Documenting the Ethiopian Communities of DC

Washington, D.C. has the largest population of Ethiopian people living outside of Ethiopia. With a 2024 Library of Congress Connecting Communities Digital Initiative (CCDI) Grant, The People’s Archive developed  Documenting the Ethiopian Communities of DC to highlight contemporary Ethiopian narratives and investigate the impact that the Ethiopian community and the District of Columbia have on each other.

The project incorporated historical photos from the 1980s featuring Washington's Ethiopian community taken by Elena Bradunas. Bradunas was part of the Library of Congress's Ethnic Heritage and Language Schools in America Project. As a project coordinator and fieldworker, she visited ethnic schools over three months to photograph and interview individuals involved in the programs. 

The People’s Archives used this collection as a starting point for the collection of oral histories and a community convening that reflect the cultural impact that Ethiopian people and the many communities with ties to the East African nation have on the District of Columbia. 

Image Credit: Ethiopian School, Washington DC. 1982. Elena Bradunas. 35 mm black and white film. Ethnic Heritage and Language Schools in America Project collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artist Tsedaye Makonnen and journalist Hannah Giorgis conducted six oral history interviews with Ethiopian community members with a range of stories and experiences. Partial transcription, translation, and metadata was completed by Gelila Kassa. Aisha N. White served as the project manager and the community impact consultant.