Woyneab Miraf Wondwossen (Wayna) as the young University of Maryland alumna who double majored in English and Speech Communications, and went on to serve as one of the first Ethiopian American researchers at the White House under Former President Bill Clinton.
Recently, however, Wayna has waded into new waters and is beginning to make a name for herself among America’s favorite musicians. She’s nominated for a Grammy.
Wayna’s sophomore album Higher Ground, which propelled her to the prestigious nomination, was released in 2008. The new album, just like her debut CD Moments of Clarity, is an infectious blend of original songs that fuses soul, world, and hip hop sounds accompanied by lyrics on love, loss, faith and courage.
“I’ve poured some of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn into these songs,” Wayna divulges. Music has always been one of Wayna’s deep-seated passions, and her most recent tunes echo her personal struggles, hopes and victories through her own unique and passionate voice. Asked how she views herself and her work, she replies, “I would define myself as an artist who is constantly growing and searching for new ways to express myself vocally, lyrically, and musically. I search for the feeling of losing myself in a song, to create timeless music that speaks to people’s hearts and conveys important messages.”
Born in Ethiopia, Wayna immigrated with her family to the United States when she was just a toddler. As a young girl, she chased after her love of music by starring in popular musical theater productions like Annie, The Boyfriend, and Damn Yankees, as well as by touring with the children’s musical revue company Songs, Inc. Her college years continued to be a time of musical experimentation as she taught herself to play piano on the old Steinway in her dormitory. After being crowned Miss Black Unity of the University of Maryland and earning a one-year tuition scholarship, she went on to start a gospel quartet. The successful and talented quartet performed at the world renowned Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, where they placed as finalist in the Amateur Night competition.
Wayna soon received several opportunities to travel as a soloist with the gospel choir all the while unearthing her talent in singing. But it was after being invited to perform at her university’s annual tradition, A Tribute to African Women, that Wayna ended up writing the ballad that became her first original piece performed for an audience.
“On that day,” she recalls, “music became more than a form of entertainment or a source of comfort to me. I began to see it as a tool to heal and inspire people, including myself.”
Asked to identify her role models in the music world, Wayna chooses the colorful sounds of Chaka Khan, Donnie Hathaway, Billy Holiday, Stevie Wonder and the ’70s soul singer Minnie Riperton. She also enjoys listening to contemporary artists ranging from the soulful voices of D’Angelo and Jill Scott to emerging spoken word performer W. Ellington Felton.
For her personal role models, Wayna selects her mom Tidenkialesh Emagnu and her late aunt Yeshi Immebet Imagnu.
“It wasn’t always easy growing up as an Ethiopian-American, especially at the time I was coming of age,” she confesses. “Because there were far fewer of us here — far different from the experience Ethiopian teenagers have today.”
Remembering the strength and encouragement her family gave her, Wayna recounts lessons she learned at a young age:
“My aunt Yeshie Imagnu made it a point to teach me elements of our history and culture that weren’t obvious just by living in an Ethiopian home. And my mom, though she has resided in the U.S. for 25 years, is one of the truest representations of our culture that I’ve ever encountered,” she says with pride.
Now that she is older, she says she wears her Ethiopian-ness like a badge of honor.
“In fact, I’ve promised myself I will not go on stage unless I’m wearing at least one article of Ethiopian clothing or jewelry,” she adds. “It’s a symbol of who I am.”
In the end, what Wayna teaches us all is far deeper than her lifelong love of song; she teaches us to excel in every aspect of our lives.
“I would encourage Tadias readers to explore all their interests and talents — not just the ones that are validated by our community,” she says.
“What do you wake up thinking about in the middle of the night? What did you love doing for hours on end as a child? Those things are our passions, and we owe it to ourselves and our creator to develop and share them with the world.”
In short, she says, “There’s absolutely nothing we can’t do.”
Tadias Magazine congratulates Wayna on her nomination.
Above:Gabre Yohannes Abate, the Ethiopian troop
commander in Somalia watches during a farewell ceremony
which took place in the presidential palace Tuesday Jan. 13,
2009 .The commander of Ethiopian troops has formally handed
over security of Somalia to joint force of Somali government
security and militiamen from a faction of the country’s Islamists.
(AP Photo/Mohamed Sheikh Nor)
An Islamist militia seized control of the Somali town of Baidoa, seat of the nation’s parliament, after Ethiopian forces withdrew from the country, a police official said.
The al-Shabaab militia occupied the town, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) northwest of the capital, Mogadishu, yesterday morning, Colonel Amiin Mohamed, a police official, said by phone from Baidoa late yesterday. Al-Shabaab is a faction of the Islamic Courts Union.
“The Islamists entered the town without much resistance and at the moment they control the town,” Mohamed said.
Ethiopia’s Defense Ministry said yesterday it completed its withdrawal from Somalia, two years after invading its eastern neighbor to oust an Islamic Courts Union government that briefly controlled the country’s south. Read More.
Many newlyweds have their wedding ceremonies held in
January or February known as the wedding season for its
pleasant climate.
People sing and dance at a park during a wedding ceremony in central Addis
Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Jan. 24, 2009.
Staff members of a wedding company dressed in religious costumes sing a
song while beating the drum during a wedding ceremony at a park in central
Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Jan. 24, 2009.
Newlyweds (C, Upper) and a master of ceremonies join in chorus during a
wedding ceremony at a park in central Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on
Jan. 24, 2009.
Newlyweds pose for photographs after their wedding ceremony at a park in
central Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Jan. 24, 2009.
A wedding ceremony is seen at a park in central Addis Ababa, capital of
Ethiopia, on Jan. 24, 2009.
Flower girls walk in front of a couple of newlyweds
during a wedding ceremony at a park in central Addis
Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Jan. 24, 2009.
A musician plays the saxophone during a wedding ceremony at a park in
central Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Jan. 24, 2009.
A flower girl and a ring bearer walk in front of a
couple of newlyweds during a wedding ceremony at
a park in central Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia,
on Jan. 24, 2009.
Seattle woman’s tenacity builds clinic in Ethiopia
Many would have surrendered to the hassles of coordinating a project 11 time zones from home, or been choked by the red tape of dealing with a foreign government.
Still others would have succumbed to the difficulty of raising money for something most donors will never see.
But Selamawit Kifle, a South Seattle woman who grew up in Ethiopia, does not give up.
And because she does not, a clinic is rising from the red clay soil of her native land. Later this year, some of the poorest residents in one of the world’s poorest countries may be receiving treatment for malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, complications of HIV/AIDS and other ailments.
“When I started, I had no idea what it would take,” said Kifle. “I just knew I had to help.”
DAVID HORNETT / DAVID HORNETT
Already, 63 Ethiopian orphans are receiving the basic necessities of life, along with school supplies and a chance at a better future, thanks to donors — nearly all in the Seattle area — who give $30 a month to sponsor a child through the Blue Nile Children’s Organization, which Kifle created in 2001.
“She is a very quiet, unassuming woman, but she is just a lion in terms of what she can accomplish. It’s amazing,” said Deacon Mary Shehane of St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, which made Blue Nile one of its “Church in the World Ministries.” Next month, St. Mark’s will host a dinner and auction for the group; a similar event last year raised $20,000 toward the clinic construction.
The desperately poor Ethiopia which Kifle, 48, sees on her twice-yearly trips these days is not the country she remembers from childhood, when her upper-middle-class family had homes and property under Emperor Haile Selassie.
But a Marxist military regime that toppled Selassie in 1974 confiscated privately held property, including her family’s. In subsequent years, thousands of people were killed or simply disappeared, including a teenage brother and sister of Kifle’s. “The government took them away and we never saw them again.”
Kifle left Ethiopia in 1982 at age 22, following an older sister first to Germany and then to the United States.
Thirteen years later, Kifle, who then operated an import-export company, made her first trip back to Ethiopia, and was heartbroken by the plight of the country’s children.
“When you walk down the street, they follow you, begging for bread. If you go out early in the morning to church, you see them sleeping outside, piling up with each other to be warm,” she said. “I know I can’t help all of them, but if I can help even 100 kids, I’ll know I’ve done something.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, more than 1 million children in Ethiopia alone have been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic sweeping through sub-Saharan Africa, and that total is expected to rise.
Above:Yosef Tadale (left) and Yohannes Surafel (right) were
arrested and charged with kidnapping, assault, and conspiracy
to commit armed robbery after police say they held a family
hostage.
DC Examiner
By Scott McCabe
Examiner Staff Writer
1/7/09
U.S. marshals continue to hunt for a college student accused of abducting a Prince George’s County family in a failed bank robbery scheme last month.
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in capturing Beruk Ayalneh, 24. Ayalneh was one of three men who allegedly broke into the home of an assistant bank manager last month and held the woman, her husband and two boys at gunpoint overnight. The other two suspects, Yosef Tadele, 23, of Silver Spring and Yohannes T. Surafel, 24, of the District remain behind bars on kidnapping, armed robbery and assault charges. Beruk Ayalneh
Police say the trio’s plan was to keep the children, ages 8 and 11, as hostages and force the woman to take money from the SunTrust branch where she worked in Silver Spring. The father convinced the robbers to allow them to bring the children with them to the bank.
But on the way, the father, James Spruill, foiled the plot after he saw a Maryland state trooper. Spruill began driving erratically until the trooper flashed on his cruiser’s emergency lights. Only one of the kidnappers, Surafel, was in the vehicle, but his gun was trained on the 11-year-old boy.
When the trooper asked Spruill for his license, the father jumped at the gunman and pinned him down.
U.S. marshals hope Ayalneh, who is a student at Howard University and has no criminal history, will surrender. Surafel has already tried to kill himself in a holding cell in the College Park barracks, police said.
“[Ayalneh] is not a sophisticated criminal mastermind who’s well-schooled in running and hiding,” said Matthew Burke, supervisory inspector with the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. “We hope his inexperience will help us.”
Ayalneh, who is a U.S. citizen of Ethiopian descent, is from the Northern Virginia area and has ties to D.C. and the Maryland suburbs. He is 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds.
Anyone with information on Ayalneh’s whereabouts can call the U.S. Marshals Service at 301-489-1717 or 800-336-0102. Law enforcement authorities are offering a reward for information leading to Lee’s arrest.
The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, run by the U.S. Marshals Service, is composed of 28 federal, state and local agencies from Baltimore to Norfolk. The unit has captured 19,000 wanted fugitives since its creation in 2004.
CNN VIDEO
A bank robbery scheme was cut short by a quick-thinking family man. WJLA reports.
Ethiopian American Researcher hopes to put fuel cells on the fast track
The slow evolution of clean-energy solutions is about to kick into high gear, if Sossina M. Haile has anything to say about it. As a fuel cell researcher at the California Institute of Technology and a founding member of the company Superprotonic Inc., she hopes to make this “technology of the future” practical for today’s applications.
Current fuel cell technology is hamstrung by impracticality. The most efficient and powerful fuel cells need large amounts of heat and space, whereas those suitable for smaller scale operation require lots of precious, expensive platinum. “If we converted every car in the U.S. to fuel cells, we’d need more platinum than there is in the proven reserves,” Haile says.
Haile’s research, which initially began several years ago with fuel cell researchers at JPL, has led to breakthroughs in more “consumer-ready” fuel cell technology. She’s developed fuel cell systems that strike a balance between power and manageability –- perfect, she says, for standalone residential generators. Her team has worked hard to reduce the amount of platinum needed for each system.
Haile’s team has also taken on one of the biggest roadblocks to widespread fuel cell use — their reliance on hydrogen as a primary fuel. Hydrogen requires lots of energy to extract and it’s difficult to store and distribute.
Size comparison of a dime and a single fuel cell – the device pictured at
the top of the page is a stack of these individual cells.
In fact, Haile thinks that the verdict is still out on whether hydrogen “makes sense” as the fuel of the future. “When most people hear ‘fuel cells,’ they think hydrogen,” says Haile. “That’s a common misperception — fuel cells aren’t necessarily restricted to hydrogen.”
Haile’s team has focused on developing fuel cells that can run on more traditional fuels, like ethanol or biomass, while also solving many of the problems of conventional hydrogen fuel cells.
Zongping Shao, who is now a professor at
Nanjing College of Chemistry in China,
listens to an MP3 player being powered
by two fuel cells.
Fuel cells that use carbon-based fuels still produce carbon emissions, but at a much lower rate than their internal-combustion counterparts. Because fuel cells extract energy from electrochemical reactions instead of burning their fuel, they are much more efficient and environmentally friendly. “It’s a unique middle ground,” explains Haile — one she believes will speed the integration of these new technologies into the current energy infrastructure.
For Haile, the incentive to design practical, unconventional fuel cells is simple: “Science should be in the service of society.” She thinks that fuel cells that can use renewable energy resources like biomass will help end what she calls she calls “drawing from the bank” — using fossil fuels as a source of energy.
“There’s scientific proof that CO2 concentrations have been rising for decades to levels not felt on the Earth in millenia,” Haile says. “We need to have a diverse approach to solving the problem before it’s too late.”
Americans are Adopting Fewer Orphans Overseas Except From Ethiopia
Editor’s note: Americans are adopting fewer orphans overseas except in one country: Ethiopia. But social workers are saying adoption is not the best solution to Ethiopia’s problems, reports NAM contributing writer, Shane Bauer. Bauer is a freelance journalist and photographer based in the Middle East and Africa.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – On the outskirts of Addis Ababa a newly built orphanage called Rohobet is hidden among tin-roofed shacks on top of a eucalyptus and pine-covered hill. All around it, dirt roads are turned into muddy rivulets in the midday drizzle.
The inside of the largely empty house has features that are distinctly un-Ethiopian. A large kitchen table and chairs — the eight children are to eat at a table rather than on the floor. Babies are fed by bottles and sleep in cribs, rather than the large pieces of cloths shaped into tiny hammocks that are the norm in most Ethiopian homes. When they travel, the smallest children sit in car seats. After leaving their home state of Oromo and coming to the orphanage, the children are being prepared for life in the United States.
In the four months that the Rohobet orphanage has existed, it has had five children adopted through the Minnesota-based agency, Better Future Adoption. The director of Rohobet is a man I’ll call Tewodros since he asked not to be named for fear of reprisal from the government or the American adoption agency that funds his orphanage.
He had the personality of a non-profit entrepreneur, with a big heart and a mind for expanding his business. His mission was clear: raise more money and have more children adopted. “We have enough orphans, just not enough money,” he said. Read More.
WASHINGTON – Democratic officials say Barack Obama has begun a top-secret search for a running mate.
Democratic officials said Thursday the party’s likely nominee has asked former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson to begin vetting potential vice presidential picks. Johnson did the same job for Democratic nominees John Kerry in 2004 and Walter Mondale in 1984. Read More.
DES MOINES — Senator Barack Obama took a big step toward becoming the Democratic presidential nominee on Tuesday, amassing enough additional delegates to claim an all but insurmountable advantage in his race against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
While Mrs. Clinton’s campaign continued to make a case that she could prevail, Mr. Obama used the results from Democratic contests in Kentucky and Oregon to move into a new phase of the campaign in which he will face different challenges. Those include bringing Mrs. Clinton’s supporters into his camp; winning over elements of the Democratic coalition like working-class whites, Hispanics and Jews; and fending off attacks from Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, especially on national security. Read More.
Above:Ethiopian-born Yaddi Bojia, member of the Crucialites reggae band, performing at the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle, Washington.
Band Members: Scott Mosher on lead vocals/hammond organ/electric piano/melodica, Yaddi Bojia (Also featured on the Art Talk section of Tadias Magazine) on vocals, Dan Meyers on guitar, Jordan Brant on bass, Dub Issachar on drums, Ricky Doxie on trombone, Tracy on Sax, Matt on Trumpet.
Venue: Mural Ampitheater (305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109)
Date: May 28th 2007
Northwest Folklife Festal is dedicated to sharing the ethnic, traditional and folk arts of the cultures of the Pacific Northwest region.
Born in Ethiopia, Yadesa, also known as Yaddi, immigrated to the United States in 1995. Yaddi showed an interest in art since his early childhood. Even though he does not remember when he started painting, as a sixth grader his school commissioned him to paint a mural.
Above:Dreamer
Yaddi’s first exposure and memories of art was as a child gazing at murals often found in Ethiopian Orthodox churches. These murals used line drawings filled with bold, vibrant colors.
Above:Worshippers
In Seattle, Yaddi studied art at Seattle Pacific University where he earned his Bachelors degree in Visual Communication. He also attended Seattle Central Community College and received an Associates of Art degree in Graphic Design.
Yaddi’s exposure to African Art and western art gives him a unique opportunity to understand their relationship as well as their differences. While studying art history Yaddi examined how every art genre and classification derived or inherited from each other, and the existence of one was based on the existence of the other. He also examined the influence of African art on western art and vice versa.
Above:Madonna
Yaddi believes his work is a byproduct of the cultural diversity he enjoyed while living in Addis Ababa and Seattle. In his work he tries to capture the life of those who are ‘invisible’ to the mainstream, and he hopes that his work will become a tool for social change.
Above: Prisoners of Haven
—- To contact the artist please write to: YADESA BOJIA, 13745 34th Ave. S. Tukwila, WA 98168 Tel: 206-501-9958
Medrafa: The Tech Startup Transforming Healthcare in Ethiopia — Q&A with Ben Tesfaye
Medrafa team at Ethiopia’s inaugural National Technology Expo (ETEX 2025), showcasing their digital health solutions. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: June 13th, 2025
TADIAS – At Ethiopia’s inaugural national technology expo, ETEX 2025, a bold new name in health-tech made its presence known: Medrafa, a homegrown digital health company founded by Ethiopian Americans, is reshaping how prescriptions are written, filled, and managed across the country.
Co-founded by Ben Tesfaye, Managing Partner at USP Holdings in Washington, D.C., Medrafa is on a mission to save lives by eliminating prescription errors, optimizing pharmacy operations, and giving patients more control over their medical data.
“We didn’t build this for tomorrow,” Ben tells Tadias. “We built it for today—for real-world problems faced by people in Ethiopia right now.”
And the numbers speak for themselves: Over 50 pharmacies onboarded, more than 150 healthcare professionals trained, and 52,000+ prescriptions processed since its launch last year. It’s not just an idea—it’s already changing lives.
Built for Ethiopia, Designed for Africa
Co-founder Ben Tesfaye and Medrafa team at Ethiopia’s inaugural National Technology Expo (ETEX 2025), showcasing their digital health solutions. (Courtesy photo)
What sets Medrafa apart is its combination of cutting-edge technology and local grounding. The system uses internationally recognized health data standards like SNOMED CT and FHIR, ensuring global interoperability, while being entirely developed in Ethiopia by a team of engineers and health professionals who understand the local context.
