Separating Ethiopian history from African-American history in America is like trying to separate teff from injera. 

by Teddy Fikre.  Posted:  Monday, June 21, 2010

 

Four years ago, a group of Ethiopian entrepreneurs and activists initiated a campaign to rename the 9th St section near U St. in North West DC “Little Ethiopia”.  At the time, this seemed like a no-brainer; Ethiopians were one of the first groups of entrepreneurs to venture into the area that was marked with history but became dilapidated overtime.  Before Ethiopian restaurants started to transform the area, 9th St NW was known more for crime than it was for a fine dining experience.  Almost overnight, Ethiopian restaurants and coffee shops popped up like vuvuzelas at a South African soccer game.

It is not an exaggeration to state that Ethiopians were vital to revitalizing this once neglected neighborhood.  So it did not seem like much of a stretch to imagine this historic landmark being renamed “Little Ethiopia”.  However, the “Little Ethiopia” campaign ran into a stiff resistance from the most unlikely place—the resistance came from the African-American community who called 9th St and U St. home for decades before the first Ethiopian restaurant opened its door.  The “Little Ethiopia” effort and failure is a case study in the chasm that divides the Ethiopian community from the African-American community.

The failure to rename 9th St block adjacent to U St can is one that has miffed Ethiopians and angered many African-Americans.  Ethiopians were confounded that African-Americans would wage such a determined battle to prevent “Little Ethiopia” from taking its place in a city that is famous for other designations such as “Little China” given the contributions Ethiopians made to the area. 

“This block was a dead block. There was no money being generated for the city,” said Yared Tesfaye, 26, outside Etete, a restaurant he and his brother opened on Ninth Street, downstairs from a new Ethiopian-owned hair salon.

However, the African-American community felt like that Ethiopians did not “pay their dues” and felt entitled to the name designation and did not reach out to them in order to get their buy in. 

“You get a gold star because you’re good entrepreneurs, but that doesn’t mean you get a whole corner,” said Myla Moss, an Advisory Neighborhood Commission member whose district includes the east side of Ninth Street. “The timing is off. Until the glass wall evaporates and we can get a warmer vibe, I don’t think you’re going to have a lot of the African American community rallying around this.”

The “Little Ethiopia” controversy highlighted a significant rift between the Ethiopian community and the African-American community, and to a larger extent the rift between African immigrants and African-Americans.  Instead of seeing one another as partners that can benefit from each other’s economic and political collective clout, these two communities have—for too long—seen each other as a threat.  If one looks at the history of Ethiopian immigrants living in America, it is easy to understand that separating Ethiopian history from African-American history in America is like trying to separate teff from injera. 

Ethiopian immigrants in 1808, standing side by side with African-Americans, refused to worship in a segregated church and built the first black church in Harlem New York called the First Abyssinia Baptist Church.  Less than 80 years later, the Battle of Adwa, the first time an African nation defeated a colonial power, was a clarion call for newly freed slaves who yearned freedom and equality.  When Ethiopia was invaded by Italy once again during the heart of the Great Depression, it was African-Americans who stood up and volunteered to defend Ethiopia from naked aggression when the League of Nations turned a blind eye. 

The history of Ethiopia is a vital part of black history, naming 9th St. “Little Ethiopia” would not have been a slap at the African-American community, it would have been a reaffirmation of our bond.  Maybe next time, Ethiopians can do a better job of making our history known and learn to be more inclusive when aiming to rename a section of DC “Little Ethiopia”.  Likewise, maybe African-Americans can learn to see us as potential partners instead of threats. 

cited: Washington Post:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/24/AR2005072401136.html