Brown Condor
Essence of DOPE
Yohannes Abraham: Young Achiever Makin it Happen
1670 days
by teddyfikre
in Uncategorized
Instead of chasing big money after graduating from Yale, Yohannes decided to head to Iowa to chase hope instead.
posted: Monday, July 19, 2010
Yohannes Abraham
Age: 23
Hometown: Springfield, VA
In retrospect, 2008 was a year of change in many ways. Of course, Obama would go on to be elected the first African-American president of the United States. However, there is a back story to this historical moment, a story of contribution, sacrifice, and achievement of countless Ethiopian-Americans who took part in the campaign of a lifetime. The Obama campaign, unlike any campaign in the past, hired Ethiopian-Americans throughout the United States to galvanize voters to believe in hope and change. Organizers such as Cisco Robinson, Million Fikre, Selam Mulugeta, Nathania Woldu to name but a few were dispatched in Iowa, Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota, Texas, Virginia, and the rest of the United States to make the unthinkable happen.
No one can say that the contributions of one of these individuals were more important than the other. The magnificence of the Obama campaign was that it demanded from the staff a belief in teamwork and a sacrifice of one’s ego for the sake of the whole. It is this quality that made Yohannes Abraham a shining example of the efficiency of the Obama campaign. A recent graduate from Yale University in 2007, Yohannes it seemed had the world before him. However, he was captivated by the promise that a Senator from Illinois named Obama represented. Instead of chasing big money, Yohannes decided to head to Iowa to chase hope instead. Yohannes spent 7 months helping to put together a ground organization in Iowa that would eventually overwhelm Hillary Clinton.
His talent and dedication did not go unnoticed by senior staffers within the Obama campaign. At the age of 22, after providing invaluable leadership in states like South Carolina, Mississippi, and Ohio, Yohannes became the Field Director of Virginia—a state deemed vital by the Obama campaign. Yohannes, along with hundreds of Ethiopian-American staffers and volunteers, made it possible for Obama to get elected on November 4th, 2008. After the election, Yohannes went on to become the Assistant to the Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs for the White House and recently transitioned to become the Political Director for Organizing for America. Yohannes continues to remind us that change is not something that is delivered overnight by one man; change is something that takes time and dedication from all of us working as a team.
Artists Highlight: Aster aka Comillion
0671 days
by teddyfikre
in Uncategorized
Aster Tadesse, aka Comillion,is a talent that has talent in her DNA, she is a continuation of a ground breaking musician as she continues to break new ground in the same way her mother did back in Ethiopia.
posted: Sunday, July 18, 2010
Comillion also known as Aster Tadesse is the embodiment of the term triple threat. Born from the world renowned Ethiopian super star singer Chachi Tadesse who was the first to mix Ethiopian music with reggae changing the page of music in Africa. With a career that lasted 20 years, she has been a beauty pageant, graced the jet magazine, collaborated with major artists such as Sizzla and Ziggy Marley just to name a few. Now she is the ambassador of street children who takes meetings with different country presidents to improve third world countries.
Comillion growing up on the road and experiencing at first hand of the many tragedy her heart is set to improve and make a difference by attending to the needs of many countries. With that in mind she joined the Teen U.N debating group at a tender age and plans to continue by using her natural talent.
Look out for Genet
4671 days
by teddyfikre
in Uncategorized
Genet Abate, the next big name to hit the Ethiopian music scene
Some stars are destined to be stars based on pure talent, others through sheer determination and hard work, Genet embodies both talent and determination.
by Teddy Fikre. Posted: Sunday, July 18, 2010
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Keep your eyes out for Genet, and more importantly, get your eardrums ready for vocal bliss. Genet, originally from Ethiopia and now living in Minneapolis, is the next big name to hit the music scene. Genet, in spite of being in America for a long time, stays true to the beauty of Ethiopian music yet introduces a new sound to a timeless music. No need for me to keep typing, I will let you be the judge of Genet’s beautiful voice. Stay tuned, more to come.
Ethiopians, Eritreans Face Double Suspicion in Post-Bomb Uganda
3672 days
by admin
in Uncategorized
Ugandan police inspect the destroyed Ethiopian Village restaurant in Kampala after twin bomb blasts tore through crowds of football fans, killing 64 people, 11 Jul 2010
by Peter Heinlein. Posted: Saturday, July 17, 2010
The bodies of seven Ethiopian and Eritrean victims of the Uganda bomb attacks have been sent home to their native countries for burial. Members of the Ethiopian and Eritrean expatriate communities face suspicion from all sides, in a city shaken by the realization that it is the latest front in Somalia’s war.
A crowd of about 100 mourners gathered at Kampala’s tiny Ethiopian Orthodox church Friday to remember 32-year-old Getayewakal Tessema, the only Ethiopian killed in the Kampala terror blasts.
Eritreans in the Ugandan capital held a similar service for six members of their community who also died in the attack on an Ethiopian restaurant, where fans were watching the World Cup soccer final.
The bodies were later taken to Entebbe airport for shipment home.
Members of the small Eritrean and Ethiopian expatriate communities expressed thanks to the Ugandan government for its help in returning the bodies and for the security provided in the hours immediately after the bombings, when anti-foreigner sentiments briefly flared in Kampala.
But the representative for Ethiopian refugees in Kampala, Aman Abile Dure, says Ugandans’ normally hospitable attitude toward outsiders changed abruptly when Somali insurgents took responsibility for the bombs, and word spread that police had arrested several foreigners.
“Sometimes when you lost something, you may suspect everything,” said Aman. “Because Uganda has not been used to such a problem. And then when someone is taking responsibility of such things they may suspect, but not all Ugandans. Ugandans are good people for us.”
