For Immediate Release
August 17, 2015
OEA mourns loss of a civil rights hero and friend of Eritrea
It is with great sadness that the Organization of Eritrean-Americans
mourns the death of legendary civil rights activist Julian Bond who
was a friend of Eritrea and the Eritrean people. Mr. Bond passed away
at the age of 75 years.
Mr. Julian Bond, a well-known activist in the civil rights movement in
the 1960s and later chairman of the NAACP, was a visionary and
tireless champion for civil and human rights for African Americans and
other oppressed groups in the society.
Many of us remember him from the time when he helped mobilize the
Eritrean-American community to join the NAACP by organizing a seminar
to register members of our community to vote so that as American
citizens Eritreans could take their battle to the ballot box here in
the United States. We also remember him from the time when he, in
1999, introduced the Eritrean President at a press conference that was
broadcast live on C-Span shedding some light on the then ongoing
border conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia.
With Julian Bond’s passing, the world has lost one of its most
passionate and eloquent voices for the cause of justice in the USA and
beyond. He advocated for justice for African Americans and for many
other groups at home and abroad. He stood his ground through sheer
determination and intellect.
The Organization of Eritrean Americans would like to remember Mr.
Julian Bond as a friend of our community. We mourn his loss and wish
to pass our deepest condolences to his wife and his five children.
The organization would also like to continue his legacy by working
diligently to help repair the relationship between the United States
and Eritrea and by helping expose and bring closure to the injustice
that has been perpetuated against the Eritrean people the last seven
decades.
Rest in Peace.
The Organization of Eritrean Americans
Received on Thu Aug 20 2015 - 21:25:31 EDT