Last Thursday, Mayor McGinn hosted an African Diaspora Community Forum at Yesler Community Center as part of the Engage Seattle Initiative. The event included residents, neighbors and service providers from a variety of African countries including Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan and Tanzania.  Interpretation was provided in Seattle’s most commonly spoken African languages – Afan-Oromo, Amharic, Somali and Tigrinya – allowing everyone to fully participate in the meeting.

The mayor regularly hosts a variety of town halls and community forums to connect residents to the mayor’s office and allow City departments to hear directly from the community. The event was moderated by newly confirmed Department of Neighborhoods director, Bernie Matsuno. Issues raised by the more than 250 Seattleites included: equity and social justice, homelessness, immigrant and refugee citizenship programs, live broadcast television, safety and education, senior programs and youth job opportunities. Human Services Department director, Dannette Smith, and Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative director, Mariko Lockhart, provided responses to the audience regarding immigrant and refugee programs, senior services and youth violence prevention.

Thank you to the Yesler Community Center, Department of Neighborhoods staff and the many community members and organizations that made this event a success.

Check out the Seattle Channel video of the event here.

Photos by: Jen Nance

Posted by: James Bush