We are a Colorado 501c3 established with a vision of becoming a lighthouse for generations of Tigrians who are thriving in Colorado. Encouraging people to lead engaged lives of meaning and purpose is our mission. The community center is a primary destination for Tigrayan engagement, a locus of learning and celebration, and a connector to Tigrayan heritage.
The first mass exodus of Tigrayans occurred in the 1970s-1980s because of genocide, manmade famine, extreme violence and marginalization by the communist Ethiopian Federal Government. Many of those refugees were resettled in Colorado – making the state today one of the largest concentration of Tigrayans, estimated at half of the 50,000 people in the local community.
The Tigray-Ethiopian Community Association was founded in 1993 to support Tigrayans who were lost in an unfamiliar country and culture. The first generation Tigrayans faced language, culture and discriminatory issues that made it difficult to reestablish their lives. Tigrayans quickly organized to support their social, education and economic needs. The Community plays a significant role with Tigrayan children and young adults who struggle navigating two worlds simultaneously. These young people at times found themselves stuck in the criminal justice system with no advocates, in school systems with no support and easily falling prey to drugs and other violence.
Today the challenges remain multidimensional as Tigrayans also find themselves in a struggle for justice for their families abroad who are again under genocide. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have said Tigrayans are being “ethnically cleansed” and experiencing “crimes against humanity” and “manmade starvation” at the hands of the Ethiopian government. This has led to deep depression, suicide and increase drug abuse among young adults and teens.
We’ve achieved some important milestones by mobilizing our community, donors and supporters.
