Harambee, a Swahili word which translates to ‘togetherness’, ‘helping each other’ and ‘caring’ inspired the name for North America’s first ever multi-day event centered on the idea of celebrating diversity with a focus on reconciliation for people of African descent and indigenous ancestry. It focuses on promoting a cultural sense of belonging. Historically founded as the African Parade, by Kombii Nanjalah, the need to create an alliance with the Indigenous communities gave the parade a lot more of a focused goal as a tool. Following the impact of Pride on sexual diversity within the Canadian advocacy for mainstream awareness, Harambecouver is focused on becoming a platform for cultural pride. This year's 2017 Parade launch will focus it’s efforts on the DTES(Downtown Eastside), an area that has been historic in being a hub for a thriving population of people of African Descent who had settled in Vancouver as freed slaves. As this community thrived, so did the concerted effort to break apart this momentum. In the early 1970s downtown Vancouver was the scene of a terrible episode of gentrification, where Hogan’s Alley, the first and last area in British Columbia with a significant African American concentration was demolished to make way for the construction of an highway. A conversation today that has resulted in the city admitting to it’s mistake with a focus on what the rejuvenation of this community will look like. With a positive move towards rebuilding this community, arts and entertainment have become strong tools to bring this displaced community together. While many community mobilizers have began establishing festivals, concerts, panel discussions, and community groups on landtrust conversations, business incubation opportunity, Steven Lytton, the 2016 recipient of the Canadian Government General Award wants to stitch the struggle of his immediate community as strong allies.