‘Welcome to Little Ethiopia’: Clark County’s 1st official cultural district inaugurated
Designed in the likeness of an iconic Las Vegas symbol, the green, yellow and red sign states: “Welcome to Little Ethiopia.”
Las Vegas Valley’s Ethiopian community on Tuesday celebrated a historic milestone — the inauguration of Clark County’s first official cultural district.
County officials attended a morning ceremony, which was followed by an outdoor festival at Clark High School.
Commissioner Michael Naft helped to unveil a second sign, a brown and white street sign that signals the hub near Decatur Boulevard — between Twain and University avenues — as Little Ethiopia.
The area is an epicenter that houses nearly 80 Ethiopian-owned businesses, where many of the more than 40,000 Ethiopians and Eritreans who call Southern Nevada home tend to congregate.
“I was honored to be part of the Little Ethiopia Cultural District sign unveiling today,” Naft wrote on social media. “It was amazing to see this cultural district designation come to fruition after a years-long effort.”
Las Vegas police Sheriff Kevin McMahill also attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. He said that he is “committed to supporting the needs of this growing community,” the department said.
Congresswoman Susie Lee celebrated the designation in a social media post.
“Today we officially welcome Little Ethiopia into the Las Vegas family,” she said. “Let’s celebrate not only the cultural treasures, but also the incredible people who make up this community.”
The effort, approved by the county this year, set the stage for future cultural districts to have their own designations, Girma Zaid, who chaired the project that was launched four years ago by the Ethiopian Community Center of Las Vegas, has said.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow @rickytwrites on Twitter.