Its AI-powered e-prescription platform ensures that prescriptions are legible, secure, and compliant—eliminating errors that often occur with handwritten scripts. Meanwhile, the inventory management system empowers pharmacies to reduce waste, avoid expired drugs, and forecast demand accurately—helping to lower medication costs across the board.
Just as transformative is Medrafa’s patient-centered approach: for the first time in Ethiopia, individuals can track their prescriptions, access their medical history, and safeguard against harmful drug interactions—all through a secure digital platform.
A Sustainable, Scalable Model
Unlike many private tech solutions, Medrafa’s software is free for all pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals, with sustainability built into a modest per-transaction fee model. A portion of revenues is earmarked to support vulnerable patients who can’t afford medication—fusing innovation with inclusion.
“Digital equity is healthcare equity,” Ben emphasizes. “Everyone deserves access to safe, affordable treatment—no matter their income or ZIP code.”
As Ethiopia navigates rapid urban growth and a rising demand for efficient, trustworthy healthcare systems, Medrafa is providing more than a product—it’s offering a model for the continent.
What’s Next
With a successful showing at ETEX 2025 behind them and growing recognition from local and international media—including Addis Fortune—Medrafa is gearing up for nationwide expansion and regional partnerships.
“We’re just getting started,” Ben says. “This isn’t about disruption for the sake of it. It’s about building something that lasts.”
Q&A: A Conversation with Medrafa Co-Founder Ben Tesfaye
Ben Tesfaye, co-founder of Medrafa. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias spoke with Medrafa co-founder Ben Tesfaye to learn more about the company’s groundbreaking work, the team behind its success, and how their shared Ethiopian American background is shaping a bold new vision for digital health in Ethiopia and beyond.
TADIAS: Can you walk us through the origin story of Medrafa? What inspired you and your team to launch a health-tech company in Ethiopia?
Ben Tesfaye: Not many people know this, but after graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I was actually enrolled in pharmacy school. Life, however, took a different turn. I ended up joining my brothers in business, and that early dream of working in pharmaceuticals slowly faded away.
Fast forward nearly 20 years—about two years ago—a close family member who studied computer science, along with one of their friends who is a medical doctor, pitched me an idea for an e-prescription system. I was intrigued by the concept and inspired by their ambition. But it quickly became clear they needed more than just funding; they needed guidance, structure, and someone who could help bring the vision to life.
For me, it was a full-circle moment. Medrafa gave me the chance to return to a field I had once been passionate about—this time with the experience, network, and perspective I’ve gained through my business journey. The problem we’re solving—digitizing prescriptions to improve safety, reduce cost, and empower patients in Ethiopia’s healthcare system—is deeply meaningful.
I often get asked what “Medrafa” means. “Med” stands for Medical, and “Rafa” means Healing.
TADIAS: Why did you choose to focus specifically on e-prescriptions and pharmacy systems?
Ben: That’s a great question. In Ethiopia, pharmacies are often the most accessible point of care, yet they remain some of the most underserved when it comes to digital infrastructure. E-prescriptions not only reduce medication errors—which currently stand at 58% in Ethiopia—they also help streamline supply chains, improve inventory management, and create a pathway for integration with insurance systems. We saw pharmacies as the most practical and impactful entry point for transforming the healthcare system from the ground up.
To make this vision a reality, we had to overcome the lack of robust inventory management systems. Medrafa has built three powerful tools:
An end-to-end pharmacy inventory management system, which handles workflow from purchase orders to digital payments with electronic receipts.
A prescription portal for doctors, which allows AI-supported prescribing while preventing drug-to-drug interactions—thanks to access to patient data for both doctor and patient.
The RX Hub, where we envision all prescriptions integrating into a nationalized system.
We studied the two primary global models: the U.S., where e-prescriptions are led by the private sector, and Europe, where governments lead the effort. Our RX Hub is a hybrid of these approaches. We believe Africa, as a latecomer, has the advantage of learning from these systems and leapfrogging ahead through innovation.
TADIAS: Medrafa is unique in that it was built locally, yet adheres to global health-tech standards. Why was that important?
Ben: I believe Ethiopia—and Africa as a whole—shouldn’t have to choose between innovation and inclusion. By building Medrafa locally while aligning with global standards like SNOMED CT and FHIR, we’re ensuring our system can integrate with international platforms while staying grounded in local realities. Currently, Medrafa holds the first and only SNOMED CT license in Ethiopia’s private sector.
This approach future-proofs African healthcare and empowers local talent to lead the charge. One of the most inspiring parts of this journey has been working with incredibly dynamic and capable professionals right here in Ethiopia. The talent exists—we just need to invest in it and believe in it.
TADIAS: Your platform gives patients direct access to their medical data—how does this shift the healthcare experience in Ethiopia?
It’s truly a paradigm shift. Traditionally, patients in Ethiopia have been passive participants in their own care. With Medrafa, that changes. Patients are informed and empowered. They can access their prescriptions, track medications, and engage with their health records digitally.
This level of transparency builds trust. It leads to better adherence, improved outcomes, and stronger relationships between patients and providers. At the end of the day, we’re all patients—whether you’re a teacher, a minister, wealthy or poor, even a doctor. That’s why this platform matters. It’s for everyone.
TADIAS: Can you tell us more about your sustainability model and why you made the decision to offer the system free to providers?
Ben: Our goal was never just to build software. These days, building software is the easy part. What we set out to build was trust and ecosystem-wide impact. By offering Medrafa free to pharmacies and clinics, we eliminate cost as a barrier to digital transformation and adoption.
We sustain the platform through small transaction fees, strategic partnerships, enterprise services, and research collaborations. This is a long-term play. We’re investing in the public good now to build credibility, scale, and resilience for the future.
One of the biggest challenges in Ethiopia—and across Africa—is over-reliance on grants or imported foreign software. These systems often collapse when external funding ends or become unsustainable due to a lack of local support. Our timing proved critical: just as we launched Medrafa, several donor-funded platforms—backed by major organizations like USAID—were being dismantled. That moment reinforced our belief: sustainability must come from within. Locally built and maintained solutions aren’t just preferable—they’re essential.
TADIAS: How did your experience as an Ethiopian American entrepreneur and investor in the U.S. shape the way you approached this venture?
Ben: I’m incredibly grateful for what the U.S. has given me: the education, the exposure, and the opportunities to grow as an entrepreneur. It shaped who I am and taught me how to build, lead, and scale businesses. But more importantly, it gave me the mindset and means to give back.
As part of the Ethiopian diaspora, we’ve been blessed with access, resources, and perspective. With that comes a moral responsibility to contribute to our home country’s development. Medrafa isn’t just a business—it’s a way to bring that experience full circle. It’s about applying the lessons I’ve learned abroad to solve real, local problems in a meaningful and sustainable way.
TADIAS: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced—technical, regulatory, or cultural—in implementing Medrafa on the ground?
Ben: Interestingly, compared to other sectors I’ve worked in across Ethiopia, I’ve found digital health to be one of the least challenging in terms of development, implementation, and user acceptance. The real hurdle lies in regulation.
Digital health is still in its infancy here, and there are few clear guidelines—especially concerning patient data privacy. That said, I’ve been encouraged by the government’s openness to innovation and digital tools. The momentum is there, and the outlook is promising.
That’s why we’ve prioritized working closely with stakeholders to help shape policies transparently and responsibly. We want to create a foundation the entire health sector can build upon. We also call on others to join this effort. The private sector must play a leading role in transforming healthcare—but only if it’s given the trust and opportunity to do so.
TADIAS: With over 50 pharmacies already on board, what’s next for Medrafa? Are you planning to expand beyond Addis Ababa?
Ben: Absolutely. We’re already active in three regions across Ethiopia and are preparing to pilot the platform in clinics, with plans for broader regional rollout.
Our long-term vision is to build a complete digital health ecosystem. That includes integrating wholesalers with pharmacies, establishing a medical marketplace, syncing with insurance workflows, and connecting underserved rural areas.
We’ve designed Medrafa as a self-service platform, so anyone in any region can create an account and start using it—without needing our direct involvement. That’s central to our strategy for scalable growth.
TADIAS: What advice would you give to other members of the diaspora who want to build something meaningful in Ethiopia?
Ben: First, I truly believe those of us in the diaspora have a moral obligation to give back. We’ve been blessed with opportunity—and that comes with responsibility.
But I’d also say: come with clear eyes. Don’t view Ethiopia through a diaspora lens or become discouraged when things don’t move at the pace you’re used to. You’ll need thick skin and deep patience. More importantly, take time to understand the local mindset, rhythm, and realities.
If you can do that, the journey will be twice as fulfilling. Because you’re not just building a business—you’re helping shape a future. And there’s nothing more meaningful than that.
TADIAS: Looking ahead, how do you envision Medrafa’s role in the broader African digital health ecosystem?
Ben: We envision Medrafa evolving into one of Africa’s leading digital health platforms—and ultimately, a homegrown health-tech unicorn. That’s not just a dream—it’s a goal we’re actively working toward, supported by Ethiopia’s innovation ecosystem and government institutions that recognize the power of digital transformation in healthcare.
But we want to be more than just a tool. We want Medrafa to serve as a foundation—for interoperability, local innovation, and regional integration. By building standards-aligned infrastructure and collaborating with public and private sectors, we believe we can help shape a digital health future that is equitable, scalable, and uniquely African.
In the U.S. or Europe, it’s easy to pick up a prescription in one city and refill it in another. That seamlessness is taken for granted. I want to see a future where the same experience is possible across African borders—or even across oceans. That’s the future Medrafa is working to make real.
TADIAS: Thank you again, Ben, and best wishes from all of us at Tadias!
The play Ethiopia dramatizes Italy’s 1935 invasion of Ethiopia, the country's appeal to the League of Nations, and the enduring cultural and emotional ties between Africa and its diaspora. As theater critic Hannah Estifanos notes in DC Theater Arts, the show’s revival is both timely and resonant. (Photos by Bayou Elom)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: May 21, 2025
TADIAS – Nearly 90 years after it was silenced, the play Ethiopia, one of the earliest works to emerge from the U.S. Federal Theatre Project, has finally been brought to life on the American stage. Originally set to premiere in 1936, the production was shut down before it ever reached the public — until now.
Washington, D.C.-based IN Series has resurrected this once-banned work as part of its 2025 season, Illicit Opera, which features plays suppressed at the time of their creation. The first act of the production is the long-lost Living Newspaper by Arthur Arent, dramatizing Italy’s 1935 invasion of Ethiopia and Emperor Haile Selassie’s impassioned appeal to the League of Nations. The second act is a contemporary response written by playwright Sybil R. Williams, connecting Ethiopia’s resistance to global movements, and paying homage to the enduring cultural and emotional ties between Africa and its diaspora.
The production’s visual world was crafted in part by Ethiopian American artist and designer Tsedaye Makonnen, whose work has long explored the intersections of identity, memory, and sanctuary. The minimalist set of the first act gives way to a vivid second act adorned with design elements evoking meskel cross patterns and traditional Ethiopian textiles — part of a layered symbolism that mirrors the diasporic journey at the heart of the show.
As theater critic Hannah Estifanos reports for DC Theater Arts, the show’s revival is not just historical — it’s personal and profoundly resonant.
A Censored Classic Finally Speaks
In the original 1936 script, Arent interwove speeches and newspaper headlines to create a striking collage of Ethiopia’s resistance and the world’s passive complicity. The play was set to end with a recording of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s own words — but that request triggered a White House directive forbidding the impersonation of American leaders on stage. The production was immediately canceled following a single dress rehearsal.
Now, under the direction of IN Series Artistic Director Timothy Nelson, Arent’s text serves as the foundation for a dynamic two-act production. The cast — including Ezinne Elele, Elise Jenkins, Madison Norwood, Shana Oshiro, Daniel J. Smith, Nakia Verner, and Marvin Wayne — flows seamlessly between multiple roles, evoking the urgency of the 1930s with projected newspaper headlines and stark black-and-white visuals.
Daniel J. Smith’s portrayal of Emperor Haile Selassie is a particular standout, capturing both the solemnity and defiance of the leader’s famed 1936 speech at the League of Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland: “It is far better to die on the field of battle, a free man, than to live as a slave!”
Sidebar: Ethiopia’s Historic Land Grant for the Diaspora
Haile Selassie was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. (Getty Images)
Following the Italian invasion, Emperor Haile Selassie extended a rare and powerful invitation to Black Americans and Caribbeans: to settle in Ethiopia. He designated land grants as a gesture of solidarity, encouraging people of African descent to return and build a future. Though largely unfulfilled due to social and logistical challenges, the offer symbolized a Pan-African vision of unity — and resonates today as an early form of reparative diplomacy.
A Pan-African Response: Diaspora Awakens
The second act, crafted by Williams, expands the story from Ethiopia to the broader African diaspora. The stage explodes into color and texture as the narrative shifts to Mayme Richardson, an African American opera singer who visited Ethiopia during the invasion and later spread the word about Emperor Haile Selassie’s land grant.
Played by Nakia Verner, Richardson’s story becomes a bridge to a younger generation represented by Chloe, a fictional descendant portrayed by Shana Oshiro, who rediscovers her roots and adopts the Ethiopian name “Tsehay” (meaning sunshine). A chorus of women adorned in green, gold, and red headwraps and beads guides her journey, weaving multiple strands identity, memory, and resistance into one narrative.
Sacred Sounds and Layered Symbols
Music is a driving force in Ethiopia, with an original score composed by Janelle Gill — inspired by the work of legendary Ethiopian pianist Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru — that spans African American spirituals, nyabinghi drumming, and traditional Ethiopian instrumentation, including live masinqo performed by Woretaw Wubet. Gill’s on-stage presence, dressed in a traditional Ethiopian netela, underscored the sacred dimension of the work.
In the lobby (at 340 Maple Drive during the opening performance in Washington, DC’s waterfront neighborhood The Wharf), mixed media artist Mygenet Tesfaye Harris and ceramicist Ayda Biru contributed to the immersive experience with an art exhibit titled Wax & Gold, named after the Amharic poetic tradition of hidden meanings. As Estifanos notes, this idea of layered symbolism is central to the production itself — a blending of time periods, geographies, and perspectives that deepen the emotional and intellectual impact of the story.
Against the Odds
In another echo of its fraught origins, the production lost federal funding just two weeks before opening when the National Endowment for the Arts under the current administration pulled support. IN Series forged ahead thanks to emergency fundraising and private donors.
Though playwright Williams describes the production as a “first draft” with many threads still in progress, Ethiopia is already a landmark moment — not only in theatrical history, but in the cultural dialogue between Africa and its diaspora.
— Next Performances:
Ethiopia will be performed at the Baltimore Theatre Project from May 30 to June 1, 2025.
45 W Preston St, Baltimore, MD
Tickets: $30 General | $20 Students — Purchase Online
With reporting by Hannah Estifanos for DC Theater Arts. Photos by Bayou Elom.
At Tadias, we take pride in highlighting the artistic contributions of Ethiopian visionaries who have not only shaped the cultural landscape in Ethiopia but have also made lasting impressions on the global stage. In this exclusive piece, Alemayehu F. Weldemariam, Managing Editor of Africa Today at Indiana University, Bloomington, offers an insightful exploration of the life and work of Tadesse Mesfin—one of Ethiopia’s most distinguished modernist painters.
Tadesse Mesfin’s career, spanning more than five decades, reflects a rare synthesis of tradition and innovation, mentorship and mastery. As a professor at the Addis Ababa University Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, he has played a pivotal role in shaping generations of Ethiopian artists. His unique aesthetic, influenced by both Ethiopian artistic heritage and his academic studies abroad, has resulted in a visual language that is distinctly his own—one that honors the resilience and dignity of Ethiopian women, a central theme in his acclaimed Pillars of Life and Column of Rhythm series, which he describes as his way of paying homage to them.
Through this article, Weldemariam eloquently captures Mesfin’s enduring impact on Ethiopian modernism. The artist’s celebrated Pillars of Life series stands as a testament to his ability to elevate everyday subjects to the realm of the monumental, ensuring their place in the broader narrative of contemporary African art.
We invite our readers to explore this in-depth analysis of Tadesse Mesfin’s artistic journey and to appreciate the ways in which his work bridges past and present, local and global, realism and abstraction. His story is a reminder that art, at its best, serves as both a mirror of society and a beacon for the future.”
— Liben Eabisa, Publisher, Tadias Magazine
—
Tadesse Mesfin and Ethiopian Modernism: Bridging Tradition and Innovation
By Alemayehu F. Weldemariam, Indiana University, Bloomington
Updated: June 1st, 2025
TADIAS – Tadesse Mesfin (b. 1953, Woldiya, Ethiopia) is one of the most distinguished figures in Ethiopian modernist painting. His career, spanning more than five decades, has not only enriched Ethiopian visual culture but has also left an indelible mark on generations of artists through his teaching at the Addis Ababa University Alle School of Fine Arts and Design. As both a painter and an educator, Mesfin embodies a dual legacy—one that has shaped the artistic direction of Ethiopian modernism and another that has mentored pioneering Ethiopian painters, including Addis Gezehagn, Ermias Kifleyesus, Fikru Gebremariam, Merikokeb Berhanu, and Tesfaye Urgessa.
Mesfin’s early studies at the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design placed him under the mentorship of Gebre Kristos Desta, the venerated Ethiopian modernist whose synthesis of European abstraction and Ethiopian iconography profoundly influenced Mesfin’s aesthetic trajectory. During this formative period, Mesfin also engaged with Skunder Boghossian’s innovative use of parchment scrolls, a technique that significantly impacted Ethiopian modernism (Giorgis 2019, 162). His artistic journey was ultimately shaped by two pivotal educational experiences that bridged Ethiopian modernism and Soviet-era Russian academic training.
Expanding his artistic foundations, Tadesse Mesfin pursued advanced training at the Soviet Union’s Leningrad Academy of Painting, Architecture, and Sculpture (now the Repin Institute of Arts), where he earned his MFA in painting. For Mesfin, his studies in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) marked the realization of a long-held artistic aspiration—a rare opportunity to immerse himself in the works of Vasily Surikov and Ilya Repin, two of the most formidable figures in Russian academic realism. Renowned for their monumental historical compositions, Surikov and Repin fused technical precision with narrative complexity, capturing the struggles, resilience, and collective experiences of ordinary people. Their ability to render history with emotive immediacy and psychological depth left an indelible impression on Mesfin, shaping his understanding of the artist’s social and moral responsibilities.
Immersed in both Russian academic realism and modernist abstraction, Mesfin refined his technical mastery while deepening his engagement with form and structure. Upon his return to Ethiopia in 1984, he embarked on a long and influential tenure as a professor at the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design, where he played a critical role in shaping subsequent generations of Ethiopian artists.
Mesfin’s artistic trajectory is deeply intertwined with Ethiopia’s shifting political and ideological landscape, particularly under the Derg regime. As Elizabeth W. Giorgis (2019, 209) notes, he and his contemporary Esseye Gebremedhin experienced firsthand the constraints imposed on artistic expression by a government that sought to align art with its revolutionary ideology. Works that failed to reflect the state’s ideological commitment were rejected.
