WHEREAS, The ODUNDE Festival is an annual event held in South Philadelphia celebrating African and African American culture and an educational resource for the regional community; and
WHEREAS, The ODUNDE Festival, created and co-founded by Lois Fernandez, attracts up to 500,000 individuals, covers twelve city blocks, and includes over 100 arts and crafts stations, food vendors, and two stages of live entertainment. As a model for African American festivals, ODUNDE has inspired similar celebrations across the country, and hosts many internationally known African and Caribbean performers, artists, and cultural leaders; and
WHEREAS, The ODUNDE Festival is set to celebrate its 38th year and will take place across a twelve block area around South Street West in the Southwest Center City section of Philadelphia. The festival is a lively and cultural celebration which brings African American culture to the historic South Street neighborhood and makes a tremendous contribution to the City's economy; and
WHEREAS, The Osun Village senior residences on Grays Ferry Avenue and ODUNDE365, a year-round cultural programming initiative for school children, were made possible by the success of ODUNDE and the vision of Fernandez and her daughter Oshunbumi Fernandez; and
WHEREAS, Oshunbumi Fernandez, CEO of ODUNDE, Inc., is a major contributor to the success of the ODUNDE Festival. For more than a decade, she worked for the Philadelphia Department of Recreation, which provided her with the ability to make a tangible impact on the lives of children in her community. Ms. Fernandez was selected by the Philadelphia Tribune as one of the 10 People Under 40 to Watch in 2011and 2012. Ms. Fernandez was also named one of Philadelphia's most influential African American leaders. Most recently, Ms. Fernandez served on Governor Tom Corbett's Trade Mission to Brazil and Chile; and
WHEREAS, The ODUNDE Festival has contributed to the recognition and success of South Street and the surrounding community. ODUNDE has become a premiere event not only for African Americans, but for the hundreds of thousands of individuals who attend it each year; and
WHEREAS, The ODUNDE Festival, as the largest and longest running African American street celebration on the East coast, has become a destination for African American culture; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA hereby recognizes the ODUNDE Festival's positive cultural impact on Philadelphia and the importance of maintaining its presence as a South Street tradition.
Further resolved that an engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to ODUNDE, Inc. as evidence of the sincere admiration of this legislative body.
End