WHEREAS, Odunde was created in 1975 by Lois Fernandez and Arthur Ruth and now Oshunbumi Fernandez is the current CEO of Odunde, Inc.; and
WEREAS, The festival takes place the second Sunday every June covering 12 City blocks; and
WHEREAS, Odunde provides opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to meet, engage, cultivate, and learn about the African Diaspora’s heritage, communities, leadership and arts; and
WHEREAS, The Odunde festival has vendors from around the world who offer African artifacts, clothing and crafts, and African, Caribbean and Soul foods; and
WHEREAS, The festival’s concept originated from the Yoruba people of Nigeria and West Africa and celebrates the many cultures and traditions of the African Diaspora; and
WHEREAS, One of the many highlights of the festival is the procession from 23rd and South Streets to the Schuylkill River to offer fruit and flowers to Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of the river; and
WHEREAS, Odunde365 is an initiative that was created as a way to provide cultural programming all year round in addition to the festival through arts and crafts classes, African dance classes for children and adults, and Zumba classes; and
WHEREAS, Odunde365 works with other programs such as I AM B.U.M.I. that teaches young ladies ages five to eighteen the importance of hygiene, etiquette, self-love and self-motivation; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Oshunbumi Fernandez has been honored by the
Philadelphia Tribune
as one of the TOP 10, People Under 40 to watch in 2011, and was named in 2012 as one of the most influential leaders of 2012; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Fernandez was a member of Tom Corbett’s trade mission delegation to Brazil and Chile and is a member of the Mayor’s Commission on African and Caribbean Affairs; and
WHEREAS, Oshunbumi Fernandez has dedicated her professional life to cultural awareness and expression through Odunde; and
WHEREAS, Odunde is the largest African American street festival in the country attracting up to 500,000 people annually; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby commemorates the 40th Anniversary of the Odunde festival.
End