Aman says the World Cup bomb attacks put Ethiopians in Uganda in an peculiar situation. On one hand, the Ethiopian restaurant appears to have been hit because of Ethiopia’s deep involvement in Somalia’s war in support of the western-backed transitional government.
On the other hand, the bombings led many Ugandans to see Ethiopians and others from the Horn of Africa as the source of their troubles.
Immediately after the bombings, Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye described the position of Ethiopians as “a double edge”.
“I have heard many reports so far that anybody who looks like a Somali is being attacked,” he said. “And unfortunately some of those people are being attacked [are] Ethiopians who are on the other [side of the] fence of the struggle.”
Ethiopians and others with lighter skin and thin features, normally associated with the Horn of Africa, say they have been staying off the streets of Kampala in recent days. Ethiopian community leader Banteyehu Haile says it is regrettable but understandable given the fear that raced through Kampala when people realized they were being targeted by Somali insurgents.
“It’s very sad,” he said. “Uganda is a very nice country. People are hospitable. We had enjoyed everything to date, but suddenly this thing happens. So it’s really very depressed.
As days go by, Ugandan tempers are clearly cooling. Attacks against foreigners have stopped.
Ethiopian community leaders Friday reported what could be good news. They were called to the Ugandan prime minister’s office and asked to produce documents about four Ethiopians held in connection with the bombing case. A community spokesman said the tone of the conversation indicated the four could be released within days.
Credit: VOA
Ethiopians take titles in Subaru 4 Mile Chase
0672 days
by teddyfikre
in Uncategorized
It is a standard practice, Ethiopians once again dominate a long distance race, one of whom put on a dominating performance.
by Buddy Bailey. Posted: Saturday, July 17, 2010
The 30th running of the Subaru 4 Mile Chase featured one thrilling finish, one dominating performance, and two winners from Ethiopia.
Bado Worku and Bizunesh Deba were the winners of the event, which took place in 80-degree temperatures in Buffalo Friday night. They each earned $1,000 for their efforts.
The men’s race looked like it was going to be a good one almost from the opening gun. It took less than a half-mile for a lead pack to develop. Derese Rashaw had a step on the field for the most part, but Samuel Ndereba, Rashaw, Worku Beyi, three-time defending champion Demese Tefera and Canadian Dylan Wykes were close behind.
Around the first mile marker, Tefera apparently suffered some sort of injury and dropped out of the race, eliminating the chance for a four-peat. Wykes looked at the clock and knew he was in for a struggle.
“They make it tough, there’s no doubt about that,” said Wykes, who is from Kingston, Ont. went on to finish fifth. “That first mile was smokin’, way over my head. It was 4:24 or something. I wanted to try to have fun. Time wasn’t really an issue. I just wanted to stick my nose in there and try to run with those guys. I did it for a mile and a half, and then I slowed down.”
The other four runners were by themselves for the last 2½ miles. Ethiopia’s Rashaw had the lead, but Worku was running easily and smoothly behind him. The lead pack at one point ran four abreast with only a few blocks remaining.
“A good finish was my strategy. I was confident I could win at the end,” Worku said.
It was a sprint to the finish, and Worku came in at 18 minutes, 31 seconds. Kenya’s Ndereba was second in 18:32, Rashaw was third in 18:33, and Beyi of Ethiopia was fourth in 18:37. It would take some research to figure out if it was the closest four-man finish in the race’s history, but it certainly is a contender for that title.
It’s been a good summer for Worku. He won a half-marathon in Fairfield, Conn. in late June, and finished second in another half-marathon in Duluth, Minn. the week before. Last year, he was named the Fred LeBow Award winner by the New York Road Runners.
In the women’s race, Deba took all of the suspense out of the race at the start. She jumped ahead and didn’t have to look back. Deba took first place in 20:53, almost a minute faster than Laurel Burdick of Minoa. Jessica Odorcic of Madison, Ohio, was third in 21:59.
“It was my strategy,” Deba said about jumping out from the start. “I’m happy with my time.”
Paula Wiltse of Brockville, Ont., who finished second among masters, added, “She [Deba] was just gone. She was on her own the whole way.”
The Ethiopian showed some improvement in the Subaru from last year to this year.
“I ran last year and finished in second place,” she said. When asked if she’d be back to defend her title, she replied emphatically, “Yes.”
Deba has had quite a year already, as she said, “This year I’ve run a lot of races. I feel really good.” Her most memorable win of 2010 came in the Washington, D.C., area in late April, when she ran in the George Washington Parkway 10-mile event. Not only did she win, but her husband, Worku Beyi, won the men’s division. Deba also won the Duluth (Minn.) Marathon in an impressive 2:31:35 in June.
The idea behind the race is to give local runners a chance to compete against some superb runners. Liz Randell of Buffalo came away impressed.
“It’s amazing. … It’s a very elite group,” she said.
Wiltse said, “When you line up with women like that, it’s an honor. Where else do you get a chance to do that?”
Conditions were considered on the warm side for the race, although they weren’t considered oppressive by most.
“It was hot,” Wykes said. “It could be worse. You had the wind against you at times, and that was tough. But then, when the wind was behind you, that was really hot. It was a lose-lose situation.”
In the masters division, Charlie Kern — a Sweet Home graduate who now lives in Elmhurst, Ill. — took top honors at 20:31. He edged Joseph Ekuom of New Paltz by four seconds.
In the women’s masters, Ramilia Burangulova of Gainesville, Fla., won in 22:22. She was well ahead of Wiltse (23:22).
Among local runners, the top male was Dennis Pollow Jr. of Ransomville. He was eighth in 19:26. Maura Frauenhofer of Williamsville topped the women with a fifth-place performance in 22:23.
credit: Buffalo News