During the height of repression from 1978 to 1991, Mesfin and his contemporaries, including Gebremedhin, developed two distinct bodies of work: official propaganda art that conformed to the government’s expectations and private studio works that remained outside state control (Giorgis 2019, 210). This duality reflects the broader tension between state control and artistic autonomy, as artists outwardly complied with the demands of the regime while privately exploring themes beyond the revolutionary aesthetic. However, much of this personal work has been lost to time and political upheaval, leaving an incomplete record of their artistic resistance. Despite the constraints imposed during the Derg era, Mesfin’s artistic legacy transcends official commissions and ideological restrictions. His later artworks, particularly the Pillars of Life and the Column of Rythm series, reflect a profound return to his deeper artistic concerns—celebrating the resilience and dignity of Ethiopian women in market spaces, a subject he describes as “his way of paying homage to Ethiopian women.”
Tadesse Mesfin emphasizes that an artist is always making choices, unlike a camera that indiscriminately captures everything in a scene. Rather than passively recording, an artist carefully selects figures, poses, and compositions to create a powerful and intentional image. He points to Ethiopian open-air market areas like the Mercato as an example of constant motion, where nothing remains still. Goods are always arriving, and people move energetically through space. The environment is filled with vibrant colors, fine lines, and intricate textures. According to Tadesse Mesfin, capturing not just the visual details but also the energy and essence of such a place in a painting can make it truly impactful.
Mesfin’s sustained engagement with the female figure reflects both an artistic preoccupation and a conceptual framework through which he explores form, movement, and expression. He articulates this fascination, stating: “The whole history of art is the history of the human figure because it's the most dynamic nature—you know, the feet, the hands, the facial expression, everything is an endless expression. The figure never ends.” For Mesfin, the female body in particular serves as a solution to the problem of plasticity in art, offering a richness of gesture, rhythm, and structural composition that allows for infinite exploration. His work does not merely depict the female form but rather elevates it as a fundamental element of artistic inquiry, bridging representation and abstraction while paying homage to the resilience and presence of Ethiopian women.
Distinct Visual Language and Cultural Continuity
Tadesse Mesfin’s mature work reflects a profound synthesis of figuration, abstraction, and Ethiopian visual traditions, establishing a distinctive language that bridges cultural heritage and modernist innovation. His celebrated Pillars of Life series, arguably his most defining body of work, delves into themes of womanhood, labor, and resilience, focusing particularly on market women—small-holder vendors whose essential yet often overlooked presence forms the backbone of Ethiopian urban life. Rendered with elongated, graceful forms, these figures defy gravity, evoking an architectural rhythm reminiscent of Ethiopian church pillars and ancient stelae. This deliberate distortion of form and perspective is informed by both the Ethiopian iconographic tradition—which consciously rejects Western linear perspective—and the modernist experiments of artists like Amedeo Modigliani and Diego Rivera. Yet, Mesfin’s aesthetic vision remains unmistakably Ethiopian, deeply embedded in local aesthetics, cultural symbols, and a rich artistic lineage.
A particularly distinctive aspect of Mesfin’s approach is his integration of Amharic script into his figurative compositions, a practice rooted in Ethiopia’s modernist traditions. His figures, rendered with rhythmic linearity, often evoke the fluid contours of Amharic letters—a deliberate fusion of language and form that underscores the interplay between visual art and textual expression. This calligraphic abstraction transforms the human figure into a poetic inscription of cultural identity. As Mesfin himself states: “The figures are the most important aspect of my work because of this—they are distinctly Ethiopian in every way. They are my alphabet and my language, and I will continue to master them in my paintings.”
Mesfin’s painterly technique combines loosely defined brushstrokes with refined compositions that preserve the dignity and expressiveness of his subjects. His color palette, inspired by the Ethiopian landscape and traditional textiles, oscillates between earthy ochres, deep siennas, vivid blues, and vibrant greens. These hues are not merely aesthetic choices but symbolic emblems of history, resilience, and cultural continuity, anchoring his compositions within a specific narrative while elevating them to a universal plane.
His backgrounds, often distilled into abstracted color fields, create an atmosphere of timelessness, suspending his figures in an ambiguous, meditative space. This flattening of depth echoes Ethiopian church murals, where spatial hierarchy is dictated not by perspective but by symbolic importance. In Mesfin’s paintings, the market women are not confined within conventional settings; rather, they hover between presence and monumentality, embodying an eternal, almost mythic quality.
At the heart of Mesfin’s artistic vision lies a commitment to cultural preservation, a reverence for tradition amid the pressures of globalization and modernity. His paintings function as visual archives, chronicling the lives of Ethiopian market women not merely as subjects of observation but as the economic and social pillars of their communities. By rendering these women on a monumental scale, he reclaims their visibility and affirms their dignity, positioning them as symbols of resilience and continuity.
This thematic dedication to cultural preservation was profoundly shaped by Mesfin’s travels across Southern and Eastern Ethiopia following his return from Russia in 1984. Immersing himself in the region’s vibrant market culture, he encountered women adorned in bright colors, selling agricultural produce in bustling town squares that also functioned as social hubs—spaces where stories were shared, friendships rekindled, and communal ties reinforced. The multisensory vibrancy of these markets left a deep impression on him, compelling him to translate these experiences into his paintings.
Mesfin’s artistic inquiry extended beyond observational studies; his participation in the People- People Cultural World Tour organized by the Derg, during which he conducted research on textile traditions, traditional attire, and indigenous artistic practices, further enriched his ethnographic sensibility. This immersion sharpened his approach to representation, transforming his work into a powerful meditation on the endurance and cultural significance of Ethiopian women.
His thematic focus places him in dialogue with global modernists who have dignified everyday laborers—whether in Rivera’s heroic murals of Mexican workers or Alice Neel’s psychologically astute portraits of working-class individuals. Yet, while Rivera’s murals are charged with political rhetoric and Neel’s portraits delve into psychological introspection, Mesfin’s approach is one of quiet reverence. His work asserts presence itself as a form of resistance, celebrating the strength and cultural continuity of Ethiopian women within a rapidly changing world. Through this nuanced visual language, Mesfin affirms the capacity of art to reclaim cultural memory, transforming the ordinary into the monumental.
Tadesse Mesfin’s Column of Rhythm II exemplifies his masterful approach to figurative composition, transforming scenes of everyday life into profound meditations on dignity, resilience, and communal identity. The painting’s central figures—three women standing in quiet, contemplative poses—exude a monumental grace reminiscent of classical portraiture, yet their simplified, elongated forms resonate with the modernist tendency to strip away the superfluous in pursuit of essential truths. Against a warm, ochre backdrop rendered in softly blurred abstraction, the women emerge as pillars of strength, their bodies delicately shaded to suggest both volume and vulnerability without succumbing to harsh contrast. Their colorful attire—muted reds, blues, pinks, and greens offers a striking yet harmonious counterpoint to the earthy tones enveloping them, evoking both the vibrancy of cultural identity and the enduring beauty of simplicity. Mesfin’s treatment of the background, dissolving into a haze of gentle ambiguity, serves to intensify the presence of the figures, positioning them as timeless embodiments of solidarity and grace. While the clay pots at their feet allude to domestic labor, their assured, upright posture transcends the quotidian, elevating them to the status of cultural icons. This synthesis of the everyday and the eternal reflects Mesfin’s broader thematic preoccupation with female empowerment—an aesthetic homage to the strength and elegance of Ethiopian women that echoes both modernist ideals and indigenous visual traditions. In Column of Rhythm II, Mesfin reimagines ordinary figures as majestic columns of endurance and beauty, capturing not only the physical presence of his subjects but the ineffable rhythm of their shared existence.
Tadesse Mesfin’s Column of Rhythm VII is a compelling testament to his ability to transform scenes of ordinary sociality into works of profound aesthetic and cultural resonance. The painting presents a group of women arranged in a seemingly casual yet meticulously balanced composition, their interlocking postures and expressions conveying a subtle dynamism within stillness. The artist’s preference for elongated, simplified forms lends the figures a statuesque quality, emphasizing their presence as pillars of strength and unity against a richly textured, abstracted background. This background, composed of layered blocks of cool blues, greens, and earthy browns, dissolves into an atmospheric haze that simultaneously hints at both urban complexity and pastoral tranquility.
Mesfin’s mastery of color is particularly striking here, as he juxtaposes the women’s muted yet vivid attire yellows, blues, whites, and dark hues—against the diffused, mosaic-like backdrop. The careful modulation of light and shadow imbues the figures with a soft, almost ethereal glow, their skin tones harmonizing with the surrounding environment while remaining distinctly vibrant. The expressions of the women range from calm confidence to contemplative seriousness, suggesting a narrative of collective resilience and quiet defiance.
This work continues Mesfin’s ongoing exploration of female empowerment, portraying Ethiopian women as the embodiment of grace, strength, and cultural continuity. The prominence of their figures against the fragmented background speaks to their enduring significance amid societal changes and disruptions. Moreover, the subtle variations in posture and gaze evoke a communal dialogue, a shared yet unspoken understanding that transcends the individual.
In Column of Rhythm VII, Mesfin transcends mere representation to capture something deeper—an assertion of dignity and presence that elevates the everyday to the realm of the timeless. The painting is not only a celebration of the beauty and resilience of Ethiopian women but also a testament to the artist’s ability to distill universal themes from the particularities of local experience.
Tadesse Mesfin’s Column of Rhythm VIII continues his eloquent visual meditation on female solidarity, dignity, and cultural resilience. The painting features a striking composition of women seated in calm, deliberate postures, their bodies arranged with an effortless symmetry that evokes both unity and individuality. At the center, a woman with a red headscarf gazes directly at the viewer, her expression a blend of quiet strength and gentle defiance, suggesting leadership or a protective presence within the group. The figures' elongated forms, a hallmark of Mesfin’s style, are rendered with a sculptural solidity that simultaneously conveys grace and steadfastness. Their minimalist attire—white, red, green—contrasts subtly against the deep, earthy tones of the background, which dissolves into a mosaic of abstracted faces and figures, hinting at a broader social context or perhaps the weight of collective memory. Mesfin’s sophisticated use of color, light, and shadow imbues the figures with a luminous presence, elevating them beyond mere representation to symbols of resilience and communal identity. The subtle interplay of gazes and gestures between the women evokes a dialogue of mutual understanding and shared purpose, their serenity suggesting an unyielding inner strength despite the complexities hinted at by the fragmented, textured backdrop. Once again, Mesfin transforms the ordinary into the monumental, creating a visual symphony that asserts the centrality of Ethiopian women as pillars of cultural continuity and emotional fortitude in an ever shifting world.
Tadesse Mesfin’s Nibbles (2024), an oil on canvas masterpiece measuring 70 7⁄8 x 47 1⁄4 inches (180 x 120 cm), captures his refined ability to monumentalize the ordinary with a painterly elegance that radiates both warmth and dignity. Set against a luminous ochre background reminiscent of sunlit village squares or vibrant marketplaces, three women stand in graceful conversation, their elongated figures rendered with the sculptural precision that has become Mesfin’s signature. Their postures, subtly varied yet harmoniously balanced, convey both individuality and collective strength, as if embodying a quiet resilience cultivated through communal ties and labor. The artist’s palette, composed of muted pinks, blues, yellows, and whites, interacts beautifully with the sun-soaked environment, suggesting the timeless vitality of daily life. The bowls they carry—offered with calm determination symbolize both sustenance and labor, hinting at themes of nourishment, exchange, and social interconnectedness. Mesfin’s sensitive treatment of light and shadow lends the figures a serene, almost ethereal quality, their composed expressions exuding a dignified authority rooted in shared experience and cultural continuity. By elevating the everyday ritual of offering and exchange to the level of artistic grandeur, Mesfin continues his celebration of Ethiopian women as pillars of strength and beauty, affirming their central place within both their immediate communities and the broader cultural landscape. Nibbles is a testament to Mesfin’s mastery of form and color, as well as his profound empathy for his subjects, rendered with a sensitivity that transcends the canvas and speaks directly to the human condition.
Tadesse Mesfin’s Pillars of Life: Guleet VI (2021), featured on the cover, epitomizes his masterful ability to infuse the everyday with a sense of timeless grandeur. Rendered with his signature elongated forms, the painting presents three women aligned vertically, their serene postures and contemplative expressions conveying both individual grace and collective resilience. The figures’ elegant simplicity is enhanced by Mesfin’s exquisite handling of color, shadow, and light, lending them a luminous presence against a minimalistic, almost ethereal background of soft beiges, whites, and faint blues. This understated backdrop serves not only to emphasize the figures’ solidity and grace but also to suggest a delicate tension between presence and absence, permanence and change. The subtle, abstracted forms scattered at their feet possibly stones or earthen structures—hint at themes of cultural continuity, groundedness, and rootedness. Mesfin’s choice of palette and composition draws the viewer’s attention to the calm strength of the women, who appear both part of and distinct from the landscape they inhabit. The vertical arrangement of their bodies evokes both unity and hierarchy, transforming them into pillars of life and cultural resilience. Once again, Mesfin demonstrates his ability to elevate ordinary moments into visual poetry, presenting Ethiopian women as embodiments of grace, strength, and endurance standing gracefully against the inevitable currents of time and circumstance. Pillars of Life: Guleet VI confirms Mesfin’s place as a leading voice in contemporary African art, his work serving as both a celebration of beauty and a meditation on the profound cultural significance of everyday life.
Legacy and Global Recognition
Tadesse Mesfin’s impact on Ethiopian art extends far beyond his own masterful compositions. As a revered teacher at the Alle School of Fine Arts and Design (1984–2019), he has mentored generations of Ethiopian artists, most notably Fikru Gebremariam, one of the country’s most celebrated contemporary painters. Under Mesfin’s guidance, Gebremariam developed his own distinct visual language while drawing from the foundational skills imparted by his mentor.
In Gebremariam’s words: “Tadesse Mesfin became my teacher, mentor, guiding light, a friend, and source of inspiration since I met him while I was a third-year student at the Addis Ababa School of Fine Arts. Through his guidance, as an artist, not only did I internalize the subjects taught but was also able to develop essential life skills.”
The late Donald Levine, a renowned sociologist and Ethiopianist from the University of Chicago, aptly described Gebremariam’s art as a masterful blend of geometric abstraction and Ethiopian visual traditions, enriched by Mesfin’s teachings. Levine noted that Gebremariam’s paintings convey “a blend of rich hues, emotional intensity, immediacy of impact, and a touch of austerity… hints of Ethiopian miniatures and church paintings, imbued with African earth tones, incorporating the vibrant garments of Harari women, and capturing the somber mood of much Ethiopian life.” Levine’s observations underscore Mesfin’s enduring influence, not only in imparting technical skill but in nurturing an artistic vision rooted in Ethiopian cultural identity. Mesfin’s pedagogical approach has been one of guiding rather than imposing, allowing his students to cultivate their own artistic voices while remaining deeply connected to Ethiopian traditions. This capacity to foster individuality within a cultural framework remains one of his most significant contributions to Ethiopian modernism. Artists such as Addis Gezehagn, Ermias Kifleyesus, and Tesfaye Urgessa also owe aspects of their artistic evolution to Mesfin’s mentorship, carrying forward his synthesis of heritage and modernist experimentation.
For much of his career, Mesfin’s influence was most keenly felt within Ethiopian artistic circles, where he was revered as both an artist and a mentor. However, his international recognition remained limited until his association with Rakeb Sile and Mesai Haileleul’s Addis Fine Art, which introduced his work to the global art market. Mesfin’s words poignantly capture the historical isolation of Ethiopian modernists: “We weren’t introduced to the outside world when they arrived because we were simply locked up in Addis. Nobody knew us except each other. But I think they have given us a chance to enter the mainstream—or whatever they call it—to connect with the outside world.”
This partnership with Addis Fine Art marked a transformative moment in Mesfin’s career, facilitating his participation in prestigious platforms such as Artsy and renowned art fairs like Art Dubai and the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. His solo exhibitions, including Where We Coalesce (2024) at Addis Fine Art in Addis Ababa and Vigo Gallery in London, and Column of Rhythm (2022) at Addis Fine Art in London, have been pivotal in establishing his international reputation. Through these exhibitions, Mesfin’s paintings—rooted in Ethiopian cultural narratives yet resonant with universal themes of resilience, dignity, and communal identity—have reached audiences far beyond national borders. Mesfin’s legacy now stands firmly on both national and international stages. His work, once confined to Ethiopian artistic circles, has become a vital contribution to modernist discourse worldwide. As a painter, he has expanded the formal and conceptual possibilities of Ethiopian modernism, while as a mentor, he has ensured the continuity and evolution of the country’s artistic traditions. His ability to distill complex cultural narratives into simple yet profound forms marks him as one of the most significant voices in contemporary African art.
In a rapidly changing world where traditional identities are increasingly under threat, Mesfin’s art serves as both a monument and a meditation—a testament to the quiet dignity of ordinary figures whose presence resonates with the strength of history and beauty. Through his lens, Ethiopian women are not merely subjects; they are symbols of endurance, cultural memory, and grace—pillars of life in every sense of the word.
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About the Author:
Alemayehu (Alex) Weldemariam is the Managing Editor of Africa Today, a leading journal at Indiana University that focuses on African studies and contemporary issues. He also serves as the Assistant Editor for the IACL-AIDC Blog and is a Fellow at the Center for Constitutional Democracy at the Maurer School of Law. With extensive experience in African affairs, his work bridges academia and real-world impact.
Julie Mehretu’s 20th BMW Art Car: A Fusion of Art, Speed, and Innovation on its Global Tour. (Photo: Courtesy of BMW)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: March 26th, 2025
New York (TADIAS) — Following its global debut in 2024, Julie Mehretu’s 20th BMW Art Car continues its journey, making a highly anticipated stop at Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 as part of the BMW Art Car World Tour. This milestone celebrates five decades of BMW’s iconic “rolling sculptures”—a fusion of art, technology, and automotive innovation—while also setting the stage for an exciting new initiative: the African Film & Media Arts Collective.
Julie Mehretu’s Vision: The 20th BMW Art Car
The 20th BMW Art Car, a striking reinterpretation of the BMW M Hybrid V8, represents Mehretu’s signature abstract style fused with cutting-edge digital manipulation. Inspired by her large-scale painting “Everywhen” (2021–2023), the design integrates digitally altered photographic layers, neon hues, and her characteristic black gestural marks. The car debuted in 2024 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and has since captivated audiences worldwide with its bold aesthetic and conceptual depth.
Mehretu describes her work as a “performative painting that reaches its full expression on the racetrack.” Her dynamic approach to movement and space aligns seamlessly with BMW’s legacy of uniting creative vision with high-performance engineering.
