MOAA Bids Farewell to Bezawit Mane
Director Samba and the entire team of the Mayor's Office on African Affairs bids farewell to Bezawit Mane, who has served as the Community Outreach Specialist for the Mayor's Office on African Affairs since 2015. During her time here, Bezawit has strongly contributed by strengthening the ties between the city and the African community, enhancing our capacity, spearheading the workforce development, and language access programs. She also has been a advocate and supporter of Mayor Bowser's vision for the city.
We wish Bezawit Mane great success.
Director Samba Testifies at Performance Hearings
On Friday, March 9, 2018, Director Samba testified before the Committee on Government Operations, Chaired by Council member Brandon Todd, on the agency's FY17 Performance. Director Samba highlighted the accomplishments of the Mayor's Office on African Affairs, including the Mandela Day, the Young African ConneXions Summit, the African Diaspora Coding Academy, and the African Liaison Unit with the Metropolitan Police Department.
MOAA in Collaboration with DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), the Mayor's Office on African American Affairs (MOAAA) and the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment (OCTFME) hosted "I AM Frederick Douglass"
On Friday, February 23, 2018 the Mayor’s Office on African Affairs
in collaboration with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) and the
Mayor's Office on African American Affairs (MOAAA) hosted a black history month
celebration at The Historic Lincoln Theatre I 1215 U Street NW, Washington, DC
I 20009. The event entitled “I AM Frederick Douglass”, was an opportunity to
commemorate the 200th birthday of Frederick Douglass. The first part of the
event was a panel discussion on the legacy of Frederick Douglass, followed by a
presentation of the film Enslavement to Emancipation and a Douglass portrayal
by LeCount Holmes, Jr. and then musical performances by the National Symphony
Orchestra (NSO). The event was attended by approximately 250 people.
Black History Month Celebration
“A touch of Ethiopia”
On Saturday, February 24, 2018, The Mayor’s Office on African
Affairs hosted a Black History Month event entitled “A touch of Ethiopia” in
partnership with Tim Reid Productions, Salome Styles and ET Multimedia in
Association. On account of Washington, DC being the city that is home to the
largest concentration of Ethiopians outside of Africa, the event was organized
to bring together diverse African communities and to celebrate the Ethiopian
heritage through art, fashion, culture, cuisine, history, and music. The event
was attended by approximately 45 people.
 Mayor Bowser Unveiled Statue Honoring Former Mayor Marion
Barry
On Saturday, March 3, Mayor Bowser; unveiled the historic statue of
the late four-term Mayor of the District of Columbia, The Honorable Marion S.
Barry, Jr., outside of the John A. Wilson Building. The eight-foot tall bronze
statue was designed by artist Steven Weitzman, who was commissioned for the
project by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
Mayor Barry is one of three African-Americans with a full body
statue erected and standing in Washington, D.C., and the first local-elected
official to be honored with a statue.
Marion Barry, Jr. served four terms as Mayor of the District of
Columbia, as well as 16 years on the DC Council, prior to his passing in
November 2014.
Learn more
Mayor Bowser Honors Community Leaders at Washington Women of Excellence Awards
On Sunday, March 4, 2018, Mayor Bowser honored seven community leaders at the Washington Women of Excellence Awards, an annual event hosted by the Mayor’s Office on Women’s Policy and Initiatives. The seven honorees have all advanced opportunities for women and girls in Washington, DC and beyond.
“This year’s honorees have all helped us build a stronger, more inclusive Washington, DC,” said Mayor Bowser. “Through their unwavering commitment to our community, these tremendous women continue to expand opportunity and empower Washingtonians, and we are proud to honor and uplift their stories.”
Learn more
Pledge to #SaveDCTAG
 MOAA calls on its
community members to support the Mayor's fight to save the DC Tuition
Assistance Grant program (DCTAG), a program that has helped 26,000 students
attend and get through college. Today, President Trump released a budget
proposal for 2019 that completely eliminates DCTAG. This is grave news for DC.
It means that a college education for thousands of DC students is at risk.
Congress can and should reject this proposal and fully fund DCTAG for 2019 and
beyond. Please help us save DCTAG by signing the #SaveDCTAG petition Here.
 Mayor Bowser Celebrates
700,000 District Residents
On Friday, February 23, 2018, Mayor Bowser celebrated
that Washington, DC is now home to at least 700,000 residents. In December, the
Bowser Administration announced that, according to new U.S. Census Bureau
estimates, Washington, DC was quickly approaching 700,000 residents. Based on
calculations by the DC Office of Planning’s State Data Center, it was predicted
that the District would hit 700,000 residents in February 2018.
“Fifteen years ago, with the District’s population still on the
decline, Mayor Williams sets a goal of attracting 100,000 new residents within a
decade. Since then, our population has grown by more than 130,000 residents,” said Mayor Bowser. “We
are growing because we are a safer, stronger city, full of opportunity. As we
continue to grow, my Administration remains focused on preserving our history
and culture, ensuring we remain diverse and inclusive, and giving more
Washingtonians the opportunity to participate in our city’s prosperity.”
Learn more
MOAA African Community
Grant - Success Story
Multicultural Community
Service is of out the 8 MOAA grantees for FY18. This organization has over
twenty years’ experience creating a force for good in the community. With a
mission of civic engagement and teaching tools for creating change on the
ground, MCS constantly advocates for broad and inclusive participation in all
aspects of daily life around the city. MCS offers the Community Interpreter
Training course, graduating dozens of Community Interpreters to launch their
own careers in over 35 languages.
“MCS provided me with the training and
certification I needed to go from being unemployed to starting my own
consulting business. After graduating from the Community Interpreter Training,
I now have the skills and credentials to launch my own career.”said Haolatou
Assani-Pio, Class of 2016, French
and Yoruba Interpreter
Other graduates include:
Menbere Mariam Awoke (Amharic
Interpreter and Translator), Waleed Issa (Arabic Interpreter), Demeksa Oli (Oromo and Amharic Interpreter), Melanie Rubavu (French and Kinyarwanda Interpreter), and
Alioune Sene (French and Wolof
Interpreter).
Learn more
SBRC One-On-One Session: Basic Steps to Obtaining a Business License
During this session, the DCRA Small Business Resource Center (SBRC) staff will provide one-on-one assistance with navigating through the regulatory process. You will gain in-depth knowledge of registering with corporations (i.e. Limited Liability Company, Corporations, Non-Profit, etc.) and with the basic steps of obtaining a business license. Additionally, you will receive assistance with the zoning application process (i.e. Certificate of Occupancy and or Home Occupancy Permit).This opportunity is geared towards future and current business owners looking to conduct business in the District of Columbia.
When: Monday, March 12, 2018 | 12:00pm -12:30pm
Where: DCRA Small Business Resource Center | 1100
4TH Street, SW, E-268, Washington DC 20024-4451
Point of Contact: Joy Douglas (202) 442-4538
Learn more
DCRA Workshop: All Things Non-Profit
During this workshop you will learn how to start a non-profit business (corporate registration, licensing, and tax registration) and also learn how to apply for grants available for non-profit organizations.
When: Thursday, March 15, 2018 | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: DCRA - 1100 4th Street SW 2nd Floor (Room E-200), Washington DC 20024
Learn more
Want Your Event Featured in the African Beat?
'The African Beat' is distributed to over 8,000 subscribers every other Friday. If you would like your event to be featured in our newsletter, please submit the following details: what, when & where, and provide a link to where readers can go for more information. Submission deadline for the next edition is Wednesday, March 21, 2018 by 5:00 pm. Send all materials, along with any questions, to oaa@dc.gov.
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