5/21/2023 0 Comments Othello park![]() “White Americans want to tell you the story. In her initial organizing, she soon began to see how little people knew about the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. She decided to take the issue into her own hands and start an event to celebrate Juneteenth. And so we didn’t have any visibility,” Okwuwolu said. “Everything was geared towards other people. to 6 p.m.Īnn Okwuwolu, the creator of the festival, is a former medical technician who was inspired to start the celebration in 2016 when she recognized the lack of Black representation in New Holly Community events. We cannot do this work without you.It Takes A Village - AMSA Edition, a local nonprofit, will host its fifth annual in-person Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 19, at Othello Park from 11 a.m. If just half of our readers signed up to give $6 a month, we wouldn't have to fundraise for the rest of the year. Help us keep BIPOC-led media free and accessible. With over 1,000 Rainmakers, the Emerald is truly community-driven local media. Rainmakers give recurring gifts at any amount. The South Seattle Emerald is brought to you by Rainmakers. Follow her on Twitter Featured Image: Children dance along with instructors from La Clave Cubana salsa club, who taught dance moves to the crowd at the 2019 Othello Park International Festival. She currently attends Highline College in Des Moines. Born to a Black mother and Persian father, her experiences as a multicultural child shaped her desire to advocate for and amplify her community. Patheresa Wells is a Queer poet, writer, and storyteller who lives in SeaTac, Washington. It will take a while for people to come out from under this, but the return of our traditional neighborhood get-together will help,” said Lee. I feel that depression has been widespread. I think for many people it is a great relief to feel that the dark and lonely days are over, and maybe things are going back to normal. “People are excited to learn that the Festival is back. Lee says Othello Park is the neighborhood’s front yard and gathering place, which makes the festival a bash that showcases this space. The Othello Park International Festival’s return after the two-year pandemic break is an essential revival of this community event. So the Othello Park Alliance worked to make updates, including the children’s playground, walking paths, picnic tables, and improved restrooms so neighbors can enjoy the nearby outdoors. Lee shared that a couple of decades ago, the park lacked the beauty and safety it has now. Not only is the festival the work of the community, but the park is also. Instructors lead the community in a dance routine at the 2019 Othello Park International Festival. Performances of live music, dance, and even martial arts will reflect the multicultural neighborhood, including the Washington Diamonds Drill Team, Mak Fai Lion Dance Association, Samoan Siva Dance Group, and Northwest Wushu Martial Arts. Local food vendors will also include Delish Ethiopian Cuisine and Dev’s Ice Cream Truck, among others - and free popcorn, a long-standing Othello Fest tradition. This year, there will be 90 booths from mostly BIPOC and South End vendors, as well as activities, including creating art at the Makery station or the option to get a henna design at the Henna booth. Community members are the performers their organizations have booths at the Festival they are the volunteers who put the Festival together.” Mona Lee, one of the event’s founders, said, “The entire Festival highlights community members in every way. La Clave Cubana teaches younger community members some dance movies at the 2019 Othello Park International Festival.
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