The BMW Art Car World Tour
Unveiling of the BMW Art Car #20 designed by Julie Mehretu at the world premiere at the Centre Pompidou, Paris, 21 May 2024. (Photo: Courtesy of BMW)
Art Basel Hong Kong marks a significant stop on the BMW Art Car World Tour, which will continue throughout 2025 and 2026, showcasing the vehicle at prestigious cultural events such as Taipei Dangdai, Market Art Fair, Concorso d’Eleganza, and various automotive museums and art institutions. As a global partner of Art Basel, BMW continues its long-standing commitment to supporting contemporary art and fostering dialogue between the creative and automotive worlds.
African Film & Media Arts Collective: A New Chapter in Cultural Engagement
In conjunction with the BMW Art Car’s global journey, Mehretu, in collaboration with producer Mehret Mandefro and BMW, is launching the African Film & Media Arts Collective. This initiative will host creative workshops in cities such as Dakar, Lagos, and Cape Town, providing a platform for emerging African artists and filmmakers to explore new forms of storytelling and visual expression.
The outcomes of these workshops will be showcased alongside Mehretu’s BMW Art Car at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town in 2026. By fostering artistic collaboration across disciplines, this initiative aligns with BMW’s broader mission of supporting contemporary art and cultural exchange on a global scale.
A Legacy of Innovation: The BMW Art Car Collection
Julie Mehretu signs her BMW Art Car #20 at the world premiere on May 21, 2024, at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. (Photo: Courtesy of BMW)
Since its inception in 1975, the BMW Art Car Collection has brought together some of the world’s most influential artists, including Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, and Jeff Koons. Each Art Car has been a testament to the convergence of fine art and automotive design, with Mehretu’s contribution further solidifying the collection’s legacy of boundary-pushing creativity.
The Road Ahead
As Mehretu’s BMW Art Car continues its world tour, and the African Film & Media Arts Collective begins its journey, this moment marks a significant convergence of artistic expression, technological innovation, and cultural storytelling. With its deep roots in African and global contemporary art, this project exemplifies the power of collaboration in shaping new narratives and pushing creative boundaries.
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For more on this story, revisit Tadias’ previous coverage:
Beejhy Barhany, author of Gursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, brings her rich culinary journey to life in her debut cookbook. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
Publisher’s Note:
At Tadias Magazine, we have had the pleasure of following Beejhy Barhany’s inspiring journey for many years, from the opening of Tsion Café in Harlem to her continued work as a cultural ambassador of Ethiopian and Beta Israel cuisine. Her new cookbook, Gursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, is a natural extension of her passion for storytelling through food, blending flavors from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and beyond.
We first featured Beejhy in a 2015 Q&A when Tsion Café was still a new and exciting addition to Harlem’s vibrant culinary scene. A decade later, her vision has expanded beyond the restaurant, bringing the warmth and communal spirit of Ethiopian dining to a broader audience through this beautifully designed and presented book. Gursha is more than a collection of recipes—it’s a personal and cultural narrative, a tribute to the people and places that shaped Beejhy’s culinary identity.
In the following Q&A, Beejhy shares the journey behind Gursha, the emotions that went into writing it, and the stories behind some of its most unique dishes. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.”
— Liben Eabisa, Publisher, Tadias Magazine
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Q&A: Beejhy Barhany, Author of the New Ethiopian Cookbook Gursha
By Tadias Staff
Updated: March 24th, 2025
TADIAS: Beejhy, congratulations on Gursha! It’s a beautifully crafted book—both visually and in the way it tells your story through food. We thoroughly enjoyed going through it. How does it feel to finally have this cookbook out in the world?
Beejhy Barhany: Thank you, Liben. It was exciting to hold the cover and feel the texture of the physical book. It truly was a labor of love. Writing a book is not easy. I went through a range of emotions while finishing this book. The pain of revisiting some of the more difficult times of my life, the pride in learning more about my family, and the happiness of navigating such a huge task and getting it done. Ultimately, I want to share the rich flavors of Ethiopian cuisine, the grace of my community, and the highs-and-lows of my journey with the world.
TADIAS: You’ve taken readers on a journey across continents, from Ethiopia to Sudan, Israel, and Harlem, with dishes that reflect those experiences. How did you decide which recipes to include? Was there one that felt particularly meaningful to you?
B: Food is a very easy way to engage with people. I want to share the flavors and the aromas that left a mark on my being and give a glimpse into the lives of the people and places that were graceful and hospitable to me and my family.
TADIAS: The book isn’t just about food—it’s filled with stories, tributes to family members, and even heroes from your journey. Was there a particular story or person you knew had to be in the book from the very beginning?
B: Ethiopian food is ancient, adaptable, and versatile. If you have onion, garlic, ginger and chili pepper (berbere) add this to chicken or beef and you can make a delicious Ethiopian wot. Many of the vegan stews that are placed on our injera are legumes and vegetables (gomen, cabbage, bamya, fasolia) that are utilized all around the world and are very adaptable to any particular cuisine. Of course the taste will be different to what we as Ethiopians are accustomed to, but I think it highlights just how much our diverse cultures have so much in common.
TADIAS: There are some fantastic twists in the book—Berbere Fried Fish, Injera Fish Tacos, and even influences from Sudanese and Yemenite cuisine. Can you talk about how these flavors found their way into your kitchen?
B: The beauty about food is that, not only is it delicious when consumed but it forms powerful memories about the places where you were when you tasted that flavor. These items had an impact on my life in significant ways and I want to capture those moments by creating those culinary offerings. In Israel, my Yemenite neighbors introduced me to wholesome flavors like malawach. Sudan, where I spent enough time to pick up Arabic, is where I learned to love the smell of flavorful donuts legamat that were eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Injera Fish Tacos are a result of my time travelling through South America and living and working in NYC, with its strong Spanish cuisine. My kids love Mexican food so much that I wanted to mimic the look and feel of tacos, without compromising Ethiopian flavours. Cutting the Injera into two small bites and then making tacos out of them was my way of exploring a different cuisine yet holding on tight to my native flavors.
TADIAS: Gursha itself is such a warm and communal concept. If you could host a dream dinner with guests from across your journey, who would be at the table, and what would you serve?
B: That is an ultimate dream question. At my table, I would invite my mom and grandma, Nelson Mandela, Edna Lewis, Julia Child, James Beard, Bob Marley, Che Guevara, Harriet Tubman, and Ras Alula. On the menu, we would have teff injera, hanza, doro wot, gomen, beg wot, Kai wot, spicy tomato tilapia, fasolia, ayib, avocado salad, messer wot, Jollof rice, tej, negesti saba chocolate cardamom cake, carrot and coconut ginger celebration cake, and bunna.
(Courtesy photos)
TADIAS: You’ve been an ambassador for Ethiopian and Beta Israel cuisine for years, especially through Tsion Café. How do you see Gursha contributing to that larger mission?
B: Gursha hopefully allows us to take the message of Ethiopian cuisine, community, and culture to a larger audience, beyond the confines of the restaurant. Much as Tsion Cafe has provided us with a sacred space to have dialogue, break bread, and learn about the stories, tradition, and customs of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Jewish community, we hope to create that same space wherever the reader may be. Now that the recipes are at their fingertips, readers can engage with stories aligned with traditions and hopefully have a better understanding of my story and community.
TADIAS: Finally, for someone picking up Gursha and cooking from it for the first time, what’s one recipe you’d recommend they start with—and why?
B: For someone who has never cooked Ethiopian food and does not know how to start I would recommend making your berbere spice, it is one of the key ingredients in Ethiopian cuisine, and can be added to any other foods. The next best step is to use the berbere spice to make the kulet/silsi, which is the base to any aromatic/spicy stew. Once you have these foundations, you are prepared to make any item – whether meat, seafood, or vegetarian dishes – into a traditional Ethiopian delicacy.
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Gursha is set to be released on April 1, 2025. Learn more and pre-order through Penguin Random House.
Dr. Malaku E. Bayen: A Pioneering Voice for Ethiopia and the Global Black Community. (Photo: Tadias file)
Tadias Magazine
Publisher’s Note:
As part of our Black History Month highlight, Tadias is honored to present this insightful article by Dr. Fikru Negash Gebrekidan, Professor of History at St. Thomas University in Canada and author of Bond without Blood: A History of Ethiopian and New World Black Relations, 1896-1991. In this exclusive piece, titled From Ethiopia to New York: A Gandhian Moment in Ethiopian and African American Encounters, Dr. Gebrekidan examines a pivotal yet often overlooked moment in history—Dr. Malaku E. Bayen’s arrival in the United States in 1936 and the defining experiences that shaped his advocacy.
Drawing parallels between Bayen’s journey and Mahatma Gandhi’s formative years in South Africa, this article highlights a turning point in Ethiopian and African American connections, revealing how moments of adversity sparked new possibilities for leadership, solidarity, and global engagement.
We are grateful to Dr. Gebrekidan for his meticulous research and contribution to this important and timely conversation.
— Liben Eabisa, Publisher, Tadias Magazine
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A Gandhian Moment in Ethiopian and African American Encounters
By Fikru Negash Gebrekidan, Ph.D.
February 11th, 2025
TADIAS – Among the arrivals at Ellis Island on 23 September 1936 was a family of three Black refugees: Dr. Malaku E. Bayen, his wife Dorothy Hadley Bayen, and their four-year-old son Malaku, Jr. Although Italy’s genocidal war on Ethiopia was the reason for their flight out of East Africa, first to Britain and then to the United States, the Bayens were not ordinary refugees. With Emperor Haile Selassie’s appointment of the physician as his personal envoy to Black people in the Western Hemisphere, the Bayens came to New York City as de facto extension of the exiled Ethiopian government, making them a proxy of the ancient African monarchy.
Born in 1900 in the Warrailu district of Wollo, Malaku grew up in Harar and Addis Ababa as a distant cousin in the large Ras Tefari household. In 1921, following a failed scholarship trip to India, he moved to the United States to study chemistry and medicine, and during which he married Dorothy Hadley of Howard University. When Italy invaded Ethiopia in October 1935, he served as a medical doctor both in the eastern and northern fronts; and had it not been for the emperor’s controversial decision to form a government in exile, he would have continued the resistance from Gore, the makeshift capital in the southwest after the fall of Addis Ababa. Yet, nothing prepared Malaku for his experience in New York on the fateful day of September 1936, which was reminiscent of the life-changing event that Gandhi encountered at a South African train station four decades earlier.
Ahead of the Bayens’ arrival, a reservation had been booked at the Manhattan Hotel Delano by Dr. Philip Savory of the United Aid for Ethiopia (UAE). On the morning of 23 September, the guests were picked up from the liner St. Louis by the West Indian Savory, and then driven to Delano at 108 West 43rd Street, where the rest of UAE’s executive board members were waiting. Like Malaku, Savory was a medical doctor by profession, but it was because of his integrity as co-owner of the New York Amsterdam News, Harlem’s leading Black Newspaper, that he was entrusted with the role of UAE treasurer. The other board members included Cyril Phillips, UAE organization secretary; Rev. William Lloyd Imes, pastor of St. James Presbyterian Church; and Theodore Bassett, labor organizer.
Introductions must have remained perfunctory, for all but one of the committee members were known to the Bayens from a previous encounter in Europe. That was in early August 1936, when Savory, Philips, and Imes visited Emperor Haile Selassie at his exile home in Bath, England, in their capacity as UAE representatives. Since Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia a year earlier, American cities had experienced a flurry of fundraising activities by imposters, prompting certain respectable voices of Harlem to come together and form the United Aid for Ethiopia. In Bath, the UAE delegates would impress on the exiled king of the need to bring the disparate relief efforts under a credible central leadership, which was how the unique family of the Bayens was handpicked for the said mission in North America.
Then & Now: The New York Amsterdam News – A Legacy of advocacy journalism in Harlem and a historic platform for Black voices and global connections. (Photo: Wikimedia and Amsterdam News)
The scene at Delano began with the Bayens having to wait until their room was made available, not an unreasonable request during busy hours of the day. Afterall, as a sign of courtesy, a hotel porter was sent to the liner to fetch the passengers’ bags. What the guests did not know, or pretended not to notice, was the consternation felt by the desk clerk the moment they presented themselves. After two hours of limbo, they learned from the chief clerk Frank Mazetti that the hotel was fully booked. Questions why the reservation was not honored, or how a porter could have been sent to the harbor in this case, produced inconsistent answers: the family suite was already rented; or it was being painted and the guests had to wait; or it was being painted but may not be ready anytime soon. After more hours of waiting, by which time Mrs. Bayen and Malaku, Jr., had left for the Savory’s by cab to rest and freshen, Mazetti would resort to a more subtle tack. He offered a single room on the eleventh floor and another on the mezzanine, which the family of three was bound to find unworkable.
What should have been a routine business transaction had thus dragged into a long, drawn-out spectacle. Lawyers from the powerful International Labor Defense, ILD, as well as activists from the Harlem’s All People’s Party had converged at the scene by late afternoon. Picketing and boycott options against the Delano were considered, and papers were contacted to make sure that the civil rights violation did not go unreported. The day concluded with the Bayens having settled in the nearby Rex Hotel, 106 West 47th Street, which would double as family lodging and makeshift office for the next several weeks.
Dr. Malaku E. Bayen. (Photo: Tadias file)
Once the scandal leaked into the media, Delano denied flatly the Jim Crow accusation. Later, its explanation shifted to the fact that the Bayens were registered as prince and princess. Some time back, a Broadway fixer had schemed with a little-known Harlem showwoman, Islin Harvey, promoting her to clubs and the media as a native Falasha princess turned a globe-trotting artist. With that farcical scandal still in memory, the hotel staff insisted that Prince Malaku and Princess Dorothy were turned away because their aristocratic credentials seemed contrived. The alibi convinced few. Even if de guerre segregation was absent north of the Mason-Dixon, it was common knowledge that white establishments fell back on unwritten social codes to turn away Black patrons.
While Malaku rejected any legal recourse so as to stay focused on his fundraising mission, the public uproar took a life of its own. Harlem’s All People’s Party wired a strong message to the State Department, demanding for an appropriate redress for the insult suffered by a foreign dignitary. Even as he advised that the matter be taken up with local authorities as the victim bore no formal diplomatic status, Secretary Cardell Hull expressed regrets over the “discourtesy.” Hull’s response, while outwardly neutral, gave the scandal a national recognition that other actors could not easily ignore. The American Labor Party, an inter-racial group affiliated with the Democratic Party, transferred its county convention on 11 October from Delano to Labor Stage Theater, 106 West 39th Street. The Federation of American Musicians followed suit, choosing to sever any business ties with the now disgraced establishment. By years end, the struggling hostelry had rechristened itself as Hotel Center, a plain sounding name without a controversial history.
For the Bayens, too, the hotel rebuff had transformative consequences. It was where and when Malaku’s preoccupation with fascism began to shape into a broader and more militant cause of global anticolonialism. The liberation of Ethiopia from Italy was no longer an end in and of itself, but a vital component of the international struggle for racial justice and colonial freedom.
A few days after the Delano low point, Malaku’s first public appearance at Rockland Palace would attract over two thousand residents of Harlem, a prelude to extensive travel and countless lectures nationwide. With Malaku as vice president and Pastor Lorenzo King of St. Mark’s Methodist Church as president, the various aid groups would merge as the Ethiopian World Federation, Inc., and the movement’s propaganda campaign would rest on the Voice of Ethiopia, a weekly newspaper the Bayens ran uninterrupted for several years. Writing in 1939 in the March of Black Men, a booklet published by the Voice of Ethiopia Press, Malaku would describe the Rockland Palace gathering as a milestone in Ethiopian and African American relations. “The audience went wild with joy,” he would remember, “and from that night on they have been working with me in the interest of Ethiopia and the Black Race, up to this day.”
Because of his sudden death at the prime age of forty, coupled by the insulated nature of Ethiopian studies, Malaku has yet to find his rightful place in the pantheon of Pan-African leaders. Only an authoritative biography, which is long overdue, may change that. Until that happens, however, rescuing Malaku from further erasure calls for occasional acts of commemoration. Thanks to extensive media coverage of the incident, rereading the Delano ordeal as a Gandhian turning point is an example of that.
Indeed, what happened to the medical doctor on 23 September resonates closely with the injustice suffered by Gandhi on the fateful train ride in South Africa several decades earlier. Both Malaku and Gandhi began their diaspora careers at the height of their patrician aspirations. Gandhi, British-educated Indian barrister, had traveled to South Africa to promote Indian rights; while Malaku, a U.S.-trained medical doctor and member of the young Ethiopian intelligentsia, had returned to the United States to raise funds to help his country’s war refugees. Gandhi’s epiphany took place on 7 June 1893, the day he spent a chilly winter night at the Pietermaritzburg train station, having resisted his removal from the first-class car to which his ticket had entitled him. Likewise, Malaku’s check-in at the Delano concluded with a life- changing Jim Crow humiliation, an act that stripped class pretentions and plunged him at the center of American race politics. Gandhi, a nationalist turned spiritual leader, would succumb to an assassin bullet only a few months after India’s independence. Malaku, who spent the next four years in Harlem as an antifascist crusader, fundraiser, newspaper editor, and Pan-African activist, would die in a New York State mental hospital on 4 May 1940, exactly one year before the restoration of his country’s independence.
– About the Author:
Dr. Fikru Negash Gebrekidan is a Professor of History at St. Thomas University in Canada.
Historic Moment: The launch of the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX) marks a new chapter in the country’s economic transformation, paving the way for growth, investment, and global engagement. (Photo: ESX)
Tadias Magazine
Updated: January 10th, 2025
New York (TADIAS) — Ethiopia has made a historic stride in its economic evolution with the launch of the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX). This new exchange marks a significant addition to the country’s financial infrastructure and underscores commitment to fostering a more open, diversified economy. With Wegagen Bank as the first listed company and the upcoming public offering of Ethio Telecom, the ESX is setting the stage for future growth and new investment opportunities.
For a nation that has long maintained a tightly controlled economy, this move signals a major shift towards privatization and economic liberalization, offering a path for greater engagement with global markets. Over the next decade, the ESX is expected to host up to 90 companies, creating a dynamic platform for both domestic and international investors.
The launch of the ESX is expected to drive job creation, infrastructure development, and a greater influx of capital into the country.
Beyond being a financial milestone, the launch of the ESX represents a pivotal moment in Ethiopia’s economic transformation. It lays the foundation for future generations to actively contribute to the country’s promising trajectory toward prosperity.
Ethiopia’s stock exchange is more than just a financial development—it’s a symbol of growth, resilience, and a forward-looking vision for the future.
—- Reuters: Ethiopia launches stock exchange in fresh step to liberalise economy
By Dawit Endeshaw
January 10, 2025
ADDIS ABABA, Jan 10 (Reuters) – Ethiopia launched a securities exchange on Friday, in what officials touted as a milestone in Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s drive to open up the country’s tightly controlled economy to private investment.
