Addis Ababa Celebrates the African Diaspora and the Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

January 16, 2005
No. 03/05

Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) -- U.S. Ambassador Aurelia E. Brazeal today joined the Mayor of Addis Ababa, Ato Arkebe Oqubay, and officials of the African Union, along with members of the African-American community and other guests, to plant a tree in honor of the African Diaspora in the United States at the newly dedicated “Square of the African Diaspora,” in Megenagna.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Brazeal hailed the legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “During his lifetime, Dr. King worked to establish the common ground on which people from all walks of life could join together to address important community issues,” she said, adding, “Dr. King encouraged Americans of all colors to strengthen communities, alleviate poverty, and acknowledge the dignity of all human beings. He challenged them to take action and lift up their neighbors and communities through service. Service, he realized, was the great equalizer.”

In the United States, Dr. King’s birthday is celebrated as a national holiday on the third Monday in January (or in January), and the day is widely considered to be the beginning of the annual celebration of African-American history and culture, “Black History Month,” which traditionally takes place in February.

Ambassador Brazeal highlighted the significance of the tree-planting, saying, “This tree we will plant together today in Addis Ababa, the diplomatic capital of Africa, serves as a symbol for the millions of Africans who over the centuries have made their way across the Atlantic Ocean; first as slaves, and later, as immigrants, who so enrich the culture and society of the United States. In recent decades, of course, this has become a two-way path, as African-Americans return to make valuable contributions to modern Africa. Here in Ethiopia, we are proud of the many achievements of the African-American community, from those first few like Dr. Arnold Josiah Ford and Colonel John Robinson, who came to Ethiopia in the 1930s, to the Ethiopian-Americans of the new millennium, many of whom are now working hard for the good of their country.”

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