Editor’s Note: The event was initially scheduled to take place June 20, but it was delayed a week due to inclement weather.
A DeKalb County city known as a haven for international refugees will celebrate them this Sunday as part of World Refugee Day.
A coffeeshop in Clarkston will hold a celebration event from 5 to 8 p.m. June 27, featuring food from local vendors, family-friendly activities, guest speakers and music and dance performances. The event is hosted by the Coalition of Refugee Service Agencies, an alliance of 17 local immigrant- and refugee-serving organizations.
World Refugee Day, founded in 2016 by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has been a mainstay June event in Clarkston. Hundreds of people have gathered at Refuge Coffee Co. each June to celebrate the culture and contributions of immigrants and refugees.
Clarkston has a population of nearly 13,000, and the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more than half of the city’s residents are foreign-born, with many coming from counties including Sudan, Ethiopia, Bhutan and Myanmar. Earlier in June, a World Refugee Day event, which was hosted by several Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority chapters, took place at Clarkston First Baptist Church
Last month, Clarkston city leaders unanimously passed a resolution encouraging President Joe Biden’s administration to admit as many refugees as the county’s annual capacity policy allows. During President Donald Trump’s administration, the cap had been lowered to 15,000 for 2021, and after some wavering from Biden’s administration, it was increased to 62,500 — one of his campaign promises.
Sunday’s free event will take place at 4170 East Ponce De Leon Avenue. More information is available at refugecoffeeco.com.
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