Just one company, Wegagen Bank, was initially listed on the Ethiopian Security Exchange (ESX), although ESX chief executive Tilahun Kassahun said he expected 90 companies to eventually join over the next 10 years.
State-owned telecom Ethio Telecom, which is preparing for an initial public offering, is also widely expected to list shares on the exchange.
“In a historic milestone for our economic and financial landscape, we have officially rung the bell to launch the Ethiopian Securities Exchange,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a post on the X platform.
Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country with around 130 million people, had a securities exchange in the 1960s and 70s, but it was abolished by the socialist military government that overthrew the monarchy in 1974.
It has registered some of the continent’s fastest economic growth rates for years. Abiy’s moves to liberalise the economy since coming to power in 2018 have attracted interest from foreign companies, including Kenya’s Safaricom (SCOM.NR), opens new tab, which won the country’s first private telecoms licence in 2021.
However, progess has been slowed by armed conflict in several parts of the country, including a 2020-2022 civil war in the northern Tigray region that killed hundreds of thousands. Some investors have also raised questions about the government’s true commitment to liberalisation.
Mark Bohlund, a senior credit research analyst at Redd Intelligence, said he doubted there would be significant foreign interest in the securities exchange.
“I think Ethio Telecom is the only company which would come close to the financial reporting and liquidity requirements to attract foreign investors,” he said.
Still, Ethiopian investors called it a historic moment in the country’s economic evolution.
“For the first time, local investors can become true stakeholders in Ethiopia’s largest companies,” Henok Assefa, the founder of Precise Consult, an Ethiopian investment and economic development advisory, told Reuters.
Ethiopia defaulted on a Eurobond payment in late 2023 but secured an International Monetary Fund support programme last July after letting the birr currency float, easing a liquidity crunch.
Saving Lives, One Heartbeat at a Time: Dr. Tesfaye Telila and Dr. Obsinet Merid Transform Cardiac Care in Ethiopia. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: December 29th, 2024
New York (TADIAS) – As we reflect on this holiday season, Heart Attack Ethiopia, Inc., founded by Ethiopian-American physicians Dr. Tesfaye Telila and Dr. Obsinet Merid, shines as a beacon of hope and action. This U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is tackling the cardiac crisis in Ethiopia, where heart disease is rising alarmingly while access to life-saving care remains scarce.
Dr. Telila, an interventional cardiologist with a successful career in Atlanta, and Dr. Merid, a dedicated internist and assistant professor of medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine, have turned their passion into impact. Together, they’ve led mission trips to Ethiopia, performing critical heart procedures, delivering millions of dollars in medical supplies, and laying the foundation for a sustainable cardiovascular care system.
In just six months, their efforts have grown exponentially: from a six-member team performing 32 life-saving procedures in February 2024 to a 16-member team that performed 90 life-saving procedures, including open-heart surgeries, in August 2024. They are scheduled to undertake their third cardiovascular mission to Ethiopia in January 2025 with 14 volunteers to conduct over 60 life-saving interventions, including 10 open-heart surgeries and percutaneous coronary interventions to treat heart attack patients.
Dr. Tesfaye Telila, an accomplished interventional cardiologist based in Atlanta, and Dr. Obsinet Merid, a committed internist and assistant professor at Morehouse School of Medicine, are the visionary co-founders of Heart Attack Ethiopia, Inc. (Courtesy photo)
With more than 15,000 Ethiopians on the waiting list for cardiac surgery, their work is more urgent and inspiring than ever.
Dr. Telila shared with Tadias his personal inspiration for starting Heart Attack Ethiopia:
Our journey began with a deep-seated desire to give back to the community that shaped our early lives. Witnessing firsthand the escalating cardiac crisis in Ethiopia and the lack of access to life-saving care compelled us to act. Our experiences as physicians in the United States, where advanced cardiac care is readily available, highlighted the stark disparities in healthcare access. This mission has been a way to bridge that gap, using our skills and resources to make a tangible difference in the lives of those who need it most.”
This mission is personal for Dr. Telila:
I lost my uncle to a heart attack, which was devastating. Despite the challenges, our personal stories continue to drive us forward. We understand that while people die from various causes, losing someone to a condition we treat daily in the U.S. is especially heartbreaking.”
(Courtesy photo)
(Courtesy photo)
Heart Attack Ethiopia is more than a nonprofit; it’s a movement to ensure no life is cut short by preventable and treatable cardiovascular conditions. By bridging expertise, resources, and compassion, Dr. Telila and Dr. Merid are rewriting the future of cardiac care in Ethiopia.
Dr. Telila elaborated on their vision:
We envision a future where every Ethiopian has access to comprehensive cardiovascular care, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Heart Attack Ethiopia is laying the groundwork for this vision by establishing sustainable healthcare systems, training local medical professionals, and fostering a culture of preventive care. Our goal is to create a self-sufficient model that empowers Ethiopian healthcare professionals to deliver world-class cardiac care independently. We aspire to replicate these sustainable systems of care in other African countries as well.”
In a message to the Ethiopian diaspora and global community, Dr. Telila emphasized the importance of collective action:
The Ethiopian diaspora and global community are vital to our mission’s success. They can play a transformative role by contributing their expertise, resources, and advocacy to raise awareness and support. Whether through volunteering, fundraising, or simply spreading the word, every action helps build a stronger network of support that can drive meaningful change and save lives.”
The milestones achieved by Heart Attack Ethiopia have been profound. Reflecting on the most rewarding moments so far, Dr. Telila recounted:
One of the most rewarding moments was witnessing the joy and relief of families whose loved ones received life-saving procedures that would have been impossible without our timely intervention. The famous ‘Mekonen Story’—where we saved the life of a 40-year-old taxi driver and father of three, even after 10 minutes of death and resuscitation—is what fuels our journey. Seeing the tangible impact of our work and knowing that we’ve given someone a new lease on life is incredibly fulfilling. It serves as a powerful reminder of why we started this journey and motivates us to reach even greater heights in the future.”
This holiday season, let’s celebrate their dedication and amplify their mission.
— To learn more or contribute, visit heartattackethiopia.org. Together, we can make every heartbeat count.
Tsedaye Makonnen’s 'Sanctuary :: መቅደስ :: Mekdes' exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art honors resilience, motherhood, and solidarity, weaving connections across generations and cultures. (Photo by Brad Simpson, 2024, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution)
Tadias Magazine
Updated: December 8th, 2024
New York (TADIAS) – Tadias Magazine is thrilled to highlight the upcoming exhibition Sanctuary :: መቅደስ :: Mekdes by acclaimed Ethiopian American artist Tsedaye Makonnen, opening at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art on December 13. This powerful exhibition explores the themes of invisibility, resilience, and the enduring strength of Black women and their communities.
Makonnen’s work, featuring seven light-tower sculptures composed of 50 enshrined names, reflects on violence, motherhood, and solidarity. It presents a hopeful reimagining of a just and compassionate future. The artist skillfully bridges history and contemporary narratives, with her installation Senait & Nahom | ሰናይት :: እና :: ናሆም | The Peacemaker & The Comforter engaging directly with Ethiopian artifacts from the museum’s collection.
Exploring Tsedaye Makonnen’s Vision of Art, Community, and Cultural Legacy
Earlier this year, Tadias had the privilege of featuring Tsedaye Makonnen in our Ethiopia at the MET interview series, where we celebrated the groundbreaking representation of Ethiopian art in major U.S. museums. At the time, Makonnen aptly declared, “This is Ethiopia’s moment.”
Hailing from the vibrant Ethiopian community in the Washington, D.C. area—home to the largest Ethiopian diaspora outside of Ethiopia—Makonnen represents a unique intersection of Ethiopian and Black American cultural narratives. In her conversation with Tadias, she emphasized how this dual identity informs her approach to creating and curating art, resulting in deeply resonant works like Sanctuary.
A Milestone for Ethiopian Art and Representation
The exhibition’s significance extends beyond its artistic brilliance. It marks a milestone for Ethiopian representation at the Smithsonian, a global institution celebrating African art. Makonnen’s inclusion reaffirms the cultural and historical richness of Ethiopian narratives while addressing critical social issues such as migration, reproductive health and a holistic approach to equity.
Heran Sereke-Brhan, Deputy Director of the National Museum of African Art, highlights the importance of this moment: “Outside of Ethiopia, the DC metropolitan area has the largest Ethiopian diaspora. As an Ethiopian-born woman and longtime champion of DC artists, it is deeply meaningful that this is the exhibition opening coincides with the start of my tenure at the National Museum of African Art. Having Tsedaye’s work exhibited at the Smithsonian is a powerful way to center stories of oppression and resilience while countering underrepresentation in the arts.”
Building on a Legacy of Excellence
Tsedaye Makonnen’s trajectory has been extraordinary. From her groundbreaking contributions at the Venice Biennale to curating the contemporary section of the Walters Art Museum’s Ethiopia at the Crossroads and her involvement with The Met’s Africa and Byzantium, Makonnen continues to push boundaries and redefine the space for Ethiopian and African art on the global stage.
Her work as a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellow and her ongoing oral history project, Documenting the Ethiopian Communities of DC, underscore her commitment to storytelling that uplifts and preserves cultural legacies.
Join the Celebration
This exhibition is an invitation to explore the transformative power of art as a tool for healing, solidarity, and cross-cultural dialogue. For those in the D.C. metropolitan area or planning a visit, Sanctuary :: መቅደስ :: Mekdes offers a unique opportunity to engage with Makonnen’s deeply moving work and celebrate the richness of Ethiopian heritage within a global context.
As Makonnen’s journey illustrates, this is indeed Ethiopia’s moment. Tadias is honored to continue spotlighting her achievements and the broader cultural narratives that inspire and connect us all.
Professor Yohannes Haile-Selassie, a paleoanthropologist and director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University, reflects on Lucy’s legacy as Ethiopia celebrates 50 years since her discovery. (Alamy)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
December 2nd, 2024
TADIAS (New York) – Fifty years ago, the discovery of Lucy placed Ethiopia at the heart of the story of humanity. As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, Tadias is honored to feature Professor Yohannes Haile-Selassie, a trailblazing Ethiopian paleoanthropologist and director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University.
Known for his pioneering fossil discoveries, including Ardipithecus kadabba and Ardi, Prof. Haile Selassie is a strong advocate for “decolonizing paleoanthropology,” championing the essential role of African scientists and institutions in the study of human origins.
We recently interviewed Prof. Haile-Selassie to explore the significance of Lucy and discuss the ongoing transformation of the field.
TADIAS: Prof. Yohannes, in scientific terms, what does Lucy mean to you and the broader field of paleoanthropology? Why is she still significant even half a century later?
Professor Yohannes Haile-Selassie: Lucy (“Dinknesh”) is recognized among the paleoanthropological community as one of the most iconic early human ancestor fossils that redefined how we understood our evolutionary history before the 1970s. Even though she was discovered 50 years ago researchers are still studying her bones using new analytical methods and advanced technology, such as CT-scanning, and generating additional data. I don’t think scientists will ever stop studying her because she keeps providing new information either about herself or some other newly discovered fossils.
TADIAS: What do you think Lucy’s discovery has meant for Ethiopia’s identity as the “cradle of humanity,” and how has it shaped the global understanding of human origins?
Prof. Haile Selassie: As an Ethiopian-born human origins researcher, I think Lucy, or Dinknesh, is one of the main sources of pride for all Ethiopians. It is where it all began, humanity, and figuratively every human being living today can trace their origins back to Ethiopia. Therefore, One shouldn’t wonder why Dinknesh is one of the main reasons for Ethiopia to dub itself as “The Land of Origins”. Dinknesh was the first early human ancestor fossil that made every human being on the face of the earth ask where they came from. Right after her discovery, her name became a household name, widely talked about in the media, many books written about her (her discoverer, Don Johanson, deserves credit for popularizing Lucy).
Dinknesh (Lucy) is 3.2 million years old, and at the time of her discovery fifty years ago in 1974, she was the oldest known human ancestor showing that walking on two legs is more ancient that previously thought. The earliest fossil evidence of human ancestors before her discovery was younger than 3 million years, based on discoveries from South Africa. Her antiquity, combined with how much paleoanthropologists were able to learn about her skeletal anatomy, the earliest phases of human evolutionary had to be re-written. The debates among scientists created enormous public interest on human origins, Her discovery also inspired the search for even more older human ancestors in new areas, which later resulted in the discovery of human ancestors that are twice as old as herself.
TADIAS: Your work has focused on groundbreaking discoveries like Ardi and Ardipithecus kadabba. How do these findings connect to Lucy’s story, and what new insights do they offer about our ancient ancestors?
Prof. Haile Selassie:: Ardipithecus kadabba is one of the earliest human ancestors currently known in the fossil record. It is dated to between 5.8 and 5.5 million years ago. Ardi is a partial skeleton from 4.4 million years ago. By the way, Ardi is a shortened version of her genus name Ardipithecus, and her species name is Ardipithecus ramidus. These two species are older than Lucy by more than 2 million years, and 1.2 million years, respectively. They were also found in the Afar region some 50 miles north of Lucy’s site.
They are connected to the Lucy story in two ways. First, the discovery of Lucy inspired survey and exploration in search of even older ancestors, and the discovery of the area where Ardipithecus kadabba and Ardipithecus ramidus were found was a result of that inspiration. Secondly, Lucy’s species, Australopithecus afarensis, did not directly descend from Ardipithecus kadabba or Ardipithecus ramidus. Instead, it descended from a species known as Australopithecus anamensis, a species that lived between 4.2 and 3.8 million years ago. However, her species’ ancestor is believed to have descended from Ardipithecus ramidus, which descended from Ardipithecus kadabba. Therefore, yes, she is related to both.
TADIAS: You’ve spoken passionately about “decolonizing paleoanthropology.” Could you share what this means in practice and why it is important for the future of human origins studies?
Prof. Haile Selassie:: Let me first start by explaining what “decolonizing paleoanthropology” means to me as well as I believe to others. The root word of “decolonizing” has a historically profound and repulsive meaning and applying it in any form to paleoanthropology, a scientific discipline that touches all of humanity, could sound like garbling the very meaning of the word. However, when some paleoanthropologists talk about “decolonizing paleoanthropology”, however sensitive it might sound, it is about changing the way we study our origins from one that is dominated by few (mainly western scientists) to one that is more inclusive, especially scholars from the countries where the fossil evidence is coming from and enable them to contribute meaningfully and tell the human story equally. One cannot deny that almost all of the fossil evidence for the earliest phases of human evolutionary history comes from Africa. Unfortunately, there were no Africans who were involved in studying the fossils until the late 1980s. Their role prior to that was facilitating research for western scientists and serving as laborers in the field. This has started changing slowly and many African paleoanthropologists are emerging now but there is still serious lack of training opportunity for local scholars, not to mention the lack of infrastructure for adequate training in their own countries, access to resources is limited, and community engagement is minimal. The future of paleoanthropology is going to depend on how we resolve these issues which, of course, are not limited to Africa.
TADIAS: What steps can be taken to empower African researchers and institutions in this field? How do you see the role of local communities and governments in advancing this effort?
Prof. Haile Selassie:: Empowering African researchers and their institutions starts with their governments and other stakeholders building the basic infrastructure necessary for paleoanthropology training programs and laboratory facilities. These are not things that individual researchers would be expected to do. However, researchers could help institutions by developing higher degree training programs and securing equipment that goes to the laboratory. African researchers need to increase public awareness on why understanding our past is important for the present and our future. What is needed is a concerted effort by bringing various stakeholders and researchers together with a common goal. African researchers and institutions should also make sure that local communities are informed and engaged in all activities in the areas where they live in.
TADIAS: Lucy has inspired generations of scientists and the public alike. What do you hope her legacy will be for the next 50 years, especially for young people interested in science and discovery?
Prof. Haile Selassie:: Lucy (“Dinknesh”) is an iconic treasure to all of humanity. Each of us could easily connect with her as our common ancestor. Her legacy for the last 50 years has been providing us with a wealth of information on how we became who we are today. Her inspiration of discovery will continue for many generations to come. Discovery and science are inseparable and discoveries can only be made by exploring new things.
TADIAS: Finally, as someone who has spent your career uncovering the story of humanity, what excites you most about the future of paleoanthropology? Are there any upcoming projects or areas of research you’re particularly looking forward to?
Prof. Haile Selassie:: Paleoanthropology has now become multidisciplinary. It is not about bones and stones anymore but also about past environments, climate change in the past, early human behavior, and how it relates to us today and to our future. Technological advances are allowing us to study ancient human ancestor fossil remains in ways that we couldn’t have thought possible when Lucy was found. For example, advances in genetics are now helping us extract ancient DNA from fossils and understand the genetic basis of various diseases that affect us today. Therefore, I would say that Paleoanthropology has a bright future, and it is becoming more exciting than ever.
I continue to do my fieldwork in the Afar region of Ethiopia and every fossil specimen that I find has some exciting story What I am looking forward to is my next field season in January.
TADIAS: Thank you so much, Professor Yohannes, and best wishes from all of us at Tadias.
Ethiopian Airlines launches daily flights to New York, enhancing links between Africa and the U.S. (Photo: Ethiopian Airlines)
Tadias Magazine
Updated: December 1st, 2024
New York (TADIAS) — Ethiopian Airlines has announced a significant milestone: starting today, December 1, 2024, the airline will offer daily flights between Addis Ababa and New York City. This expansion represents a major step in strengthening connectivity between Africa and the United States, addressing the growing travel demands of both business and leisure passengers.
.Strengthening Ties Between Africa and New York
New York, a global hub and home to a vibrant Ethiopian and larger African diaspora, holds strategic importance for Ethiopian Airlines. By increasing service from four weekly flights to daily operations, the airline not only solidifies its North American presence but also reaffirms its commitment to providing seamless travel experiences. This expansion is set to offer travelers greater flexibility, minimize layovers, and simplify trip planning.
Connecting the Diaspora and Beyond
New York is one of six U.S. destinations served by Ethiopian Airlines, alongside Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, Newark, and Miami (cargo only). The daily flights offer improved access for members of the Ethiopian Diaspora and strengthen Ethiopia’s position as a gateway to Africa for North American travelers. These routes also open opportunities for trade, tourism, and cultural exchange, bridging communities across continents.
Expanding a Global Network
For the Ethiopian Diaspora, Ethiopian Airlines’ new daily service to New York is more than just a flight—it’s a direct connection to home. (Photo: Ethiopian Airlines)
With over 130 international destinations, Ethiopian Airlines is a pioneer in connecting Africa to the world. Operating one of the youngest and most advanced fleets, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350, the airline ensures a top-tier travel experience. Passengers on the New York route can expect superior in-flight services, including authentic Ethiopian cuisine, a rich entertainment system, and the airline’s signature hospitality.
