Rahwa Habte Memorial March to the Ballot Box

Sounds of cheering rose from the crowd as people lined up to drop their ballots into the ballot box by Garfield Community Center on Saturday, October 24. A group of about 100 people had marched from Pratt Fine Arts Center near 20th and Jackson to the ballot box on 23rd and Cherry to honor the memory of Rahwa Habte, a community organizer and a fierce advocate of voter rights.  

The group first gathered at Pratt in front of a Rahwa memorial to drink an Eritrean ceremonial cup of coffee and hear a few words from Rahwa’s family. About a third of the crowd were children celebrating with their parents the hard-won right for every American to vote. As the crowd then made its way happily down 23rd Avenue, people danced to the music of Big World Breaks, celebrating the life of Rahwa and her tireless work to help immigrants and refugees obtain their right to vote.

“Elections were huge for Rahwa,” said Elisheba Johnson, one of the organizers of the event. “She would want to do everything she could to ensure that our whole community was brought into the electoral process and that everyone had a voice. This march is to honor her passion and love for her community.”  

Via South Seattle Emerald