A Strategic Leap Forward
The increased frequency aligns with Ethiopian Airlines’ broader vision of becoming a global aviation leader. The airline continues to leverage Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport as a critical hub, offering seamless connections to cities across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. This hub-and-spoke model ensures that passengers from New York can easily connect to destinations like Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Accra.
A Boost for Tourism and Business
Daily flights are expected to stimulate tourism and business travel between the two regions. Ethiopia’s rich history, cultural landmarks, and emerging economy make it an attractive destination for American travelers. Likewise, the increased frequency supports Ethiopia’s growing appeal as a transit hub for African and international travelers.
Ethiopian Airlines: A Legacy of Excellence
(Photo: Ethiopian Airlines)
Founded in 1945, Ethiopian Airlines has become a beacon of aviation excellence, recognized for its expansive network, cutting-edge fleet, and customer-centric services. The airline’s commitment to innovation and sustainability ensures its position as a trusted choice for millions of passengers annually.
(Photo: Ethiopian Airlines)
As Ethiopian Airlines ushers in daily service to New York, it sets the stage for stronger connections, expanded opportunities, and enhanced experiences for travelers. For the Ethiopian Diaspora, the new service is more than a route—it’s a bridge home.
Sweet Surprises in Ethiopia’s Highlands: The Rare Ethiopian Wolf Pollinates in Style – Discover the Magic of Bale Mountains. (Photo: The Ethiopian wolf conservation program)
Tadias Magazine
November 24th, 2024
TADIAS (New York) – Ethiopia, often referred to as the Roof of Africa, is home to a stunning array of wildlife and breathtaking landscapes found nowhere else on Earth. From the ancient remains of Lucy, our earliest human ancestor, to the peaks of the Simien and Bale Mountains, the country’s natural wonders continue to captivate scientists, adventurers, and nature enthusiasts alike.
Among its unique inhabitants, the Ethiopian wolf, or Simien fox, stands out as a true symbol of the country’s rich biodiversity. The rarest canid in the world and Africa’s most endangered carnivore, the Ethiopian wolf is found only in the high-altitude grasslands of Ethiopia. With fewer than 500 individuals remaining, this elusive predator has adapted to life in the Afroalpine habitat, hunting rodents and navigating some of the harshest terrains.
Yet, this week, the Ethiopian wolf made headlines not for its hunting prowess but for an unexpectedly sweet discovery: it has been spotted licking nectar from Ethiopian red hot poker flowers. This behavior, documented by researchers from the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program and the University of Oxford, marks the first recorded instance of a large carnivore feeding on nectar.
Sweet as Honey
(Photo: The Ethiopian wolf conservation program)
Imagine this elegant predator delicately sipping nectar from the fiery blooms of the red hot poker flower. While locals have long known about the flower’s sugary nectar—shepherd children in the Bale Mountains often enjoy it as a natural treat—scientists were thrilled to find wolves indulging in the same delicacy. Not only does this behavior showcase the wolf’s adaptability, but it also hints at a fascinating ecological role: pollination.
With their muzzles coated in pollen, these wolves may be helping the flowers reproduce, bridging the gap between predator and pollinator in a way never observed before. As Dr. Sandra Lai, a senior scientist at the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme, aptly put it, this discovery highlights how much we still have to learn about these remarkable animals and their interactions with the ecosystem.
Why It Matters
Ethiopia is home to an extraordinary array of endemic animals, including the Gelada baboon, Walia ibex, Black lion, and the Mountain nyala. Each species is a testament to the unique evolutionary story of the Ethiopian Highlands. However, many of these creatures, like the Ethiopian wolf, face threats from habitat loss, disease, and human encroachment.
The wolf’s newfound “sweet tooth” not only adds a delightful twist to its story but also underscores the importance of preserving Ethiopia’s Afroalpine habitats. These high-altitude landscapes are teeming with life, offering travelers an unparalleled glimpse into the beauty and diversity of Ethiopia’s natural world.
Visit the Roof of Africa
For those looking for an adventure, a trip to the Bale Mountains is a chance to witness these incredible animals in their natural habitat. Whether you’re trekking through the stunning alpine meadows or spotting rare wildlife like the Ethiopian wolf, it’s an experience that connects you to the heart of Ethiopia’s unique ecosystem.
So, the next time you see a red hot poker flower, remember: even the fiercest predators can have a soft spot for something sweet. Who knows? Perhaps this discovery will inspire more travelers to visit Ethiopia and contribute to the conservation of its rare and wonderful creatures.
Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selassie, one of Ethiopia’s leading paleoanthropologists and the director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University (ASU) in the US, reflects on Lucy’s legacy at 50 and advocates for decolonizing the narrative of human origins. (Photo: Alamy)
Tadias Magazine
November 22nd, 2024
TADIAS (New York) – As we approach the 50th anniversary of Lucy’s discovery—a pivotal moment in our understanding of human origins—the conversation shifts to the often-overlooked contributions of African scientists. Ethiopian paleoanthropologist Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selassie, director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University, has been at the forefront of reshaping this narrative.
Dr. Haile-Selassie, whose groundbreaking fossil discoveries include Ardipithecus kadabba and Ardi, emphasizes the need to “decolonize paleoanthropology.” He advocates for more African-led research and infrastructure to give local scholars and institutions an equitable role in telling humanity’s story.
“Western scientists can’t continue this ‘helicoptering in and out’ approach to fossil discovery,” he warns, urging collaboration and sustainable practices to empower African institutions and researchers.
Schoo children inspect the fossilized bones of Lucy, on display at the National Museum of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. (Xinhua/Alamy Stock Photo)
‘Deep inside, something told me I had found the earliest human ancestor; I went numb’ – Yohannes Haile-Selassie on his lifetime quest to discover ancient humanity
Yohannes, you were a 14-year-old schoolboy in Ethiopia when Lucy was discovered. What are your memories of this landmark moment in your country’s history?
In fact, on the day Lucy was found – Sunday, November 24 1974 – Ethiopians woke up to some other devastating news. The previous night, Ethiopia’s military regime had executed more than 60 ministers and generals of Emperor Haile-Selassie’s regime. The announcement of Lucy’s discovery probably came up later that week, but I doubt many people paid attention to it amid all the turmoil, with the military regime taking control of Ethiopia.
Personally, I have no recollection of the announcement of Lucy’s discovery. I grew up in a Christian family, so as far as I knew at that time, it was God who created humans and I wouldn’t have understood the significance of Lucy.
Of course, over time, her discovery brought the idea of Ethiopia as a “cradle of mankind” to the forefront of public consciousness around the world. With that came national pride – today, Ethiopia brands itself the “land of origins”. Lucy played a big part in that.
Yet even now, the narrative of ancient human discovery appears to omit many of the African researchers and institutions that played key roles in this story?
Many of the fossils that made western scientists famous were actually found by local Africans, who were only acknowledged at the end of a scientific publication. For a long time, African scholars were never part of telling the human story; nor could they actively participate in the analysis of the fossils they found. Up to the 1990s, long after Lucy was found, we were only present in the form of labourers and fossil hunters.
So, when we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lucy, we shouldn’t forget that a reappraisal of the role of African scientists in our understanding of ancient humans is long overdue. Specifically, we need to decolonise paleoanthropology.
Meet Tezeta "Tez" Roro: A New Jersey-based realtor, community leader, and changemaker committed to fostering connections and making homeownership accessible to all. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Liben Eabisa
November 20th, 2024
TADIAS (New York) – When I think about individuals in our community who embody the spirit of service, resilience, and inspiration, Tezeta “Tez” Roro immediately comes to mind. Over the years, my work with Tadias Magazine has brought me into contact with countless change-makers in the Ethiopian diaspora. But few have left as lasting an impression as Tez.
I first met her years ago at a cultural event in New York, where she was actively supporting the Ethiopian Community Mutual Assistance Association (ECMAA). Her warmth and sincerity immediately stood out, but what struck me even more was her unique ability to seamlessly bridge her professional pursuits with her commitment to uplifting others. Tez isn’t just a real estate broker—she’s a community builder, a role model, and an advocate for empowerment
Rooted in Values, Driven by Purpose
Tezeta “Tez” Roro leads a real estate workshop in Addis Ababa, sharing insights with architects, developers, and industry professionals in collaboration with Urban Center. (Courtesy photo)
Tez’s journey is one of grit and gratitude. Growing up in Addis Ababa, she was shaped by a culture that prioritizes family, community, and connection. These values stayed with her when she immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager, where she quickly took on the dual roles of student and family supporter.
Her early challenges—working multiple jobs while attending Montclair State University—taught her the value of perseverance and adaptability. It’s no surprise that when she pivoted to real estate, she brought these qualities with her. Motivated by her own experience as a first-time homebuyer, Tez was determined to make the process less intimidating for others. Her mission became clear: to empower individuals to achieve their homeownership dreams with empathy and understanding.
A Champion for Community Progress
Tezeta presenting to PTA leaders in New Jersey, highlighting how her campaign successfully brought free pre-K to her West Orange community at a state PTA convention. (Courtesy photo)
Advocacy award for the Pre-K work. (Courtesy photo)
What makes Tez’s work in real estate truly special is her holistic approach. She doesn’t see her role as limited to buying and selling homes; she views it as a way to create opportunities and expand access. For instance, her work advocating for FHA certification in her local community opened doors for many first-time buyers, often overlooked due to biases in the housing market.
Tez’s leadership extends beyond her profession. As President of the West Orange Chamber of Commerce and Council of PTAs, a board member of the YMCA, and a dedicated volunteer with ECMAA, she has a hand in countless community-building efforts. One of her most inspiring accomplishments is her grassroots campaign to bring free, full-day pre-kindergarten to West Orange. Seeing this initiative benefit nearly 500 families is a testament to her belief in collective action and problem-solving.
Tezeta addressing the audience as President of the West Orange Chamber of Commerce. (Courtesy photo)
A Personal Reflection on Tez
Whenever I meet with Tez, I’m reminded of the quiet strength it takes to lead by example. She’s someone who doesn’t just talk about values like family and community—she lives them. Whether mentoring young professionals, advocating for housing equity, or organizing cultural events, Tez carries her Ethiopian heritage with pride and channels it into everything she does.
Her favorite phrase, borrowed from John Lewis, about making “good trouble” resonates deeply. Tez isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo, whether that’s corporate culture, real estate practices, or local governance. She inspires those around her to rethink what’s possible and to act with courage.
Tezeta At ECMAA (Ethiopian Community Mutual Assistance Association) picnic. (Courtesy photo)
For me, Tez represents the best of what the Ethiopian diaspora has to offer: a blend of resilience, ambition, and a deeply ingrained sense of responsibility to uplift others. Her story is a reminder that success isn’t just about personal milestones but about how much we give back along the way.
Tezeta “Tez” Roro isn’t just shaping the real estate market; she’s shaping the future of our communities, one good deed—and one home—at a time.
—- Explore More To learn more about Tezeta “Tez” Roro’s inspiring journey and explore her real estate listings, visit her website at TezRoro.com. Whether you’re buying, selling, or simply seeking advice, Tez’s expertise and passion for building community are just a click away!
About the Author Liben Eabisa is the Co-Founder and Publisher of Tadias Magazine and a licensed realtor based in New York City, passionate about connecting stories, communities, and opportunities.
Wegene’s 24th Anniversary Gala, held on October 19, 2024, in Springfield, VA, was an unforgettable evening, with proceeds dedicated to expanding the foundation’s impactful programs. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
Updated: November 14, 2024
New York (TADIAS) – As the holiday season approaches, we turn the spotlight on the Wegene Ethiopian Foundation (WEF), a dedicated nonprofit founded in 2000 by Ethiopian Americans in the Washington, D.C. area. Led by social entrepreneur Nini Legesse, WEF has made remarkable strides in improving lives across Ethiopia through education and community support. Now celebrating its 24th anniversary, Wegene is not only committed to its transformative work in Ethiopia but has also fostered a dynamic youth engagement program here in the U.S., encouraging the next generation to stay connected to their roots.
WEF’s impact in Ethiopia is multifaceted, with the organization providing academic scholarships, small business grants, and essential support to vulnerable families. By focusing on sustainable, community-based solutions, Wegene addresses the root causes of poverty and fosters lasting change. Wegene’s work empowers young people with educational opportunities, giving them a foundation to build brighter futures and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
In the U.S., the Wegene Youth Club brings together second-generation Ethiopian Americans to raise funds, spread awareness, and volunteer in local community service projects. This group is passionate about supporting Wegene’s mission, and through activities like D.C. homeless shelter feedings, gardening projects, and annual Veteran’s Day card-making events, the Youth Club instills a spirit of giving and community engagement in the next generation. These young volunteers also play an instrumental role in WEF’s annual fundraising events, such as the Annual Fundraising Gala, Brunch with Santa, and Oldies Night, all of which support vital programs in Ethiopia.
The Wegene Youth Club unites second-generation Ethiopian Americans to actively engage in local community service projects. (Courtesy photo/Wegene Foundation’s Facebook)
Each year, WEF hosts a series of engaging and meaningful events, bringing the Ethiopian American diaspora together in a powerful show of unity and support. This October’s fundraising gala, held in Springfield, VA, was a night to remember, with proceeds dedicated to expanding Wegene’s programs. Attendees enjoyed cultural performances, auctions, and craft displays that celebrated Ethiopian heritage, while legendary Ethiopian guitarist Selam Seyoum Woldemariam provided memorable entertainment.
For those looking to contribute, WEF offers multiple ways to get involved, from memberships and monthly donations to participation in annual drives and federal employee giving campaigns. Notably, WEF encourages its members and community to share their talents, skills, and resources, helping to propel Ethiopia forward and bring positive change to the lives of countless families.
As WEF looks toward the future, they are committed to expanding their reach, both in Ethiopia and among the Ethiopian American community in the U.S. With the Youth Club’s enthusiasm and the broader community’s dedication, Wegene continues to build a legacy of empowerment and opportunity, one family at a time.
— To learn more about WEF’s impactful work, upcoming events, or how to contribute, visit www.wegene.org. This holiday season, consider supporting Wegene Ethiopian Foundation’s mission and being part of a meaningful journey of transformation and community upliftment.
Post-election, America’s leadership baton will soon pass from one septuagenarian man to another. As 'Sleepy Joe' gets ready to retire, we brace for his sleepless successor. (Getty Images)
Tadias Magazine
Updated: November 10th, 2024
New York (TADIAS) – As America settles into yet another era led by older men, we missed the chance to steer a new course. In a few months, the Oval Office will replace one aging president with another, trading drowsy for driven—but still sticking to the same familiar playlist.
Meanwhile, beyond the ballot, disturbing incidents have cast a shadow over this election season. Just one day after results were announced, Black Americans in multiple states, from Maryland to Nevada, began receiving racist text messages filled with vile language reminiscent of America’s darkest chapters. Essence magazine reports that recipients, including children and college students, were targeted with messages like, ‘You’ve been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation.’ The texts left recipients shocked and unsettled, highlighting the persistent undercurrent of racial animus that reminds us there’s still much work to do in bridging divides.
Talaya Jones from Piscataway, New Jersey, shared her disbelief with CNN, recalling how she initially thought the message was a cruel joke. ‘It really just shows that we didn’t come as far as everybody thought we did as a nation,’ Jones reflected, her experience underscoring the urgent need for reflection as we look to the future.”
FBI probing bigoted text messages that spread alarm across US
Getty images
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Federal and state authorities are investigating a wave of bigoted text messages sent anonymously that have spread alarm among Black Americans across the country this week, officials and recipients told Reuters.
The messages urged recipients in multiple states, including Alabama, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia, to report to a plantation to pick cotton, an offensive reference to past enslavement of Black people in the United States.
It is unclear who is behind the reported texts, how many people had received them, or how the recipients were targeted.
The Federal Communications Commission said on Friday its enforcement bureau was among those probing the incidents.
Lousiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican, told Reuters on Friday that her office is among those investigating the text messages, adding that some targets – herself included – also received emails.
Murrill, who is white, said one of the messages hit her personal email box at 8:17 a.m. Friday, according to a screenshot of the message she shared with Reuters.
The message greeted her with an ethnic slur and said “Now that trump is president, you have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation” and that “Our guys will come get you in a van.”
She said the FBI was also looking into the messages.
The FBI on Thursday said in a statement it was “aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country,” and that it was in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter.
“It could be coming from a basement in Baton Rouge, or it could be a basement in Bangladesh,” said Murrill. “It’s obviously intended to play on people’s emotion in the wake of the election. I’m urging people to rise above it, don’t give these malcontents the benefit of capturing any of emotional bandwidth.”
Monèt Miller, an Atlanta-based publicist, said that when she shared on social media that she had received a text message telling her to report to her “nearest plantation,” she was shocked at how many other Black Americans chimed in to say they had gotten similar messages.
“To find out that all these African American people are getting it, that was the scariest part about it,” she said. “Who is doing that?”
People in at least 21 states received the texts, including high school and college students, CNN and the Associated Press reported.
“These actions are not normal. And we refuse to let them be normalized,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement from the civil rights organization, which advocates for racial justice and rights for Black Americans.
“These messages represent an alarming increase in vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist groups across the country.”
Some Black Americans have said they fear a rollback of civil rights after Republican Donald Trump, who won Tuesday’s presidential election over Democrat Kamala Harris, takes office on Jan. 20. Trump, who made racist and sexist attacks against his Black opponent, has pledged to end federal diversity and inclusion programs.
“President Trump’s campaign has absolutely nothing to do with these text messages,” his spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on Friday.
At least some of the messages were distributed via the TextNow messaging service, which enables people to send texts via app, TextNow said. It said once they were made aware of the situation the account or accounts responsible were shut down within an hour, adding that the texts were sent across multiple carriers nationwide in what it called “an attack.”
Some school districts issued warnings and urged students and parents to report any such texts to school staff or local authorities.
The run-up to Tuesday’s election included the biggest rise in U.S. political violence since the 1970s, including some racist attacks on Harris supporters, according to cases identified by Reuters.
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump face off in their first presidential debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia today. (Photos via X: @KamalaHarris and @realDonaldTrump)
Tadias Magazine
Updated: September 10th, 2024
New York (TADIAS) – As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, both major party candidates are set to debate in Philadelphia tonight. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will face off for the first time since Harris became the Democratic nominee. The debate is expected to focus on key issues such as the economy, immigration, foreign policy, and other domestic matters, providing a critical opportunity for each candidate to appeal to voters and clarify their positions.
This debate comes at a pivotal moment in the campaign season. Vice President Harris, who accepted the Democratic nomination last month after President Biden dropped out, is looking to build on recent gains in swing state polls. Former President Trump, who secured the GOP nomination despite an assassination attempt earlier this year, will seek to solidify his base while reaching out to undecided voters. Both candidates are expected to make their case to the American people at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Key Developments Leading Up to the Debate:
Harris Transition Team Takes Shape: The Harris campaign has appointed Yohannes Abraham, the U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN, to lead the presidential transition team should Harris win the election. Abraham, a seasoned political strategist who previously led the Biden transition in 2020, will be stepping down from his current post in Jakarta to take on this critical role.
Trump Campaign Prepares for Transition: In a similar move, the Trump campaign has also announced its transition team, headed by Linda McMahon, former head of the Small Business Administration, and Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald. The team aims to distance itself from more controversial elements associated with Project 2025, a policy initiative by conservative groups. Additionally, former President Donald Trump has added his onetime campaign rival Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to the transition team.
Former VP Dick Cheney’s Defection: In a surprising turn of events, former Vice President Dick Cheney, a prominent Republican figure, announced he would not support the Republican ticket in the 2024 election. This marks the most high-profile defection of a Republican to Harris’s side, highlighting growing divisions within the GOP establishment. Cheney’s endorsement follows his daughter, Liz Cheney, who also publicly confirmed her father’s decision not to support Trump, further raising questions about how other Republicans will position themselves in this election cycle.
Multicultural Voter Shifts: Recent data shows shifting dynamics among multicultural voters heading into the 2024 election. According to a new report by My Code™, there has been an increase in support for Vice President Harris among multicultural men, highlighting a trend that could impact the election outcome. The report emphasizes the need for candidates to connect with diverse communities through targeted messaging and concrete policy actions.
Habeshas for Harris Campaign Gains Momentum: The “Habeshas for Harris” coalition, representing Ethiopian and Eritrean Americans, is mobilizing support for Vice President Harris, emphasizing the importance of political representation and advocating for community concerns at both the national and local levels.
As the election draws nearer, these developments reflect the broader strategies of both campaigns to engage key voter groups and address pressing national issues. With the debate stage set in Philadelphia, the focus will now turn to how effectively each candidate can communicate their vision for the country’s future.
Ethiopian-American innovator Heman Bekele, TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year, captured in the lab at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, where his groundbreaking research on a skin cancer-fighting soap is taking shape. (Photograph by Dina Litovsky for TIME)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: August 19th, 2024
Ethiopian-American Heman Bekele: TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year and Innovator Against Skin Cancer
New York (TADIAS) – At just 15 years old, Heman Bekele has achieved what many can only dream of. Named TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year, Heman’s journey from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to becoming a young scientist recognized on a global stage is nothing short of remarkable.
Born in Addis Ababa and moving to the United States with his family at the age of four, Heman’s early curiosity for science was sparked by childhood experiments that, according to TIME, involved “mixing up whatever he could get his hands on at home” and waiting to see the results. By the time he was seven, his experiments became more focused after receiving a chemistry set for Christmas, leading him to dream of using science to make a difference in the world.
That dream began to take shape when Heman, a rising 10th-grader at Woodson High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, entered the 3M Young Scientist Challenge. His entry? A revolutionary bar of soap designed to treat and potentially prevent multiple forms of skin cancer. According to TIME, this innovative idea was inspired by his early memories of laborers in Ethiopia working under the intense sun without protection and his realization, after moving to the U.S., of the dangers posed by prolonged sun exposure.
Heman’s soap is not just a simple cleansing bar; it’s a scientific breakthrough. As TIME reported, he combined the soap with a lipid-based nanoparticle that would allow the active ingredient, imiquimod—a drug approved for treating certain skin cancers—to remain on the skin even after washing. This inventive approach could make a significant impact by offering a more accessible and affordable option for skin cancer treatment.
Heman’s journey has not been one of solo effort. TIME highlights how he’s been supported by his family, mentors, and scientists like Vito Rebecca, a molecular biologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who invited Heman to work in his lab. It’s here that Heman is further developing his soap, working tirelessly to bring his idea closer to reality.
Despite the attention and accolades, Heman remains grounded. In an interview with TIME, he expressed humility about his achievements, stating, “Anybody could do what I did. I just came up with an idea. I worked towards that idea, and I was able to bring it to life.” His story is a powerful reminder that innovation and determination, coupled with support and guidance, can lead to extraordinary outcomes.
As Heman continues his research and balances his academic life with other interests such as music and sports, his future in science looks promising. His work not only shines a spotlight on his potential but also serves as an inspiration to young people everywhere, especially within the Ethiopian-American community. Heman’s success is a testament to the possibilities that arise when curiosity meets opportunity, and his contributions to science are just beginning.
For now, Heman’s focus remains on his mission to make skin cancer treatment more accessible and affordable. As he told TIME, “We’ll never run out of ideas in this world. Just keep inventing. Keep thinking of new ways to improve our world and keep making it a better place.”
Tamirat Tola’s win not only secured Ethiopia’s first gold medal at the Paris Games but also ended a 24-year wait for a men's marathon gold since Gezahegne Abera's triumph at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. (Tamirat Tola, Paris, August 10, 2024, Reuters)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: August 10th, 2024
New York (TADIAS) – In a stunning turn of events at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola secured a historic victory in the men’s marathon, setting a new Olympic record with a time of 2:06:26. Tola’s triumph provided a much-needed boost for Ethiopia, which had faced several disappointments earlier in the Games, including the injury of Lamecha Girma during the steeplechase final.
Just two weeks ago, Tola was not even slated to compete. He was called up as a replacement after his teammate Sisay Lemma withdrew due to a hamstring injury. Despite the last-minute change, Tola delivered a performance that will be remembered for years to come. His victory not only marked Ethiopia’s first gold medal at the Paris Games but also ended a 24-year wait for a men’s marathon gold since Gezahegne Abera’s win at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
The marathon course in Paris, renowned for its toughness, was a challenge for all competitors, with steep ascents and the rising heat adding to the difficulty. However, Tola’s determination was unmatched. As he started from the Hotel de Ville, the weight of his nation’s expectations was palpable. “The mood in the Ethiopian camp has not been good,” Tola admitted. “Today is the tenth day since the athletics started, and I was really hoping to change that by winning.
And change it he did. As the race progressed, Tola steadily built a lead, pulling away from the pack after navigating the treacherous hills. His relentless pace and strategic approach left his competitors struggling to keep up. Even as he approached the final stages, Tola was cautious, frequently glancing back to ensure his lead was secure. “I didn’t put into my mind up to the last kilometre, because this is athletics, [I felt] somebody will [catch-up] and pass me. When I arrived at the 41km, I knew I have this, I am going to win. I was happy. I am so happy, I achieved my dream.”
Tamirat Tola celebrates his historic victory in the men’s marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics in Paris, France on Saturday, August 10th, 2024. Picture by dpa (www.dpa.de). Alle Rechte vorbehalten
Tamirat Tola’s victory is even more remarkable considering the circumstances leading up to his participation. As a reserve, he stepped in when his close friend and training partner, Sisay Lemma, had to withdraw. “This victory also belongs to him, he gave me the opportunity. I would like to thank him,” Tola said.
The significance of this win extends beyond the individual achievement. Ethiopia, known for its long-distance running prowess, had been searching for a gold medal at these Games, making Tola’s victory a moment of national pride and celebration. Kenenisa Bekele, a legendary Ethiopian runner who made a comeback at these Olympics, praised Tola’s performance: “He got a chance to participate quite late and still won the medal, that’s really special. Special for Ethiopia and more so for him. I am really happy for him.”
Earlier in the week, Ethiopia had faced disappointment when Lamecha Girma, a favorite in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, was stretchered off the track after a fall during the final. Girma, who had been the silver medalist in Tokyo 2021, was unable to finish the race, leaving the Ethiopian camp in a somber mood.
Tola’s victory in the marathon has lifted the spirits of Ethiopians, providing a much-needed moment of joy and pride. His story is one of resilience, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of excellence—an inspiration for many and a testament to the enduring strength of Ethiopian athletics.
As the Paris Olympics draw to a close, Tamirat Tola’s name will be etched in history, not just for his remarkable victory but for the hope and pride he brought to his nation in a time of need.
The annual Empower the Community Weekend hosted by Helen Mesfin of the Helen Show on EBS TV takes place July 27th, 2024 at the Washington Convention Center. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: July 21st, 2024
New York (TADIAS) — The Helen Show on EBS TV is set to host its 8th annual Empower the Community Weekend on Saturday, July 27th, 2024, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
This highly anticipated annual event offers a wide range of activities including panel discussions, entertainment, educational resources, career advice, arts, finance, health and wellness tips, giveaways, cultural activities, and vendors and exhibitors showcasing their products and services.
The event is designed to be family-centered, ensuring that attendees of all ages can participate in activities that promote growth and well-being. According to the press release, “the event focuses on providing resources and information to attendees, enabling them to lead productive lives and thrive.”
Launched in 2017 by the producers of The Helen Show on EBS TV, Empower the Community Weekend (ECW) has become a cornerstone event for the community in the Washington, DC metro area.
The 2024 event will feature sessions on a variety of topics, including Business & Leadership, The Future of Tech, Real Estate Investment in the US and Ethiopia, and Navigating the Job Market in the Current Climate. Notable speakers include:
Business & Leadership:
Menassie Taddese, MBA, Global Biopharma Expert, Corporate Board Director
Menelik Solomon, President, GE Honda Aero Engines, LLC
Anna Getaneh, Founder & Creative Director, African Mosaique
Abiy Yeshitla, Board Member, Digital Transformation, Business Expansion, New Market Entry
The Future of Tech:
Hilina Kebede, Vice President, Technology Strategy at Edelman
Esete Seyoum, Regional Director SLG, Cloud Security, Microsoft
Selemon Getachew, Senior Vice President, Market Risk Management, PNC
Neby Ejigu, Senior Partner at FINN Partners
Self-Care: Prioritize Your Well-Being – Mind, Body & Spirit:
Dr. Tison Berhane, Double-Board Certified General Surgery and Surgical Care, Cosmetic Surgeon
Haben Girmay, Founder, Shikorinha by Habi, Holistic Skincare and Wellness Brand
Wintana Kiros, RDN, LDN, Founder, Reset Lifestyle
Tiemert Letike, Certified Life Coach, Unchaining Me, Moderator
Power Panel Session: Breaking Barriers – Insights from Young Trailblazers:
Bemnet Debelo, Vice President of Sales Engineering at Incapsulate
Tati Amare, Emmy Nominated Producer, TV Host, Live in the D, WDIV-Local 4
Makda Mehari, M.A., Executive Director, Civil Courage Prize
Hamara Abate, North America Product Strategy & Operations, Visa
Breakout Sessions:
Invest in Your Future: Owning Home in US & Ethiopia:
Bruk Alemayehu, Director of Sales & Marketing, OVID Real Estate
Merron Treadwell, Branch Manager, NMLS ID#1468532, Bay Equity LLC
Nya Alemayhu, Global Real Estate Advisor at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty & Head of US Operations, ROCKSTONE Real Estate
Navigating the Job Market in the Current Climate:
Edna Makonnen, Director for Human Capital & Strategic Initiatives, National Security Council
Brooke Asegu, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Global Human Resources Director
Haben Mebrahtu, SHRM-CP, Sr. HR Business Partner at RSI
Aster Gubay, Sr. Consultant at Deloitte Consulting, LLP, & Deputy Executive Director, YEP
Future-Ready Careers: Unleashing Potential in Tech Jobs:
Yebio Mesfin, Senior Technical Manager (Lead Solution Architect)
Zerubabel Kassa, MBA, PMP, Co-Founder and CEO, CDI Inc
Yared Gudeta, Senior Solutions Architect at Databricks
Adiam Miller, Systems Engineer, MITRE
Alem Abreha, Lead Systems Engineer, SalesForce
Unlock Opportunities: Small Business Resources & Support:
Esayas B. Gebrehiwot, Managing Director of ECDC Enterprise Development Group
Abera Bezuneh, Fairfax Insurance & Financial Services
Elias Woldu, Chairman of the Board, Ethio-American Chamber of Commerce
Selam Habte, Economic Developer with an Equity Focus
Alem Beshire, Founder, Yogaso Marketing, Moderator
Breakout Session: Minding YOUR Mind – Mental Illness & Mental Wellness:
Dr. Medhin GebreAmlak, DNP/PMHNP/FNP/MSN, Addis Health Services
Kedest Gebreselassie, RN, FNP-BC, PMHNP, Bright Behavior Health LLC
Dr. Eden Taye, DNP, MSN.Ed, MIS, BCN, PMHNP-BC, Dr. Eden Healthcare Services LLC
Meron Kassa, RN, BSN, ENANA’s Public Relations Officer, Moderator
Parents’ Journey: Raising Children with Special Needs:
Azeb Ataro Adere: Respected Leader and Advocate for Autism Support
Meron Worku, Licensed Master Social Worker
Samuel Tsadiq, Father, Special Needs Advocate
Haimanot Gulilat, RN, Special Needs Advocate, Board Member, EESNC
Empower Z: Amplifying Gen Z Perspectives:
Essey Workie, Managing Principal, Executive Coach, Senior Consultant at Multicultural Coaching
Liya Hizkias, Digital Storyteller
Isabel Bekele, Commerce Writer at InStyle Magazine
Meron Henok, Strategic Communications and PR Associate at Google
Emmanuel Ermias, Co-Founder of The Dome Podcast
High School to College Admission: Essential Tips and Resources:
Chernet Weldeab, Ph.D., Education Specialist, Montgomery College, Educational Opportunity Center
Melkam Lengereh, Ph.D., DCPS Early-Stage Program
Additional Activities:
Health & Fitness Pavilion:
Health & wellness games, activities, and giveaways provided by Kaiser Permanente
Free health screenings, CPR training, and Narcan training provided by MedStar Health and Ethiopian Nurses Association
Personal trainers & fitness consultants, martial arts demonstrations
Eskesta Workout with Fantish & Fikre
Healthy cooking demo by Chef Beth
Kids’ Corner:
Storytime and performances by Mama Kebe, Open Heart Big Dreams, Etan Comics, and Mad Science: Things That Go Boom, sponsored by The Goddard School of Bowie
Habesha Kids Club with various games and activities
HIS Academy providing arts & crafts and various summer camp style activities
— If You Attend:
Empower the Community Weekend 2024
July 27th
Walter E Washington Convention Center
VIRTUAL REGISTRATION & LIMITED IN-PERSON SEATING Registration Here
More info at: www.empowercw.com
Daniel Abebe joins Columbia Law School from the University of Chicago, where he currently serves as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Governance. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
Updated: June 19, 2024
New York (TADIAS) — Columbia University announced this week that Daniel Abebe will assume the role of Dean of the Law School and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law starting August 1st. Abebe’s appointment marks a historic moment as he becomes the first Black dean to serve in this prestigious position, succeeding Dean Gillian Lester.
Abebe joins Columbia Law School from the University of Chicago, where he currently serves as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Governance and holds the Harold J. and Marion F. Green Professorship of Law. At Chicago, he has made significant contributions to the academic community through his research and leadership roles. His scholarship focuses on the intersection of U.S. constitutional law regarding foreign affairs and public international law, with notable publications in the University of Chicago Law Review, Supreme Court Review, and the Virginia Journal of International Law.
In addition to his academic achievements, Abebe brings extensive experience in institutional governance and disciplinary matters. He previously served as Deputy Dean at the University of Chicago Law School, where he played a pivotal role in shaping policies related to disruptive conduct and institutional discipline.
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik expressed confidence in Abebe’s ability to lead Columbia Law School, highlighting his diplomatic and inclusive leadership style. She remarked, “I am confident that Professor Abebe will be an exceptional Dean for Columbia Law, one of the most highly regarded law schools in the world. His commitment to academic excellence and his strategic vision will foster an environment where faculty, students, and staff can innovate, succeed, and flourish.”
Abebe holds a BA from Maryville University of St. Louis, a PhD in political science from the University of Chicago, and a JD from Harvard Law School. He clerked for Judge Damon J. Keith of the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and practiced at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP before embarking on his academic career. He is a member of the American Law Institute and a faculty affiliate of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at the University of Chicago.
As Columbia prepares for Abebe’s leadership, outgoing Dean Gillian Lester will transition back to full-time teaching at the Law School this fall. President Shafik acknowledged Lester’s decade-long tenure with gratitude, noting her significant contributions to the institution.
Abebe’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Columbia Law School as it navigates disciplinary actions and campus activism. His background in constitutional law and international relations is expected to provide valuable insights and leadership during these critical times.
Tonight, Ethiopian pianist and composer, Girma Yifrashewa, will make his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City. At Zankel Hall, he will present "Peace unto Ethiopia: An Anthology of Original Works and Tributes." (Photo by Josh Sisk)
Tadias Magazine
Updated: June 17, 2024
New York (TADIAS) — Today, Carnegie Hall will witness a historic moment as Girma Yifrashewa, the first African classical pianist, takes center stage. His groundbreaking performance marks a significant milestone for the world of classical music, heralding a new era of recognition for African musicians in the classical genre.
The concert, titled “Peace Unto Ethiopia: An Anthology of Original Works and Tributes,” is a poignant and timely composition by the esteemed Ethiopian ethnomusicologist Dr. Ashenafi Kebede.
Girma Yifrashewa, a celebrated Ethiopian pianist, is known for seamlessly blending Western art music with Ethiopian folk melodies, showcasing his artistry and commitment to sharing Ethiopia’s rich cultural heritage.
The Message
The concert serves as a powerful, non-political reminder of the universality of peace, extending to individuals, nations, continents, and the entire world. It also highlights the all-encompassing nature of peace, extending even to wildlife.
Background
Ethiopia has a rich history in the arts, contributing notable figures like Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, a legendary composer and pianist who left an indelible mark on the world of music.
This concert is not just a performance; it’s a call to unity, inviting a diverse audience to celebrate the power of music to bridge divides and promote peace.
Video: Watch Girma Yifrashewa Live in Ethiopia January 30, 2020
—-
If You Go:
The organizer, African Symposium, is dedicated to producing socially responsible events in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
For tickets and more information, please visit Carnegie Hall.
New York (TADIAS) — Renowned Ethiopian-born artist Julie Mehretu is set to make history as the creator of the 20th BMW Art Car, marking a thrilling fusion of art, automotive design, and speed. The culmination of Julie’s creative vision will be unveiled at the Centre Pompidou in Paris on May 21, 2024, before making its racing debut at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. This groundbreaking collaboration promises to redefine the intersection of art and motorsport, as artist translates her monumental motifs onto the dynamic canvas of the BMW M Hybrid V8 racing car prototype.
Julie’s approach to the BMW Art Car project exemplifies her unparalleled ability to capture dynamism and translate it into form. Drawing inspiration from her extensive body of work, she employs a diverse palette of colors and forms, including obscured photographs, dotted grids, and neon-colored spray paint. The result is an abstract visual narrative that seamlessly integrates with the contours of the vehicle, creating a stunning work of art on wheels.
Central to Julie Mehretu’s creative process is the collaboration with the German Race Spirit team, led by Manuel Eberl and Gertraud Brenninger, who are responsible for realizing the intricate design on the BMW M Hybrid V8. Through a meticulous process of 3D mapping and high-resolution imaging, Julie’s artwork is transformed into a dynamic foil wrap that adorns the racing car, ensuring both aesthetic excellence and compliance with FIA regulations.
The unveiling of the BMW Art Car at the Centre Pompidou marks a momentous occasion in the history of the BMW Art Car Collection. Following in the footsteps of iconic artists such as Alexander Calder and Jeff Koons, Mehretu’s creation will be showcased alongside masterpieces of contemporary art, reinforcing the close connection between art and motorsport.
Beyond its racing debut at Le Mans, Julie’s BMW Art Car will embark on a global journey, becoming an exhibit in museums and art platforms worldwide. However, Julie’s's vision extends far beyond the confines of the racing track, as she seeks to inspire a new generation of artists through the PanAfricanTranslocal Media Workshop Series. In collaboration with Emmy-nominated producer Mehret Mandefro, Julie will host workshops in eight African cities, providing young creatives with a platform for collaboration and exchange.
Julie Mehretu’s selection as the designer of the 20th BMW Art Car reflects the BMW Group’s commitment to fostering creativity and innovation. With unrestricted creative freedom, Julie has reimagined the BMW Art Car as a symbol of artistic expression and technological innovation, setting a new standard for the intersection of art and automotive design.
As the world eagerly awaits the unveiling of Julie Mehretu’s BMW Art Car, the BMW Group invites enthusiasts to follow its cultural engagement initiatives on Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture, offering exclusive updates and deeper insights into its global initiatives.
Tickets will be released on Carnegie's website starting Monday, April 22nd, 2024. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
Updated: April 18th, 2024
New York (TADIAS) — Secure your seats for Girma Yifrashewa’s eagerly awaited performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City this summer. Tickets will be released for purchase on Carnegie’s website starting Monday, April 22nd. The concert, entitled “Peace unto Ethiopia: An Anthology of Original Works and Tributes,” marks Girma’s inaugural appearance at this prestigious venue and is slated for June 17th at Zankel Hall.
Organizers have disclosed that Girma will present a repertoire of original compositions and pay homage to Ethiopian composers Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou and Dr. Ashenafi Kebede. Renowned for his seamless fusion of Ethiopian and African folk melodies with Western classical music, Girma will also feature works by Louis Moreau Gottschalk alongside his latest compositions.
About Girma Yifrashewa
As detailed on his website, Girma Yifrashewa, hailing from Addis Ababa, discovered his passion for music in his formative years, mastering the Kirar before transitioning to the piano at the age of 16. His musical journey led him to the Yared School of Music in Addis Ababa and later to the Sofia State Conservatory of Music in Bulgaria, where he pursued a Masters in Piano under the tutelage of Professor Atanas Kurtev. Despite facing numerous challenges, Girma’s determination brought him back to Bulgaria, where he distinguished himself as a solo pianist, interpreting renowned classical works. Returning to Ethiopia in 1995, Girma shared his expertise by teaching at the Yared School of Music while continuing to showcase Ethiopian and classical music on the global stage. His international tours and collaborative ventures have graced prestigious venues worldwide, garnering acclaim from The New York Times and invitations to esteemed festivals and symposiums.
This year, Girma will make his debut at Carnegie Hall, a testament to his international recognition and artistic brilliance. Additionally, as a faculty member at Addis Ababa University and the director of the Ashenafi Kebede Performing Arts Center, he spearheads a new wave of music, solidifying his position as a distinguished pianist and ambassador of Ethiopian music and heritage.
Video: Watch Girma Yifrashewa Live in Ethiopia January 30, 2020
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If You Go:
Reserve your seat at carnegiehall.org when tickets become available on April 22, 2024.
The Ethiopian Community Mutual Assistance Association (ECMAA) and the Ethio-Eritrean Student Association at Columbia University co-hosted an event commemorating Adwa and Yekatit 12 on Saturday, February 24th, 2024. (Photo courtesy of ECMAA)
Tadias Magazine
Updated: February 27th, 2024
New York (TADIAS) – This past weekend in New York, the Ethiopian Community Mutual Assistance Association (ECMAA) collaborated with students at Columbia University to celebrate Adwa and commemorate Yekatit 12.
The event, held at Learner Hall on the Columbia campus, drew a full house and featured filmmakers, scholars, community leaders, and various award presentations. Notable guest speakers included Dr. Aklilu Habte, historian David B. Spielman, and NYC professor and filmmaker Yemane Demissie.
The program was both entertaining and educational, featuring engaging trivia competitions about Adwa and Yekatit 12 organized by the Ethiopian and Eritrean students association at Columbia University. Below are photos from the event, courtesy of ECMAA.
(Photo courtesy of ECMAA)
(Photo courtesy of ECMAA)
Dr. Aklilu Habte and professor and filmmaker Yemane Demissie. (Photo courtesy of ECMAA)
Liben Eabisa, Co-founder & Publisher of Tadias Magazine was honored at the event held on Saturday, February 24th, 2024, at Columbia University, New York. (Photo courtesy of ECMAA)
(Photo courtesy of ECMAA)
ECMAA honored the late Mr. Tesfaye Asfaw posthumously for his tireless advocacy for Ethiopian immigrants in the New York tri-state area. Mrs. Asfaw graciously accepted the award on behalf of her late husband during the event held on Saturday, February 24th, 2024, at Columbia University, New York. (Photo courtesy of ECMAA)
Berhane Tadese, Advisory Board Member of ECMAA, addressing attendees during the event held on Saturday, February 24th, 2024, at Columbia University, New York. (Photo courtesy of ECMAA)
The event also honored distinguished individuals: Dr. Zergabachew Asfaw, a founding member of the Hakim Workineh and Malaku Beyan Society of Physicians in North America; Mr. Nicola A. DeMarco, JD, for his dedicated commitment to advancing the goals of the Global Alliance for Justice and the Ethiopia Cause (CAJEC) and contributing to the Yekatit 12 annual program; Dr. Wolde G. Mariam, a founding member of ECMAA; and Professor Ayele Bekerie, in recognition of his outstanding research and writing on the historical significance of Adwa.
New York (TADIAS) – In the following article, Professor Ayele Bekerie, Coordinator of the PhD Program in Heritage Studies at the Institute of Paleo-Environment and Heritage Conservation at Mekelle University in Ethiopia, reflects on the international significance of Ethiopia’s 128th anniversary of the victory at Adwa this coming week. In his piece, Professor Ayele – who is the author of “One House: The Battle of Adwa 1896 -100 Years” – compares, Ethiopia’s success at Adwa with Haiti’s triumph over Napoleon’s French army much earlier in the Western Hemisphere, which, like Adwa, also inspired global Pan-African movements. However, as Professor Ayele points out, despite their well-deserved and proud history, both countries have yet to achieve the peace, stability, and long-term economic prosperity that follow for this and future generations.
Special thanks to Professor Ayele Bekerie for his years of research and dedication to educating all of us about the importance of preserving Ethiopia’s Adwa legacy, including through his annual articles in Tadias Magazine for the past 20 years, and his call for Ethiopia’s victory at Adwa to be included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This weekend at Columbia University here in New York, Professor Ayele, who used to live in New York and taught at Cornell University before returning to Ethiopia, was honored with a Certificate of Recognition by The Ethiopian Community Mutual Assistance Association (ECMAA) for his commitment to the topic. We congratulate Professor Ayele on a well-deserved recognition. Below is his latest article
Haiti and Ethiopia: Triumphs Against Colonialism, Inspirations of Pan-Africanism”
By Ayele Bekerie, PhD
February 25, 2024
Ethiopia — The Haitian Revolution, a revolution that started as insurrections, resulted in the abolition of enslavement and the establishment of an independent Black state in the then Santo Domingo and now Haiti. The revolt that included “coalition of Africans, Mulattoes, Maroons, Commanders, House Slaves, Field Slaves and Free Blacks” began in 1791 and culminated in 1804 with perhaps the first successful abolition of slavery in the Americas and the Caribbean.
The Battle of Adwa, on the other hand, dealt a deadly first blow against expansive settler or non-settler colonialism in Africa and elsewhere. The victory at Adwa scrambled the agreements made among Europeans on “smoking table” at Berlin in 1884/85. It was twelve years later, in 1896, an Ethiopian army decisively defeated the Italian army, thereby inscribing the beginning of the end of colonialism in Africa and elsewhere. The Battle took place at a time when the colonial era was well advanced throughout the African continent. The Haitian Revolution and the Battle of Adwa represent epic struggles and successful resistance against a global system of oppression, otherwise called European colonialism.
According. To Ngugi Wa Thiango, under the Slave Trade, the African body is commodified, under the Slave Plantation System, Africa supplies unpaid labor that works the sugar and cotton fields, under colonialism, Africa supplies raw materials, such as gold, diamonds, copper, uranium, coffee, cocoa – without having control over the prices. He further explained that, at present, the neocolonial system set to prevent complete decolonization and agency through the entanglement of debts, debt servicing, and conditionalities that turn Arica into a net exporter of the very capital it most needs.
In Haiti, the enslaver and the enslaved are outsiders. The island originally belonged to Arawak Indians, who were almost wiped out by the new colonizers: the Spaniard and the French. After they decimated the Indians, the French, the British, the Dutch, the Portuguese and the Spaniards were engaged in trade in enslavement. Millions were captured and loaded on ships for horrendous journeys to the Americas and the Caribbean to work in various plantations under brutal conditions. “Of all the major Caribbean islands, Haiti was the most brutal towards the enslaved Africans with 10% of the population dying every year under French colonial rule” .The passage over the Atlantic was called the Middle Passage in which large numbers of captured Africans lost their lives before they even reached their final destinations.
Haitians were originally from West Africa and Central Africa, spanning from Senegal to the Congo. Most Haitians practice both Vodoun and Roman Catholicism, in syncretic form. Secret societies were formed to fight against enslavement under the cover of traditional religious practices. Secret gatherings gave the enslaved moments of seeing each other as fellow human beings. Even for few hours, those moments enable the enslaved to plan and act on living free. The enslaved successfully conducted a revolt that resulted in the formation of a Black Republic in the Western Hemisphere.
The successful revolt in Haiti just like the successful and irreversible victory at the Battle of Adwa, became a source of inspiration for all enslaved Africans and colonized people in the Caribbean, the Americas as well as Africa. Resistance against the systems has increased after the Haitian Revolution and victory at Adwa. For instance, the Louisiana territories carried out armed resistance against the French system of enslavement. Napoleon, as a result, was forced to sell the territories to the United States.
Early in the 19 th century, Haiti helped Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Peru, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Bolivia to obtain their independence. Various modes of resistance proliferated right after the successful revolt in Haiti. Some managed to self-liberate themselves, others mutinied by burning the sugar cane or cotton plantations. In Haiti, the uprisings against enslavement was led by leaders such as Toussaint Louverture (1743-1803), Henri Christophe (1767-1820) and Jean Jacques Dessalines (1758-1806).
Santo Domingo was regarded by far the most profitable colonial estate to France. France prospered from exploited labor. Enslaved Africans worked hard and died young and penniless. As property of the system, they were denied basic rights. They were condemned to forced and harsh labor for life. Any attempt to veer off from the orders and the master meant harsh deadly punishment. They were treated inhumanely and = subjected to daily humiliations.
France managed to accumulate enough wealth to become a global power of the era. A system that relied on brute force is, however, bound to face resistance. Human beings are created to live free and, therefore, Haitians conducted a series of insurrections until they were able to dismantle slavery and form their own independent state. Traditions that were brought from Africa formed the basis of their resistance. Enslaved Africans and their supporters would hold a series of secret meetings to organize and act against the system of slavery.
Among the main causes of the Haitian Revolution was the French Revolution. The revolt for equality, dignity and brotherhood of the French people was taken to heart by the enslaved in Haiti. The French Revolution of 1789 “touched off uprisings among enslaved Africans in the Caribbean.”
Haiti and Ethiopia, who were regarded as unresolved problems of European colonization, have been suffering “considerable political and economic repercussions ever since.” The majority of the people in both countries have been leading precarious lives. Stability and peace are remote and internecine conflicts continue to undermine the quest for leading the lives the people want.
Dr. Benito Sylvain of Haiti had the opportunity to establish contact with Ethiopia when he travelled to Addis Ababa from Paris immediately after Adwa victory in 1896 and he met with Emperor Menelik II. Sylvain sought leading roles for Ethiopia and Haiti in Pan-African movements. He also represented the two countries at the first Pan-African Conference in London in 1900.
The symbolic and historic significance of Haiti and Ethiopia to the protracted struggle against colonialism cannot be ignored nor underestimated. The people of Haiti and Ethiopia have changed the course of global history. Pan-African Movements were immensely inspired by Haitians’ victory over Napoleon’s army and Ethiopians’ decisive defeat of the would-be Italian colonizers.
The historic accomplishments of Ethiopians and Haitians did not get as much coverage and recognition. It is time that a new Pan-African movement draw a workable plan of cooperation so that the people of Haiti and Ethiopia lead meaningful lives.
Theo Eshetu, The Return of the Axum Obelisk, 2009, Video, Collection of the artist, courtesy of The Met
Tadias Magazine
Updated: February 23rd, 2024
New York (TADIAS) – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York is currently hosting its inaugural exhibition exploring the intersections between African and Byzantine art, with a significant focus on Ethiopia. In our ongoing interview series, we delve deeper into this topic with Dr. Andrea Achi, Curator of this groundbreaking exhibition at the MET.
TADIAS: What significance does Ethiopia hold within the context of this exhibition?
Dr. Andrea Achi: Ethiopia was closely connected to the Romans and Byzantines religiously, politically, and through shared artistic traditions. The Axum Empire became a Christian nation even before the Roman Empire. The Axumites were close political allies to the Byzantines, participating in proxy wars to help secure the Byzantine borders and remained close partners with the Byzantines for centuries.
Installation view of Africa & Byzantium at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Anna Marie Kellen, courtesy of The Met
Photo by Anna Marie Kellen, courtesy of The Met
Photo by Anna Marie Kellen, courtesy of The Met
TADIAS: Could you elaborate on Ethiopia’s rich artistic and cultural heritage and how the exhibition redefines conventional perceptions of Byzantium and Africa, particularly in its portrayal of Ethiopian art and culture?
Dr. Achi: Africa & Byzantium showcases Ethiopia’s rich artistic and cultural legacy extending over nearly two millennia. The Aksumite city of Adulis connected the Mediterranean trade with the Red Sea and the Indian ocean, facilitating transregional exchange. From there, the Axumites exported locally made objects such as worked glass, ivory, and metal, which circulated throughout the Mediterranean basin.
By beginning with Roman North Africa and ending with Ethiopia, Africa & Byzantium situates Ethiopian art and culture directly within the context of Byzantine artistic legacies. Previous exhibitions of Ethiopian art, particularly in the United States, have rightly focused on tracing the history of Ethiopian visual and material culture across the centuries. Africa & Byzantium places Ethiopian art in conversation with the artistic traditions of neighboring regions in East Africa, including Nubia and Egypt, demonstrating not only the liturgical concordances between these area through their shared Orthodox faith, while also encouraging the visitor to draw visual parallels between these artistic traditions. Although Ethiopia was never formally part of the Byzantine Empire, this context is important to further understand Ethiopia’s global connections with the regions that were within the domain of Byzantium, such as Egypt. It also complicates our understandings of the art of Byzantine Egypt and North Africa – rather than seeing the artistic tradition of these regions as a monolith, seeing these various regional artistic legacies in the same space encourages our audience to highlight the differences as well as the similarities between these distinct, yet related, visual expressions.
Photo by Anna Marie Kellen, courtesy of The Met
TADIAS: The discussion among the featured contemporary artists, including Tsedaye Makonnen and Theo Eshetu, reflecting on the exhibition was truly captivating. Given the exhibition’s exploration of the lasting impact stemming from interactions between North Africa, Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia, and Byzantium, could you provide further insights into how these artistic exchanges have shaped contemporary artistic practices?
Dr. Andrea AchI: Many of the Christian communities of North Africa, Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia, and Byzantium are linked through their shared Orthodox faith, which shaped these region’s artistic traditions. In Africa & Byzantium, we see artists responding to this legacy, such as with Tsedaye Makonnen’s light sculptures, which feature incised forms of Ethiopian crosses on their modular structures. Other artists, such as Azza El Siddique, who is Sudanese-American, are thinking about how these cross-regional connections are shaped through shared ritual practices, such as through her work on Nubian and Egyptian perfume and scent. As a result of their shared geography, many of these regions also experienced colonial occupation, which profoundly affected how medieval art and heritage from the region is viewed and understood. In his work in the exhibition, The Return of the Axum Obelisk, and others, Theo Eshetu is reflective of this legacy: his work directly considers issues of provenance, repatriation, and cultural heritage, which are front of mind for many of the nation states that are in the regions of North Africa, Egypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia. These regional colonial histories have also in part resulted in the migration of these communities to North America and Europe – many of these artists hold dual nationalities. Tsedaye and the Ethiopian-American artist Tariku Shiferaw are also thinking about this history of immigration, and Shiferaw’s work deals with what it means to exist as an immigrant in the West, and how to fit this explicitly transnational practice within the canon of Western art history.
Installation view of Africa & Byzantium at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by Anna Marie Kellen, courtesy of The Met
TADIAS: Lastly, for those unable to attend the exhibition in person, are there alternative avenues for accessing its content?
Dr. Andrea AchI: The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue available for purchase, featuring the research of over forty contributors spanning from the subfields of medieval art history, history, archaeology, and literary criticism. Photographs of the exhibition’s objects are included in the catalogue, accompanied by scholarly texts. A virtual tour of the exhibition, led by the show’s curator, is also available online. Other digital offerings on the museum’s website include the exhibition’s full audio guide, as well as photography of the exhibition objects with accompanying explanatory text. These are arranged in order of their display in the galleries to best simulate the in-person visitor’s experience.
Special thanks to Michelle Al-Ferzly at the MET for her assistance with the Q&A.
Video: Exhibition Tour—Africa & Byzantium | Met Exhibitions
If You Go:
Next week, the MET will present Tsedaye Makonnen for a “site-specific performance that journeys through the history of the Byzantine Era’s African diaspora.” This show coincides with the display of her Astral Sea textiles as part of The Met’s Africa & Byzantium exhibition.
Bitaniya Giday is finishing her tenure at Seattle Youth Poet Laureate and publishing a book of her poetry. In the following audio Bitaniya speaks with KNKX Morning Edition about her new book and the inspiration for her poetry, and she reads one of her poems. (SEATTLE ARTS & LECTURES)
